WAIPAHU NEIGHBORHOOD BOARD

REGULAR MEETING MINUTES

THURSDAY, JANUARY 26, 2005

WAIPAHU CULTURAL GARDEN PARK

CALL TO ORDER: Vice Chair George Yakowenko called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. A quorum was not present, but achieved later in the meeting.

At this time, Yakowenko asked everyone to observe a moment of silence for the passing of Chair Andy Anderson.

MEMBERS PRESENT: Constante Domingo, Lorraine Duhaylonsod, Irene Elston, Thomas Maus, Kerry Nishimoto, Richard Oshiro, Craig Richter, Russell Roller, Robert Tokioka III, George Yakowenko, Reggie Garcia (appointed at this meeting), Rito Saniatan (appointed at this meeting).

MEMBERS ABSENT: Marty Burke (excused), Julie Duldulao.

GUESTS: Baybee Hufana-Ablan (Mayor’s Representative), Connie Herolaga (Councilmember Nestor Garcia’s office), Karen Scharfenstein (Councilmember Gary Okino’s office), Frank Lopez (Governor’s Representative), Senator Brian Kanno, Senator Clarence Nishihara, Larry Takahashi and Bert Warashina (Senator Nishihara’s office), Scott Belford (Senator Wil Espero’s office), Representative Rida Cabanilla, Representative Mark Moses, Representative Alex Sonson, Daniel De Gracia (Representative Sonson’s office), Captain Edmund Lee (HFD), Lt. Lawrence Go (HPD), Manual Ayala (Leeward YMCA), JoAnn Yee (A&B Properties), Kathy Best and Kevin Funasaki (Castle & Cooke), Keith Kurahashi (Kusao and Kurahashi), Laura Zysman (Hawai’i Literacy), Rev. Joe Hunkin (Lighthouse), Ellen Enomoto, Eduardo Estanique, Ken and Didith Gouveia, Jesse and Clara Kajiwara, Mike Kimura, Vivian Munene, Gary Omori, K. Paris, John Petriches, Wendy Tajima, Rey Valencia, Chuck Wheatley, Kelley Santiago (Neighborhood Commission Office staff).

INTRODUCTION OF GUESTS AND BOARD MEMBERS – At the request of Vice Chair Yakowenko, everyone introduced themselves at this time.

FILLING OF VACANCIES FOR AT-LARGE, SUBDISTRICTS 4, 7, 8, 9, 10 & 11 – Deferred due to a lack of quorum.

ELECTION OF BOARD CHAIR – Deferred due to a lack of quorum.

APPROVAL OF NOVEMBER 17, 2005 REGULAR MEETING MINUTES: Deferred due to a lack of quorum.

TREASURER’S REPORT – Deferred due to a lack of quorum.

OFFICIAL REPORTS:  

Honolulu Fire Department (HFD) – Captain Edmund Lee reported: 1) For the month of December, the Waipahu and Waikele Fire Stations responded to 57 fires; 130 medical emergencies; 88 miscellaneous calls. 2) Safety Tip: “Fire, building, and U.S. Postal Codes along with City ordinances, state that all property owners shall place their house numbers in such a manner as to be readily seen from the street.  Having your address plainly visible and legible from the street or road fronting your property will assist the Honolulu Fire Department and other first responders to locate you more quickly in the event of an emergency.” 3) He thanked HPD for their assistance when responding to calls.

(Board member Tokioka arrived at 7:10 p.m.)

(Board member Richter arrived at 7:11 p.m.) A quorum was achieved at this time.

Honolulu Police Department (HPD) – Lt. Lawrence Go reported the statistics for the month of December in the Waipahu area (see attachment).

HPD Weed & Seed – No report or representative was available.

The agenda was taken out of order. There were no objections.

FILLING OF VACANCIES FOR AT-LARGE, SUBDISTRICTS 4, 7, 8, 10 &11 – Yakowenko asked if there were any candidates willing to fill any of the vacancies on the Board.

Subdistrict 4 - Reggie Garcia and Rev. Joe Hunkin introduced themselves as candidates for Subdistrict 4. Duhaylonsod nominated Reggie Garcia and Elston nominated Rev. Joe Hunkin (note – nominations do not require a second). A vote was taken at this time. Garcia received 8 votes and Hunkin received 2 votes (note – 10 votes, which is quorum, is needed for any motion to pass). Rev. Hunkin withdrew his name as a candidate. By acclamation, Reggie Garcia was unanimously appointed to Subdistrict 4. Neighborhood Assistant Kelley Santiago administered the Oath-of-Office to Garcia.

