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PEARL CITY NEIGHBORHOOD BOARD NO. 21

DRAFT MEMORANDUM FOR THE RECORD

TUESDAY, MARCH 24, 2009

WAIAU DISTRICT PARK

CALL TO ORDER: Chair James Pickard, Sr. called the meeting to order at 6:32 p.m., with four (4) members present, which did not constitute a quorum. Chair Pickard explained that the Board would be unable to take action on agenda items, but that reports and discussion would still be allowed. 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, Chris Lum Lee, James Pickard, Sr., Cruz Vina, Jr.

MEMBERS ABSENT:  Stanley Ching, Antoinette Lee, Larry Veray.

GUESTS: Lt. Keith Lima (Honolulu Police Department), Sandra Sagisi (Mayor Mufi Hannemann's Office, City Department of Customer Services), Suzanne Jones (City Department of Environmental Services), Mike Goodman (Malama-Aina Act), Lan Yoneda (Board of Water Supply), Breene Harimoto (State Board of Education), Senator Clarence Nishihara, Rodney Funokoshi (Castle & Cooke), Dave and Georgie Howton, Silas Collier, Baybee Hufana-Ablan, Arline Mayo, Lois Miyashiro, James Nakamura, Myrtle Nyuha, Roger Olegario, Chris Prendergesr, Ronald Simpson, Kathleen Yoda, Firefighter Thad Akiona (Honolulu Fire Department), Linnie Pascual (Neighborhood Commission Office).

PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: Duncan led everyone in the Pledge of Allegiance.

TIME LIMIT POLICY AND PROCEDURES: Chair Pickard indicated that anyone wishing to speak must raise their hand and when recognized to speak, address comments to the Chair. Speakers must keep their comments within one minute. Those giving reports must keep it within three minutes. Presentations must be kept within ten minutes (or five minutes if previously heard). A few housekeeping information was provided and members of the Board and guests were asked to silence all electronic devices at this time. 

FILLING OF FOUR (4) VACANT AT-LARGE BOARD SEATS: The following individuals were interested in filling   vacancies; 1) Baybee Hufana-Ablan, and 2) Roger Olegario. Although the Board was unable to appoint at this time due to the lack of quorum, the Board entertained hearing from the individuals, their background and board interests.    

Dave Howton thanked the Board for their well wishes and when his strength is renewed he would like to be a candidate for the Board. 

CITY OFFICIAL REPORTS:

Honolulu Fire Department (HFD) – Firefighter Thad Akiona reported the following:

1)       February 2009 Statistics – There were 2 structure, 3 wildland, 5 rubbish, and 4 vehicle fires; 123 medical emergencies, no search/rescues, and 28 miscellaneous calls. There were no major incidents.

2)       Fire Safety Tip – Cooking fires are the leading cause of home fires and fire injuries. If you are cooking and must leave the kitchen, even for only a few minutes, turn off the stove. Avoid distractions while cooking. Keep ignitable items at least three feet away from the range top. Keep an ABC-rated fire extinguisher near the kitchen and learn how to use it.

Honolulu Police Department (HPD) – Lt. K. Lima circulated the report and provided the following information:

1)   February 2009 Statistics – There were a total of 5,741 calls for service in District 3, with some 1,097 calls (19.11%) from the Pearl City area.

2)   HPD National Reaccreditation – HPD is scheduled for an on-site assessment as part of a program to achieve reaccreditation. The accreditation program requires agencies to comply with state-of-the-art standards in four basic areas: policy and procedures, administration, operations, and support services. The public is invited to provide comments; for more information, call 547-2781.

Mayor Mufi Hannemann's Office – Sandra Sagisi, City Department of Customer Service, distributed the Mayor's newsletter and gave the following responses to concerns raised at last month’s Board meeting:

1)       Honolulu Transit Meetings – The Department of Planning and Permitting (DPP) held a series of meetings to discuss the future of transit; the meetings were held in Kapolei on March 17, 2009 and In Waipahu on March 18, 2009.

2)       Tax Increases – An increase of $0.30 to residential property taxes; an increase of $0.25 to bus fares at $1.50 (senior citizens and youths will not be imposed with this increase); the Honolulu Zoo parking has been $0.25 and for the first time in more than 25 years will be increased to $1.25; and the golf green fees will undergo an increase as well.  

3)       Concerning the City Stimulus Package Projects – The specifics for utilizing stimulus funding will be forthcoming.  At this time, the funding requests to President Obama from Mayor Hannemann/City and County of Honolulu are in broader categories to closer match the areas targeted in the Obama administration economic stimulus package.

