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McCully - Moiliili Neighborhood Board # 8

REGULAR MEETING MINUTES

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2007

KING WILLIAM LUNALILO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

CALL TO ORDER:  Chair Ron Lockwood called the meeting to order at 7:33 p.m. with nine members present which established a quorum.

MEMBERS PRESENT: Scott Cheever, Linda Dela Cruz, Al Furuto, John Gollner, Serena Kyi-Yim, Betty Lou Larson, Ron Lockwood, Shauna Tabor, Michael Tareff.

MEMBERS ABSENT:  Marijane Carlos, Clifton Takamura, Gordon Furuto, Stephanie Visaya Bose, Mimi Gans, Les Hata.

MEMBER’S SEATS VACANT:  One in Sub District 1, one in Sub District 2

GUESTS:  Capt. R. Amano (HFP, Ladder 29), Lt. A. Ahlo, H. Roberts, D. Valoroso (HPD, District 7)  Pat Lee (Honolulu High Capacity Transit Corridor Project), Jim Manke (UH Manoa – Chancellor’s Office), Mark Oto (Mayor’s Representative), Representative Kirk Caldwell, Susan Miyao and Dawn Kaneshiro (Senator Brian Taniguchi’s office); Les Vallarano, George and Jeanette Grace, Mike Wilcox, Evelyn and Franklin Souza, D. Rodrigues (S.O.R.T.); Brian Wilson, Courtney Midla, Cheryl Ann Sumimoto, (UH Nursing), Klement Kondratovich, Daisy Murai, Anthony Len, Carl and Lillian Novak, Raymond Lalosin, (McCully Citizen’s Patrol), Jean Fujikawa, S. Crisp, Kevin Killeen, Janet Inamine, Tom Heinrich, Bonnie Trustin (Neighborhood Commission Office staff).

SAFETY & COMMUNITY LIAISON:

HONOLULU FIRE DEPARTMENT, (HFD) Capt. Amano, Ladder 29, distributed the January statistics; they could not stay to present the information as the meeting began late.

HONOLULU POLICE DEPARTMENT (HPD) - Lt. Ahlo, H. Valaroso, D. Roberts (District 7) distributed their January statistics; they could not stay to present it as the meeting began late.

Public Concerns:

1.   Shauna Tabor, school and community liaison for Ala Wai Elementary, was notified that yesterday  around 3:00 p.m. an 11- year old girl and her brother were walking home from school along the bridge at Date Street between Kaimuki High School and Iolani School.  The brother was ahead of the girl when she was grabbed from behind and held against her will; she proceeded to scream and kicked behind her.  Both children ran and didn’t get a good description of the perpetrator but they think it was someone living under the bridge they crossed.  Tabor wants the community to be alerted of the incident which the police are now calling a sex crime “because the girl was grabbed on her behind.”  The girl only saw was a dark hand; she didn’t know whether it was from dirt or the person was dark-skinned.  Chair Lockwood notified Kaimuki and Iolani High Schools and the Citizen’s Patrol in that area of the incident.

2.   McCully Cue is a new business opening on Algaroba Street operating from 10 a.m. to 2 a.m.  Call 911 if you have parking or noise problems.

Furuto moved and Tabor seconded the motion to take the agenda out of order to accommodate the people in attendance supporting Oahu’s Save Oahu’s Race Track (S.O.R.T.) to discuss their item of business.  The vote was 9-0-0 in support of the motion.

Chair Lockwood recognized Representative Caldwell, Jim Manke from the Chancellor’s office of the University of Hawaii as well as the Mayor’s representative, Mark Oto as present and waiting to report.

REPRESENTATIVE KIRK CALDWELL – Representative Caldwell distributed his report which listed his favorite bills and wants everyone to know his desire to work with them this session so call or visit his office.  It is too late to introduce new legislation at this point but there are almost 2,000 bills introduced in the House so please contact him to discuss any of them.  On behalf

of Senator Taniguchi who is part of our team but couldn’t be here tonight, he wanted to thank all the Board members for their dedicated service for the past two years as community leaders and to those who are running again. 

Questions, answers and concerns:

Replied to Cheever about House Bill 780 to support historic buildings which he supports and thinks it’s important to preserve our historic structures; it represents what we are and it needs to be protected.

