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PEARL CITY NEIGHBORHOOD BOARD NO. 21
DRAFT REGULAR MEETING MINUTES
TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2009
CALL TO ORDER: Chair James Pickard, Sr. called the meeting to order at 6:37 p.m., with a quorum of seven (7) members present. Note This 13-member Board requires seven (7) members for a quorum and to take official Board action.
MEMBERS PRESENT: Alfred Coleman, Sol Ray Duncan, Albert Fukushima, Antoinette Lee, Chris Lum Lee, James Pickard, Sr., Cruz Vina, Jr.
MEMBERS ABSENT:
VACANCIES: There are four (4) vacancies.
GUESTS: Capt. S. Kohn (
Charles K. Kapua (
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: Vina led everyone in the Pledge of Allegiance.
TIME LIMIT POLICY AND PROCEDURES: Chair Pickard indicated that there was no smoking or alcohol allowed in the pavilion and summarized the time limits and Sunshine Law requirements listed on the agenda.
FILLING OF FOUR (4) VACANT BOARD SEATS: There were no nominations or volunteers to fill the vacancies.
CITY OFFICIAL REPORTS:
1) December 2008 Statistics There were 11 structure, 6 rubbish, and 1 vehicle fire, 117 medical emergencies, 1 search/rescue, and 19 miscellaneous calls.
2) Fire Safety Tip All property owners must place their house numbers so they're readily visible from the street, which assists first responders to locate an address more quickly in case of emergency; the numbers must be at least two inches in height and in a color that contrasts to their background.
Honolulu Police Department (HPD) Sgt. K. Miyazaki circulated the report and provided the following information:
December 2008 Statistical Totals: There were a total of 7,172 calls for service in District 3, with some 1,613 calls (22.49%) from the
Questions, comments and concerns followed:
Mayor Mufi Hannemann's Office Dana Takahara-Dias, Director of the City Department of Customer Services (CSD) distributed the Mayor's newsletters and offered the following information and responses to previous inquiries:
1) Newsletter Items Everyone was encouraged to read the newsletter to find out more information on: (a) Mayor Hannemann's inauguration; (b) President Obama's inauguration; (c) the U.S. Conference of Mayors; and (d) Mayor Hannemann's new cabinet assignments.
2)
3) Posting of Possibly Illegal Signs The City Department of Planning and Permitting (DPP) investigated and noted 10 signs on the shoulder on the
4) Illegal Dumping An inspection revealed no dumping in the area of
Questions, comments and concerns followed:
Hoomalu and Hooiki Streets During the recent repaving of these outlet streets in
PRESENTATIONS:
Awarding of Certificates No certificates were awarded.
Koa Ridge Project Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) Rodney Funakoshi, from Castle and Cooke (C&C), the developers of the Koa Ridge project, circulated a Koa Ridge traffic study summary and detailed the following items from his PowerPoint presentation:
1) Location The Koa Ridge development is located between the northern edge of Waipio, the southern edge of Mililani Town, off the H-2 freeway and next to Costco Waipio and the new
2) Current Status C&C settled with Wahiawa Hospital and a new petition was filed in June 2008 for Koa Ridge and Waiawa including: (a) withdrawal of the prior draft EIS for Waiawa; (b) submittal of a new combined EIS in December 2008; (c) Koa Ridge specifics 575 acres, 3,500 homes, medical, and commercial; and (d) C&C Waiawa specifics 191 acres and 1,500 homes.
3) Community Layout The goal is for the community to be "walkable", with a transit center located in the middle of the development. The village center and commercial area will be surrounded by residential areas.
4) Community Benefits The benefits to the community include: (a) affordable housing; (b) range of housing types; (c) senior housing; (d) schools; (e) parks, trails and open space; and (f) large employers (hospital).
5) Traffic Impacts and Transportation Mitigation C&C prepared a traffic impact analysis report containing commuter travel time simulations which showed that the impact in 2016 would be an increase in travel time by two to five minutes, and the impact in 2025 would be an increase of three to seven minutes, both without any roadway improvements. Transportation mitigation items include: (a) Waipio (Ka Uka) interchange improvements (clover-leaf is planned); (b)
6) Copy of EIS Visit the website of the State Office of Environmental Quality Control (oeqc.doh.hawaii.gov) to look at the draft EIS or call Mr. Funakoshi to request a copy.
