WAI‘ALAE – KĀHALA NEIGHBORHOOD BOARD NO. 3
REGULAR MEETING AGENDA
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2026 at 7:00 P.M.
ALA WAI GOLF COURSE CLUBHOUSE
404 KAPAHULU AVENUE, 2ND FLOOR, HONOLULU, HI 96815
AND VIA WEBEX
WEBEX MEETING LINK: https://cchnl.webex.com/cchnl/j.php?MTID=mc049cf0e1473becb940d17d31be23eaa
MEETING NUMBER/ ACCESS CODE: 2490 004 9370
PASSWORD: NB03 (6203 from phones and video systems)
JOIN BY PHONE: +1-408-418-9388
Other available options include participating by WebEx and phone; instructions listed above.
Meeting Materials: Find a monthly archive of handouts and referenced materials concerning to the Waiʻalae-Kāhala Neighborhood Board No. 3 at https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/17LXJxz95TzKD5-I_NellIitTwSrY6MBr
Recordings of Board Meetings can be found at: https://www.youtube.com/@NeighborhoodCommissionOffice
Rules of Speaking: Anyone wishing to speak is asked to raise their hand, and when recognized by the Chair, to address comments to the Chair. Speakers are encouraged to keep their comments under three (3) minutes, and those giving reports are urged to keep their reports under three (3) minutes. Please silence all electronic devices.
Note: The Board may take action on any agenda item. As required by the State Sunshine Law (HRS 92), specific issues not noted on this agenda cannot be voted on, unless added to the agenda. A two-thirds (2/3) vote six (6) of this nine (9)-member Board is needed to add an item to the agenda. Items may not be added if they are of major importance and will affect a significant number of people.
I. CALL TO ORDER: Chair Christian de Quevedo
II. CITY / STATE MONTHLY REPORTS (three minutes each)
a. Honolulu Fire Department
b. Honolulu Police Department
c. Board of Water Supply
d. Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation (HDOT)
III. REPORTS OF MEMBERS’ ATTENDANCE AT OTHER MEETINGS
IV. ELECTED OFFICIALS’ REPORTS (three minutes each)
a. Governor’s Representative
b. Mayor’s Representative
i. Unpermitted Fence, 949 Keʻalaʻolu Place: Department of Planning and Permitting (DPP) Enforcement and Zoning Board of Appeals Status; Discussion and Possible Action on Chair Correspondence to DPP Requesting Neighbor Notification of the Appeal Hearing
c. Councilmember Tommy Waters
d. Representative Mark Hashem
e. Representative Tina Grandinetti
f. Senator Stanley Chang
g. Congressman Ed Case’s Office
V. RESIDENTS’ COMMUNITY CONCERNS (three minutes each)
VI. BOARD BUSINESS / UNFINISHED BUSINESS / PRESENTATIONS
A. Board Business
a. Approval of Thursday, September 17, 2026 Regular Meeting Minutes
b. Board Correspondence Submission Process: Discussion and Possible Adoption
c. Kīlauea Avenue Vehicle Occupation: Discussion and Possible Referral to HPD and Department of Facility Management (DFM)
B. New Business / Presentations
a. Kapiʻolani Community College Hawaiʻi Food & Wine Festival event on Saturday, November 7, 2026 – Lisa Yamamoto
b. Resolution to Establish a Permitted Interaction Group, Planning Review (Primary Urban Center Development Plan and East Honolulu Sustainable Communities Plan): Discussion and Possible Action
c. Resolution to Establish a Permitted Interaction Group, Department of Education (DOE) Property, 475 22nd Avenue (approximately 6.5 acres): Presentation by Barrett Francis, Discussion and Possible Action
d. Wilson Community Park Hours, Resident Request: Discussion and Possible Action
e. Department of Parks and Recreation, Dog Friendly Parks Phase 2: Introduction
f. Launch of the University of Hawaiʻi Education Law Clinic Pilot, Presentation by Dora Dome
VII. ANNOUNCEMENTS
a. Sunshine Law Training: certificates due to NCO within 60 days of NCO’s request 2027
b. Neighborhood Board Elections begin Friday, December 18, 2026
c. Next Regular Meeting: Thursday, November 19, 2026, 7:00 p.m., Ala Wai Golf Course Clubhouse and via WebEx
VIII. ADJOURNMENT
Waiʻalae Kāhala Neighborhood Board
A mailing list is maintained for interested persons and agencies to receive this board’s agenda and minutes. Additions, corrections, and deletions to the mailing list may be directed to the Neighborhood Commission Office (NCO) at Kapālama Hale, 925 Dillingham Boulevard, Suite 160 Honolulu, Hawaiʻi 96817; Telephone (808) 768-3710 Fax (808) 768-3711; or call (808) 768-3710 or e-mail. Agendas and minutes are also available on the internet at www.honolulu.gov/nco.