UH – MANOA - Jim Manke of the Chancellor’s Office reported the following:

1.   You were all invited to attend the Monday night basketball game; I only saw one of the Board members there and the University won the game.

2.   Upcoming events are two public lectures, a play at the Kennedy Theater, and Robert Moses, past coordinator for Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee, and organizer of the Freedom Riders during the civil rights days will be speaking on campus February 12, 2007.

3.   An article in the Star-Bulletin read that a consultant recommended UH-Manoa tear down a couple of the dormitories, but we are not considering anything that drastic now.  The legislative auditor did a review of student housing and the report, which will come out very soon, is expected to have recommendations similar to those of the consultant’s.  Therefore,  UH-Manoa is starting a $40 million repair, renovation and replacement program in addition to constructing Frear Hall.

4.   He distributed copies to the Board of the latest edition of the alumni magazine, Malamalama, which lists upcoming campus events.

5. Tom Bingham, Dean of Arts and Humanities, will be speaking at your March 1, 2007 about the University’s plan for a major building project adjacent to the Kennedy Theater including classroom and studio space for performing arts students and a new parking structure with 330 parking spaces.  We have part of the design and planning money but we are hoping that, with a measure before the legislature, we can get the money for the parking structure.

There were no questions.

MAYOR’S REPRESENTATIVE - Mark Oto addressed the issues from the last meeting:

1. Responded to Carlos about the Ala Wai Park gates which have been adopted by Iolani School.  They will be putting up new signs to reflect the closing time of 9:30 p.m. and accept the responsibility of closing the gates at that time by their security guards.

2. Responded to resident Koczan about the bulky item pickups at 574 and 578 Kamoku Street.  On January 29^th it was observed that bulky pick-up was needed at both addresses so it was scheduled for next week but from then on that doesn’t prevent other bulky items from accumulating.

3. February is Honolulu’s “Month in Chinatown” to celebrate the Year of the Boar.  Every weekend will be festivities which are listed online at www.chinatownhi.com.  The pamphlets and buttons distributed tonight are free this year so enjoy yourself at all the events.

4.   Representative Saiki wanted to remind everyone that he has an inquiry into the Mayor about the schedule for clean-up of Makiki Ditch and Department of Facilities Maintenance will respond to this.  Chair Lockwood reported there is a Makiki Ditch clean-up scheduled for February 10, 2007.

5.    The State of the City Address by the Mayor will be given February 22, 2007 at 10:00 a.m. during which time he will announce many of his proposals and information about his upcoming budget.

Questions, answers and concerns:

1. Mrs. Novak reported there is one big pothole at 1720 Algaroba Street in front of a building which could get worse if we get any more rain. There are also three potholes behind Washington Middle School on Philip Street.

2.   He responded to Larson when asked about the Charter amendment on affordable housing and land which goes into effect July 1, 2007 saying that it is part of a large policy the Mayor is reviewing it to evaluate how the finances are going to be appropriated.

3.   He responded that the concern for having public bathrooms available in certain parts of Downtown came up because of the Chinatown Gateway Park.  The Mayor has met with one of the business groups in Chinatown to help the City maintain the Park and the City is coordinating with the business community in the area to secure the park.

Race Track Resolution - Gollner moved and Tabor seconded the motion in support of the Race Track Resolution read by Chair Lockwood getting a race track back on Oahu as soon as possible to end racing on the streets.  (See Attachment A for complete Resolution).

Questions, answers and comments followed:

1. Car racers came to the meeting to help the McCully/ Mo’ili’ili Neighborhood Board write a strong resolution supporting the reopening of Hawaii Raceway Park because discussion for years has not brought the construction of a track.  They want racing off the street and in the controlled environment of a race track.

2. The Hawaii Raceway Park closed because the land was owned by a private developer who sold it to Irongate Real Estate for $13.5 million from Campbell Estates.  The new owner wants to subdivide the land into one acre lots for commercial use and rezone it from agriculture to an Industrial-2 designation with construction starting in a couple years.

3. Evelyn Souza, spokesperson from Save Oahu’s Race Track (S.O.R.T.), reported they want the City to reacquire the land because the infrastructure is in place, it’s the least expensive option and they think it is feasible.  They have enough volunteer help to resurrect the track in two months or less.

