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WAIPAHU NEIGHBORHOOD BOARD

REGULAR MEETING MINUTES-draft

THURSDAY, JUNE 26, 2008

FILCOM CENTER

CALL TO ORDER – Acting Chair Richard Oshiro called the meeting to order at 7:02 p.m.; a quorum was present with 14 members. Note: This 19 member Board requires a vote of 10 to adopt a motion.   

MEMBERS PRESENT – Edmund Alfonso, Maureen Andrade, Marty Burke, Lorraine Duhaylonsod, Kerry Healey, Connie Herolaga, Romeo Garcia, Joe Hunkin Jr., William Maglinti Jr., Kerry Nishimoto, Thomas Maus, Richard Oshiro, Rito Saniatan, George Yakowenko and Chuck Wheatley.

MEMBERS ABSENT – Cory Chun and Joe Hunkin, Jr.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

GUESTS – Firefighter Darrell Kuioka (Honolulu Fire Department HFD), Sgt. Kaneshiro  and Officer Evans(Honolulu Police Department), Representative Karamatsu, David Festerling (Governor’s Representative), Pat Lee (Honolulu High-Capacity Transit Corridor Project Consultant HHCTCP), Naomi Hanohano (Board of Water Supply), Breene Harimoto (Board of Education), Ilalo Parayno, Erica Moon (Senator Gabbard’s office), Tim Schenlezter (Councilmember Okino’s office), Senator Nishihara, Tom Berg (Representative Cabanilla’s office), Pohai Ryan (Parents & Children Together-PACT), David Lee Pagan, Robert Kakalia, Constalite Domingez, Rosebella Martinez, Inram Rerreira Rahman, WD. Balfour, Blaine Tsugawa, Steven Antonio, Ronald Calimpang, Henry Aquino, Cory Nicolas, Jeff Chen, Luther Flynn, Liz Delfico (WCA Waipahu Weed&Seed),  Mary Chanel-Benjamin (Neighborhood Commission Office staff NCO). 

ORGANIZATION OF BOARD:

A. Election of Board Officers – Burke nominated Oshiro for the office of Chair. There were no other nominations; therefore nominations were closed and Oshiro was ELECTED Chair by UNANIMOUS CONSENT. (Alfonso, Andrade, Burke, Duhaylonsod, Gardcia, Healey, Herolaga, Maglinti, Maus, Nishimoto, Oshiro, Saniatan, Yakowenko and Wheatley).

Yakowenko told the Board due to other personal commitments; he asked not to be nominated as Vice-Chair for the new term. Andrade nominated Herolaga for the office of Vice-Chair. There were no other nominations; therefore nominations were closed and Herolaga was ELECTED Vice-Chair by UNANIMOUS CONSENT. (Alfonso, Andrade, Burke, Duhaylonsod, Garcia, Healey, Herolaga, Maglinti, Maus, Nishimoto, Oshiro, Saniatan, Yakowenko and Wheatley).

Saniatan nominated Burke for the office of Secretary. There were no other nominations; therefore nominations were closed and Burke was ELECTED Secretary by UNANIMOUS CONSENT. (Alfonso, Andrade, Burke, Duhaylonsod, Garcia, Healey, Herolaga, Maglinti, Maus, Nishimoto, Oshiro, Saniatan, Yakowenko and Wheatley).

Yakowenko nominated Saniatan for the office of Treasurer. There were no other nominations; therefore nominations were closed and Saniatan was ELECTED Treasurer by UNANIMOUS CONSENT. (Alfonso, Andrade, Burke, Duhaylonsod, Garcia, Healey, Herolaga, Maglinti, Maus, Nishimoto, Oshiro, Saniatan, Yakowenko and Wheatley).

B. Filling of vacancies in Sub-Districts 7, 8 and 9 – Chair Oshiro asked if there were any candidates interested in filling any of the vacancies:

Robert Kakalia nominated himself from sub-district 7 living at Kahuawai Street.