All written testimony must be received in the Neighborhood Commission Office 48 hours prior to the meeting. If within 48 hours, written and/or oral testimony may be submitted directly to the board at the meeting. If submitting written testimony, please note the board and agenda item(s) your testimony concerns. Send to: Neighborhood Commission Office, 925 Dillingham Boulevard, Suite 160, Honolulu, HI 96817, fax (808) 768-3711, or complete the form on https://www.honolulu.gov/nco/board-testimony/.
If you need an auxiliary aid/service or other accommodation due to a disability or an interpreter for a language other than English, please call the Neighborhood Commission Office at (808) 768-3710 between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. or send an email to nco@honolulu.gov as soon as possible, preferably at least three (3) business days before the scheduled meeting. If a request is received with fewer than three (3) business days remaining before the meeting, we will try to obtain the auxiliary aid/service or accommodation, but it may not be possible to fulfill requests received after this date.
DRAFT REGULAR MEETING WRITTEN SUMMARY FOR VIDEO RECORD
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2026 at 7:00 P.M.
ALA WAI GOLF COURSE CLUBHOUSE 404 KAPAHULU AVENUE, 2ND FLOOR, HONOLULU, HI 96815
AND VIA WEBEX TELECONFERENCING
Video recording of this meeting can be found at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0wzQBC7GAQ
Reports & other meeting materials can be found at: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/17LXJxz95TzKD5-I_NellIitTwSrY6MBr?usp=drive_link
I. CALL TO ORDER – [0:00:02]: Vice Chair Brian Wong called the Waiʻalae-Kāhala Neighborhood Board No. 3 meeting to order at 7:06 p.m. Quorum WAS established with 6 members present. Note – This (9)-member Board requires (5) members to establish a quorum and to take official Board action. Board members must be in-person or have video access.
Members Present: Jason Liang, John White, Richard Turbin, Brian Wong, Aloha McGuffie, Lee Castonguay, and Colin Fujiki (Arrived 7:21 p.m.),
Members Absent: Christian De Quevedo and Peter Dudgeon.
Guests: Firefighter (Honolulu Fire Department); Lieutenant Taro Nakamura (Honolulu Police Department); Lorna Heller (Board of Water Supply); Deputy Director Hong Li (Mayor Blangiardi); Tasha Luke (Councilmember Tommy Waters); Representative Mark Hashem; Dalan Kam; Barrett Francis; Amber Unabia (Green Recycling Organic Waste (G.R.O.W)); Jeff Beard (Honolulu Marathon Clinic); Randy Port, James Kealohi, Chris Kinimaka and Keenan Kimimaka, Julie Leano, James Guy Nicolay, Sage Murakami, Leilani Farinas, Ian K., and Ezekiel Nadamoto (Residents); and Anson Wu (Neighborhood Commission Office). Note: Name was not included if not legible. There were approximately 33 total attendees.
II. CITY / STATE MONTHLY REPORTS – [0:00:22]
Honolulu Fire Department (HFD) – [0:00:36]: Firefighter representative provided the August 2026 statistics and September 2026 safety tip and highlighted the following:
• August 2026 Statistics: One structure fire; seven activated alarms without fire; 34 medical emergencies; one ocean rescue; and six hazardous material incidents
• September 2026 Safety Tip: The safety tip advised against charging devices on soft surfaces, charging instead on a hard, flat surface such as a table, desk, or bare floor, unplugging a device once it is fully charged, and stopping use if it feels hot or produces strange odors, smoke, or flames. Questions may be directed to (808) 723-7166.
