Kaimuki Neighborhood Board Meeting Minutes Posted For LAST MONTH (JUNE 15, 2016)

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Kaimuki Neighborhood Board Meeting Minutes Posted For LAST MONTH (JUNE 15, 2016)
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Kaimuki Neighborhood Board No. 4

REGULAR MEETING MINUTES

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15, 2016

KAIMUKI CHRISTIAN CHURCH, FELLOWSHIP HALL

CALL TO ORDER: Chair Lyle Bullock called the meeting to order at 7:05 p.m. A quorum was established with eight (8) members present. Note: This 11-member Board requires six (6) members to establish a quorum and to take official Board action.

Board Members Present -- Lyle Bullock, Paul Hoe, Brian Kang, Marilyn Moniz-Kaho'ohanohano, Walter Ross, Sharon Schneider, Vernon Tam, and Lori Yamada.

Board Members Absent -- Mark Hagadone.

Guests -- Lieutenant Maurice Asato (Honolulu Police Department); Firefighter Gavin Mayashita (Honolulu Fire Department; Councilmember Ann Kobayashi and James Larson; Kurt Tsun Leonard Hoshijo (Governor Ige's Representative); Senator Les Ihara Jr; Representative Calvin Say; Representative Bertrand Kobayashi; Julia Allen (Senator Slom's Representative); Lorna Heller (Board of Water Supply); Carol Hoshiko and Louise Pagotto (Kapiolani Community College); Abigail; and Sharon Baillie (Neighborhood Commission Office).

PUBLIC SAFETY REPORTS

Honolulu Police Department (HPD) -- Lieutenant Maurice Asato reported the following:

• May 2016 Statistics -- There were 7 motor vehicle thefts, 18 burglaries, 59 thefts, and 21 unauthorized entries into motor vehicles (UEMV's). There was a total of 6,267 calls placed for service.

• Safety Tip -- Pedestrian Safety: Lieutenant (name) highlighted safety tips for pedestrians.

Honolulu Fire Department (HFD) -- Firefighter Gavin Mayashita reported the following:

• May 2016 Statistics -- There were 5 activated alarms, 18 medical emergencies, 2 motor vehicle crashes/collisions, and 1 mountain rescue.

• Fire Safety Tip -- HFD encourages people to take the necessary steps to prepare for the hurricane season that runs from June 2016 through November 2016. Everyone should have a plan in place, a survival kit, and a way of staying informed on impending disasters. Additional information can be found on the City and County of Honolulu's Department of Emergency Management website at www.honolulu.gov/dem.

Board of Water Supply (BWS) -- Lorna Heller reported the following:

• Water Main Breaks -- There were no water main breaks for May 2016.

• General Water Announcements

o Annual Water Quality Reports -- The BWS conducts thousands of tests on the water sources and distribution system to ensure that municipal water meets or exceeds all federal and state safe drinking water standards. The results of those tests are shared in the annual water quality report, which will be mailed to all customers by Friday, July 1, 2016. Digital copies of water quality reports and additional water quality information is available at, www.boardofwatersupply.com, or by calling the BWS Water Quality Division at 748-5080.

o BWS Water Waste Hotline -- The BWS would like to remind residents to be vigilant and avoid wasting water. Please check for property leaks, avoid watering lawn between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., and turn off tap water while brushing teeth or shaving. If observing water being wasted due to a broken pipe, malfunctioning sprinkler, a faucet left running, or something similar please contact the BWS Water Waste Hotline at 748-5041 or email contactus@hbws.org, please provide the location, type of waste occurring, and any other additional pertinent information. For more information on how to conserve water please visit www.boardofwatersupply.com.

Questions, comments, and concerns that followed: Updates -- Schneider inquired on the status of main break repairs on Sierra Drive and Kahala Avenue, Heller will find out and come back with the information.

FILLING OF VACANT BOARD SEATS -- Chair Bullock announced two (2) vacancies on the Board. One (1) vacancy is in Subdistrict 1, East Kaimuki and Business District; and one (1) vacancy in Subdistrict 3, West Kaimuki. Chair Bullock asked if any residents were interested in filling the vacant board seat. Hearing no nominations Chair Bullock deferred the vacancy fillings until the next regular meeting.

ELECTED OFFICIALS

Mayor Kirk Caldwell's Representative -- No representative was present; a newsletter was provided.

Councilmember Ann Kobayashi -- Councilmember Kobayashi reported the following:

• Roads -- Kobayashi noted her beliefs that instead of just filling potholes on the road, adding a sealant would help maintain roads for a longer period of time.

• Budget -- $20 million was put into the City and County of Honolulu fiscal budget to help with the increasing homeless problem, there was also money put in for park maintenance.

• The Rail -- The rail is saying they will run out of money by Friday, July 29, 2016. The rail would like to use all of the commercial paper from the City and County of Honolulu, which is a low interest loan to help fund the project.