4)       Concerning the Royal Hawaiian Band (RHB) – Hawaii has the only municipal band in the nation; and concern was expressed that Mayor Hannemann stated that he was considering the RHB as a separate entity from the city. Thinking about looking for other funding options. This is in the conceptual stage. With the need to address the expected budget shortfall, Mayor Hannemann has offered possible recommendations/scenarios to help reduce the City and County of Honolulu’s potential deficit for FY 2010 and 2011.

Questions, comments and concerns followed:

1)       TheBus Potential Route Change to Bus Route 53, Honolulu-Pacific Palisades – A resident asked that Mayor Hannemann does not eliminate Route 53 from her neighborhood.  It is the only bus in her area and serves as a lifeline to the seniors.  Many retirees will suffer if it is eliminated due to the City’s move to cut bus routes due to cost-cutting measures.

2)       No Parking Sign Located Between 2217 and 2218 Auhuu Street – The no parking sign is too close to the fire hydrant thereby resulting in motorists parking illegally. 

3)       Chickens Crossing Over on Waimano Home Road (Mauka Side Near Momilani) – The chickens are crossing the road and going all over. The owners need to keep the chickens contained. 

PRESENTATIONS:

Awarding of Certificates – No certificates were awarded.

Castle & Cooke Koa Ridge Makai – Rodney Funakoshi reported the following:

Funakoshi provided a briefing and slide presentation back in January. A draft EIS has been prepared and is in the process of being finalized and then go before the Land Use Commission to have the area rezoned. A regional map was presented showing the project’s location. Castle & Cooke will develop all the required facilities with regard to sewer and water in particular to service these developments. Funakoshi will update the Board on the progress of the development periodically and will seek input from neighboring organizations approval of the project within the next year.

Questions, comments and concerns followed:

1)       Include Full Impact of Water and Sewer Facilities in EIS – A recommendation was made to include the full impact of the water and sewer development in the EIS. There is a sustainable yield and adequate supply of water.

2)       Project’s Effect on School Enrollment – Funakoshi has not heard discussion at this time from the State Department of Education on whether the schools to be built in this project will have any effect on the closing of schools. It was noted that Mililani High School currently has three tracks that it operates on and would not be able to handle additional enrollment.     

Pearl City Industrial Park – Tokunaga Masonry’s – No update.

Pearl City Curbside Recycling Program – Suzanne Jones, Program Coordinator, presented highlights of the continuous expansion of the Curbside Recycling Program which will divert thousands of tons from our landfill. There are currently 60,000 homes in the program; beginning May 2009, a rollout of another 40,000 homes from the Waimanalo, Kaneohe, Launani Valley, Waipio Estates, Wahiawa, Whitmore, and Waipio Gentry to Halawa areas will be included; followed by another rollout November 2009 and completing Oahu by May 2010. A three cart sorting system will be implemented; green waste (green bin), mixed recyclables (blue bin) and non-recyclable household refuse (gray bin). An instructional brochure will be attached to the cart to explain how the program works and a schedule. Additional green and gray carts are available for non-recyclable refuse at no charge to households with high volumes. The program has been well received with positive results, and though it is not mandatory to sort into the blue/green carts, it is mandatory that the blue/green carts are not used for household refuse.

The curbside program is only for automated areas; however, apartment or townhouse areas that have private refuse collection and are interested in participating in the City’s curbside recycling program can call 768-3200 or log on to www.opala.org for more information and collection schedules.    

The Malama-Aina Act – Mike Goodman distributed a handout and touched on the following information:

1)       Definition and Purpose – The Malama-Aina Act is legislation that Mr. Goodman wrote based upon his study of graffiti and solutions to it, which may be found at www.malamaainaact.org. The act's purpose is to end graffiti throughout Hawaii, and a secondary goal is to decrease and end illegal dumping. Mr. Goodman has a petition to support the bill.

2)       Details – The ideas are based on what has worked in other parts of the world, and Mr. Goodman felt that the concepts are neither complicated nor expensive. Currently much of the island is covered with graffiti, or with mismatched paint used to paint out graffiti, and many residents have begun to accept the vandalism. He directed everyone to read the handout, which contained more specific information, and to sign the web petition or to call him for a paper copy of the petition to sign. Mr. Goodman is not requesting any funds, only support for the graffiti-related legislation.

Questions, comments and concerns followed:

1)       History and Petition – A bill was introduced with these concepts last year in the legislature, but did not make it out of the Judiciary Committee. The petition would show the support of the community for the bill.

