NEIGHBORHOOD COMMISSION

REGULAR MEETING AGENDA
MONDAY, AUGUST 25, 2025 at 6:00 P.M.
Kapālama Hale – Room 153
925 Dillingham Boulevard, Honolulu, HI 96817
AND VIA WEBEX

This meeting location is open to public participation.
Other available options include participating by computer, phone or by video system.
WebEx and phone-in instructions are as follows:

Meeting Link: https://cchnl.webex.com/cchnl/j.php?MTID=m4ed0ce4c5871978ea94a35efd24063d1
Meeting Number / Access Code: 2482 418 5050
Password: NC00 (6200 from phones and video systems)
Join by Phone: +1-408-418-9388 United States Toll

Recordings of Commission meetings can be found at: https://www.youtube.com/@NeighborhoodCommissionOffice

Google Drive: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1LS8mfBOkIKp5hqr6Fwr5Kn1HCYCURUu0

Rules of Speaking: Anyone wishing to speak is asked to raise his or her hand, and when recognized by the Chair, to address comments to the Chair. Speakers are to keep their comments under two (2) minutes. Public testimony taken on each agenda item. Please silence all electronic devices.

Note: The Commission may take action on any agenda item. As required by the State Sunshine Law (Hawaiʻi Revised Statutes Chapter 92), specific issues not noted on this agenda cannot be voted on, unless properly added to the agenda.

I. CALL TO ORDER BY PRESIDING OFFICER
A. Roll Call of Commissioners, Establishment of Quorum
B. Welcoming of New Commissioners
i. Christian de Quevedo, Angie Knight, and Harris Nakamoto

II. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
A. Monday, July 28, 2025 Regular Meeting Written Summary for Video Record

III. PUBLIC CONCERNS – Limited to 2 minutes for items not on the agenda

IV. CHAIR’S REPORT
A. Reappointment of Cross Crabbe to the Neighborhood Plan Committee
B. Appointment of Commissioner Christian de Quevedo as Chair of the Elections Committee
C. Review of Committees and composition
D. Review of agenda item from the August 2025 meeting of Waikīkī Board No. 9

V. EXECUTIVE SECRETARY’S REPORT
A. Update on recent meeting with Chairs and Vice Chairs of all Neighborhood Boards to discuss integration of an AI program to improve draft meeting minutes

VI. COMMITTEE REPORTS
A. Elections Committee – No Chair. Members: Bill Clark and Patrick Smith (Ex-Officio).
B. Survey Committee – No Chair. Members: Mahealani Bernal, Larry Veray and Patrick Smith (Ex-Officio).
C. Neighborhood Plan Committee – Chair Patrick Smith. Members: Mahealani Bernal, Larry Veray, Kathleen Elliott-Pahinui, and Lloyd Yonenaka.

VII. NEW BUSINESS
A. Discussion and action on the proposed modifications to the Complaints Provision (Chapter 18) of the Neighborhood Plan from the Neighborhood Plan Committee

VIII. ANNOUNCEMENTS
A. Next Meeting: The next regular meeting is scheduled for Monday, September 22, 2025 at 6:00 p.m. at Kapālama Hale and virtually via WebEx.

IX. ADJOURNMENT OF SUNSHINE LAW MEETING

X. ADJUDICATORY MATTERS – The Commission will exercise its adjudicatory functions in accordance with HRS § 92-6.
A. 2025-10 Misakian v. Finley

DRAFT ANNUAL CONVENING MEETING WRITTEN SUMMARY FOR VIDEO RECORD
MONDAY, JULY 28, 2025 – 6:00 P.M.
KAPĀLAMA HALE CONFERENCE ROOM 153 – 925 DILLINGHAM BOULEVARD, HONOLULU, HI 96817
AND VIA WEBEX TELECONFERENCING

Video recording of this meeting can be found at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmRyFVG3OoI

Meeting materials (Google Drive) can be found at:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1LS8mfBOkIKp5hqr6Fwr5Kn1HCYCURUu0

I. CALL TO ORDER – [0:00:06]: Chair Pro Tem Oshiro called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m.

Quorum was established with 7 members present. Note – This 9-member commission requires 5 members present to establish quorum and to take official commission action.

