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AIEA NEIGHBORHOOD BOARD

MINUTES OF REGULAR MEETING

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2007

AIEA PUBLIC LIBRARY CONFERENCE ROOM

CALL TO ORDER: Chair Clark called the meeting to order at 7:40 p.m.

MEMBERS PRESENT: Jane Sugimura, Mary Booth, Wilbert Ho, Silvia Sugihara, William Clark, Danielle Lum, Carl Jacobs, Ross Lee, Ron Mobley.

MEMBERS ABSENT: Tracy Arakawa, Tuika Faumuina, David Arakawa, Ruby Hargrave, Monica Texeira, George Passmore.

GUESTS: Breene Harimoto (Councilmember Gary Okino’s Office), Ken Best (Representative Blake Oshiro’s Office), Sgt. R. Itomura and Lt. Stacy Kapeliela (Honolulu Police Department, District 3-Pearl City), Ashley Kerr and Achie Reyes (Environmental Resources Management), Paul Kobata (City Department of Community Services), Vern Lovett (Ridgeway B-2), Shareen Oshiro (Councilmember Romy Cachola’s Office), Boy Scout Troop 180: Rick Goodwin, Tammy Weist, Wyatt Weist, Garrett Wiest, Nick Ulm, Brian Hakes, Adam Hakes, Mike Ulm, and Ross Fredericks; Alice Roasario (HPU), Brennon Morioka (Deputy Director, State Department of Transportation), Firefighter 1 Kevin Neves, Firefighter 1 Reid Yoshida and Captain Lee Mueller (Honolulu Fire Department – Aiea), Senator Norman Sakamoto, Tracy Burgo (Board of Water Supply), Claire Tamamoto (Aiea Community Association), Susan Sheldon, Suzette Adversalo, Gary Omori (HHCTCP), Ross Tsukenjo (Senator Donna Kim’s Office), Representative K. Mark Takai, David Atkins and Ed Beckhusem (Consultants-Parsons Brinkerhoff), David Tanoue (Mayor’s Office/Deputy Director, City Department of Planning and Permitting), Nola Frank (Neighborhood Commission Office staff).

MEMBERS’ SEAT VACANT – None.

ROLL CALL OF BOARD MEMBERS AND INTRODUCTION OF GUESTS: Chair Clark welcomed the community to the meeting, asked for a roll call of Board members, and asked the guests present to introduce themselves. There were eight members present (Sugimura, Clark, Lum, Sugihara, Mobley, Ho, Jacobs, Booth).

PUBLIC SERVICE REPORTS:

Honolulu Fire Department (HFD) – Chair Clark announced that HFD had to leave on an emergency and reported the following:

1. Statistics for the month of October included 4 structure, 4 brush, 2 rubbish, 2 vehicle fires, 84 medical 1 search/rescue, and 27 miscellaneous calls. One unusual incident - Makaha brush fire.

2. Fire Safety Tip: This holiday season, consider a fire-resistant, artificial Christmas tree. If you purchase a natural tree, choose one as fresh as possible, keep it hydrated, and keep it away from the heat source in the house. Use noncombustible materials for decorations. Choose only Underwriter’s Laboratory-approved electrical decorations and follow manufacturer’s instructions for installation and load. Do not overload extension cords.

Honolulu Police Department (HPD) – Lt. Kapeliela reported the following:

Statistics for the month of October included auto theft 22, auto theft recovery 4, burglary 22, criminal property damage 46, sex assault 1, theft 74, unauthorized entry into motor vehicle (U.E.M.V.) 52, total calls for Aiea 1,808, 26.24% of District 3’s calls. There were no questions from Board members or guests. Lt. Kapeliela was thanked for attending the meeting.

Lee arrived during the above portion of the meeting (nine members present).

Board of Water Supply (BWS) – Tracy Burgo reported no water main breaks in the month of October.