At-Large – Daniel De Gracia, John Petriches, and Rito Saniatan introduced themselves as candidates for At-Large. Tokioka nominated Daniel De Gracia and Oshiro nominated Rito Saniatan. Oshiro moved and Domingo seconded to close the nominations. Saniatan received 9 votes and De Gracia received 1 vote. De Gracia withdrew his name as a candidate. By acclamation, Rito Saniatan was unanimously appointed to At-Large.  The Neighborhood Assistant administered the Oath-of-Office to Saniatan.

ELECTION OF BOARD CHAIR – Yakowenko asked for nominations for Board Chair indicating that this election is to fill the unexpired term of the late chair and would end in June when all officers will be elected. Oshiro nominated Yakowenko (nominations do not need a second), Garcia nominated Burke (who was not present). Yakowenko indicated Burke reported he was not interested, and also he was not present to accept the nomination. Tokioka nominated Richter (who declined since he will be moving out of the area). Oshiro moved and Duhaylond seconded to close the nominations. By acclimation, Yakowenko was elected Chair.

APPROVAL OF NOVEMBER 17, 2005 REGULAR MEETING MINUTES – Duhaylonsod moved and Richter seconded that the Board approve the minutes as submitted. The motion carried unanimously.

TREASURER’S REPORT – Maus read the Financial Statement for November 2005. The Operating Account expenses were $38.90, leaving a balance of $1,348.96. The Publicity Account did not incur any expenses, leaving the balance at $3,203.00. The Refreshment Account did not incur any expenses, leaving the balance at $120.00. The report was accepted subject to audit.

Chair Yakowenko had concerns that since the new fiscal year began in July, there have been no expenses taken out of the Publicity Account. The Board has a monthly article published in Midweek. He questioned if Midweek is getting paid for their services. Treasurer and Administrative Assistant to follow-up on this issue.

The agenda resumed regular order.

RESIDENTS’ CONCERNS:

H-1 Freeway – Kunia Exit – A question was asked when would the widening of the H-1 Freeway, Kunia Exit be completed.

Old Plantation Hospital – There was a concern that the old plantation hospital on Mokuola Street was recently broken into, there is trash on the road, and question was asked about the status of the building. Connie Herolaga, Councilmember Garcia’s office, said their office is working with the owner of the property. Several citations were issued, but the owner is not complying.

COMMUNITY REPORTS:

A&B – JoAnn Yee reported: 1) Mill Town Center – all lots have been sold. 2) Kunia Shopping Center – 25 of 30 tenants have opened. She thanked the Board and the community for their support. 3) She will not be at future Board meetings.

Castle & Cooke – Kevin Funasaki reported the Waipio Point project located south of Waipahu High School (access via Awanui and Awaiki Streets) began site construction August 2005. Sales begin in March; house construction begins in May; first delivery will be in the third quarter 2006; and project completion for first quarter 2007. Sixty-six units will be built on the 13.22-acre site. Typical size lot is 5,000 square feet. Houses will range from 3-bedroom 2-bath, single story, to 4-bedroom 3-bath, 2-story, with option to flex to 5-bedroom 3-bath, 2-story. Average sale price estimated at mid-$500,000 plus. Concerns included job safety, dust control, and on-site parking. Construction hotline number is 678-2261 (field office) or 479-4208 (24-hour emergency hotline).

Central O'ahu Regional Park/Waipio Soccer Facility – The Neighborhood Assistant circulated copies of Marty Burke’s monthly community report.

Hawai'i Plantation Village (HPV) – No report or representative was available.

Leeward YMCA – Manual Ayala circulated updated information on the construction of the new Leeward YMCA. In addition, he stated that walls are going up around the perimeter of the property. The project is scheduled to be completed early 2007. Cost of the project is $13.5 million. They have raised $1.4 million to date. Donations are being accepted through their “Reaching for Tomorrow” Capital Campaign.

O’ahu Arts Center – No report or representative was available.