Questions, comments and concerns followed:
1) Schools It was requested that C&C reconsider the decision to put in two elementary schools and think about putting one elementary and one intermediate or high school. C&C is working closely with the State Department of Education (DOE) on school installations, and Waiawa will provide the intermediate and high schools and additional elementary schools. Mililani, Kapolei and Ewa high schools are very crowded, especially Mililani, which can't handle any more students (it currently has three tracks of students). Mr. Funakoshi will ensure that the DOE is aware of the concerns regarding schools. There was one case where a developer paid to build the schools, with later reimbursement from the State, but it's very rare and requires too much up-front capital, especially since the developer is already paying for the infrastructure; It's agreeable to the developer to contribute land for the State to use donate some for the construction, but not to completely pay for the schools.
2) Development Timelines Waiawa and Koa Ridge are on similar development timelines, and the Waiawa development already received the zoning approval and is now seeking infrastructure approval.
3) Waiawa Impact Disclosure Although the draft EIS covers both Koa Ridge and Waiawa projects, there's no disclosure of the impacts of Waiawa in the document. The EIS is vague on how the Waiawa portion is to be developed and the availability of resources for water, sewer and drainage. Archaeological studies were done for Waiawa when the zoning changes were approved, which is why they were not included in the EIS. It was strongly suggested that the Waiawa information be included in the EIS for completeness.
4) Impacts of Both Developments The main impact of the Koa Ridge and Waiawa developments is on traffic, which is why the traffic study was conducted. All of the other impacts affect separate systems; the sewer and water systems for both projects are separate (Waiawa will hook up to the Pearl City pumping station, and Koa Ridge will have its own sewer going to Waipahu).
5) Infrastructure Needs It was questioned if the proper capacity for sewer and water is available for the two developments. A study was commissioned to investigate the groundwater supply, which concluded that the water supply was adequate, since the sugar plantation closing freed up some water resources, and that filtration may be necessary for certain out-of-use wells. The State Commission on Water Resource Management doesn't provide water allocation until the zoning approval is given. The developer will be paying for the infrastructure, and so the improvements will cost nothing to taxpayers. Preliminary studies have been done and the developer is working closely with BWS and the City Department of Environmental Services (ENV) to ensure adequate infrastructure; the systems will be deeded to the City when they are complete. Concern was also expressed over the electricity infrastructure with the recent blackouts.
6) Proposed
7) Community Visioning Meeting The next community visioning meeting to discuss the developments will be most likely held in June 2009.
1) Hawaii's Dependence on Petroleum Over the past 36 years, Hawaii's petroleum consumption remains at about 89% of energy consumption, making Hawaii the most petroleum-dependent state in the U.S. (approximately four times more dependent than Florida and New York, the next two most dependent). The petroleum dependence causes the electricity prices to be the highest in the U.S. Hawaii spends about $7 billion out of state for its energy needs. The increase in oil prices hit particularly hard here since home electricity is also generated through petroleum use, instead of natural gas, like much of the mainland.
2) Renewable Energy
3)
4) Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) The goal is to increase the existing RPS to 25% by 2020 and 40% by 2030, with a limit for the amount of biofuels that count toward the utility's (Hawaiian Electric Company [HECO]) obligation. Until 2015, the utility can only meet 30% of its obligation by simply substituting biofuels for oil in its existing power plants. The State Public Utilities Commission (PUC) will set financial penalties for utility noncompliance. The RPS is critical because it sets a long term binding target for the utility, and the penalties make it more than just a goal. Energy scenario planning, to replace integrated resource planning, is important because to reach the RPS, the electricity system requires planning with clean energy as the priority, with some community contribution in the form of greater energy efficiency.
5) Assets Adding renewable energy to the system in
6) Pricing A Feed-in-Tariff (FIT) sets standard prices for power purchase agreements and has succeeded in
7) Grid HECO has committed to working with private developers and the State to buy power from a big wind project from
Questions, comments and concerns followed:
1) Florida and New York Energy Source Florida and New York mainly use coal and natural gas for power, so during the oil price increase, residents there saw an increase in gasoline prices but not electric bills.