1. BWS is offering two wreath-making classes at the Halawa Xeriscape Garden on November 1^st and December 1^st from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The lessons will be on how to incorporate xeriscape or “unthirsty” plants into colorful and festive holiday wreaths. Advanced registration is required and cost $5 per person. For more information call their Communications Office at 748-5041.

2. They will be participating in the annual decoration of Honolulu and Kapolei Hale in December. Trees decorated by each City department will be on display in the lobbies of both City Halls.

3. BWS employees and their ohana will participate in the City’s Christmas parades on December 1^st in downtown, and on December 8^th in Kapolei. Don’t forget to check out the annual Christmas light display at the Beretania Street building.

4. On behalf of the Board of Water Supply and all of the employees and family, we wish you a very safe and happy holiday season.

Questions, answers, concerns followed:

1. It was not a BWS contracted helicopter hovering over Aiea last month. Chair Clark added that he contacted the City and was told it was not them and is having problems getting through to the FAA. Jacobs offered to contact the FAA and give the response to resident Munro who had previously brought up this concern.

2. Sugimura thanked BWS for an education class and shaft tour she attended a few weeks ago, recommends the tour at the Halawa Xeriscape Garden for all and encouraged all to contact BWS to make arrangements.

3. Ho commended the BWS workers for putting out a fire on Kaamilo Street before HFD arrived.

4. Anyone interested in organizing a group for the Halawa tour should call the Communications Office at 748-5041.

Tracy Burgo was thanked for attending the meeting.

Board of Education (BOE) - No representative was present.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES, OCTOBER 2007 – Chair Clark asked for corrections or additions to the Regular Meeting Minutes of October 8, 2007.Without objections the regular meeting minutes of October 2007 was approved as circulated.

TREASURER’S REPORT – Treasurer Jacobs reported expenditures in the Operating Account was $31.75 leaving the balance at $1,365.95; no expenditures in the Projected Publicity Account leaving the balance at $3,063; and no action in the Refreshment Account leaving the balance at $120. The Treasurer’s report was accepted, subject to audit.

Honolulu Fire Department, Continued- HFD returned from their emergency call and were available for questions. There were no questions from Board members or guests.

No word has been received from the Fire Chief regarding participating in the Aiea Christmas Parade. Captain Mueller, Firefighter 1 Yoshida, and Firefighter 1 Neves were thanked for attending the meeting.

COMMUNITY CONCERNS:

Signage Blocking Stoplight - Audience member Adversalo expressed concern about a sign impeding vision of a stoplight, town bound at the intersection of Ulune, Kulawea and Halewikao Street on the right hand side. Follow up will be done by Mayor’s representative Tanoue.

COMMUNITY REPORTS:

Aiea Community Association (ACA) – Claire Tamamoto reported the next ACA meeting is scheduled for Monday, November 26, 2007 at 7 p.m. and will be the last meeting at the `Aiea Intergenerational Center location. The office will officially close on December 31, 2007; a new location is yet to be found.

1. The Aiea Christmas parade is scheduled for Saturday, December 8, 2007 at 9 a.m. Participants are asked to gather at the Aiea High School back parking lot at 8 a.m. The route will be from the high school right on Ulune Street, down Aiea Heights Drive, right at the Shell Station onto Moanalua Road, ending at Inspirations at the Pearl Ridge Shopping Center. HPD will provide some supervision with many other community organizations participating; Mayor Mufi Hannemann has been invited to participate in this event.

2. Each school has a School Community Council, supervised by the BOE, with six components and whose goal is to evaluate academic strategies for the school, which then dictates the school’s financial plan. A forum at the Aiea High School Library is set for November 28, 2007.

Claire Tamamoto was thanked for attending the meeting.

UNFINISHED BUSINESS: None.

NEW BUSINESS:

Without objections to item 10.5 City and County Honolulu Brownfields Program was taken out of order to 10.1.

