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Wahiawa-Whitmore Village Neighborhood Board

REGULAR MEETING MINUTES

MONDAY, JULY 16, 2007

WAHIAWA RECREATION CENTER

CALL TO ORDER: Chair Ben Acohido called the meeting to order at 7:06 p.m. A quorum was present.

MEMBERS PRESENT: Ben Acohido, Sheri Bentley, Vee Chuensanguansat, Joe Francher, Mary Jane Lee, Kathy Masunaga, Jyun Yamamoto.

MEMBERS ABSENT: Jeanne Ishikawa, Silvia Koch.

GUESTS: Eugene Lee (Mayor’s Representative), Reed Matsuura (Councilmember Donovan Dela Cruz’s office), Laurence Lau (Governor’s Representative), Senator Robert Bunda, Tracy Kubota (Representative Marcus Oshiro’s office), Patty Dukes (EMS), Lt. Charles Wong (HPD), Cliff Lum, Duke Chung, Gerald Tanaka and Howard Tanaka (BWS), Geri Tramontano (Wahiawa Satellite City Hall), Captain Jim Donovan and CWO Cliff Jenkins (NCTAMS PAC), Col. Matt Margotta and Lt Col. Mark Boussy (U.S. Army), Mark Takemoto (Dole/Castle & Cooke), Leon Miguel (PESC Inc.), Jack D. Smith (Church of Nazarene), Alena Pule (Whitmore Community Association); Kate Butts, Randy Fontes, Ellen Hyer, Bob Kent, Yukio Kitagawa, Hugh Lowery, Benny and Linda Quiseng, Vernon Ramos; Leland Ribac (Neighborhood Commission Office staff).

APPROVAL OF REGULAR MEETING MINUTES FOR JUNE 18, 2007:  Lee moved and Masunaga seconded to approve the minutes as amended. There were numerous grammatical and other errors. The corrections are on file.

TREASURER’S REPORT: 1) Lee moved and Francher seconded to approve expenditure for refreshments purchased for tonight’s meeting. The motion carried unanimously. 2) $25 per month for Chair’s expenditure – this item was deferred to the Committee-of-the-Whole. 3) Masunaga read the Financial Statement for the month of June 2007. The Operating/Publicity Account expenses were $37.02, leaving a balance of $3,100.46. The Refreshment Account did not incur any expenses, leaving the balance at $103.95. The report was accepted subject to audit. In addition, the projected FY 2008 Appropriation are as follows: $1,520 (Operating), $2,110 (Publicity), $120 (Refreshment).

Chair Acohido called a recess at 7:13 p.m.

At this time, the Board and the community recognized Captain Jim Donovan (retiring); the 2^nd Stryker Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (Aloha sendoff); and Yuki Kitagawa (Wahiawa Pineapple Festival Chair).

Orders resumed at 7:42 p.m.

FIRST RESPONDERS – Reports and Concerns:

Honolulu Fire Department (HFD) – No report or representative was available.

Honolulu Police Department (HPD) – Lt. Charles Wong reported the statistics for the month of June: 5 burglaries, 4 thefts from vehicles, and 34 other thefts.

Francher mentioned that there was a possible assault and kidnap incident. After calling 911, a patrol car drove by, but did not stop when he tried to flag it down; however, the officer did not stop.

Emergency Medical Service (EMS) – Patty Dukes reported: 1) She apologized for missing last month’s meeting. 2) For the month of June, Wahiawa EMS responded to a total of 410 calls: 216 (Wahiawa), 142 (Mililani), 14 (Waipio Valley), and 38 (military). 3) Safety Tip: When an emergency vehicle is behind you with its siren on, put on your turn signal and pull over to the nearest curve.

U.S. Army – Schofield Barracks – Lt. Col. Mark Boussy reported: 1) He introduced Col. Matt Margotta. 2) Approximately 20 percent of the 25th Infantry Division has returned from Iraq. 3) The Army sponsors the Joint Education Forum which financially assists schools impacted by military dependents (i.e. Leilehua High School).  4) No decision has been made whether the Stryker Brigade will come to Hawai’i. The Environment Impact Statement (EIS) is still being reviewed.  