4. Mark Wilcox, Chairman of Oahu Motor Advisory Council, supports this resolution.  He reported that House Bill 567 is now before the Legislature which asks a feasibility study be done for a race track in general considering construction costs, maintenance and proposed support by the State or private industry.

5. The City Corporation Counsel told S.O.R.T. if the City acquired the Hawaii Raceway Park for cash, the price would be the assessed value of the land which is $5.8 million. 

6. Chair Lockwood added two amendments to the resolution: 

a)       Insert a fourth paragraph saying:  BE IT RESOLVED, that the McCully/Mo’ili’ili Neighborhood Board #8 is in support of a race track.”

b)       Add the word “further” to the beginning of the fifth paragraph so it reads “BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED.”

Tabor moved and Larson seconded the motion to amend the Racetrack resolution adding a fourth paragraph and inserting the word “further” in paragraph 5 as follows:  “Be it resolved that the McCully/Moiliili Neighborhood Board #8 is in support of a racetrack on O’ahu.  Be it further resolved…”  The motion passed unanimously by a vote of 9-0-0.

Chair Lockwood composed another amendment to the resolution as a result of discussion:  “Be it further resolved that Hawaii Raceway Park be the first consideration as it has been in use for the past 42 years and volunteers are available to re-open it within a two month period.”  Tabor moved and Gollner seconded the motion to accept this amendment; it was accepted by vote of 9-0-0.

Furuto moved to add “immediately” at the end of paragraph four seconded by Tabor and the amendment was adopted by a vote of 9-0-0.

Dela Cruz moved to add “OMAC” at the end of last paragraph of the resolution seconded by Tabor.  The vote to accept the paragraph as amended was unanimous at 9-0-0.

Furuto moved to add “December, 2007” to the end of paragraph seven, seconded by Gollner.  The vote to accept the paragraph as amended was a unanimous vote at 9-0-0.

Larson called for the main motion including the amendments that have been added.  Chair Lockwood read the entire amended resolution (see Attachment A).  The vote to accept the entire resolution as amended was unanimous, 9-0-0.

Honolulu Transit -  Pat Lee distributed his January-February newsletter.  He reported Bill 79, designating a fixed guideway as the mode of mass transit for Honolulu and calling for alignment from Kapolei to Manoa, was approved by the City Council December 22, 2006 and signed into law by Mayor Hannemann on January 6, 2007 as Bill 07001.  The next step is for the Department of Transportation Services to recommend a Minimal Operable Segment (MOS) for approval. 

Questions, answers and concerns:

1.   Bill 79 selected the fixed guideway option from four options including mobility, transportation systems management, and managed lanes whose alternatives include buses and toll roads. Options for the type of technology haven’t been chosen yet, options for the minimum operable segment recommendations have been presented by the administration for the Council so they will have to discuss this and decide based on what the Federal Transit Administration would accept, the costs, ridership benefits and financial constraints.  The Mayor has identified this area coming from Kapolei through UH West Oahu up Farrington Highway, Kam Highway to the airport Dillingham Boulevard, Downtown Honolulu, Kakaako and up to the Ala Moana Shopping Center as the first phase, however, Council members may want to start someplace else.

2.   A fixed guideway means there is going to be a track or guideway and a vehicle that operates on it whether the vehicle is rubber tired or steel wheel on steel track such as a monorail, light rail or rapid rail.  This hasn’t been decided yet because a big drawback is cost and if you have different vendors competing for a project, then you’re more likely to get more competitive pricing.  Larson clarified the Board’s resolution supports a fixed auto guideway

3.   Governor Lingle has generated interest with her announcement for a plan for the state’s toll road for cars beginning in Waipahu at the zipper lane and building a new elevated viaduct.

Mayor Hannemann believes an elevated toll road could complement but not be a substitute for his fixed guideway rail project.

4. Chair Lockwood reminded Gollner that the resolution before us this evening is the one he wrote called Transportation Resolution Urban Corridor and that is what we should be discussing which was in the Board member’s packet and available in the back of the room tonight. 