• Report: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1MN5PX6yCSu95xmt-ejjjSPsiIgB3Fj3o/view?usp=drive_link
Questions, comments, and concerns followed – [0:02:00]:
1. Charging Devices on Soft Surfaces: Member Castonguay asked why soft surfaces are a concern when charging. The firefighter said they can be a fire hazard and that a hard surface is more resistant to heat. Vice Chair Wong clarified that soft surfaces means items such as a pillow or sofa, and the firefighter confirmed.
Honolulu Police Department (HPD) – [0:03:55]: Lieutenant Taro Nakamura provided the August 2026 statistics and Storm Preparedness Safety Tips and highlighted the following:
• August 2026 Statistics: Four motor vehicle thefts; five burglaries; 23 thefts; three unauthorized entries into motor vehicles (UEMVs); and 5,475 total calls for service.
• September 2026 Tips: The safety tip was active-shooter awareness using “Avoid, Deny, Defend”: stay aware of surroundings and know the exits and hard cover; when escape is difficult, create barriers and distance, turn off the lights, stay out of sight, and mute phones; remember the right to defend yourself and commit fully if you must; and call 911 when possible and show your hands and follow commands when officers arrive. Lieutenant Nakamura said the tips come from Texas State University research and that the mainland average for officers to arrive is about three minutes.
Questions, comments, and concerns followed – [0:06:50]:
1. Alakea Street Illegal Parking: Member Turbin said cars have been illegally parked nearly every day for weeks on the east side of Alakea Street before the Vineyard Boulevard on-ramp, where parking is prohibited after 3:30 p.m., forcing traffic to swerve, and asked HPD to patrol from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. and tow violators. Lieutenant Nakamura said the area is in District 1, that he would forward the concern, and that residents should call 911 to report cars in the tow-away zone.
2. Subdistrict 3 and 4 Crime Update and Drone Program: Member White reported one theft, one vehicle break-in, and one indecent exposure month-to-date (17 days) in Subdistricts 3 and 4 and asked about the drone program. Lieutenant Nakamura said Chief Lazar’s drone-as-first-responder program is being tested in Districts 1 and 5, is expected to expand island-wide. Member Castonguay asked if the drones are being used for only to respond to incidents. Lieutenant Nakamura clarified that the drones responds only to reported incidents rather than conducting 24-hour surveillance.
3. License Plate Readers and Flock Cameras: Member Liang asked whether the district has Automatic License Plate Readers (ALPRs). Lieutenant Nakamura said each patrol district, including District 7, has a limited number of patrol-vehicle ALPR that are borrowed from other districts for special events. Member Liang also asked if ALPR are not permanent fixture. Lieutenant Nakamura clarified they are permanent and every patrol division have a license plate readers. Member Liang asked if there’s a difference between ALPRs and Flock Cameras. Lieutenant Nakamura was unable to provide an answer.
Board of Water Supply (BWS) – [0:16:21]: Lorna Heller provided the report and highlighted the following: no main breaks in August 2026; and the “Imagine a Day Without Water” event on Saturday, September 26, 2026, 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., at the Ark of Safety, Waiʻanae Mall (86-120 Farrington Highway), presented with the Office of State Representative Chris Muraoka and more than 25 organizations, featuring interactive exhibits, hands-on activities, games, prize giveaways, and food for purchase.
Questions, comments, and concerns followed – [0:17:50]:
1. Wastewater Main Break: Secretary McGuffie said a main break near 4925 Kāhala Avenue on Friday, Friday, September 11, 2026 released about 37,000 gallons of wastewater, with about 1,500 gallons reaching a canal (which she believed to be the Waiʻalae Nui Stream), and that no testing was done because brown-water signs were posted. She asked whether BWS had retested and how often testing occurs, given daily swimmers along the shoreline. Heller was unsure and said she would follow up. Vice Chair Wong suggested also raising it with the City department that handles wastewater.
Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation (HDOT) – [0:20:42]: No representative was present.
Fujiki arrived to the meeting at 7:21 p.m. 7 members present
III. REPORTS OF MEMBERS’ ATTENDANCE AT OTHER MEETINGS – [0:21:03]:
Vice Chair Wong reported visiting Kāhala Elementary School earlier that week to explore it as a Board meeting location closer to the community and learned there is an application process for use of school facilities, which the Board will discuss further.