2) Wind Farm Details Private developers, such as C&C would build wind farms with initial financing from banks and other capital funds, and then some funds would purchase the farm so that electricity may be sold to consumers; owning a facility to generate renewable energy (like a wind farm) is viewed as a very stable investment. Clean energy was recently less expensive than oil and also costs less in the long term.
3) Renewable Energy Tax Credits Although home solar energy systems are expensive, there are some tax credits available to individuals who use them; Mr. Strickler will follow up on credits and/or incentives. Regarding the use of renewable energy systems in new development, the Federal Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) sets up standards with new buildings for them to receive federal tax credits. The State is looking at implementing some of the LEED standards in the building code.
Air Force Remedial Investigation Fuel Spill Clean Up Report Fukushima relayed that Rick McComb notified him that he would be ready to present in February or March 2009, so the item was deferred.
Ohana Health Plan (OHP) Community Outreach Anne Chipchase, from OHP, circulated brochures and emphasized the following items from her PowerPoint presentation:
1) New Medicaid Program Quest Expanded Access (QeXA) is the new Medicaid program for
2) OHP Members OHP now has approximately 24,000 Medicaid recipient members who selected OHP as their provider or who was assigned OHP (80% of the members actively chose OHP). Medicaid recipients are comprised of seniors and those with disabilities, which is a diverse population.
3) OHP Philosophy The philosophy behind OHP is to center the care around the person and their family (and/or friends). A core team of service coordinators, made up of nurses and/or social workers, will give everyone at the least a telephone screening and some members will be visited, handling the most critical cases first. The service coordinator works with the family/friends of the member and the doctors involved. A personal visit or telephone call will be administered at least once per year. A family member, friend, or agency may be chosen by a member to help him/her with errands and other items, and OHP will provide training; this would help to the family or friends from relying on charity for money if they have to quit their job to provide caretaking duties.
4) Outreach OHP translates for most languages except Micronesian, which requires more time to arrange.
Questions, comments and concerns followed:
1) Medicaid Details Senior citizens and those with disabilities, with low income, may meet the qualifications for Medicaid, which is required to enroll in QeXA. There is no copayment for those on Medicaid. A few examples were given regarding the income limits, which include factors such as properties (although the primary home is exempted) and marriage status; more specific information was requested during the presentation given to the committees, but it is difficult to state for certain if a person qualifies, since the limits are set by the Federal government.
2) QeXA Enrollment Existing Medicaid recipeints have already been qualified by the State Department of Human Services (DHS), and there is a free one-time provider switch period for 90 days after the start of the program (February 1). If someone is not a current Medicaid recipient, but he or she is eligible, then they may choose their provider at the time of QeXA enrollment.
3) Program Sponsors The State and Federal governments sponsor the QeXA program with equal funding; QeXA is not a Health Maintenance Organization (HMO), even though it functions as an HMO, since it is paid for and governed by government funding.
4) Medical Professionals There should be enough medical professionals available to support the program.
5) Diminishing Benefits with Age Often health benefits decrease upon retirement and with age, when the opposite should be done; seniors live mainly on fixed incomes and so struggle to meet the increase in health care costs. The legislature was urged to look out for the health of
COMMUNITY/PUBLIC AGENCY REPORTS:
Board of Water Supply (BWS) Lan Yoneda, from the BWS, communicated the following information:
1) December 2008
2) Power Outage The recent island-wide power outage is a reminder to prepare and plan in advance for an emergency. During an emergency, stay tuned to media reports to hear information from the BWS. Generally, keep water use to a minimum during a power outage, and use only for drinking and sanitation purposes, because all of the BWS's pumps use electricity to pump water up to the reservoirs. Until power is restored, the water remaining in the community reservoirs is all the water available to residents.
3) New Year's Resolution A suggested New Year's resolution is to decrease water usage by two, five or 10 percent, since it will save money and help to conserve
4) 2009 Water Conservation Calendar The new 2009 Water Conservation Calendar was released; it has suggestions about water conservation illustrated by student artists chosen by last year's contest.