Questions and concerns:

• Wheatley asked R. Kakalia what he did for a living. R. Kakalia said he worked for Sandwich Isle Communications which provided telecommunications for the Department of Hawaiian Homelands; a separate entity. He said he has been living in the district for three years.
• Burke said it was great finally to fill sub-district 7 vacancy; Burke moved and Nishimoto seconded to accept R. Kakalia’s nomination and accept him as a sub-district 7 representative on the Waipahu Neighborhood Board No. 22.

The motion was ADOPTED by unanimous consent. (Alfonso, Andrade, Burke, Duhaylonsod, Garcia, Healey, Herolaga, Maglinti, Maus, Nishimoto, Oshiro, Saniatan, Yakowenko, and Wheatley)

Steven Antonio nominated himself from sub-district 8 living at Kahualena Street. He said he was 35 years old, born and raised in Waipahu and worked for Representative Finnegan.

Questions and concerns:

• Yakowenko asked what areas he thought Waipahu needed improvements on. S. Antonio said he thought gangs, violence and graffiti were some issues he would like to address mostly as a Board member.
• Chair Oshiro asked if any other concerns or issues as a Board member. S. Antonio said the rail transit was also an interest for him.
• Herolaga asked if there would be time conflict once the legislative session commenced. S. Antonio said there should be no problems with any conflicts.
• Saniatan moved and Burke seconded to accept S. Antonio’s nomination and accept him as a sub-district 8 representative on the Waipahu Neighborhood Board No. 22. The motion was ADOPTED by unanimous consent. (Alfonso, Andrade, Burke, Duhaylonsod, Garcia, Healey, Herolaga, Maglinti, Maus, Nishimoto, Oshiro, Saniatan, Yakowenko, and Wheatley)
  
  

  A short recess was called by Chair Oshiro to administer the Office of Oath to both S. Antonio and R. Kakalia.

 C. Vote on Board meeting dates and locations – Chair Oshiro suggested keeping meeting on Thursdays and converse with Filcom Center whether another meeting was to continue in the adjacent room to confirm if Board meetings should continue on Thursdays; adjacent meetings have become somewhat of a distraction. Herolaga and Alfonso said room configuration with table setup plus closing all of sliding doors may deter the adjacent meeting noise. Chair Oshiro to place this on the next agenda as he confirms the Filcom Center availabilities. Burke moved for the Board to continue video recordings of the Waipahu Neighborhood Board No. 22 meetings. The motion was ADOPTED by unanimous consent. (Alfonso, Andrade, Antonio, Burke, Duhaylonsod, Garcia, Healey, Herolaga, Kakalia, Maglinti, Maus, Nishimoto, Oshiro, Saniatan, Yakowenko and Wheatley)

APPROVAL OF APRIL 24, 2008 REGULAR MEETING MINUTES –

Alfonso said some of his questions addressed to elected officials were not enclosed in the April 2008 minutes. The following were to be inserted for April minutes without opposition.

Page 6; under Senator Espero’s report: 1) Alfonso asked if mental health patients released from institutes warranted any notice to the public, families or victims.

Page 7; under Representative Yamane’s report: 2) Alfonso asked why Hawaii Tourism Authority could not set up a tourist insurance policy for tourists that become victims of crimes while vacationing. 3) Alfonso also asked why HECO does not have a system to monitor electrical power outages once copper thieves cut wires to steal copper.

Page 4; under Bicycling Safety Resolution replace “to support without approval of” with “to support”.

The May 22, 2008 minutes corrections were as followed:

Page 1; under HPD replace “2%” with “43%”.

TREASURER’S REPORT – Saniatan reported expenses incurred in May 2008 were; Operating Account expended $141.12 for postage, printing and facility rental; the balance was $330.42: Publicity Account had no expense; (no video taping charges posted yet) and balance was $1662.20: Refreshment Account had no expense and the balance remained at $120. This leaves a closing total appropriated balance of $ 2,112.62.

Questions and concerns:

• Alfonso suggested transferring the Board’s refreshment balance to a non-profit group that is involved with some Waipahu restoration since the Board is not utilizing it. Yakowenko and Saniatan both said Board funds were appropriated only for Board use.