IV. ELECTED OFFICIALS’ REPORTS – [0:22:09]:
Governor’s Representative – [0:22:10]: No representative present.
Mayor’s Representative – [0:22:33]: Hong Li, Deputy Director of the Department of Transportation Services (DTS), provided the report and highlighted the following: the September newsletter’s focus on the recent tropical storm’s impact and recovery, including activation of the Emergency Operations Center and Joint Operations Center; a follow-up that DTS found the Alakea Street signals are operating as programmed; a Department of Emergency Management (DEM) response that the City does not provide generators to neighborhoods or individual residents after storms (support focuses on life safety, critical facilities, and essential services), that Hawaiian Electric Company (HECO) controls restoration, and that residents should prepare for at least 14 days without power; and a Department of Planning and Permitting (DPP) update on the unpermitted 30-foot net at 949 Keʻalaʻolu Place: multiple notices of violation since June 2023, about $40,000 in accumulated fines as of Thursday, September 10, 2026, a zoning variance denied in December 2024, and an appeal to the Zoning Board of Appeals with no hearing yet held.
Questions, comments, and concerns followed – [0:27:00]:
1. Multiple Concerns Regarding Streetlights and Backhoe: Member Turbin raised three items with Deputy Director Li. First, he said the Alakea Street signals operate as programmed but the King Street light is not synchronized with the others, and asked that it be synchronized at least from about 4:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Second, he said the Hunakai Street and Waiʻalae Avenue left turn has lacked a dedicated arrow for more than 40 years despite serious collisions. Third, he asked about an old backhoe blocking the canal bridge at the Kāhala Avenue entrance to Waiʻalae Beach Park. Deputy Director Li will look into the backhoe parked on Kāhala Avenue and clarified that the stoplight on the intersection of Hunakai Street and Waiʻalae Avenue is under State Department of Transportation jurisdiction and that the City has forwarded it to the State. Member White said the left turn feels unsafe and that drivers divert to Kīlauea Avenue, adding traffic where it should not be.
2. Fence Appeal Timeline: Member White asked how long the appeal of the December 2024 variance denial takes before DPP can act. Deputy Director Li was not familiar with the appeal process and said the hearing has not begun.
3. Artificial Intelligence and Traffic Signals: Member Castonguay asked whether the City is looking at artificial intelligence for signal management. Deputy Director Li said most signals are 30 to 40-plus years old and that a joint modernization with the State begins in October 2026 with 28 signals on Farrington Highway from Nānākuli to Mākaha Valley, using wireless cellular connections to the Joint Traffic Management Center for remote, real-time timing, including AI-based timing.
4. Traffic Study Follow-Up: Resident Francis asked about a traffic study of several neighborhood intersections requested over a year ago and scheduled for September 2026, saying HNL 311 and a phone message had produced no response. Deputy Director Li offered to track it down if given the locations and contact name.
5. Express Bus Routes: Resident Kam asked that DTS consider having the Hawaiʻi Kai express routes (stated as “80/82” and “Pearl Harbor 6”) stop at Kāhala Mall via the H-1 viaduct, which he said could cut the 30 to 45-minute ride to downtown in half. Deputy Director Li said he would take the request back to his department.
6. Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Training: Member Liang asked whether more CERT sessions, including Sundays, could be offered instead of three consecutive Saturdays each month. Deputy Director Li said the DEM organizes the training and that he would take the request to them.
Councilmember Tommy Waters – [0:43:30]: Tasha Luke, representing Councilmember Waters, provided the report and highlighted the following: Bill 58, which would let police and City officials immediately remove improperly parked Shared Micromobility Vehicles (SMV) (bicycles, e-bikes, e-scooters, and certain mopeds) within the Waikīkī Special District instead of allowing the four-hour grace period required under current law; and Hawaiʻi Gas pipeline replacement along Hunakai Street and Kāhala Avenue beginning September 2026, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., through the end of the year.
Representative Mark Hashem – [0:45:58]: Representative Mark Hashem announced a town hall with HECO on the recent blackouts on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., at Niu Valley Middle School.