City and County of Honolulu Brownfields Program: Achie Reyes of Environmental Resources Management (ERM), presented the following: The City is partnering with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the State Departments of Health (DOH) and Department of Business, Economic, and Development, and Tourism (DBEDT) in an effort to stimulate redevelopment of commercial sites that are contaminated with hazardous substances and/or petroleum, known as Brownfields sites. The goals of the EPA Brownfields program is protecting the environment, promoting partnerships, strengthening the marketplace and sustaining reuse. They are asking assistance in identifying brownfields in the area. Suggestion forms to identify potential Brownfields sites were available for interested persons. One of the conditions is that the property, owner of an identified site must not have caused the pollution to the property and there must be potential re-use to benefit the community.

Questions, answers, and comments followed:

1. Chair Clark asked if areas could be reported and someone else follows up, such as finding who the property owner is. The answer was yes. Jacobs noted that federal property is not included.

2. Lovett asked how the program would be applied to condominium homeowners’ association. In reply, if the site is in a common area and it benefits the community.

3. Mobley noted that it is similar to the federal’s Restoration Advisory Board program and that some property purchased may have been dump site. Achie Reyes was thanked for attending the meeting.

The agenda order resumed.

ADA Compliance Funds for Central Schools – Deferred until the January 2008 meeting.

Honolulu Hi- Capacity Transit Corridor Project (HHCTCP) – Gary Omori reported that the Environmental Impact Statement process started in June 2007; the Draft EIS, should be completed in April 2008 with a hearing sometime in July 2008. Issuance of the final EIS should be June 2009 for the record of decision at that time.

A hearing by the City Council’s Transportation Committee regarding to technology is scheduled for November 29, 2007 at 9:30 a.m. and full Council on December 12, 2007 at 10:00 a.m. A request for information is part of the technology selection process. The resolution number will be sent to Chair Clark.  Tamamoto added that technology selection for consideration is steel wheel, rubber tire and magnetic levitation. She noted that the City would set forth the perimeters. Chair Clark asked Harimoto of Councilmember Okino’s office if the hearing would be on live broadcast. Harimoto will follow up with Chair Clark. The hearing will be shown on `Olelo Channel 54 9:30 a.m. Tamamoto relayed that written testimonies are being accepted and must be sent to Council twenty-four hours prior to the hearing.

Gary Omori was thanked for attending the meeting.

Kamehameha Highway Improvements Task Force, Status of the Kamehameha Highway Improvements Project – Representative K. Mark Takai introduced Brennon Morioka, Deputy Director of the State Department of Transportation (DOT), David Atkins and Ed Beckhusem of Parsons Brinkerhoff Quade Douglas, consultants, and gave the following update: Information handouts were circulated relative to the Kamehameha Highway Improvements Project including the project’s history.

The purpose of the project is to restrict mid-block pedestrian crossings of Kamehameha Highway (Center Drive to Waihona Street) by constructing a chain link median fence in certain locations to encourage pedestrians to cross at marked crosswalks. A handout showed aesthetic designs that will be used for the fencing. The fencing design will consist of a 2 feet high by 10 foot wide paneling banner with a Hawaiian bark cloth design (tapa print) at the top of the six-foot high fence.

Project includes the median fencing, intersection improvements (Hekaha and Kaahumanu Streets), signal operation and monitoring improvements, corridor signal optimization, feasibility study at bottleneck intersections, Pearl Harbor Historic Sites Gateway project, and under grounding utilities. A ninety percent complete design for median fencing was submitted for Hawaii DOT review October 2007; ninety percent complete design for the Kaahumanu intersection improvements submitted for Hawaii DOT review November 2007. Schedule and dates are important because funding will lapse is not use by June 2008. The Mayor would be asked to make the transit area as nice as possible, integrate overhead utility lines to underground, to keep the community, task force, and the Neighborhood Boards informed, and meet the community’s approval.

Questions, answers and comments followed:

1. Jacobs commented that burying of the high voltage lines is critical for the transit system.

2. In response to Lum, at least three designs would be considered for the median fences. She asked if the median fence near the Macy’s store could have the same design. Senator Sakamoto noted that years ago work with the City was done for Middle Street.