2)       Bill Components – There are five components to the bill: (a) quick removal of graffiti within 24 hours; (b) utilize better technology (computers and internet) to capture the vandals; (c) draconian (severe) punishment for violators, including community service, jail time, license or permit revocation or delay, depending on age of perpetrator; (d) education and teaching; and (e) a doctrine of vicarious liability, which allows the prosecution of those who market graffiti paraphernalia to juveniles and others, regardless of location in Hawaii.

3)       Enforceability – HPD does have an enforcement detail to handle graffiti, and the bill's components would make enforcement easier for them.

4)       Community Empowerment – The community should be empowered to monitor graffiti and illegal dumping, and creating reward systems for people to come forward with information works to encourage awareness. In addition, draconian punishment often makes some perpetrators turn in their partners. Graffiti strikes at the economic heart of Hawaii, which is its appearance; it's very important for Hawaii to draw tourists.

5)       Correlation Between Graffiti and Crime – There is a causal correlation (see the study for specifics) between graffiti, and street gangs and crime.

COMMUNITY/PUBLIC AGENCY REPORTS:

Board of Water Supply (BWS) – Lan Yoneda, from the BWS, communicated the following information:

1)       March 2009 Main Breaks – There was one 16-inch main break on January 22 at the hairpin turn at the entrance to Pacific Palisades (on Komo Mai Drive); the break was fixed with very little effect on traffic.

2)       2^nd Annual Decorate an Egg, Xeriscape Way Easter Workshop – This Easter holiday workshop will be held on April 4, 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., at Halawa Xeriscape Garden. Decorate eggs the xeriscape way and keiki can participate in the egg-hunt after the event. Call 748-5363 or email tours@hbws.org to register for this workshop. For more information, visit www.boardofwatersupply.com.

3)       Board of Water Supply (BWS) Contact Numbers – The public was provided a contact card that listed common community concerns and the appropriate phone number within the BWS to call:

a)       General concerns:  748-5000

b)       24-hour Water Emergency Hotline:  748-5010

c)       Water bill payment / billing questions:  748-5020

d)       Update account information or water service:  748-5030

e)       Construction Project Information:  748-5730

f)         Water Waste, Tour & Education Programs:  748-5041

g)       Water quality: 1) Color, particles, chemical testing: 748-5840; and 2) Odor, taste, bacterial testing, chlorination:  748-5850

Questions, comments and concerns followed:

Resurfacing After Main Break Repair – A main break occurred two weeks ago on Auhuhu Street. Subsequently, following the repaving, large potholes were left near 2217 Auhuhu Street, and evidence of road buckling (from the break) still exists. After a main break is repaired, BWS contractors are given 30 to 35 days to schedule resurfacing after they receive the contract, so the surface probably hasn't yet been repaved. There was another area in question on Komo Mai Drive; Mr. Yoneda will follow up on both areas. If residents notice any failures in the road, such as dips, after resurfacing is complete, please contact the BWS engineering section; BWS does have inspectors to help them improve the process, and they are trying to be more proactive. If the road fails within two years, then the contractor must fix the road; the City is responsible for fixing any road failure that happens after two years.

Leeward Community College (LCC) – No representative or report present

Board of Education (BOE) – Breene Harimoto circulated the February 2009 newsletter and communicated the following information:

1)       State Library System – Currently, the third version of the State’s Budget does not have any further cuts to the Library System at this time.

2)       Statewide Public Hearings for Administrative Rule Changes for the DOE – The public is welcome to attend the first hearing, which will be held at Kapolei High School on April 6, 2009 at 3:30 p.m.

Questions, comments and concerns followed:

1)       DOE Schools to Raise Fees for the Use of Facilities – The State Superintendent has the authority to set the fees on the use of facilities. Breene noted that existing fees have been waived in certain instances and is not aware of any recent changes, but he will check on this.

Pearl City Library – No representative or report present due to staff shortage at the Pearl City Library.

RESIDENTS’ CONCERNS:

Pearl City Gateway (Kuala Street) Update – Silas Collier, Senior Project Manager for Swinerton Inc., reported the following:  

1)   Tenants – Tenants confirmed thus far will include PetCo, Longg’s, Baby’s R Us, and David’s Bridals. Discussions are being held with AT&T, Sally Beauty and various small restaurants.    

2)   Road Closure on Kuala Street – Swinerton continues to work in conjunction with Nordic Construction who is handling the Walmart gas station project. Starting next week, work will begin at the intersection of Makolu and Kuala Streets down to the entry of Walmart closing one lane at a time.

