Printable version (copy and paste into browser):

  http://www.honolulu.gov/nco/nb27/07/27200704Min.PDF

NORTH SHORE NEIGHBORHOOD BOARD

REGULAR MEETING MINUTES

TUESDAY APRIL 24, 2007

JOHN KALILI SURF CENTER

CALL TO ORDER: Chair Mike Lyons opens the meeting at 7:00 p.m.

MEMBERS PRESENT: Jeff Alameida, Alfredo Antonio, John Hirota, Oliver Lunasco, Jacob Ng, Dan Gora, Mike Lyons, Carol Philips, Warren Scoville, Bob Leinau, Blake McElheny, Antya Miller. 12 members of 15 total seats attended the meeting. Quorum was reached.

MEMBERS ABSENT: Jimmy Awai, Kathleen Pahinui, Doug Cole.

GUESTS: Stew Ring (Mokuleia Community Association), Michelle Ogata and Dr. bill McKenzie (Wahiawa General Hospital), Galen Yoshimoto (Governor’s Representative), Linda Noey, Carol Simmons, Elizabeth Carson, Peter Haines, Kiha Pimental, Suzanne N., Sheryl Bieler, Thomas Shirai, Lt. Doug Beerman (Honolulu Police Department), Ross Moody, Bruce Sutherland, Dane Pollock, Taylor Rushing, Dale Rowley, Meryl M. Andersen, Mary M. Brewer, Kiha Pimental, Reed Matsuura (Councilmember Dela Cruz’s Office staff), Marie Beltran, Roberta K. Kuehu-Soberano, Faustino S. Soberano Jr., Clyde H., Patricia Manalo, David Bramlett, Maxi Moto, Alenka Remec (Mayor’s Representative), Rolance Crisafulli (DCS-OWIB), Edgar Akuna, Kalani Fronda (Kamehameha Schools/Bishop Estate), Arlene Kawahakui, Bodo Van Der Leedon (HESD), Mark Takemoto (Castle & Cooke), Vanessa Matautia (Neighborhood Commission Office staff).

APPROVAL OF February 27, 2007 MINUTES FOR THE REGULAR MINUTES: Chair Lyons requested that the regular meeting minutes for February be deferred to the next month’s meeting. Pahinui was not available for comment.

TREASURER’S REPORT – deferred until next month’s meeting.

REPORTS FROM HONOLULU POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENTS:

Honolulu Police Department (HPD) – Lt. Beerman reported:

• Crime statistics for March 2007 included: 6 auto theft recoveries, 11 graffiti cases, 26 unauthorized entries into motor vehicles, 4 motor vehicle thefts and 4 burglaries.
• Speed traps have been put on Haleiwa Beach Road, Kaukonahua Road and several other sites on the North Shore. There is only one speed trap within the District and it is in great demand.
• During the last two weeks, there has been a total of four car break-ins. Lt. Beerman reports that there was an individual who was arrested recently who they believe was responsible for many of the break-ins and that would explain the decrease in the last several weeks.

Questions, comments and concerns:

1. A resident raised issue regarding a neighbor who parked their cars on the resident’s property. On several occasions the resident called HPD with no luck; and is now concerned about what to do in this predicament. Lt. Beerman indicated that HPD can only have vehicles from public streets towed. Another question regarded a posted sign on the private property stating unauthorized cars would be towed. Lt. Beerman stated that the resident would have to front the cost of towing the vehicle until it is taken out by the owner.

2. In response to Sheryl Bieler’s inquiry whether the tow company’s name need to be posted on the sign, Lt. Beerman said not necessarily if the sign is on private property.

3. Another resident asked if there is a local ombudsman to address the issue by a mutual agreement between the two neighbors.

Honolulu Fire Department (HFD) – No representative was present and no report was available.

U.S. ARMY 25^TH INFANTRY DIVISION (ID) – No representative was present and no report was available.

RESIDENTS CONCERNS: Chair Lyons reminded speakers to keep to the three minute time limit:

1. Bieler reported that the Alii Beach Park parking lot will be repaved and the cars parked after hours will be towed; and she asked where are the homeless individuals to go if they could not park at the beach park area; and that they needed help if they are getting kicked out. She commented that the Mayor stated he would not remove any homeless people from the parks until adequate spaces are provided. She requested a special meeting be held regarding the homeless on the North Shore. Chair Lyons informed Bieler to hold off until Pastor Bu Soares spoke which would help to look at the options.