Masunaga thanked the Army for the Fourth of July barbeque. She also acknowledged Schofield’s new PX and food court.

U.S. Navy – NCTAMS PAC – Captain Jim Donovan stated: 1) He would like to express his sincere appreciation for the excellent relationship between NCTAMS PAC and the Neighborhood Board over the last two years. He greatly appreciates the support the Board has given the sailors, and hope that everyone feels NCTAMS PAC has likewise given back to the Wahiawa and Whitmore community through community outreach (i.e. Thanksgiving’s Operation Aloha Helemano Elementary School Read-Aloud Program and Whitmore Road clean-up etc.) 2) He invited the Board to attend the Change of Command Ceremony on August 9, 2007. Captain Janet Stewart, who is coming from duty in the Washington, D.C. area, will be his relief. At the same time, he will be concluding 34 years of Naval service with a retirement ceremony. He leaves Hawai’i with many fond memories.

RESIDENTS CONCERNS:

Various Concerns – A resident had concerns regarding: 1) JPO’s from Iliahi Elementary are at risk from speeding motorists. 2) The lack of access to the playground at Iliahi Neighborhood Park because the main gate to the parking lot is closed. Lee mentioned the park is accessible, although the parking lot is owned by the school.

CHAIRPERSON’S REPORT: Chair Acohido stated: 1) Brandon Mitsuda, former aide to Councilmember Dela Cruz, is now the deputy director for Lanakila Rehabilitation Meals on Wheels. Lanakila is seeking donations to increase meal delivery to the elderly. 2) The Governor vetoed a total of 27 bills.

PRESENTATION: Panel of Speakers on BWS Project and Traffic Management – Cliff Lum, Howard Tanaka and Gerard Tanaka of BWS and Leon Miguel of PESC Inc., were present to address any concerns regarding BWS’ California Avenue Improvement project. Clifford Lum apologized for the duration of the project and thanked the community for their patience. The purpose of the project is to replace aging infrastructure that was installed in the 1960s. Since the 1990s, there have been 15 water main breaks. There were two stop work orders for one day each. Both Leilehua High and the City requested change orders. There were five change orders before November 2006.                                            

There was lengthy discussion on this issue. Concerns and comments included: 1) The project is 70 percent complete. The remaining work is testing and checking the mains. 2) The top two advantages of using PVC pipes are: a) they are corrosion resistant which helps extend the life-span of the pipes; b) there is less friction loss because the pipe’s interior is smooth. This helps relieve the burden on the pumps and reduces the pumping cost because there’s friction between moving water and the pipe walls. 3) California Avenue will be repaved one year after the project is completed. 4) Sidewalks are not part of the project. 5) Claims for vehicles damaged by potholes can be sent to BWS. They will then forward it to the contractor. 6) There are concerns for vehicles and pedestrian safety where there are cross laterals. 7) The Department of Transportation Services (DTS) will install three speed humps at Royal Palm Drive for a six month trial period. 8) Motorists are driving too fast at Glen Avenue and Royal Palm Drive. There were concerns about the design of the road.   

GOVERNMENT AGENCIES AND COMMUNITY GROUP REPRESENTATIVES:

Wahiawa Community Business Association (WCBA) – No report or representative was available.

Mayor's Representative – Eugene Lee reported: 1) The Department of Planning and Permitting (DPP) is uncertain as to the reference to advertisement directly on public property. There is no requirement for a presentation to the Neighborhood Board applies to the Kilani Avenue development. 2) The Parkside at Kilani Project will consist of concrete curb, gutter, and sidewalk improvements fronting the former YMCA property at the corner of Kilani and Koa Street. 3) The Mayor’s “Neighbor to Neighbor” newsletter was circulated.

Councilmember Donovan Dela Cruz – Reed Matsuura circulated Councilmember Dela Cruz’s monthly report and highlighted the following: 1) FY2008 budget items for the Wahiawa area: a) Whitmore Community Park – comfort station grating and grill work ($70,000); b) Whitmore Community Park – comfort station security lighting ($25,000); c) Whitmore Village sign – Corporaion Counsel has stated the Whitmore Village sign can be placed at Kahi Kani Park only if the sign marks the park ($10,000). Items that were denied include two speed monitor trailers for Wahiawa Police Station; speed humps for Royal Palm Drive; and cattle gates for parking lot at Wahiawa District Park. 2) Included in Councilmember Dela Cruz’s report is information on real property tax exemptions and tax credits. 3) He also circulated copies of RISR’s (Request for Investigation and Service Report).   