5) Annual Poster Contest and Poetry Contest BWS launched their 31st annual poster contest for students in kindergarten through 6th grade, and a new poetry contest for students in 7th through 12th grade. This year's theme for both contests is "Ola I Ka Wai Water Gives Life".
Questions, comments and concerns followed:
1) New BWS Head Wayne Hashiro, previously the City's Managing Director is the new head of the BWS.
2) Water Allocation BWS is not involved in the water allocation until the permitting process is complete; after permitting, new development goes through the State Commission on Water Resource Management, who consults with BWS before decision-making. BWS is restricted to the water pumpage allowed by the State, so that the groundwater supply is never in jeopardy. The State should be consulted on whether development may be denied if water availability is uncertain.
3) Health of Oahu's Wells Some wells on Oahu have agricultural contaminants, but none are in the
1) Spring 2009 Enrollment As of January 20, 2009, LCC enrollment is up 10.21% to 6,324 students (an increase of 586 students), comprising the largest headcount increase among all 10
2) Educational Innovate Instructional Facility (EIIF) LCC is in the planning and design phase for a new EIIF, which would add 24,000 square feet to the campus facilities and house the Teaching Education Program (TEP). The TEP has grown tenfold in the past two years. Funding for construction is still to be approved.
3) House Bill 85 (HB 85) Relating to the Second Access Road HB 85, which appropriates funding for the planning, design and construction of a second access road for LCC will be heard on January 29, 2009.
4) Scholarship Brunch The annual LCC Scholarship Brunch will be held on February 15, 2009, from 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. The event is organized and conducted by LCC's Culinary Arts Program, the Culinary Institute of the Pacific, with the assistance of food service students and faculty from participating area high schools. The public is invited to attend; tickets are $14 at the door (tickets for children six years and under cost $5 at the door). There will be entertainment and a craft fair.
5) Rubberbandance Group Melding the raw energy and charisma of hip hop and controlled formality of ballet, Rubberbandance strives to create something new with seamless transitions between the two dance forms. The group will perform at the LCC Theatre on February 7, 2009, at 8:00 p.m.; tickets are $23 for adults and $19 for students, seniors, and the military.
Questions, comments and concerns followed:
Scholarship Brunch Tickets Call the LCC campus in advance of February 15, 2009, to purchase tickets to the brunch for $12, instead of the $14 at the door.
Board of Education (BOE) No representative or report present.
1) For Adults (a) 2008 Federal tax forms are available and the 2008 State tax forms will be available in a week; (b) the Friends of the Library of Hawaii awarded Senator Clarence Nishihara the 2009 Mahalo Award for his support of the public libraries; (c) a Maximize Your Driving Skills class will be held on March 5, 2009, with a focus on age-related changes and safe driving skills, taught by a volunteer from the Association for Advancement of Retired Persons (AARP); (d) library card holders may call 453-6566 to schedule a free one-on-one internet class on Wednesday and/or Sunday morning; (e) February is Black History Month, and a special book collection will be displayed; (f) library card holders may download audiobooks, electronic books and music from www.librarieshawaii.org and then hawaii.lib.overdrive.com; and (g) a free program about preventing falls for senior citizens was presented by a physical therapy teacher from Kapiolani Community College (KCC) and her students on January 22, 2009 and was attended by 91 seniors, with handouts still available at www.cdc.gov/injury.
2) For Teens February is Drug Free Awareness Month and an exhibit from the Coalition for a Drug-Free Hawaii will be displayed; the public is welcome to come and pick up educational handouts.
3) For Children (a) Storytime and crafts will continue on Wednesdays at 9:30 a.m. until May 12, 2009; (b) Puzzletime Storytime for children 18 to 36 months includes educational board puzzles, storytelling, and singing will continue on Thursdays at 9:30 a.m. until May 14, 2009; and (c) a Dr. Seuss program will be held on March 9, 2009 at 3:00 p.m. in the Adult Reading Room.
RESIDENTS CONCERNS:
1) Tenant Construction (a) Babies R Us is being roofed; (b) PetCo's structural steel is complete; (c) McDonald's has not broken ground yet; (d) Long's Drugs have poured the foundation for their building; (e) David's Bridal is undergoing structural work; and (f) Sam's Club Gas Station started construction. There are no new tenants at this time.