OFFICIAL REPORTS:

Honolulu Fire Department (HFD) – Firefighter D. Kuioka reported statistics for the month of May consisted of: 7 wild, 12 rubbish and 4 vehicle fires; 151 medical emergency calls, 2 search and rescue and 88 miscellaneous calls. Fire Safety Tip: The risk of wild land fires increases as summer is upon us; historically wildland fires were referred to as brush fires, the term wildland fire is more nationally recognized. Caution is asked when utilizing flamed-producing devices, fireworks, matches and lighters around wildland vegetation; the smallest spark flame can ignite the dry vegetation. As a reminder, the law stated that children under age 18 shall not possess or have access to fireworks and all flame producing devices. As July 4 nears, enjoy fireworks display events to the pyrotechnic professionals and enjoy several public fireworks events.

Honolulu Police Department (HPD) – Sgt. Kaneshiro reported statistics for the month of May: 1) 18 assaults, 49 auto thefts , 26 auto theft recoveries, 46 burglaries, 55 criminal property damage, 5 drug/narcotics, 208 motor vehicle collisions, 3 robberies, 71 thefts, 43 unauthorized entry into motor vehicles (UEMV) and 16 operating a vehicle under the influence (OVUII). 2) There were about 3,041 calls for services in the Waipahu district.   

Questions and concerns:

• R. Garcia asked if crime mapping was available on the HPD website for Waipahu district; he noticed Hawaii Kai had the mapping available on the website. Sgt. Kaneshiro said he will follow-up on this.

Weed and Seed – L. Delfico reported: The Weed & Seed and Citizens’ Patrol training has commenced; July 14, 15 and 16 were training dates to be conducted by HPD. July 21 will be the Pupuole vicinity patrol walk. National ID theft training will be on August 5 at Waipahu Intermediate School Cafeteria; recommended all volunteers attend. Please call 677-6939 extension 25 for further information.

Mayor Hannemann’s Representative – No report or representative available.

Questions and concerns:

• Andrade said she heard B. Hufana-Ablan’s mother had passed away in the Philippines; therefore she may be off island. Chair Oshiro offered his condolences on behalf of the Board.

RESIDENTS’ CONCERNS:

• Yakowenko said the Board should take action and write the Mayor and elected officials regarding the shopping cart issue. He moved and Burke seconded for the Waipahu Neighborhood Board No. 22 to write the Mayor and City Council indicating the shopping cart problem and ask for a new ordinance to address the issue if the old ordinance is not effective in removing shopping carts from the streets and private areas of Waipahu neighborhoods.
• Wheatley said the Pupukahi Street area has been trying unsuccessful for the last 3 years to rid of 10 shopping carts taking up precious parking spaces. He has made several reports to Longs Drugs and Don Quijote stores regarding their carts to no response. He went on saying between the two apartment buildings on Pupukahi Street; 14 shopping carts remain and kids are using them as racing carts on the streets in addition to homeless people using them to cart their belongings around. He also said it is unsanitary and a danger to have the carts just sitting all over the streets without any responsibilities from the city or the merchants owning the carts. He thought the law in place now has not been upheld and remains an issue for Waipahu district.
• Councilmember Garcia said the 2003 law stated the unauthorized removal of shopping carts were illegal; the state law needed to be amended to cover any further violations and address the merchants.

            Several Board members suggested the letter should be addressed to include all elected officials serving       the district. Chair Oshiro called to amend the motion as: Waipahu Neighborhood Board No. 22 to    write the Mayor, City   Council, five district Representatives and 3 district Senators indicating the      shopping cart problem and ask for a new ordinance to address the issue if the old ordinance is            not effective in removing shopping carts from the             streets and private areas of Waipahu neighborhoods. The amended motion was ADOPTED by unanimous consent.             (Alfonso, Andrade,         Antonio, Burke, Duhaylonsod, Garcia, Healey, Herolaga, Kakalia, Maglinti, Maus, Nishimoto,             Oshiro, Saniatan, Yakowenko and Wheatley).