Members Present: Mahealani Bernal, Bill Clark, James Logue, Steven Melendrez, Richard Oshiro, Patrick Smith, Larry Veray, and Claire Tamamoto (6:46 p.m.).

Members Absent: None.

Guests: Angie Knight, Michelle Matson, Winston Welch (Diamond Head-Kapahulu-St. Louis Heights NB05); Bob Finley, Greg Misakian (Waikiki NB09); Kevin Lye (Downtown-Chinatown NB13); Tom Heinrich, Daisy Murai, Claire Santos (Residents); Executive Secretary Lloyd Yonenaka, Dylan Whitsell, Travis Saito and Dylan Buck (Neighborhood Commission Office – NCO). There were 19 total attendees. Name not included if not legible on sign-in sheet, not signed in and/or not participated in discussion.

II. PUBLIC CONCERNS – [0:01:23]
Annual Convening & Neighborhood Plan Suggestions – [0:01:39]: Heinrich noted the agenda incorrectly labels this as an “initial convening meeting” when it should be an “annual convening” since the Neighborhood Commission is constant and rolls over. He expressed appreciation to the Neighborhood Plan Committee and Chair Patrick Smith for their work, noting he had prepared a comparison chart with suggestions for clarity and improvement. Heinrich also suggested the Commission consider reviewing district boundaries and neighborhood board organization outside of election cycle deadlines, mentioning at least four boards interested in boundary changes.
Various Concerns – [0:04:42]: Lye raised several concerns: 1) The amended written record of the April 2025 Commission meeting approved on May 19, 2025 is not yet posted online; 2) No approved written summaries for Neighborhood Board 35 are available online for the current calendar year; 3) Inconsistencies in how different neighborhood boards handle document posting; 4) A hyperlink issue where the July 2024 Commission written summary links to a different document; 5) Questions about the cost of materials for the June initiation meeting; and 6) Lack of response to written requests for information submitted to the Commission.
Court Case & Testimony – [0:07:51]: Misakian echoed Lye’s concerns and stated there was no election integrity with the neighborhood board system this year. He mentioned filing a Hawaii Supreme Court case regarding the election issues. Misakian also noted he submitted testimony for tonight’s meeting within the 48-hour requirement but did not see it posted and requested it be made available.
III. INITIAL CONVENING BUSINESS – [0:10:55]
Election of Officers to serve from July 1, 2025 until June 30, 2026 – [0:10:55]: Chair Pro Tem Oshiro informed the Commission that three commissioners will be replaced as the Council has appointed new members: himself (having served his 10-year term), Commissioner Melendrez, and Commissioner Tamamoto. The remaining commissioners will continue to serve with the new commissioners who may join as soon as the next meeting. Chair Pro Tem Oshiro called for nominations for the position of Chair.
Chair: [0:12:43] – Veray nominated Patrick Smith for Chair. Hearing no other nominations, a roll call vote was conducted. Patrick Smith was elected Chair; 7-0 (Smith: Bernal, Clark, Logue, Melendrez, Oshiro, Smith, Veray; Abstain: None) – [0:13:00]
Vice Chair: [0:13:59] – Oshiro nominated Larry Veray for Vice Chair. Hearing no other nominations, a roll call vote was conducted. Larry Veray was elected Vice Chair; 7-0 (Veray: Bernal, Clark, Logue, Melendrez, Oshiro, Smith, Veray; Abstain: None) – [0:14:33]