2) Work Coordination and Timetable The work is being coordinated with other construction in the area, and construction is anticipated to finish in May and June 2009.
Manana
Streets Need Paving Hoomalu and Hooiki Streets This item was covered earlier in the meeting.
Other Concerns
Appointment of Myrtle Nyuha to the Neighborhood Commission (NC):
1) Board Service
2) Less Than a Full Term Served Lee pointed out that Ms. Nyuha actually wouldn't be appointed to the NC, since she hadn't served a full term on the Board, which is required for that specific NC seat.
The motion that the letter (previously circulated) to support Myrtle Nyuha as a Neighborhood Commissioner be sent was WITHDRAWN by UNANIMOUS CONSENT (7-0-0) (AYE: Coleman,
ELECTED OFFICIALS:
Governor Linda Lingles Office Jim Propotnick, Deputy Director of the State Department of Public Safety (PSD), distributed the report and supplied the following information:
1) 2009 State of the State Address In Gov. Lingle's address, she outlined her administration's priorities for the legislative session and provided details on collaborative initiatives to improve residents' quality of life.
2) Highways Modernization Program There is funding available for a highway modernization program, and the construction included in the program will provide an economic stimulus. A small increase in the gas tax will be required to help pay for the highway improvements.
3) Recreational Renaissance Initiative Gov. Lingle supports a rebirth of recreational opportunities and continued stewardship of State recreational facilities or land; funds will need to be spent on this initiative, but the results will encourage more tourism.
4)
Councilmember Gary Okino Robert Sato, from Councilmember Okino's Office, circulated the report and delivered information on the following items:
1)
2) City Council Reorganization The Council reorganized its leadership and committee structure as follows: Council Chair Todd Apo, Budget Committee Chair Nestor Garcia, Executive Matters and Legal Affairs Committee Chair Charles Djou, Public Infrastructure Committee Chair Duke Bainum, Public Safety and Service Committee Chair Donovan Dela Cruz, Transportation and Planning Committee Chair Gary Okino, and Zoning Committee Chair Rod Tam.
3) Bill 63 (2008) The purpose of Bill 63, in the Floor Draft version, is to require the City administration, concurrent with the issuance of any Request for Proposal (RFP) or Invitation for Bids (IFB) for the planning, design or construction of the Honolulu High Capacity Transit Project, to also submit to the Council the specifications in each proposed RFP or IFB, and any clarifications thereof sent to all vendors.
4) Bill 67 (2008) Bill 67 would prohibit a driver from using electronic devices for sending text messages or playing games while operating a motor vehicle; the bill is on the Council agenda for January 28, 2009.
5) Resolution 08-261 (2008) Resolution 08-261 amends the Minimum Operable Segment (MOS) for the rail transit project to designate the airport alignment, rather than the
Senator Clarence Nishihara Sen. Nishihara imparted the following information (his report was available):
SB 275 Prohibits drivers from using cellular telephones while operating a motor vehicle unless it is a hands-free device or for emergency use; provides for fines and forfeiture of cellular telephones; distributes one-half of fines and forfeitures collected to the county where the offense occurs.]
1) Bill Highlights (a) Senate Bill 258 (SB 258) makes the age limit to serve as a juror 70 years old (a 70-year old constituent requested this bill); (b) SB 259 reduces the jury duty exemption age from 80 to 75 years old (in committee the ages will be made consistent at 70 years old); (c) SB 265 better notice required from the State of Hawaii Public Housing Authority (HPHA); (d) SB 267 makes an appropriation for the planning, design, and construction for a second access road for LCC; (e) SB 275 would require hands free sets for cell phone use while driving, with possible confiscation of phones as a penalty; and (F) SB 277 allows the State to contract with the Counties to issue State identification cards.
2) Other Legislative Items Sen. Nishihara supports increased reimbursement for jury service but noted the lack of available monies. Another proposal was to exclude unemployment benefits from State tax.
3) Monthly Constituent Coffee Hours Sen. Nishihara holds monthly Coffee Hours for his constituents at 7:00 a.m. on the fourth Wednesday at the Pearl City Wal-Mart McDonald's, and on the fourth Thursday at the Waipahu McDonald's.