2)       Opening of Pearl City Gateway – Opening target date is September 2009 (Labor Day).

Moanalua Road and Kaahumanu Street Project Update – Vina confirmed that the project is completed. The left turn from Kaahumanu Street onto Moanalua Road to access the H-1 west bound is much easier now working out fine for the Pearl City residents.

Walmart/Sam’s Club Gas Station Project Update – Vina reported that the meters are being installed for the dispensing of gasoline. The Construction Supervisor has informed Vina that the next project planned is to remove the sidewalk on both sides of the street to put in driveway to the gas station.    

Other Concerns –

1)       Organ Donor Life Program (ODLP) – The ODLP is located on Bethel Street, which deals with the donation of organs. A national registry unveiling and presentation is scheduled for April 1, 2009 at 9:30 a.m. at the Queen’s Medical Center. The John A. Burns School of Medicine will be working alongside this program.

2)   Signs Posted on Kuala Street – Private contractors are posting signs on the median strip in front of Walmart, which will have to be removed.

ELECTED OFFICIALS:

Governor Linda Lingle‘s Office – James Propotnick distributed the Governor’s written report and highlighted the following:

1)       Federal Stimulus Funds to Improve Infracture – The State of Hawaii, together with the four counties, will receive $246 million in federal stimulus funds to improve transportation infrastructure statewide. Governor Lingle and the State Transportation Director Brennon Morioka released a list of state and county projects that will move forward using the federal funs made available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The state estimates the federally funded transportation projects will generate approximately 3,170 jobs statewide in the construction industry and other related sectors. For more information, reference website: www.hawaii.gov/recovery.

2)       Propose Legislation will Allow for Recreational Renaissance – While the state has recently provided modest increases to support improvements to land and ocean recreational infrastructure, including state parks, trails, beaches and small boat harbors, these improvements have still not kept up with demand or addressed the fact that many of Hawaii’s recreational facilities are at the end of their lifespan and need a surge of capital improvements. The Department of Land and Natural Resources’ Recreational Renaissance initiative provides a comprehensive strategy to immediately improve recreational facilities across the state. For more information, reference website: www.hawaii.gov/dlnr/recreate.

Councilmember Gary Okino – No representative or report present.

Senator Clarence Nishihara – Senator Nishihara circulated his newsletter and reported the following:

Public Informational Meeting Notice for H-1 Deck Repair, Pearl City Viaduct Eastbound, Vicinity of Lehua Avenue and Kamehmeha Highway – The State Department of Transportation (DOT) Highways Division is planning to repair these two areas on the H-1 Freeway, Pearl City Viaduct, in the eastbound direction. DOT had filed a Noise Variance with the State Department of Health (DOH) to permit construction during night hours. The DOH welcomes public input and/or attendance to an informational meeting on March 27, 2009 at 6:30 a.m. at Waimalu Elementary School Cafeteria. For more information, call the HDOT Public Affairs Office at 587-2160.

Senator David Ige – No representative or report present.

Representative Roy Takumi – No representative or report present.

Rep. K. Mark Takai – No representative or report present.

COMMUNITY INPUT:

Pearl City Community Association – No update.

Pearl City Foundation (PCF) – No update.

Manana Community Association (MCA) – MCA will be holding its Annual Easter Egg Hunt on April 12, 2009 at 9:00 a.m. at Manana Neighborhood Park.   

Pacific Palisades Community Association – No update.

APPROVAL OF THE JANUARY 27, 2009 AND FEBRUARY 24, 2009 REGULAR MEETING MINUTES:

The minutes could not be approved due to the lack of quorum.

FEBRUARY 2009 TREASURER'S REPORT: The financial report was attached to the mailout.

COMMITTEE REFERRALS FOR ACTION/DEFERRAL:

Executive – Deferred.

Legislative and Capital Improvement Programs (LCIP) – Deferred.

Traffic and Transportation (TT) – Deferred.

Development, Plan and Zoning (DPZ) – Deferred.

Health, Education and Welfare (HEW) – Deferred.

Publicity/Refreshments (P/R) – Deferred.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

1)       Next Committee Meeting will be held on April 21, 2009 at 7:00 p.m., Waiau District Park.

2)       Next Regular Board Meeting will be held on April 28, 2009 at 6:30 p.m., Waiau District Park.

ADJOURNMENT: The meeting adjourned at 8:07 p.m.

Submitted by:

Linnie Pascual

Neighborhood Assistant

Reviewed by:

Cruz Vina, Jr. and Chris Lum Lee

Board Minutes Reviewers