• A resident of Kilihau Street said for the past month HPD present has been absent from patrol in her area. She said incidents with young adult and underage drinking littered her street all hours of the night. She went on to say one night she attempted to speak with a teenager with an air gun at hand; another night she had to deal with  about 50 teenagers at a nearby party with a high noise level around 3:00 a.m. She was told by the teenagers she had to live with the noise since this is how it was in Waipahu. She asked the Board for assistance on what and where to steer her for some assistance to curb the noise and keep teens off the streets late at nights. Herolaga suggested speaking with Sgt. Kaneshiro tonight and also to call 911 to have HPD deal with the problems as they were trained to do so. Wheatley said he too has had the same problems on Pupukahi Street and when he called 911; at times he has been told by HPD they were too busy to deal with public drinking problems. She also said Waipahu needed a community center for teens to “hang” to become productive so they were not involved in “gang” activities and such.
• T. Burke said Pupu Street district illegal parking concerns should be addressed to DTS/carts@hydrants.com. Chair Oshiro said some streets needed updated curbside painting to label fire hydrants’ no parking zones. Wheatley said he has taken it upon himself to paint the curbside to label fire hydrant zones; he was told by the city it was illegal for him to do so.   
• R. Calimpang said he was a volleyball coach and volunteered at Waipahu High School. He has been unsuccessfully trying to start a volleyball program at the Waipahu District Park; no return calls from the park. He has sent letters as well; no response. He now holds practices at St. Joseph School. Several Board members said the Board also has been trying to assist with contacts; suggested he contact L. Chang, Director of City Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR). Wheatley said the Weed & Seed Waipahu program had a basketball and volleyball program; contact is D. Fomai.

COMMUNITY REPORTS:

A. Patsy T. Mink Central Oahu Regional Park/Waipio Soccer Complex – Burke reported: The Patsy T. Mink Central Oahu Regional Park Advisory Committee (CORP AC) meets every second Monday of each month at 7:00 p.m. The meetings are open to the public and held at the park’s aquatics complex.  A) On May 24; 20 volunteers helped re-plant 150 hibiscus shrubs in front of the Fairway Village perimeter wall at the makai end of the park; volunteers included members of the Waikele Community Associaton’s (WCA) Taking Action Against Graffiti Team, Councilmember Garcia and his staff, Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) District 5 Manager Glenn Kajiwara and his staff. B) Almost 2 years ago there was a large brushfire in the undeveloped area behind Highlands at Waikele and HFD had to cut an opening through the iron fence to fight the blaze. The fence has not been repaired since then; WCA will be submitting a request to the city to repair this section of the fence. C)  DPR relied partially on volunteers and prison inmates who participated in approved rehabilitation programs; however, recently the efforts have been focused on the Waipio Peninsula Soccer Facility in preparation for the U.S. Youth Soccer Far Western Regionals (USYS). D) Updates: The U.S. Tennis Association /Hawaii Pacific Section’s free family community tennis party on May 18 was a success. June 26 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. was also a clean up day at the tennis complex; more than 18 volunteers participated.  E) Waipio Peninsula Soccer Facility: June 21 & 22, the complex played host to USYS hosted by Hawaii Youth Soccer Association. There were 248 teams from 12 states; 100 matches played by more than 8,000 players. The successful competition estimated to have brought more than $14 million into the local economy. F) In closing, 60% acquisition of the park projects have paid for itself; the Board should be proud of being one of the parks supporters! All five Hawaii teams were eliminated in the semi-finals however, happy to share over 23,000 kids engaged in the soccer event activities! 

Questions and concerns:

• Healey said during the soccer matches; he conversed with a family from Israel that was impressed by Mink Regional Park. 