Secretary: [0:15:03] – Chair Smith nominated Mahealani Bernal for Secretary. Hearing no other nominations, a roll call vote was conducted. Mahealani Bernal was elected Secretary; 7-0 (Bernal: Bernal, Clark, Logue, Melendrez, Oshiro, Smith, Veray; Abstain: None) – [0:15:19]
Treasurer: [0:15:59] – Chair Smith nominated Bill Clark for Treasurer. Hearing no other nominations, a roll call vote was conducted. Bill Clark was elected Treasurer; 7-0 (Clark: Bernal, Clark, Logue, Melendrez, Oshiro, Smith, Veray; Abstain: None) – [0:16:15]
Determination of Meeting Date, Time, Location, and Format – [0:16:42]: Chair Smith asked if members were satisfied with continuing to meet on the fourth Monday of each month at 6:00 p.m. at the current location with a hybrid format. Hearing no objections, the meeting schedule was approved; 7-0-0 (Aye: Bernal, Clark, Logue, Melendrez, Oshiro, Smith, Veray; Nay: None; Abstain: None) – [0:16:51]
Determination of Recess Schedule – [0:17:25]: Chair Smith noted that in the past, the Commission has recessed in December and June. Hearing no objections, the recess schedule of December and June was approved; 7-0-0 (Aye: Bernal, Clark, Logue, Melendrez, Oshiro, Smith, Veray; Nay: None; Abstain: None) – [0:17:46]
Adoption of Oral Testimony Rules – [0:17:53]: Chair Smith noted the current rule is a two-minute limit for public testimony. [0:18:20] – Melendrez MOVED and Veray SECONDED to change the time limit to three minutes. Following discussion, a roll call vote was conducted. The motion was NOT ADOPTED; 2-5-0 (Aye: Melendrez, Veray; Nay: Bernal, Clark, Logue, Oshiro, Smith; Abstain: None) – [0:19:50]
IV. APPROVAL OF MINUTES – [0:20:37]
Monday, May 19, 2025 Regular Meeting Written Summary for Video Record – [0:20:37]: Chair Smith asked if anyone wished to offer amendments to the distributed minutes. Hearing none, the minutes were approved as written; 7-0-0 (Aye: Bernal, Clark, Logue, Melendrez, Oshiro, Smith, Veray; Nay: None; Abstain: None) – [0:20:59]
V. NEW BUSINESS – [0:21:07]
Diamond Head Neighborhood Board No.05: Request the Neighborhood Commission to Change the Representation of the Members on Neighborhood Board No. 5 From Subdistricts to the District At-Large – [0:21:09]: Buck (NCO) noted there was some confusion at the Diamond Head Neighborhood Board meeting, but a motion was adopted as presented on the agenda. Chair Winston Welsh of the Diamond Head Neighborhood Board was present but unable to speak due to technical difficulties.
[0:22:53] – Veray MOVED and Melendrez SECONDED to approve the request as submitted. Hearing no objections, the motion was ADOPTED; 7-0-0 (Aye: Bernal, Clark, Logue, Melendrez, Oshiro, Smith, Veray; Nay: None; Abstain: None) – [0:22:58]
Makiki Neighborhood Board No.10: Request the Neighborhood Commission to Change the Representation of the Members on Neighborhood Board No. 10 From Subdistricts to the District At-Large – [0:23:37]: Chair Smith explained that the Makiki Neighborhood Board No. 10 is requesting to change all 17 board seats from subdistricts to at-large for this term and future terms. He noted they have had trouble filling specific subdistrict seats.
[0:24:30] – Melendrez MOVED and Veray SECONDED to approve the request as submitted. Hearing no objections, the motion was ADOPTED; 7-0-0 (Aye: Bernal, Clark, Logue, Melendrez, Oshiro, Smith, Veray; Nay: None; Abstain: None) – [0:24:40]