Chair Lockwood made changes to the Transportation Resolution on Urban Corridor, based on tonight’s news and articles in the paper this week.  The second paragraph was changed to “Whereas the high-capacity transit will run from Ala Moana Shopping Center to UH-Moana with no stops, as our nationally recognized Bus System already covers this segment of traffic,” and the rest of it stays the same.  According to the newspaper, running from Kapolei down to Ala Moana Center the system can stand on its own and be financially successful; according to the drawings there will be no stops.

Larson moved and Gollner seconded to adopt the resolution.  Discussion followed.

1.   Inamine questioned “with no stops”.  Chair Lockwood explained there are no stops for a rider between Ala Moana Center and UH-Manoa.  Inamine questioned paragraph six with on and off ramps; how would the transit system work?  Chair Lockwood explained if the transit system goes along the H-1 corridor, all the

things Oahu Metropolitan Planning Organization (OMPO) says they are going to do for the next 25 years can all be done at one time to maximize federal dollars which would include the problems we have with the Alexander Street on ramp and the Bingham Street off ramp.

2.   Cheever wants to know how it goes from Ala Moana to the freeway.  Chair Lockwood doesn’t care as long as it’s not in our neighborhood.  Urban Planning at UH has some studies they have done on some of these issues; the primary planning for OMPO is on the western side of Oahu for the next 25 years. 

3.   Lee reported it is a 28 mile high capacity mass transit route.  If you add the Waikiki spur it will be 30 miles long with 34 – 37 stops along the route depending which are chosen. 

4.   Lee explained the Minimum Operable Segment or MOS is a little segment of the entire route that you think you can afford, in this case the Mayor feels with the general excise tax and federal funding we can afford a a 20 mile segment.

Chair Lockwood withdrew his resolution.  Larson and Gollner withdrew their motion and second to adopt the resolution.

Affordable Housing & Homeless Services Funding Resolution - Larson read her Affordable Housing & Homeless Services Funding Resolution (See Attachment B).  This is a compilation of bills in the legislature so we are supporting the efforts that are in progress.  The resolution actually comes out of Partners in Care and Affordable Housing Alliance.  We are building on the efforts of those in our community which would help our neighborhood make a stand for affordable housing. 

Larson moved and Kyi-Yim seconded the motion to adopt the Affordable Housing & Homeless Services Funding Resolution which provides funding for affordable housing and homeless services.

1.   Larson responded to Furuto’s opinion that the bill would be a subsidy to people who can’t afford high rents reporting this bill focuses on new rentals built by non-profits.  This money goes into the

construction phase so it’s a $2 million subsidy up front as opposed to Section 8 housing which is a $20 million yearly subsidy of a grant to thousands of people who can’t pay it.  It creates the building itself, with a limit on rent, so the amount isn’t going to increase because the market is going up.  There is definitely a need to work on raising income but that’s a long term problem; we have a crisis in housing and we have to do something about.  This resolution decreases homelessness, gives young families and others the opportunity to get into decent housing which could help them save money and move on to home ownership.  The ultimate issue is we must have places for people to live and creating housing, as difficult as it is, is an easier solution than trying to raise the level of income for everyone in our state which is a very long term project.   

2.   Tabor reported the agency she works for has a project going on in the Waianae area.  One of the pathetic problems that we deal with in Hawaii is the homeless people don’t have the opportunities they need; families on the beach seeking employment have no address, no phone – getting housing is a first step but there has to be a give and take in that.  I would like a limit to how long people can stay in the project; they have to be seeking a goal of moving on so someone else can move into the project.

3.   Larson responded to Tabor that the issue is addressed in Support of Services for Homeless – all the transitional shelters have those limits where they have to work on a plan.  The biggest problem with the shelters is there is no place to move them onto so the affordable rental gives them a place to learn skills to become stable and get a job.  Many homeless are working but they can’t afford $1,000.00 or $1,500.00 rent but they could afford $700.00.

4.   Tabor is concerned if we are subsidizing the construction of buildings we are renting at $550.00 per month, those people aren’t going to want to move unless they have an incentive, so putting a time limit on that is a critically important; you must have goals and objectives for these people to work on and they need to succeed in the goals and objectives or the subsidy should stop. 