3. Morioka added that it is important for the City to work with the task force and that all signal adjustments will have integration.

4. Representative Takai said that coordination with Moanalua Road, Kaahumanu Street, and Kamehameha Highway will have signal optimization on Moanalua Road and coordinate with the feeder streets; and said that the Kaahumanu changes impact and alleviate the queues by 60% and tied in with the City changes. Working with Councilmember Okino, final plan is to add a third right turn lane east bound on Monalua Road at the Kaahumanu Street intersection

5. Regarding quarterly task force Board updates, Chair Clark suggested they not be scheduled when the Board is in recess and asked that two weeks prior notice be given to him so they the item could be placed on the Board’s agenda. Representative Takai agreed.

Representative Takai, Brennon Morioka, David Atkins, and Ed Beckhusem were thanked for attending the meeting, and allowed Representative Takai to give his monthly report.

REPORTS BY PUBLIC OFFICIALS:

Representative K. Mark Takai: Representative Takai wished everyone a Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Chair Clark called a recess at 8:50 p.m. and the meeting resumed at 8:55 p.m.

New Business:

Draft Revisions of the Neighborhood Plan Briefing – Mobley reported that he attended the public hearing on November 5 and will be submitting written testimony. He gave the following highlights regarding the draft: According to Corporation Counsel, Board members would be required to attend all meetings, if not they would be in violation of the plan. Pointed out that to be counted present at a Board meeting one must be attendance for half of the meeting plus ten minutes. Missing more that three meeting per year would automatically vacate your seat with a letter and will be a requirement. Expressed concern that Boards would no longer be allowed to have committees attended by including community membership. Committees must consist of Board members only, no community members. Emphasized that in the current plan Robert’s Rules of Order is the parliamentary authority, but the draft notes it as a standard guide for all meetings. Relating to the yearly meeting of the council of chairs, it is no longer required and added that that this indicates they no longer want input from people the community or the Neighborhood Boards. Steve Glainstein’s (established 20-page document was circulated pointing out concerns. Mobley encouraged all Board members to read the draft and submit testimony.

Chair Clark explained that in order to review the draft three documents are needed to compare the changes because some suggestions are of face value and reasonable others are not. Mobley added that his method for the review is by chapters matching the sections with which took five weeks at two-hours per day. He announced that the deadline to submit testimony is December 5, 2007. The draft can also be found on the NCO website at www.honolulu.gov/nco.

In response to Senator Sakamoto, the Commission makes the final approval. Senator Sakamoto suggested that the Board propose action to individual Commissioners asking them not to be hasty with their decision and that the Board needs more time to review the draft.

Tamamoto recommended Mobley prepare a cheat sheet to assist other Board members with the review. Mobley responded that what he is sharing about the draft is his perspective only.

Chair Clark noted that the Senator’s ideas are good to draft a letter, with Mobley adding that the letter should include say that the specifics would be sent at a later date.

Discussion followed:  Chair Clark asked if the Board would like to schedule a meeting in the near future to discuss the Draft Revised Neighborhood Plan. It was the consensus of the Board to have the PIG discuss the issue and report back to the Board. Chair Clark said that Mobley would chair the PIG and interested Board members, one less than a quorum could attend the meetings.

Chair Clark relinquished the gavel to Vice-Chair Sugimura.

Chair resumed the agenda order.

Aiea Neighborhood Board Recess in December 2007 – Mobley moved and seconded by Jacobs to recess in December 2007. The motion carried unanimously 8-0-0.Chair Clark announced that the next Board meeting will be held on January 14, 2008. It was mentioned that the Board did vote on this item at the June meeting.

REPORTS BY PUBLIC OFFICIALS:

Senator Norman Sakamoto – Senator Sakamoto circulated his written report and noted: Katherine Leonard is up for a judgeship appointment. The 2008 Legislative Session will be here soon and asked any concerns for legislation is sent to his office. He added that 1600 teachers leave the school system yearly.