Questions, comments, and concerns followed – [0:46:57]:
1. Hunakai / Waiʻalae Left-Turn Arrow: Member Turbin raised the lack of a left-turn arrow at the State-controlled intersection and asked for help. Representative Hashem said he frequents the intersection, would follow up and suggested pm raising the issue with the governor’s administration or put a request to the HDOT.
2. Proposed Resolution to HDOT: Member McGuffie suggest the Board or Member Turbin in particular, to draft a resolution to the HDOT and offered to help him write a resolution. Member Turbin noted an item must be on the agenda for the Board to consider it.
Representative Tina Grandinetti – [0:51:34]: No representative present.
Senator Stanley Chang – [0:51:48]: No representative present.
U.S. Congressman Ed Case – [0:52:01]: No representative present.
V. RESIDENTS’ COMMUNITY CONCERNS – [0:52:11]
Oʻahu Resilience Hub Learning Community Update – [0:52:42]: Resident Murakami of the Oʻahu Resilience Hub Learning Community (Kapiʻolani Community College (KCC) Sustainability Lab, funded by the City Office of Climate Change, Sustainability and Resiliency) invited the Board and neighborhood to join the learning community, which supports resilience hubs through shared learning and best practices, and announced fall Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)/first aid and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) trainings and work with CERT to make its trainings more community-centered.
Questions, comments, and concerns followed – [0:54:26]:
1. Appreciation: Secretary McGuffie thanked Resident Murakami and the Hub Learning Center (HLC) for what they are doing and said her Kāhala Initiative for Sustainability, Culture, and the Arts (KISCA) Hui group has used the learning community’s information in designing a network of three resilience hubs from Waimānalo through Pālolo. Resident Murakami noted Secretary McGuffie is on the learning community’s leadership team and appreciates all of her hard work.
VI. BOARD BUSINESS / UNFINISHED BUSINESS / PRESENTATIONS – [0:56:06]
A. Board Business – [0:56:08]
Approval of Thursday, August 20, 2026 Regular Meeting Minutes – [0:56:10]: Vice Chair Wong noted he had already shared one correction regarding the adjournment entry, and no other adjustments were requested. [0:56:11] – McGuffie MOVED and Castonguay SECONDED to adopt the Thursday, AUGUST 20, 2026 Regular Meeting Minutes with amendments. Hearing no discussion, the board conducted a voice vote. The motion WAS adopted; 7-0-0 (AYE: Fujiki, Turbin, White, Wong, McGuffie, Castonguay, and Liang; NAY: None; ABSTAIN: None) – [0:56:57]
Kīlauea Avenue Roundabout Proposal, presentation by Dalan Kam (UH Mānoa), continued discussion with Department of Transportation Services (DTS) / Complete Streets – [0:57:29]: Resident Tam provided a presentation on a proposed roundabout on Kilauea Avenue on the intersections of Pueo Street, Onaha Street, Hunakai Street, Elepaio Street, and Puu Panini Street. He noted that the roads on Kilauea Avenue are too wide, vehicles speeding, very difficult for vehicles to make left turns, narrow sidewalks, and cyclists using sidewalks. With roundabouts, it can support 20,000 -26,000 vehicles per day, noting the highest count of vehicles passing Kilauea Avenue is 20,319 per day; crashes at roundabouts are less energetic; no waiting for traffic lights; opportunity to plant more trees; and shorter crossing distance for pedestrians.
• Presentation:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1sKxXu9iSe50uxcit-8bQNh9589kGQ7K0/view?usp=drive_link
Questions, comments, and concerns followed – [1:13:41]:
1. Residential Parking: Member Turbin asked about the impact on residential parking. Resident Kam said the same capacity could be kept, noting only about 7 to 10 of the 80 spaces are used except during baseball games.
2. Lane Reduction and Traffic Volume: Member White asked about the effect of going from two lanes to one. Resident Kam cited 8,000 to 9,000 cars daily at 18th Avenue and 10,000 to 20,000 nearing Kāhala Mall and said the freed space could serve school drop-off lanes.