2. Michelle Ogata, a nurse from Wahiawa General Hospital, announced that the Birthing Unit will close indefinitely on May 12, due to cut back on services in order to save money. Although, the nurses have been told that the Unit will reopen in several months, OB-GYN nurses said if it is closed that many of them would not be able to return because they would have already found new positions elsewhere. The Birthing Unit has 20-25 births a month. They believe with a little more advertisement about the best little secret of Wahiawa General, it would be allowed to remain open. Ogata is requesting a letter of support to the State Legislators for HB (House Bill) 500 in the amount of $1 million and HB1477 in the amount of $850,000 - to develop a statewide rural primary health care training program.

      Dr. Dan McKenzie, OB-GYN doctor at Wahiawa General Hospital (WGH), testified that the Birthing Unit       at Wahiawa General Hospital was a vital part of the current health of residents in Central and the North         Shore of Oahu. He’s been a doctor at WGH for the past 28 years, delivered many children over the course of his tenure, and believes that the eminent closure is a danger as populations continue to rise     in the central and north areas of Oahu. There were first class plans in the future for Wahiawa General          and Dr. McKenzie hoped the community would see the need for the Birthing Unit to remain open.

      Comments followed: 1) Leinau told a story of his wife in labor, had it not been for Dr. McKenzie and the Birthing Unit, he would not have a daughter. He thanked Dr. McKenzie and his staff for the         wonderful job they have done over the years and supports keeping the Birthing Unit open. 2) Ng     supports the request but advised that the letter be forwarded to the Board of Directors and the President of Wahiawa General. Ng stated that HB 500 is the Budget bill and since it is late in the game, it would         not have enough time to get to the State Legislature. 3) Lunasco questioned the economics of keeping       the Birthing Unit open; and that the reason being is that people do not feel safe there and would rather          drive the long distances to South Shore hospitals. 4) Miller stated the exact opposite experience in that         she was treated well. She stated although the community did not support the hospital, it is not a reason   why people would not get good care. 5) Philips thanked Ogata and Dr. McKenzie for coming to the      Board and stated that it was vital to the quality of life for Central Oahu and the North Shore     communities. Dr. McKenzie noted that WGH needed a new direction in leadership, standing for the        needs of the community keeping the OB-GYN and emergency services.

Leinau moved to add to the agenda for Board support of a letter to State Legislators requesting support for HB 500 and HB 1477 and was seconded by Miller. The motion was passed unanimously.

3. Pastor Bu Soares, of the Waianae Coast, came to speak on bringing a homeless model facility to the North Shore. Currently, a homeless shelter facility is on the verge of being built on the Waianae Coast modeled after the Charles Wright facility in Maui. Pastor Soares had several meetings with North Shore Pastors and Kalani Fronda, of Kamehameha Schools, on contributions to create a comprehensive program providing on site services; with plans for six sites and two targeted for the North Shore.

            Questions and comments followed: 1) Chair Lyons thanked Pastor Soares for coming and that he would       be available outside of the meeting. Pastor Soares also has a DVD about the homeless situation on the             Waianae Coast available for interested persons. 2) Philips thanked Pastor Soares but questioned how   the Neighborhood Board and the community could help. He replied by getting the support of your      neighbors and the community. 3) Bieler asked how long will it take to plan, construct and open a facility       on the North Shore; and she talked about how wide spread the homeless situation is on the North    Shore. Chair Lyons asked Bieler to continue gathering information from Pastor Soares outside of the            meeting.

4. Alameida announced that the Waialua High School and the Sunset Beach Christian School will have community graffiti paint out on Saturday, May 12 from 8 am to noon. Targeted areas will be from Waialua to Haleiwa. If you wish to volunteer, donate supplies or suggest areas in which to target, please contact Kathleen Pahinui at (808) 637-8545.