B. Honolulu High-Capacity Transit Corridor – Project Consultant Pat Lee reported: First project is 20 miles long from East Kapolei to Ala Moana Shopping Center. Cost is still being studied and we will have more definitive numbers in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement. Fixed guideway capital costs are $3.47 Billion. Net interest costs of $250 Million. Total Cost is $3.7 Billion which includes $1 Billion in contingency funds. Sources of funds include the general excise tax (GET) surcharge of one half of one percent that has been in place since January 2007 and will be in place for 15 years. Public Private Partnerships are to be determined. Annual operating costs for the 20-mile alignment as identified in the Alternatives Analysis were: Fixed guideway $61 Million: Bus feeder system $189 Million: total Operating and Maintenance Cost of $250 Million. Critics say we can’t afford rail.  But we can’t afford not to build rail.  A recent national study ranks Honolulu as having the worst rush hour travel time of all metropolitan areas in the U.S. If we do nothing, traffic congestion will be near gridlock by 2030. People forget that highways are publicly funded and expensive, and it costs lots of money to own and operate a car.  American Automobile Association (AAA) said it costs more than $8,000/year to own and operate a vehicle.  This cost is rising rapidly with the cost of gas. Add parking and rising cost of car maintenance, too.  Rail could provide an alternative to driving your car. Critics say we should just add more buses. We have an award winning bus system and partly because of the high gas prices, the bus has averaged 233,000 boardings per day. But the bus doesn’t always run on time. Last month buses were on-time just 65% of the time. The problem was; buses use the same roads as cars, trucks, motorcycles and everyone else and are subject to the same traffic delays.  More buses are not the answer. Critics want to build toll roads which are also known as HOT Lanes (high occupancy toll roads).  They call these “Lexus lanes” on the mainland because the toll rises the more congested the highway is, and it can be expensive.  It costs $10 one way in Orange County on Friday afternoon to get on the SR 91 toll road.  HOT Lanes just add more cars and congestion, and are not the answer either. A high occupancy modern rail system would operate in an elevated guideway, away from general traffic lanes, and not affected by accidents, bad weather or other traffic delays.  It would be affordable, reliable and efficient transportation.  Rail will cost same to ride as the city bus. None of the alternatives proposed by rail opponents such as toll roads, HOT Lanes, and more express buses qualify for the GET surcharge funds by the conditions imposed by the Legislature through ACT 247. Their alternatives would either be costly, ineffective or both. There are cost benefits from rail.  Over 11,000 new jobs will be created. Also, a recent UH study showed deepening slump for Hawaii’s economy, mainly in visitor, retail and construction sectors.  Rail will bring new jobs and infusion of $900M federal funds. There were TOD benefits which come from private investment around rail.  Examples are: Washington Metro - $15 Billion in new investment since 1976; Dallas DART - $4.3 Billion since 1996; Portland MAX - $3 Billion since the late 1970’s; St. Louis METROLINK - $1 Billion since 1973

Additionally, and most importantly traffic congestion detracts from our quality of life.  What price do you put on your time stuck in traffic? This is time that can be more productive at the office and most importantly, time you would have with family and friends, or at leisure. There were many benefits to rail, and we should not just look at dollars and cents in our assessment of this important infrastructure project for Honolulu, now and in the future. It will benefit our quality of life, and you cannot put a price to that.

Questions and concerns:

• A constituent asked who was responsible for rail media printed in the newspapers. P. Lee said he believed advertisements were paid for by unions.
• Burke said he was interested in finding out a current realistic price for operating the rail system and believable data; the last known inflation figures were from 2006.  He said Oahu currently is seeking Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approval for wastewater treatment plants; now Oahu is seeking a 5-6 billion rail system facing high oil prices. Burke also said oil product was a needed commodity; oil supplement was also needed. P. Lee said renewable, alternative and solar power were all part of Hawaiian Electric’s (HECO) plans to sustain Oahu’s electrical needs; rail plans were to wean off HECO’s power grids as alternative energy becomes available. Chair Oshiro said some West and North Oahu district project developments may be facing big losses if the transit rail does not develop. P. Lee said he will check and report findings on social and opportunity loss costs.