3. Roundabouts and a Safe Bike Lane: Member Castonguay said roundabouts suit Kīlauea Avenue’s width, unlike an earlier proposal at smaller intersections, and may make a one-lane road with a safe bike lane workable.
4. Next Steps, Resolution and the Primary Urban Center Development Plan (PUCDP): Secretary McGuffie noted Complete Streets is part of the PUCDP and asked whether Resident Kam had approached Department of Planning and Permitting (DPP). Resident Kam said DTS’s concern is cost, which could be raised with Council Chair Waters, and offered to help draft a resolution urging DTS to study roundabouts. Secretary McGuffie recommended including his work in the PUCDP/East Honolulu Sustainable Communities Plan (EHSCP) Permitted Interaction Group (PIG) so the package goes to DPP, and Resident Kam agreed.
5. Design Quality and Cost: Member Castonguay cautioned against an inexpensive first solution, saying it must look good and work. Resident Kam said he trusts the City’s ability to implement roundabouts, that cost is the main concern, and he is open to different solutions.
6. Resident Support for Roundabouts: Resident Chris Kinimaka, Kilauea-Pueo resident thanked Resident Kam and the Board, thanked DTS for fixing the signal timing, said crossing is still risky because turning drivers look the wrong way, and cited roundabouts working well in New Zealand.
Unpermitted Fence, 949 Keʻalaʻolu Place, DPP Enforcement Correspondence Update – [1:25:43]: Vice Chair Wong noted Deputy Director Li’s earlier DPP update (notices of violation, variance denied, appeal pending).
B. Unfinished Business / New Business / Presentations – [1:26:51]
Formation of a Permitted Interaction Group (PIG), Planning Review PUCDP and EHSCP – [1:27:07]: Secretary McGuffie said the Board is forming a new PIG to review the plans, that the resolution is on the Board’s Google Drive, she is calling for volunteers to participate with the PIG, and will have the formation of the PIG on Thursday, October 15, 2026 meeting.
Formation of a PIG, Department of Education (DOE) Property, 475 22nd Avenue, Puʻōkanipāua/Polikaua vicinity (approximately 6.5 acres) – [1:28:57]: Resident Francis presented a draft resolution to form a PIG to investigate the long-standing conditions at the DOE property.
Questions, comments, and concerns followed – [1:30:40]:
1. PIG Membership: Secretary McGuffie asked whether their resolution lists volunteers participating the PIG. Resident Francis said not yet, but he has two or three participants. Secretary McGuffie said that at least two Board members are required to be part of the PIG and she offered to participate. Resident Francis noted the work would be largely done through email with some video meetings.
2. DOE Contact: Member Turbin said a DOE infrastructure employee he met at a birthday party advised going to the head of the DOE, and that a PIG could give political weight. Resident Francis said neighbors have written to DOE officials before and that he believes that a PIG’s communications would carry more weight than letters and petitions.
3. Scope of the PIG: Member White said he was uneasy with advising DOE on future use beyond cleanup of the property. Resident Francis said both the interior and exterior are, noting infrastructure limits that would cost tens of millions to fix, and that a PIG gives the community front-end input.
4. PIG Procedures: Secretary McGuffie also noted that new members cannot be added once a PIG is approved, that two residents and two Board members suffice, and that the PIG need not return until its report is final. Resident Francis hopes to return with more community members. Secretary McGuffie also agreed with Member White that the Board should focus on the exterior unless the interior endangers the community.
5. School Facilities Authority Funding: Resident Francis said Representative Grandinetti informed them of $200,000 in the State budget for the School Facilities Authority to explore teacher housing and a preschool at the site. He questioned its feasibility given the infrastructure and said the community should be informed early.
6. Next Steps: Member Castonguay asked what follows the report. Resident Francis said a recommendation on the exterior and property use would go to the DOE head and the governor’s office, with advance outreach.
7. Alternative Uses: Member Turbin and Resident Francis discussed teacher housing and Star of the Sea’s earlier lease, which led to Kāhala Nui, as a possible model. Resident Francis will be working on their end and plans to return next month.
Proposed Resolution, Support for Release of Resilience Hub Funds, East Honolulu (presentation) – [1:46:02]: Secretary McGuffie said she was unsure this item was hers and did not know where the funds item came from, and that she would ask Chair De Quevedo about adding a presentation on East Oʻahu resilience hubs to next month’s agenda.
