Kaimuki Neighborhood Board Meeting Minutes Posted For LAST MONTH (MAY 17, 2017)

Community website by MBC/Ernest Abrams. Call 808-739-9797 for advertising/sponsorship#KaimukiHawaii Community website by MBC/Ernest Abrams. Call 808-739-9797 for advertising/sponsorship#KaimukiHawaii

Kaimuki, Hawaii
News Item
Powered by MBC NewsMaker
Kaimuki Neighborhood Board Meeting Minutes Posted For LAST MONTH (MAY 17, 2017)
Tweet

NEXT MEETING - Click here to read next meeting agenda scheduled for 6/21/2017.

Kaimuki Neighborhood Board No. 4

DRAFT REGULAR MEETING MINUTES

WEDNESDAY, MAY 17 , 2017

KAIMUKI CHRISTIAN CHURCH, FELLOWSHIP HALL

CALL TO ORDER -- Chair Lyle Bullock Jr. called the meeting to order at 7:02 p.m. A quorum was established with seven (7) 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 Jr., Mark Hagadone, Paul Hoe, Marilyn Moniz-Kahoohanohano, Sharon Schneider, and Calvin Hara.

Board Members Absent -- Brian Kang and Stephanie Nagai.

Guests -- Sergeant Clifford Ramson, Sargent E. Higa (Honolulu Police Department); Fire Fighter Blaze Sylva, Firefighter Jay Shimabuku (Honolulu Fire Department); Lorna Heller (Board of Water Supply); Leonard Hishijo (Governor David Ige's Representative); Karen Yorimoto (Councilmember Trevor Ozawa's Office); Representative Calvin Say; Senator Les Ihara Jr.; Representative Bertrand Kobayashi; Carol Hoshiko (Kapiolani Community College); Tyler Suzuki, Stephanie Ungson, Rebecca Ponie (Student Nurse); Rae and Rhayne Tadaki; Keith and Kathy Watanabe, Eric McCutcheon, Paula and Barry Wheeler, Becky Gardner, Julia Allen (Residents); and Anela Kekoolani (Neighborhood Commission Office).

PUBLIC SAFETY REPORTS

Honolulu Police Department (HPD) -- Sergeant Clifford Ramson reported the following:

• April 2017 Statistics: There were 7 motor vehicle thefts, 13 burglaries, 23 thefts, 24 unauthorized entries into motor vehicles (UEMV) and 5,989 total calls for service.

• Safety Tip: A handout on 21 Step Home Security Check List was distributed and available at the back table.

Questions, comments and concerns followed:

1. Abandon Vehicle -- Member Schneider asked how long it would take for an Abandon Vehicle to be removed. Sergeant Ramson answered if it has already been marked the cars are given 24 hours to be moved. From there it just depends on the City gets to it but at that point it is already in the system.

2. Home Invasion -- Member Yamada says there have been a high number of home invasions and car thefts lately. What are some tips to ward off thefts? Sergeant Ramson answered there a lot of good tips in the handout. He also suggest to install a home security system and/or cameras. Dogs are another good way to be alerted.

3. UEMV -- Member Hagadone stated that he noticed the decrease in thefts and UEMVs and he thanked HPD for their efforts. Sergeant Ramson suggested for people not to leave their belongings out in the open in their vehicles because people will see that and it will give them motive to break in.

Honolulu Fire Department (HFD) -- Firefighter Blaze Sylva reported the following:

• March 2017 Statistics: There were 2 nuisance fires, 5 activated alarms, 57 medical emergencies, 2 Motor Vehicle collision with pedestrian, 1 motor vehicle crash/collision, 1 mountain rescues, and 1 hazardous materials incidents.

• Fire Safety Tip: Wild land Fire Preparedness: Every year wild land fires known as brush fires can cause great damage in our communities. Neighbors and residents can work together in decreasing these fires. Steps homeowners can take:

o Clear leaves or other vegetation from your home, roofs, porches, and decks.

o Remove flammable debris i.e. (wood piles, dried leaves, and vegetation) at least 30 feet away from residence.

o Keep your lawn hydrated and maintained. If your lawn is over grown, and/or dry cut it.

o Have a plan in place in case you need to evacuate.