OMPO Citizen Advisory Committee (CAC) – Richter announced that OMPO will host an island-wide community meeting on February 15, Hawai’i Convention Center, Rooms 319A&B, 5:15 p.m. They will be soliciting public input on the ORTP (proposed transportation improvement projects to be completed over the next 25 years).

Waipahu Community Association (WCA) – Chair Yakowenko mentioned approximately 350 people attended the community environment cleanup this past Saturday. He commended Pastor Joe Hunkin and his Lighthouse congregation who had about 150 of the volunteers and they do many other clean ups in the Pupu area.

Waipahu Community Foundation – Roller announced the deadline to submit an application for the next quarterly grant is Friday, March 3. He encouraged non-profit youth organizations in the Waipahu area to apply. Applications are available through him or at the Waipahu High School administration office. If anyone needs assistance in filling out the application or wants an electronic copy of the application, please contact him at 671-6636.

PRESENTATIONS:

Mokuola Vista (Affordable Housing Project at Mokuola Street and Kauolu Place) – Keith Kurahashi, Kusao and Kurahashi, stated the Mokuola Vista will be eight stories or 71 feet in height. Parking will be below with multi-family units above. There will be 10 units on each floor. Each unit will be 2 bedrooms 1-bath condos. Sale price is $275,000. A total of 116 parking stalls will be provided.

Concerns and comments followed:

1)       Representative Sonson asked if notices were sent to surrounding residents about the project.

2)       Senator Kanno said the site is not suited for a 71-foot building. He also questioned why the units are for sale instead of rentals.

Hawai’i Literacy: Adult Literacy Programs – Laura Zysman said 1 of 5 adults (or 19%) in Hawai’i is illiterate. Trained tutors are available. She encouraged people to call 537-6706 if you know of anyone needing help.

Redistricting Waipahu Neighborhood Board Seats – Chair Yakowenko said he sent an email to former Chair Anderson on December 9, 2005 regarding the amount of vacancies on the Board and the difficulties of filling those vacancies. Yakowenko suggested redistricting. This item will be put on next month’s agenda for further discussion.

Oshiro mentioned that he has been on the Board for years and there hasn’t been a problem with quorum.

Exempting Neighborhood Boards from Sunshine Law – Oshiro noted he attended the Neighborhood Commission Office meeting in December for Neighborhood Board Chairs. At that meeting, the State Office of Information Practice (OIP) gave their opinions and interpretations on the Sunshine Law. There is a bill in the Legislature to exempt Neighborhood Boards from the Sunshine Law.

Concerns and comments followed:

1)       A resident said transparency is good. Oshrio agreed. Democracy should be open. The problem is the interpretation of the Sunshine Law. The purpose of the Neighborhood Boards is to involve citizen participation, but the process is being threatened.

2)       Representative Moses noted other Neighborhood Boards remove Citizens Concerns because of the Sunshine Law.

3)       Chair Yakowenko mentioned the City Council and City Commissions adhere to the Sunshine Law.

Oshiro moved and Duhaylonsod seconded that the Waipahu Neighborhood Board No. 22 request the Neighborhood Commission Office advise the Neighborhood Boards on how to operate in the light of the ruling by the Office of Information Practice. And, the Neighborhood Commission Office suggest amendments to the Sunshine Law. The motion carried unanimously. Representative Sonson requested that the letter be copied to State officials.

UNFINISHED BUSINESS:

Decision on how to expend Board’s Publicity Account Funds (Olelo versus Midweek) – Chair Yakowenko said if there is no objections he would like to defer this item of business since Marty Burke is not present tonight.

Committee assignments (voluntary) – Chair Yakowenko asked for the Board’s consensus on establishing committees. This item will be put on next month’s agenda for further discussion.

Capital Improvement Project (CIP) recommendations – Representative Sonson reported that the State Department of Transportation is planning to repave Farrington Highway and it would help if the Board sent a letter requesting they expedite the paving.

NEW BUSINESS: There were no new business items.

GOVERNMENT REPORTS:

Mayor's Representative – Baybee Hufana-Ablan stated: 1) Honolulu News, the Mayor’s monthly newsletter, was circulated by the Neighborhood Assistant. 2) She is no longer the Executive Secretary of the Neighborhood Commission Office. Her new position is the Special Advisor for Emergency Medical Services (EMS). 3) Honolulu Centennial Gala Ball held in November raised thousands of dollars for the restoration of Honolulu Hale. 4) The City has patched 4,826 potholes in November, bringing this year’s total to 42,023.