ʻAiea Neighborhood Board No.20: Request the Neighborhood Commission to Change the Representation of the Members on ʻAiea Neighborhood Board No. 20 From Subdistricts to the District At-Large – [0:25:02]: Chair Smith explained that the ʻAiea Neighborhood Board No. 20 is proposing to change one vacant subdistrict seat to an at-large seat for just this term, noting they have a candidate who might be interested.
[0:25:19] – Veray MOVED and Clark SECONDED to approve the request as submitted. Hearing no objections, the motion was ADOPTED; 7-0-0 (Aye: Bernal, Clark, Logue, Melendrez, Oshiro, Smith, Veray; Nay: None; Abstain: None) – [0:25:27]
Pearl City Neighborhood Board No.21: Discussion of incorporating Pearl City High School students on a proposed committee on youth issues for Pearl City – [0:25:40]: Commissioner Veray reported that Pearl City Neighborhood Board is excited about bringing new young people onto the board through the recent election. They are recruiting two Pearl City High School students to serve on a newly established committee for youth issues in Pearl City. He hopes this will be a model for other boards. A board member has already drafted a resolution that will be presented at the next board meeting.
Questions, comments, and concerns followed:
1. Similar Proposal – [0:27:23]: Lye commented that the proposal reminds him of a resolution that Neighborhood Board 13 adopted in 2021 allowing participation of 16 to 17-year-olds on neighborhood boards.
2. Board Composition Amendments – [0:27:48]: Chair Smith clarified that regarding the changes in subdistricts versus at-large representation, the Commission did not specifically request these changes but merely informed boards that it was an option.

VI. EXECUTIVE SECRETARY’S REPORT – [0:28:26]
Regular Meetings with Chairs and Vice Chairs – [0:28:32]: Executive Secretary (ES) Yonenaka plans to hold monthly meetings with neighborhood board chairs and vice chairs, with the first meeting scheduled in about a week. These meetings are intended to facilitate communication rather than make major decisions.
Update on NCO integrating an AI Program to improve draft meeting minutes – [0:29:36]: ES Yonenaka announced that the NCO is implementing an AI program called Ninja AI to assist with drafting meeting minutes. The program uses video recordings, transcripts, and formatting guidelines to produce draft minutes that staff then review and edit. He noted that the May 2025 Commission minutes were produced using this system, though staff still had to clean up and format the output. The goal is to improve the quality and detail of minutes while still complying with Sunshine Law requirements.
Questions, comments, and concerns followed:
1. Concerns – [0:39:04]: Melendrez expressed concern about the AI’s ability to understand context and grasp what’s occurring in meetings. Buck explained that the YouTube video serves as the primary record, with the written document as secondary. Buck noted that staff still review the AI-generated minutes while watching the video to catch and correct any errors.
2. Concerns (Continued) – [0:40:40]: Misakian, identifying himself as a technology professional, expressed caution about AI-generated meeting summaries, referencing an ICMA article titled “Why Local Governments Should Be Cautious with AI-Generated Meeting Summaries.” He offered to share the article.
3. Searchable Archive – [0:42:40]: Lye suggested that once the AI process is stabilized, it could potentially be used to create a searchable archive of past meetings. He also suggested involving community members in refining the AI template.
4. Compliance with Neighborhood Plan and Sunshine Law – [0:41:43]: Finley asked if using AI complies with Section 2-14-113 of the Neighborhood Plan regarding meeting minutes. Buck confirmed that the process still complies with Sunshine Law requirements for video records with written summaries, explaining that the AI is being used to enhance the content of minutes while maintaining the required format.
5. Positive Direction – [0:43:46]: Heinrich commended Lloyd and the Neighborhood Commission Office staff for initiating regular meetings with chairs and vice chairs, noting this improves communication between the Commission and the boards.
Tamamoto joined at 6:46 p.m.; 8 commissioners present.