Questions, comments, and concerns that followed: Parking Lot -- Kang asked and Kobayashi answered that she knows the money is there for the repaving of the Kaimuki parking lot but has not heard when the work will be done. Schneider added that the machines and arms at the parking lot do not work properly and seem to stop working at least once a week.

Councilmember Trevor Ozawa -- James Larson noted Councilmember Ozawa should be coming to the meeting; a newsletter was provided.

Senator Sam Slom -- Julia Allen reported the following: Bills -- There have been 20 bills signed into law by the governor since the end of session on Thursday, May 5, 2016. 204 bills are awaiting action by the governor, the governor has until Monday, June 27, 2016 to inform the legislature if he intends to veto a bill, and if he neither vetoes nor signs a bill it automatically becomes law on Tuesday, July 12, 2016.

Senator Les Ihara Jr. -- Senator Ihara reported the following:

• Care Act -- The Care Act Bill which the senator introduced, will be signed by the governor tomorrow, Thursday, May 16, 2016. This care act would make sure hospitals give proper instructions to caregivers on how to safely provide care when loved ones or others they care for are discharged from the hospital.

• Mopeds -- The senator put in a request to have the governor sign the moped bill. Ihara stated half of the neighborhood boards supported a moped resolution which would help decrease illegally modified mopeds.

• Session -- The senate is going back into session on Thursday, June 23, 2016 to confirm two (2) judges to different circuit courts around the state.

Questions, comments, and concerns that followed:

1. Air BnB -- Moniz-Kaho'ohanohano mentioned a lengthy email she received on the proposed Air BnB Bill that is currently sitting on the governor's desk. Ihara noted that he is opposed to the bill, and stated that Air BnB is a website where people can rent out their homes/rooms to visitors to stay in. The bill would allow Air BnB to collect taxes on these rentals and then give this money to the state, however it shield the identities and addresses of the owners and the locations.

2. Taxes -- Bullock asked and Ihara answered that the total amount of taxes being collected by Air BnB is around 13.5%. Bullock inquired about having a business and being in compliance with filing the proper paperwork on such income, Ihara answered that you need to provide the website with your tax identification number, and they would then provide the state with a lump sum of monies collected from these rentals. However, it would not break down if the rentals came from a certain island, because different islands have tax rates which are different and therefore would not be able to completely tell what amount of money should go where. Kobayashi added that state tax information is confidential and cannot be shared with the county.

Representative Calvin K.Y. Say -- Representative Say reported the following:

• Issues -- The office received complaints about encroachment into various driveways of cars of cars from resident in Kaimuki, as well as report of feral chickens on Koko Drive.

• Air BnB -- Say noted that he voted no on the Air BnB bill.

Questions, comments, and concerns that followed:

1. How Big -- A resident asked and Say answered that he is not sure of the exact number of these illegal rentals, but noted that in the North Shore area the numbers are higher than anything in Kaimuki.

2. Licenses -- Schneider inquired if there was any efforts to grant more licenses to people who want to rent out there residence legally, Say stated that it is up to the City and County of Honolulu to grant licenses for vacation rentals.

Representative Bertrand Kobayashi -- Representative Kobayashi reported the following:

• Funds -- In anticipation of a recession there has been $150 million placed in a "rainy" day emergency fund.

• Air BnB -- Kobayashi would like to see the Air BnB bill signed into law and then possibly make amendments as needed the next year to certain wants and needs the community may have. Kobayashi noted an incident on Hale Koa Drive where a Department of Planning and Permitting (DPP) inspector went to a suspected residence of illegal vacation rentals. The people staying in the house did not comply with questions asked and there was not much they could do. Owners can always say that they are letting their family or friends use the house while they are not there.

Questions, comments, and concerns that followed:

1. Money -- Bullock said he would like to see the money from these rentals go back to the City and County of Honolulu and State of Hawaii in some form. However, Bullock believes that the bill should not be signed into law until everything has been worked out in ways which matters such as information on these residences in readily available.

2. Electricity -- Bullock noted that the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) is going to reduce the electricity bills by 13 cents, and would like to know what it would take in order to get the other dollar amount of taxes taken off of the electricity bills by possibly using the emergency funds. Say answered that petitions and resolutions from the neighborhood boards would be a great way to start the discussion to lead into the implementation once it went through the proper channels.

Governor David Ige's Representative -- Deputy Director of the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations (DLIR), Leonard Hoshijo reported the following:

• Cooling Schools -- $100 million is going towards providing air conditioning, heat abatement, and related energy efficiency measures for schools.

• Homeless and Housing -- $12 million was appropriated towards implementing a coordinated statewide strategy on homelessness. Another $75 million was allocated to meet housing needs.

• Government -- $125 million went towards restoring the rainy day fund and paying down unfunded liabilities now rather than burdening future generations. The State is in good financial shape.

• Zika -- The Department of Health (DOH) will be implementing new zika protocol in the coming months.

• Airbags -- Hawaii is one of the first states to sue Takata Corporation for their faulty airbags. Around 70,000 vehicles with Takata airbags have been sold to island customers.

• Restaurants -- The Restaurant website is now up and running. Consumers can check on the website, the status of restaurants if they have green, yellow, or red placards.