5.   Yki-Yim questioned what incentive is there to go beyond when you have Section 8 status?  People keep getting supported by the system for decades, even generations, so she suggested a time limit be incorporated into the language of the resolution.

6.   Gollner reported legislators are now proposing more stringent time limits for housing.

7.   Larson responded to Furuto concerning the increase in the conveyance tax to 65%; the conveyance tax currently gives 50% to the rental and trust fund with 15% going to the general fund so it’s not taking it away from any other program.            

Gollner called for the question.  The vote was 8-1-0 with Furuto opposed.

Larson moved to delete the last part of her resolution “Increase Flexibility of Rent Supplement Program” seconded by Gollner.

Yki-Yim called for the question.  With a show of hands the resolution passed as amended with a vote of 9-0-0.

The meeting was adjourned at 9:50 p.m.

Submitted by

Bonnie Trustin

Neighborhood Board Staff Assistant

“ATTACHMENT A”

RACETRACK RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, the closure of the Hawaii Raceway Park may have indirectly been responsible for street racing in McCully – Moiliili on University Avenue, Kapiolani Boulevard, South King Street and Date

Street; and

WHEREAS, the incidents of highway and road racing continue to be a concern to the Honolulu Police Department and the general public across O’ahu; and

WHEREAS, O’ahu is now the only island without any type of race track; now therefore

BE IT RESOLVED, that the McCully – Moiliili Neighborhood Board #8 is in support of a race track on O’ahu immediately; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the City Council direct the Department of Development Services,

or whatever Department the Council deems proper to hold a series of six (6) or more public meetings

in the Ewa Plain be held on a race track for the island of O’ahu; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the agenda of these public meetings entertain all aspects of racing, including needed infrastructure and cost estimates; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this Report to the Council will contain recommendations on the feasibility of a race track on O’ahu, be it public, private or a public/private partnership and that this report will be forwarded to the appropriate City Council committees for further public hearings by December, 2007; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Hawaii Raceway Park be the first consideration as it has been in use for 42 years and volunteers are available to re-open it within a two month period; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that copies of this Resolution go to the Mayor, all Council members, all Neighborhood Boards, S.O.R.T. and OMCA.

Adopted February 1, 2007

Chair Ron Lockwood

“Attachment B”

Affordable Housing & Homeless Services – Funding Resolution

WHEREAS, the housing crisis is affecting many individuals and families across the state including those with disabilities, seniors and the working poor.  An estimated 21,890 units (15,590 on Oahu alone) are projected to be needed for households with less than eighty percent of median income; and

WHEREAS, neighborhoods across Oahu are experiencing an increase in the number of homeless individuals living in our streets and parks, and over 6,000 persons are homeless in Hawaii on any given day; and

WHEREAS, dedicated funding for affordable housing provides much-needed predictability for builders, landowners, the county, the state, federal partners and non-profit organizations that help facilitate the development of affordable housing; and

BE IT RESOLVED, by the McCully-Moiliili Neighborhood Board #8, that we support and endorse the following efforts to create affordable rental housing and to ameliorate the homeless problem in our State:

To Ensure Adequate Affordable Housing

·         Increase the Rental Housing Trust Fund by increasing the percentage dedicated to this fund from the Conveyance Tax to 65% permanently.

·         Provide a one-time allocation to the Rental Housing Trust Fund of at least $60 million.

To Ensure the Repair of Infrastructure of current housing resources in order to offer rents at 30% of tenants’ incomes.

·         Repair and renovation of state public housing (minimum of $10 million).

To Ensure Funding for Services to the Homeless

·         Provide continual operational funds for outreach and supportive services to individuals and families who are homeless (a minimum of $15 million).

·         Provide continual operational funds for emergency and transitional shelters to maintain/enhance their services (minimum of $15 million) for support services for the homeless population located at homeless shelters.

·         Provide continual operational funds to provide matching for Housing Stipend Program Supports (minimum of $1 million per year)

ALSO BE IT RESOLVED, that copies of this resolution be forwarded to all Neighborhood Boards, all members of the State Legislature, the Governor of the State of Hawaii, all City Council members, the Mayor of the City and County of Honolulu, and all Neighborhood Boards.

Adopted February 1, 2007

Chair Ron Lockwood