Questions, comments and concerns followed: Hazardous Material Fire-- Chair Bullock asked where the hazardous material fire was. HFD said that the hazardous material fire was at Kahala Elementary school. The fire did not start at the school but it eventually got to the elementary school.

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

• Haiku Stairs -- BWS has published an Environmental Impact statement Preparation notice. BWS is requesting public comments. The draft impact statement will consider one (1) proposed action and three (3) alternatives for the stairs: removing the stairs entirely, providing legal access to and from the stairs and improving it for public use, transferring it to another government agency, or taking no action. The draft is available at www.boardofwatersupply.com/community/haikustairs. Comments can be sent to haikustairs@g70.design by Tuesday, May 23, 2017.

• Primary Urban Center Watershed Management Plan -- The plan will investigate existing water demand and supply, project future demands, and identify supply options to meet those demands. There are several meetings coming up that are open to the community: Monday, May 22, 2017 at McKinley High School at 7:00 p.m., Wednesday, May 24, 2017 at Farrington High School at 7:00 p.m., and Tuesday, May 30, 2017 at Aiea Elementary School at 7:00 p.m.

• 2017 Water Conservation Poster and Poetry Contest -- www.boardofwatersupply.com has a full list of winners and a schedule of when the art and poetry will be on exhibit around Oahu. They thanked all of the participants.

FILLING OF VACANT BOARD SEATS -- Deferred.

ELECTED OFFICIALS

Mayor Kirk Caldwell's Representative -- Director Mark Wong, Department of Information Technology (DIT) reported the following:

• Sew A Lei -- Sew A Lei for Memorial Day" event at Honolulu Hale on Friday, May 26, 2017, from 11:00 a.m. -- 1:00 p.m. Metered parking available on King Street and at the Municipal parking lot located at the corner of Alapai and Beretania streets. All materials will be provided. Please come out and help us sew lei to decorate each gravesite at the National Cemetery of the Pacific. It's the best way to show our appreciation and "mahalo" to our veterans at Punchbowl. We also have "Sew a Lei" sites at Waipahu District Park, Waimanalo District Park, Kailua District Park, Kaneohe Senior Center and Makua Alii Senior Center in downtown. Please call the park for the event times. Donations of flowers from your yard to sew lei with are being accepted, as well as donated lei. Please write us at parks@honolulu.gov, or call #768.3003 for more information.

• The 68th Memorial Day Ceremony -- The ceremony takes place at 8:30 a.m. on Monday, May 29, 2017, at the National Cemetery of the Pacific. The Department of Defense has declared this year as the 50th Commemorative year of the Vietnam War, and Mayor Caldwell, Governor Ige, the state's Office of Veterans Services, the Veterans Administration, and the 50th Anniversary of Vietnam Commemorative Committee, have combined forces to recognize and thank all Vietnam Veterans. Please join us at Punchbowl for this year's ceremony, and please bring along any family or friends who served in the Vietnam War. Veterans should check the website: "50th Anniversary Vietnam" for more information. Due to the anticipated increase in participation, we have arranged for free bus shuttles running from the Alapai Transit Station to Punchbowl. The shuttles will run continuously from 5:30 a.m. -- 7:30 a.m. free parking will be available at the Municipal Parking Lot across the Alapai Transit Station, the Alapai/JTMC building parking lot, and at McKinley High School, King Street entrance. For more information, please send your questions to parks@honolulu.gov, or call #768.3003.

• Neighborhood Board Elections -- Director Wong reminded the community to vote for the Neighborhood Board Elections and encourages residents to vote online.

• Moped Registration -- The Department of Customer Services (CSD) reminds moped owners that a new State law requires the annual safety inspection and registration of mopeds beginning Sunday, January 1, 2017. Registered owners of mopeds on Oahu will need to get a safety inspection and register mopeds initially this year and annually thereafter.

• Abandon Vehicles -- Director Wong mentioned that there was a comment made about abandon vehicles and stated that most of those abandoned vehicles are because of military. A lot of them are only stationed here for a short amount of time. Then when they get deployed or reassigned they don't know what to do with their vehicles so they just leave it, and the military won't take any responsibility for this.

• HNL Info -- Director Wong noted that Mayor Caldwell will be making an announcement about this new app tomorrow. You are encouraged to download the HNL Info app on your smartphone, as this will become the new city-wide emergency notification system replacing Nixle.