• Boards -- The state is looking for volunteers to join different state boards or commissions.

• Hurricanes -- Hurricane Season is here. Please be prepared for any disasters.

Questions, comments, and concerns that followed:

1. Funds -- Yamada asked and Hoshijo answered that there is a hurricane fund with $182 million in it.

2. Air Conditioning -- Tam inquired and Hoshijo answered that the $100 million to "Cool the Schools" is for more than just air conditioning (ac) units, however the maintenance for the upkeep on these ac units can come from the Department of Education (DOE) budgets which is separate. Say added that the DOE comes to legislature every year to ask on for add-ons, and the legislature usually always approves these add-ons.

BOARD ADMINISTRATION AND DISCUSSION

Approval of the May 16, 2016 Regular Meeting Minutes The board approved the May 16, 2016 regular meeting minutes as amended, 8-0-0 (AYE: Bullock Jr., Hoe, Kang, Moniz-Kaho'ohanohano, Ross. Schneider, Tam. And Yamada; NAY: None; ABSTAIN: None).

PAGE 4: Friends of Kaimuki Library -- Yamada

Chair Bullock passed the gavel to Vice Chair Hoe at 8:17 p.m.

Envision Kaimuki -- Chair Bullock noted the Envision Kaimuki history and purpose. He stated that to make an impact for the community, the committee should be reinstated. Vice Chair Hoe asked for board members participation in the Envision Kaikuki committee. Schneider and Tam are to be co-chairs and Moniz-Kaho'ohanohano and Yamada complete the committee.

Schneider moved and Tam seconded that the Kaimuki Neighborhood Board No. 4 financially support the Monday, June 27, 2016 Envision Kaimuki committee meeting at Kaimuki Christian Church. The motion was adopted 7-0-1 (AYE: Bullock Jr., Kang, Moniz-Kaho'ohanohano, Ross. Schneider, Tam. And Yamada; NAY: None; ABSTAIN: Hoe).

Public Parking, Issues with Meters, Residential and Loading Zones -- Chair Bullock informed everyone at the meeting that there are four (4) loading zones on Koko Head Avenue and Waialae Avenue, and that only one (1) of them gets used for loading and the other three (3) get used for people illegally parking. Bullock would like to write a letter to the City and County of Honolulu parking enforcement, which would ask for more enforcement and ticketing of the illegal parking taking place in loading zones as well as other places along 10th avenue. Bullock noted he would ask that the department in the City and County of Honolulu, would consider changing the loading zones to metered parking stalls, so these loading zones can be used for more parking spaces which would add revenue.

Bullock moved and Tam seconded that the board support his endeavors in writing a letter to the appropriate City and County of Honolulu department in consideration of more parking enforcement of the Kaimuki area and in consideration of turning unused loading zones to metered parking stalls. The board approved the motion, 8-0-0 (AYE: Bullock Jr., Hoe, Kang, Moniz-Kaho'ohanohano, Ross. Schneider, Tam. And Yamada; NAY: None; ABSTAIN: None).

Vice Chair Hoe passed the gavel back to Chair Bullock at 8:36 p.m.

REPORTS

Treasurer's Report -- Schneider reported expenditures of $23.85 for a remaining balance of $50.13. The report was filed.

Members Attendance at other Meetings -- None to report.

PUBLIC INPUT

• Kapiolani Community College (KCC)/ Culinary Institute of the Pacific -- Hoshiko introduced the new interim chancellor to KCC Louise Pagotto. Hoshiko noted that there are physical structures that can be seen now. The lab building steal and framing is 90% complete and the roof is 75% complete. Other parts of the building process are in progress such as the retaining wall, utility line and basin, and accessibility ramp. Upcoming work is to include the final paving of Diamond Head Road, cooking area, excavation, and wall stucco and window installation.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

• Envision Kaimuki -- The Envision Kaimuki meeting will be held Monday, June 27, 2016 at 6:00 p.m. at the Kaimuki Christian Church, Fellowship Hall located an 1117 Koko Head Avenue.

• Next Meeting --The next regular meeting of the Kaimuki Neighborhood Board No. 4 will be held on Wednesday, July 20, 2016, 7:00 p.m. at the Kaimuki Christian Church, Fellowship Hall located at 1117 Koko Head Avenue.

• Friends of Kaimuki Library -- Yamada stated that the book store is open every Tuesday from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. in the basement, except on holidays. All proceeds go to help the Kaimuki Public Library.

• Public Hearing -- There will be a public hearing Tuesday, June 21, 2016 at the Mission Memorial Building from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., by The Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) on the appealing of rules in accordance with child care programs.

• Resignation -- Board member Walter Ross announced his resignation from the board because of work obligations in another country for the next year.

ADJOURNMENT -- The meeting adjourned at 8:48 p.m.

Submitted by: Sharon Baillie, Neighborhood Assistant I

Reviewed by: Neil Baarde, Neighborhood Assistant II

Reviewed by: Lyle Bullock, Chair

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