5. Miller announced that the North Shore Chamber of Commerce got a small historic building donated. But because the building must be moved from its present location, it would be coming before the Board for approval of a special area building permit. Miller asked the Board’s consideration for a letter of support should the Chamber of Commerce come before the Board for the request. Chair Lyons suggested bringing the matter before the Board at the time of the request.

6. A resident and several others near Chuns Reef have put up more signs along the shoreline warning of the nesting area for the Wedgetail Shearwater bird colony. She showed everyone the posted sign.

TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE: Gil Riviere was not able to attend the meeting and no report was given.

ELECTED OFFICIALS:

Congressman Mazie Hirono – No representative was available for comment.

Mayor’s Representative – Alenka Remec reported the following:

• Oahu Work Links – Rolanse Crisafulli of the Department of Community Services and administrator with the Oahu Workforce Investment Board (OWIB) and Oahu Work Links. Crisafulli gave a quick highlight of projects provided on the North Shore. She thanked the Board, the Friends of Waialua and Boardmember John Hirota for the opportunity and for helping to find a new home for an Oahu Work Links Office on the North Shore. The office provides employment services, as well as referring business owners to qualified candidates. Brochures were available for the community and the “Job Fair” is coming soon in Honolulu.

• The next “Community Recycling” meeting is tomorrow at Kahuku High School at 7 p.m. The Mayor has proposed having community meetings in order to create a comprehensive curbside recycling program. Officials from the Department of Environmental Services will be there to answer any questions relating to recycling and how our refuse is handled on the island.

• In the past, the City was granted by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to dispel primary sewage far out into the ocean, which has been shown not to have any affect on the environment. Recently, the EPA has stated that it would not renew the City’s permit and would cause the City to make upgrades which would cost millions of dollars. Remec wanted to dispel any reason that the City is disposing raw sewage.

Questions, comments and concerns:

1. Philips stated that the Tel Stat Company which gave a presentation at a previous meeting has an issue with the current location. The area has a preexisting flooding problem which was once taken care of by the City, has been a burdened not easily handled by private caretakers. Philips requested that letters regarding this problem be submitted.

2. Lunasco asked why are recycling meetings being held down in Kahuku and not in Waialua and Haleiwa. He questioned the possible fee on a second refuse pickup and how unfair it would be because many families have several families living in one house and will be wrongfully taxed.

3. Leinau stated that green waste recycling has produced large amounts of composts and one of the sites it has been taken to be Waimea Valley. Many residents have taken advantage of this service at $150 per truckload; Leinau stated it has been flying out of the valley. Remec also stated that H-Power has considered recycling because it is changing trash into power. The City is currently enhancing their commitment to island wide recycling henceforth the community meeting.

4. Ng reminded Remec about the outstanding grading permit on the Galbraith estate and the funding for the UH Watershed study held up by the Department of Facility Maintenance, Director Laverne Higa. Ng went into further detail regarding the large amounts of grading done on the Galbraith estate and worried about the sediment running into the watershed areas.

5. Philips questioned why it was so expensive to upgrade the sewage plant.

6. Miller applauded the Mayor for his recycling efforts.

7. Lyons questioned the approximated increase residents will need to pay of $300 and whether North Shore residents will actually be affected by this sense they run on an entirely separate system.

City Council Member Donovan Dela Cruz – Reed Matsuura circulated Councilmember Dela Cruz’s monthly report and highlighted the following: 1) Councilmember Dela Cruz is trying to get the following Capital Improvement Projects (CIP) into the Mayor’s Budget: a) stream dredging for Kaukonahua Road; b) rock slide inspection and mitigation improvements for Pupukea Road and other City roads; c) speed monitors for Waialua and Haleiwa roadways; d) master plan for Pupukea and Haleiwa Beach Parks; e) repair of play courts and tennis courts at Sunset Beach Park; f) new comfort station for Kai’aka Beach Park; g) bike paths for Haleiwa Road, Waialua Beach Road, and Ke’ala O Pupukea; g) safety improvements for Anamoku Street; h) improvements to Haleiwa Main Street; i) lifeguard equipment for Velzyland; j) completion of the Banzai Rock skateboard facility. All these CIP items were submitted in Council Draft (CD) 1 to Budget Chair Todd Apo, but it was denied. A Special Budget hearing will be held tomorrow, Honolulu Hale, City Council Committee Room, 4:00 p.m. He encouraged the community to submit testimony. 2) Councilmember Dela Cruz introduced Bill 41, relating to affordable housing for renters. 3) On April 7, their office held a successful metal recycling drive at Leilehua High School. 4) If anyone has any concerns, his contact number is listed in their report.