VII. COMMITTEE REPORTS – [0:46:17]
Elections Committee – [0:46:17]: Committee Chair Tamamoto reported that the elections went well, new members were inducted, and no complaints were generated from contested races.
Questions, comments, and concerns followed:
1. Complaints – [0:46:54]: Misakian strongly disagreed with Tamamoto’s assessment, stating there were numerous election concerns raised during Commission meetings. He noted there was never an Elections Committee meeting held despite these concerns, and referenced his complaint filed with the Hawaii Supreme Court on June 16. He also mentioned a case where someone’s registration disappeared and they were not included on the ballot. Chair Smith stated that as there is an active complaint filed, it would not be prudent for the Commission to discuss the matter until the complaint process is resolved.
2. Registration Process – [0:50:58]: Lye echoed Misakian’s concerns and asked if the Commission office would be willing to demonstrate the election candidate registration process to show how names and information were captured by the system.
Survey Committee – [0:52:50]: Committee Chair Melendrez reported that at the last Survey Committee meeting, he recommended to Commissioner Smith that items previously provided be incorporated into the Neighborhood Plan after completing work on the complaints provision.
Questions, comments, and concerns followed:
1. Concerns – [0:53:38]: Misakian expressed concern that the survey that should have provided feedback on how the Neighborhood Commission Office, staff, and commissioners are performing was never completed. He characterized the survey that was done as vague, simple, and generic.
2. Transparency – [0:55:15]: Melendrez offered to release the information provided to the Planning Committee to improve transparency.
3. Survey Results – [0:56:33]: Veray commented that in his review of the survey questions and input from board members and chairs, there were legitimate concerns that were documented and need to be shared.
Neighborhood Plan Committee – [0:57:32]: Chair Smith presented proposed modifications to the Complaints Provision (Chapter 18) of the Neighborhood Plan. He explained that the committee’s goals were to make the complaints process more responsive, efficient, and flexible by offering different options for handling complaints. He walked through the current process and the proposed changes using flowcharts, highlighting six options for handling complaints: fix defects, party conference, remediation, dismiss, forward directly to the Commission, or forward to the Commission if the Executive Secretary and Commission Chair cannot agree.
• Proposal: https://docs.google.com/document/d/17bDJ6yq-T8CvarFOTUjThm26p35Pn8S6/edit?usp=drive_link&ouid=112972764551395013814&rtpof=true&sd=true
Questions, comments, and concerns followed:
1. Mediation – [1:12:25]: Melendrez asked about using an external third party for mediation, which had been discussed in committee meetings. Chair Smith explained that the committee decided to remove that option due to disagreements about implementation details, though parties could still choose to use mediation services outside the formal process. Veray suggested that commissioners could serve as mediators since they care about board effectiveness and cohesion.
2. Gratitude – [1:16:33]: Chair Smith acknowledged Heinrich’s contribution in creating the initial table for the complaints process.
3. Request to Review – [1:22:57]: Lye encouraged commissioners and the public to read the actual documents rather than just the flowcharts. He asked for clarification on next steps and expressed concern about accountability for following the amended Neighborhood Plan.
4. Next Steps – [1:25:02]: Chair Smith explained that after Commission approval, the document would go to Corporation Counsel for review before public meetings, a process that would likely take more than a month or two.
5. Various Concerns – [1:18:11]: Matson expressed concern about the meeting process, stating she had been locked out and unable to access until that moment. She voiced support for Commissioner Melendrez continuing on the Commission and questioned the City Council resolution regarding new commissioners. She emphasized the importance of institutional knowledge and community involvement.

VIII. ANNOUNCEMENTS – [1:27:01]
Next Meeting – [1:27:01]: Chair Smith announced that the next meeting is scheduled for Monday, August 25, 2025. He extended thanks and appreciation to the departing commissioners: Richard Oshiro, Claire Tamamoto, and Steven Melendrez.
IX. ADJOURNMENT OF SUNSHINE LAW MEETING – [1:28:28]: The meeting was adjourned at 8:28 p.m., with adjudicatory matters to follow.
Submitted by: Dylan Buck, Community Relations Specialist, NCO
Reviewed by: Dylan Whitsell, Deputy, NCO
Finalized by:

To view agenda and minutes, visit our board website.

Event shows physical location; however, other options of participation may also include WebEx and phone.  If available, instructions for WebEx and phone can be found at the top of the agenda.