Youth Food Security Charter Amendment (Question 1), Student Presentation – [1:46:46]: Secretary McGuffie said the presentation was given last month and none was planned this month; the goal is to encourage a yes vote on Proposal number 1 on the general elections on Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Vice Chair Wong noted there are 20 City charter amendments and two on the State side.
G.R.O.W. Program Presentation, City and County Refuse Division (Amber Unabia), virtual – [1:47:35]: Amber Unabia provided the presentation and highlighted the following: the program expands the green compost cart to accept food scraps, addressing about 60,000 tons of residential food waste yearly and supporting a 95% landfill diversion goal by 2030; after a pilot that began Wednesday, April 1, 2026 in six pilot areas, it goes island-wide Thursday, October 1, 2026; accepted items include bones, meats, eggshells, leftovers, and solid dairy, while bags, liners, liquids, and manufactured compostable materials (due to PFAS concerns) are not accepted; and residents place scraps loosely in the green cart on the usual schedule and can drop off free at Hawaiian Earth Recycling in Wahiawā. Food scraps are taken to Hawaiian Earth Recycling to be turned into compost, and is sold to individuals, landscapers, and agricultural users. More information can be found on the ENV G.R.O.W webpage: https://www.honolulu.gov/env/ref/grow/.
• Presentation:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DOL-uxZ1r_IKwpZGYoOjw9novUViiH9G/view?usp=drive_link
Questions, comments, and concerns followed – [1:53:46]:
1. Cart Size and Collection Trucks: Member White asked whether it is a separate cart and whether trucks will be automated. Unabia said residents will use their existing green cart, with no additional carts.
2. Manual Trash Pickup Problem: Member Turbin said the automated trucks cannot make the turn at his corner house, so he has manual pickup, but recent pickups were missed and the automated carts offered were never delivered. Unabia said to call the Refuse Collection Branch at (808) 768-3200, option 2, and leave a message if no one answers.
3. Commercial-Area Recycling: Vice Chair Wong thanked Unabia and said he looks forward to the City emphasizing recycling in commercial and shopping areas.
Honolulu Marathon Clinic Turkey Trot, Community Presentation – [1:57:31]: Jeff Beard, Chair of the Board of Directors of the Honolulu Marathon Clinic, provided the presentation and highlighted the following: the Turkey Trot has run for more than 50 years with 2.5K, 5K, and 5-mile runs starting and finishing at the Queen Kapiʻolani statue; the 5-mile run starts at 7:30 a.m., with the 5K and 2.5K following at ten-minute intervals, all runners finishing by 9:00 a.m., and cleanup completed by 11:00 a.m.; one lane of the course will be closed, and participation is capped at 2,000. Beard asked for the Board’s approval, which the City Department of Transportation asks be reflected in the minutes.
[2:01:46] – Fujiki MOVED and Castonguay SECONDED to approve the Honolulu Marathon Clinic Turkey Trot. Hearing no discussion, the board conducted a voice vote. The motion WAS adopted; 7-0-0 (AYE: Fujiki, Liang, White, Turbin, Wong, McGuffie, and Castonguay; NAY: None; ABSTAIN: None) – [2:01:52]
VII. ANNOUNCEMENTS – [2:02:10]:
Relayed Chat Comment on 949 Keʻalaʻolu Place – [2:02:13]: Vice Chair Wong read into the record the chat comment from Resident Nicolay: neighbors are concerned about not being notified of the appeal on the fence issue.
Next Regular Meeting – [2:02:45]: The next regular meeting is Thursday, October 15, 2026, 7:00 p.m., Ala Wai Golf Course Clubhouse, 404 Kapahulu Avenue, 2nd Floor, Honolulu, HI 96815, and via WebEx.
VIII. ADJOURNMENT – [2:03:06]: Vice Chair Brian Wong adjourned the meeting at 9:04 p.m.
Submitted by: Anson Wu, Neighborhood Assistant, NCO
Reviewed by: Lindon Valenciano, Public Relations, NCO
Finalized by: Aloha McGuffie, Secretary
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.