C. Waipahu Community Association (WCA) – L. Delfico reported: 1) WCA was offering free tax preparation for those qualified; July 17 and 25. She said over 24,000 Waipahu residents still have yet to file; over 1,100 have filed already. 3) Volleyball sign up may be done by contacting Henry Akino. 4) Citizens are encouraged to call building landlords to take care of shopping cart concerns.

D. Waipahu Community Foundation – Andrade reported she spoke with Pat Patterson and confirmed Burke agreed to be the alternate for attending meetings.

E. Board of Water Supply (BWS) – N. Hanohano reported: 1) there were no main breaks to report. 2) BWS ensured the water served to customers met or exceeded federal and state standards. The Safe Drinking Water Act is the federal law that governed the quality of drinking water in the United States; the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sets standards and oversees state compliances. Each year BWS and the Department of Health (DOH) conduct thousands of water source tests to ensure safe drinkable water. BWS also treats water in accordance with federal and state regulations by using chlorine; granular activated carbon is used as water treatment in certain Oahu areas. A consumer confidence report as required by the EPA will be mailed to each Oahu residence by July 1; identifying water sources, what regulated contaminants were found compared to safe drinking standards and treatment processes used. Bottom line; BWS said our water is safe to drink. Visit www.boardofwatersupply.com for a water quality and informational pamphlet. 

Questions and concerns:

• Alfonso inquired about a five year history of water quality in the district. N. Hanohano said to check online at BWS’s website; an address is needed for lab history.

F. Other Community Reports – No reports available.

I. Reports from NB Permitted Interactions Groups –

Filipino Community Center: 1) Saniatan reported projects at Filcom Center; Tagalog Filipino language classes for 5-6 graders were in great demand; a waitlist was available for signup. Smart Seniors classes for residents 55 years and older was available for dance and computer classes. Nurse Certification also available starting in later July. 2) Filipino typhoon support can be made by calling FILCOM Center. A radio telethon will be held June 28; please support this effort. 

J. Announcements – PACT; Parents and Children Together; P. Ryan said a PACT Office was now located at 1485 Linapuni Street, West Gate Center, serving West Oahu. Services included were: free business startup training, business plan development and core business training. Income restrictions apply; programs were funded by grants from the State office of Community Services and City Community Based Economic Development. A family of four with an income of $118,000 can qualify as the cap was high made possible with three grants. Free job placements were also available; 842-7093 was the contact number.   

UNFINISHED BUSINESS:

A. Mission 360; structured clean and sober independent living; establishment of a halfway home at 94-1162 Hinaea Street. M. Ferreira-Caminos was not present tonight.

Questions and concerns:

• Lita said she was a 30 year resident and went door to door with a petition; however, most area residents were not aware of the mission 360 proposal or did not understand the petition process. She said she has three young children at her residence and opposed the mission home. Herolaga said after some research; Victor Moniz of the State Department of Health (DOH) said the mission house did not need a license since it was considered a “clean and sober” home. The process may need the attention of DOH, Healthcare Assurance Division since there was a 16 year old resident present and the house manager was reported to be performing drug testing.  Lita said a previous incident involving a resident from same type of housing entered her home when her children were present; she now has taken measures to protect her family from future incidents.
• Wheatley said Waipahu has been a “dumping” ground for half way houses and the Board should go on record to oppose further homes; research to find out really how many has been placed in the community. He also said on Pupuole Street there were about 100 people involved in such homes and constant trouble creating fear for citizens living in the area. Wheatley moved and Garcia seconded for the Waipahu Neighborhood Board No. 22 to place a moratorium on granting conditional use permits for half way home establishments. Chair Oshiro asked if the motion was to cover the whole Waipahu district or just the particular facility on Hinaea Street. Yakowenko said the Board should consider either a five year moratorium or indefinitely. Andrade asked to amend the motion to include the name of the current facility seeking the conditional use permit since the issue was with this particular home on Hinaea Street instead of the moratorium.  Andrade moved and Wheatley seconded to amend the motion to read; the Waipahu Neighborhood Board No. 22 opposes granting of a conditional use permit for the establishment of a halfway home at 94-1162 Hinaea Street. The motion was ADOPTED by unanimous consent. (Alfonso, Andrade, Antonio, Burke, Duhaylonsod, Garcia, Healey, Herolaga, Kakalia, Maglinti, Maus, Nishimoto, Oshiro, Saniatan, Yakowenko and Wheatley. 
• A constituent asked what the terms of “clean and sober” were in regards to the home at 94-1162 Hinaea’s permit. Burke said it would be a point of order if discussions were to continue since the motion was already in place. The constituent became upset with no further discussions and left the meeting.