Domingo raised a point of order concerning exceeding the time limits. Chair Yakowenko ruled that the time limits are for the presentation only and do not include the question portion. Also, The Office of Information Practices (OIP) has interpreted the Sunshine Law to allow all residents the opportunity to testify on any subject on the agenda. Questioning of Mayor’s representative continued.

Chair Yakowenko had concerns about the increase in property tax assessments and $120 appropriated to each of the 32 Neighborhood Boards for refreshments.

Board of Water Supply (BWS) – Jane and Rodney Nishihara sent their regrets. They submitted BWS’ monthly report and BWS 2006 Water Conservation Calendar.

Councilmember Nestor Garcia – Connie Herolaga circulated Councilmember Garcia’s monthly report and was available for questions.

Councilmember Gary Okino – Karen Scharfstein circulated Councilmember Okino’s monthly report and was available for questions.

Congressman Ed Case – No report or representative was available.

Governor's Representative – Frank Lopez circulated the “Governor’s Update” and information on E-10 Unleaded (gasoline containing up to 10% ethanol). In addition, he stated

A resident suggested using the State surplus to fix the infrastructure at public schools.

Senator Will Espero – Scott Belford circulated Senator Espero’s monthly report was available for questions.

Senator Brian Kanno – Senator Kanno circulated his monthly report and highlighted the following: 1) The following transportation projects, included in OMPO’s proposed transportation improvement projects, will have a direct impact on Waipahu: a) Widening Farrington Highway from Kunia to Waiawa by one lane in each direction, from west of Fort Weaver Road to Waiawa Interchange; b) Widening H-1 Freeway, in the westbound direction, through the Waiawa Interchange. It will begin in the vicinity of the Pearl City Viaduct and end at the Paiwa Interchange. 2) He introduced SB 3026, which would appropriate funds for the condemnation of land in Royal Kunia for the establishment of a State park. The preservation of this parcel is necessary to promote smart growth in our community. 3) Rail Transit Route Selection Community Meetings will be held on February 22, Kapolei Elementary School Cafeteria, 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. and February 27, Asing Community Park, 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Senator Clarence Nishihara – Senator Nishihara circulated his monthly report and was available for questions.

Representative Rida Cabanilla – Representative Cabanilla stated: 1) She asked for the Board’s support to ask the Governor to release money to study the Ewa underground tunnel. 2) There is appropriation for nursing program at Leeward Community College. 3) She is now married to Lance Arakawa.

Representative Jon Karamatsu – No report or representative was available.

Representative Mark Moses – Representative Moses circulated his monthly report and highlighted the following: 1) One of the major topics this session is what to do with the State surplus. He believes that a major part of it should be returned to the taxpayers from whom it was taken. This belief is shared by the Governor. 2) In addition to the bills he co-authored with the Republican Caucus, he has submitted a number of bills to provide tax relief for rent, food, educational expenses and medical care (including long-term care); help protect identity theft, to protect the purchases of vehicles, and to help insure adequate ambulance service in West O’ahu. 3) He recently returned from accompanying the Governor on her State Visit to the Philippines on the 100^th Anniversary of Filipino immigration to Hawai’i. 4) OMPO is seeking public input on the ORTP on February 15, Hawai’i Convention Center, 5:15 p.m.

Oshiro had concerns with the soon departure of the medevac helicopters there wouldn’t be any loss of services.

Representative Alex Sonson – Representative Sonson circulated his monthly report and highlighted the following: 1) He introduced Daniel De Gracia, his new committee clerk and resident of Waipahu. 2) Approximately $46 million in welfare money will be refocused and directed to various programs.

Representative Ryan Yamane – Representative Yamane’s monthly report was circulated.

ANNOUNCEMENTS: 1) Yakowenko thanked Connie Herolaga for opening and closing up the meeting room facility. 2) Herolaga noted that the Waipahu Cultural Garden Park requests that the elected officials take their extra reports with them.

ADJOURNMENT: By consensus, the meeting adjourned at 9:44 p.m.

Submitted by:

Steve J. Rodrigues

Neighborhood Assistant