Questions, answers, comments followed: 1) Ho mentioned that a teacher pay increase may keep them here. In response, teachers currently make about $42,000. However, there are those who would like pay average of $100,000 yearly and the other part of that is respect. He encouraged community members to mentor students. 2) Regarding the appointment of Katherine Leonard, Sugimura noted that Leonard is respected in the legal community and judicial experience in the courtroom; Sugimura respects and supports Leonard. In answer, there are two issues pertaining to appointment of judges, some nominees have no judicial experience or not enough experience.

Senator Sakamoto was thanked for attending the meeting.

Senator Donna Kim – Ross Tsukenjo circulated the written report, was available for questions, and wished everyone Happy Holidays.

Tsukenjo was thanked for attending the meeting.

Representative Blake Oshiro – Ken Best had no report and wished everyone a Happy Holiday Season. Best was thanked for attending the meeting.

Councilmember Gary Okino – Breene Harimoto distributed the monthly report and was available for questions, and wished all a Happy Holiday Season. Harimoto was thanked for attending the meeting.

Mayor’s Representative – David Tanoue reported there were no concerns from last month’s meeting. He wished everyone a Happy Thanksgiving and Holiday Season. Tanoue was thanked for attending the meeting.

Without objections, the agenda reverted back to item 10.4 Draft Revisions of the Neighborhood Plan Briefing:

Ho moved, seconded by Mobley adding the formation of a Draft Revised Neighborhood Plan Review Permitted Interaction Group (PIG). The motion carried unanimously, 9-0-0.

Draft Revisions of the Neighborhood Plan Briefing Continued: Discussion continued with Mobley suggesting the forming a Permitted Interaction Group (PIG) to discuss and send recommendations regarding the Draft Neighborhood Plan to the Neighborhood Commission. Chair Clark mentioned that the Board had Permitted Interaction Groups in October 2006. By acclamation the formation of a PIG was added to the agenda. Chair Clark announced that a PIG group consists of Board members, but one less of a quorum, seven for this Board. He appointed Mobley Chair and asked those interested to contact Mobley, and reminded Board members that not more than seven could meet together.

Ho moved, seconded by Mobley that a draft letter be sent to the Neighborhood Commission informing them that because of the length of the document and that some things are in disagreement, that the Aiea Neighborhood Board No. 20 needs extended time to make comments and ask that no decision on the final draft be made until the Board is given this opportunity for comments. It was added that Boardmember Mobley would prepare the letter.

The agenda order resumed.

COMMITTEE REPORTS:

Transportation – Jacobs reported at the last Oahu Metropolitan Planning Organization (OMPO) meeting rail transit was discussed; the Transit Oriented Development meeting and the League of Women’s Voters had maximum attendance. The Halawa exit eastbound (13B) would be closed to Wednesday until 4:30 a.m. He will be attending the OMPO meeting next week.

Community Relations and Publicity – Lum and Sugihara distributed a sample of a one page neighborhood publication that if approved, would be hand carried to various area businesses for distribution to their customers.

Discussion followed:

1. Chair Clark asked if the publication would be done on a monthly basis. Lum replied yes, one page possibly back to back.

2. Tamamoto suggested a newsletter, in which Lum replied would be done as well as the publication. Regarding publicizing, Lum added there is a lot of free media that could be utilized with stories, etc.

3. Chair Clark will send contact information to Lum for the MidWeek and Honolulu Star-Bulletin.
4. Lum mentioned that the NCO website needs an updated Board photo. Chair Clark announced that the pictures of the Board would be taken at the January 2008 meeting. Lum and Sugihara were thanked for their report.

Restoration Advisory Board – Mobley reported according to the Navy the fishponds would not be repaired, but suggested the community get involved. Relative to the Brownfields, Tamamoto mentioned the laundry site has been swapped with the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) and the land is considered clean.

ANNOUNCEMENTS: None.

ADJOURNMENT: Chair Clark adjourned the meeting at 10:03 p.m.

Submitted by,

Nola Frank, Neighborhood Assistant

Reviewed by,

Bill Clark, Chair