PRESENTATIONS:

A. State Legislative Wrap up; 2008 Highlights; measures of interest to Waipahu, 2009 goals:

Senator Espero – No report available.

Senator Gabbard – J. Cox reported: On July 8 at 10:a.m. the Governor will be releasing a veto list. SB1891 regarding natural resources; calling for all terrain vehicles (ATV) and 4X4 vehicles to be banned from all beaches. SB2372; calling for retail sales of the drug “ice” ingredients to be electronically monitored and track sales per customer.

Representative Har –1) HB3377 was signed by the Governor on June 13 establishing a provision relating to ignition interlocking system. This bill will mandate a first offense if the alcohol level over .15; alcohol levels between 1.08 and 1.4 would be at the judge’s discretion. This law will take affect in 2010. She has been appointed to head the task force for this bill with assistance from State Department of Transportation, Public Safety and Department of Health; and the City Department of Transportation Services. 2) Land Use for Smart Road needed a classified plan to preserve mix land uses with a target date of April 22. 3) HB2605 was signed June 5; exempting one vehicle per military family from vehicle weight tax. 4) The Kapolei Court House allocations should be studied by the finance committee to expand including the Judiciary to serve the West Oahu communities; asking $50,000 allocation. Similar court house expansions were done in Hilo and Kona on the Big Island of Hawaii.

Representative Karamatsu – 1) Identity theft has become a major concern; proposal for the state to oversee major agencies responsible for safekeeping of private information. 2) Tow truck drop; vehicle being towed can be released once the owner returns to the vehicle, tow truck must release vehicle.

Representative Sonson – 1) Sunshine Law amendment has been signed. 2) There were 52 possible vetoes; Senate President may hold a special session to hear the Work Compensation bill. 3) Physical Therapist and Naturopath bill; seeking a fair solution for patients under insurance doctors’ care regarding impartial decisions.

UNFINISHED BUSINESS –

Sunshine Law: HB2730 has passed to become law.

Redistricting Committee: A hearing has been scheduled for June 30, 2008; 7:00 p.m.

Waipahu HPD Substation:  No new information available at this time.

NEW BUSINESS:

Herolaga suggested that the July meeting include a candidate’s forum; participation would be limited to those candidates running to represent a portion of the Neighborhood Board No. 22 constituency. By consensus the Board decided to explore the possibility of hosting a forum in August, when the board traditionally is in recess. A decision will be made at the July meeting.

GOVERNMENT REPORTS:

City Councilmember Garcia stood by his circulated report.

City Councilmember Okino – K. Scharfenstein circulated a monthly report which she stood by.   

Governor’s representative – D. Festerling reported: 1) Hawaii’s college savings program; HI529, once enrolled, savings grow free from federal taxes and any withdrawals used for qualified education expenses are also free from federal taxes. For more information; call toll-free 1-866-529-3343, or visit www.hi529.com to obtain a Plan Disclosure Statement.  

Board of Education – No representative or report available.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

A. Viewing of Waipahu Neighborhood Board No. 22 via Olelo; Fridays, Channel 49, 9:00 p.m.

B. Office of Elections is seeking Precinct Officials to assist voters in the community on Saturday, September 20, 2008, and Tuesday, November 4, 2008. Please contact the office of Elections at 453-Vote (8683); or sign up online at www.hawaii.gov/elections. Stipend provided.

ADJOURMENT: The meeting adjourned at 10:16 p.m. without objection.

Submitted by M. Chanel-Benjamin, NA     

Reviewed by Chair Oshiro