4) Aiea/Pearl City Community Meeting The area legislators are hosting the next Aiea/Pearl City community meeting with everyone welcomed to attend. The meeting will take place from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the
Sen. David Ige No representative or report present.
Representative Roy Takumi Lee Korenaga, from Rep. Takumi's Office, recounted the following: within the tightened budget, Rep. Takumi is still focused on the core issues of health, public safety, human services and education. Call 586-6170 or email reptakumi@capitol.hawaii.gov with any questions.
Rep. K. Mark Takai Rep. Takai distributed his newsletter and offered information on the following items:
1)
2)
3) Traffic and Transportation Town Meeting The annual town meeting, sponsored by the Aiea and Pearl City legislators and Councilmember Okino, scheduled for January 28, 2009 at Waimalu Elementary School, from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. will focus on the traffic and transportation projects and concerns in the area.
4) Bill Information Call Rep. Takai's Office at 586-8455 for information on bills.
5) Military Service Rep. Takai may be deployed to
6) Talk Story On Thursday, January 29, 2009, Rep. Takai will hold a Talk Story.
Questions, comments and concerns followed:
Safe Journey Lee presented lei to Rep. Takai and everyone wished him a safe journey. Rep. Takai noted that he could have been chosen to deploy to
COMMUNITY INPUT:
Pearl City Foundation (PCF)
Manana Community Association; Pacific
APPROVAL OF THE NOVEMBER 25, 2008 REGULAR MEETING MINUTES: The November 25, 2008 Regular Meeting minutes were APPROVED AS CIRCULATED by UNANIMOUS CONSENT (7-0-0) (AYE: Coleman, Duncan, Fukushima, Lee, Lum Lee, Pickard, Vina).
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2008 TREASURER'S REPORTS: Treasurer Lum Lee indicated that: (a) the Operating Account expended $63.85/$192.32 for printing and postage, leaving a balance of $1,141.23/$948.91; (b) the Publicity Account expended $0/$400 for videotaping, leaving the balance at $2,100/$1,700; and (c) the Refreshments Account had no expenses in both months, leaving the balance at $104.67. The reports are filed.
COMMITTEE REFERRALS FOR ACTION/DEFERRAL:
Executive Chair Pickard summarized the following items:
1) Attendance of Board Members Requesting Leave from Meetings Chair Pickard noted that he did "excuse" a Board member from attending a few committee meetings, due to prior commitments.
2) Health, Education and Welfare (HEW) Committee Chair Requesting Approval to Submit Letter to the City Department of Emergency Management (DEM) This item will remain in committee until a committee recommendation is presented.
Legislative and Capital Improvement Programs (LCIP) LCIP Vice-Chair Lum Lee conveyed the following:
1) State Projects for
2) City Projects for
Chair Pickard announced the appointment of Lum Lee as LCIP Chair.
Traffic and Transportation (TT) No further updates (many of the items were covered earlier in the meeting).
Development, Plan and Zoning (DPZ) DPZ Chair Fukushima relayed the following update:
Central Oahu Restoration Advisory Board Remedial Investigation Report for Fuel Spill Clean Up The Board will hear a progress report from Rick McComb, the Hickam Air Force Base project engineer, in either February or March 2009; Fukushima will follow up on the details.
Health, Education and Welfare (HEW) Chair Pickard announced the appointments of Veray as HEW Chair and Ching as HEW Vice-Chair. He noted that the item relating to the City's Sand Island Wastewater Treatment Project could be taken off the agenda, since the report was heard in the previous month.
Publicity/Refreshments (P/R) No updates.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
1) Next Committee Meeting The next committee meetings are scheduled for Tuesday, February 17, 2009, at 7:00 p.m., at
2) Next Board Meeting The next regular Board meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, February 24, 2009, 6:30 p.m., at
3) Board Members' Concerns
ADJOURNMENT: The meeting adjourned at 9:08 p.m.
Submitted by:
Rachel M. Glanstein
Neighborhood Assistant
Reviewed by:
Albert K. Fukushima
Substitute Board Minutes Reviewer