Leinau questioned what projects were rejected since they were reasonable requests that are sorely needed.

Governor’s Representative – Galen Yoshimoto from the State Department of Defense provided the Governor’s Newsletter and took questions.

Questions, comments and concerns:

1. Ng asked when Farrington Highway will be repaired on a wide scale rather than just small portions here and there. It’s a safety hazard. Yoshimoto will follow-up.

2. Lunasco raised concern that Honolulu bound on the Mililani Bridge, the big hole is not fixed. Also the request for a blinking light to notifying motorist that Kaukonahua Road is closed; rather than having to travel all the way down just to end up turning around.

3. Leinau thanked the State Department of Transportation for fixing the Waimea rockslide.

State Senator Robert Bunda – No representative was available for comment.

State Representative Michael Magaoay – A representative for Senator Magaoay highlighted on:

• Last week, $950,000 was released and made available for Kahuku Hospital; and House Bill 962 regarding Kidney Disease

Lunasco questioned once again who gets the funds from the weight of the aluminum when it is recycled. Recyclers are currently receiving that money but changes are being recommended.

OLD BUSINESS: None.

NEW BUSINESS:

State Department of Transportation: Waimea Rockslide update, North Shore transportation updates: Scott Ishikawa reported the following:

• Kamehameha Highway was opened up to traffic. He thanked the State Office of Civil Defense and HPD instrumental in getting the information out to the media. A major landslide took place on April 7th from the Pupukea cliff side. The fence that was installed several years ago was successful in keeping much of the slide down the side of the cliff off of the road. Five to seven smaller boulders were found on the roadway but as much as 30 to 40 rocks were found to have been stopped by the fence and helping to minimize the damage. The replacement for the fence is still coming and permits will have to be approved because of marshland neighboring it.

• A meeting occurred about Laniakea with Kamehameha Schools and the City with two main issues that would harbor the forward movement of the project.

• Potholes repair on the H-2 freeway area from Gentry to Mililani.

• Funds coming in July for road maintenance contracts to asphalt sections of Farrington Highway.

Questions, comments and concerns:

1. Lunasco commended that the state for a quick job but reminded Ishikawa that a rockslide will more than likely happen again. No justice to people and should move the road and move it fast. Ishikawa stated that the dilemma faced by DOT was that Federal permits halted a fast move.

2. Leinau stated that temporary fixes of budgeting money and funds to plan and execute the project; only to lead to more plans. Ishikawa stated that this project was on the Top 10 list for the DOT.

3. Miller stated being very supportive of SDOT for Laniakea.

4. Philips thanked SDOT for their work on the project and that people were excited.

5. Lunasco questioned if the state was working with the Military on Drum Road and possibly using this as a second access road.

6. McElheny thanked the military for Drum Road and Pupukea Road will signal the event to incorporate addressing the issues. Ishikawa stated that those are permanent repairs aside from fence may make.

7. Chair Lyons asked if DOT is working with the Hawaiian community regarding potential sites. Ishikawa answered DOT did notify DLNR. The Burial Council and an archeologist were also on site during the cleanup. No iwi (bones) were uncovered. About 700 tons of rocks and materials were removed.

8. Leinau said hopefully the State will expedite opening Waimea Bridge if there is another rock slide.

9. Chair Lyons thanked Ishikawa for his presentation.

CORRESPONDENCE AND CHAIR’S REPORT:

HB 500 and HB 1477 – Leinau moved and Ng seconded that the North Shore Neighborhood Board No. 27 send a letter to the State Legislature requesting support for HB 500 and HB 1477. The motion carried unanimously.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

·         The next Board meeting will be held on Tuesday, May 22, 2007, 7:00 p.m. at the John Kalili Surf Center.

ADJOURNMENT: Without any objections, the meeting was adjourned at 8:31 p.m.

Submitted by

Neighborhood Assistant Vanessa Mata’utia, and NCO staff