Governor’s Representative – Laurence Lau circulated the “Governor’s Update” and his follow-up report. In addition, he reported: 1) Follow-up: a) Under pending Memorandum of Agreement (MOA), the Department of Accounting and General Services (DAGS) will allow the City to use a portion of the State-owned Wahiawa Civic Center parcel for its Bus Transit Center development. 2) Micah Kane, Director of Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL) tried contacting Ellen Hyer regarding her concerns regarding Sandwich Isle Communications, but was unsuccessful. Kane or his deputy director, Ben Henderson, can be reached a596-3801. 3) The Governor visited Jakarta, Indonesia as part of her 12-day business trip to Asia. Her meetings with Indonesian officials focused on increasing security and emergency preparedness partnerships between Hawai’i and Indonesia.

Senator Robert Bunda – Senator Bunda said the Legislature held a special session on July 10 and overrode 11 of the Governor’s 27 vetoes.

Representative Marcus Oshiro – Tracy Kubota stated: 1) The Legislature approved funding for Iliahi Elementary, Wahiawa Elementary, Wahiawa Intermediate, Leilehua High, and Lanakila Rehabilitation Center. 2) There will be $90 million in tax relief. 3) The economy is slowing down. Grant-in-Aids will only be awarded to health and safety programs.

Board of Water Supply (BWS) – Duke Chung submitted BWS’ monthly report and highlighted the following: 1) There were no main breaks in the Wahiawa area for the month of June. 2) While O’ahu has also experienced a dryer than normal winter and rainfall totals are expected to remain lower than normal, there is no current cause for concern. 3) As a reminder, please be careful during this brushfire season. 4) The Friends of Halawa Xeriscape Gardens and BWS will sponsor the 19th Annual “Unthirsty Plant” sale on August 4, 2007,9:00 a.m. 5) The Wahiawa-Whitmore Village 16-inch Main project is 90 percent complete.

Wahiawa Action Initiative (WAI) – No report or representative was available.

Wahiawa Satellite City Hall – Geri Tramontano stated: 1) Since July 1, they started a pet neuter program at a discounted price. 2) Taxes can be paid from July 20 to August 20. 3) They will see an increase in business as the soldiers return. 4) Camping permits need to be obtained two weeks in advance.

CORRESPONDENCE: 1) Setting Distribution Procedure for Wahiawa-Whitmore Village Neighborhood Board – Chair Acohido referred this item to the Committee-of-the-Whole. 2) Board member to be Delegated to Review Minutes – Masunaga suggested that all Board members review the minutes prior to distribution.

UNFINISHED BUSINESS:

Board Action on Draft Letter to Wahiawa General Hospital on Birthing Center – A letter was drafted and circulated as approved by the Board at a previous meeting. Letter will be sent by the Chair to Wahiawa General Hospital.

Establishment of Committees and Missions – Deferred.

NEW BUSINESS:

Special Meeting for August at Whitmore Village on HRSOC Contract – Chair Acohido announced a special meeting will be held in August to discuss the HRSOC contract. Tom Lenchanko sent a letter to the Navy asking for better representation at the meeting.

Supporting Homecoming Events for 25th Infantry Division – Chair Acohido said the majority of the soldiers will return in October. Homecoming events will be planned. More details to follow.

ANNOUNCEMENTS: 1) The next Regular Meeting of the Wahiawa-Whitmore Village Neighborhood Board No. 26 will be held on Monday, September 17, 2007, Wahiawa Recreation Center, 7:00 p.m. 2) The next Committee-of-the-Whole Meeting will be held on Monday, September 10, 2007, Ceramics Room, 6:30 p.m.  

ADJOURNMENT: By a consensus of the Board, the meeting adjourned at 9:35 p.m.

Submitted:

Steve J. Rodrigues,

Neighborhood Assistant