• Rail -- The goal is to get adequate funding to build all 21 stations and 20 miles of guide way to Ala Moana Center. The city's take on the Rail is raising the General Excise Tax (GET) will be the best way to pay for the Rail.

o We already paid it.

o Cost spreads out over each transaction, rather than at one time like with real property tax.

o About 1/3 of GET is paid for by nonresidents (military, tourist, etc).

o Steady stream of income that the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has already approved. Transient Accommodations Tax (TAT) is volatile and revenue collected has dropped several times since tax was implemented. FTA has not vetted and approved TAT as a funding source.

• Painting Bus Stops -- A resident asked that the bus stop on Koko Head Avenue by the Sprouts and across from the Liliuokalani Elementary School, be painted a darker color as the graffiti now stands out against the lighter colored paint. Department of Transportation Services (DTS) responded the City uses a standard color scheme for bus shelters throughout Oahu. DTS will have the graffiti removed and/or painted over.

Questions, comments and concerns followed:

1. Member Hara asked if the Kaimuki parking lot ADA compliant for road repairs.

2. Member Hagadone expressed his concerns about the rail and the GET raise and/or other options for the Rail and funding the Rail. Director Wong went over all the benefits to raising the GET to fund the rail and went over why other options would not be as beneficial. Another board member asked about the airport Rail station. She asked if you would have to take a taxi to the station or how would you get to the station after exiting the plane. Director Wong explained that the Airport Rail Station will literally be in the airport. You can literally get off of your flight and walk over to the Rail Station.

3. A few members mentioned metal plates on Wilhelmina rise are not stable and make a lot of noise when vehicles are driving over the plates. Also the surrounding concrete is cracking from the movement.

4. What is the exact status of the Kaimuki parking lot project? The Board would like to know what phases precede actual construction. What phase the project is at now, and as much detail as possible about schedule, possible challenges, and funding issues.

Councilmember Ann Kobayashi -- James Larson handed out a newsletter and opened up the floor for any questions. There were no question, comments, or concerns.

Councilmember Trevor Ozawa -- Karen Yorimoto reported the following:

• Legislative Session: The Honolulu City Council is continuing to address various issues while working on finalizing the City's budget for the upcoming fiscal year. Councilmember Ozawa will continue to advocate for cost-savings and trimming costs before considering revenue generating measures.

• Parking: Regarding parking on unimproved sidewalks along Sierra Drive, Councilmember Ozawa has reviewed the first draft of the proposed bill that would relieve such restrictions.

• Kaimuki Municipal Parking -- Councilmember Ozawa has been working on getting this parking lot fixed since 2015. They have contacted Department of Design and Construction (DDC) and they have said the project is not expected to start till 2019 with available funds.

Questions, comments and concerns followed:

1. DDC Answer -- Chair Bullock asked when Councilmember Ozawa's office received an answer from DDC. Karen Yorimoto answered on Thursday, April 27, 2017. Chair Bullock mentioned that was after the response from the Mayor's Report. Director Mark Wong stated that the mayor did not respond to that but he did state that it is an active project but the construction has not started. Chair Bullock said he is concerned because he said he is getting different responses.

Governor David Ige's Representative -- Deputy Director Leonard Hoshijo from the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations (DILR) highlighted the current Governor's Newsletter regarding Homelessness in Hawaii.

• Making Progress: Breaking the cycle of homelessness -- Some highlighted points were mentioned:

o 5,000 people fund or maintain housing.

o The speed of housing replacements has doubled.

o The kaka'ako homeless population has shrunk.

o 2,900 evictions have been prevented.

o Taxpayer dollars are being conserved.

o 1,000 landlords and growing.

o Outreach paired with enforcement.

• Legislation -- Deputy Director Leonard Hoshijo talked about Rail, Budget, and revenue going over what the next steps will be.

Questions, comments, and concerns followed:

1. Homeless Count -- Member Hagadone asked how many homeless people do we have here on Oahu and did it increase or decrease. Deputy Director Leonard Hoshijo stated that we have about 9000 homeless people on Oahu and statewide the number of homeless have decreased but more homeless tend to be on Oahu.

Senator Stanley Chang -- Cameron Sato distributed a handout and reported the following:

• Kalaniana'ole Highway: Resurfacing to Begin -- The last segment Aina Hina to H-1 will be repaved. Expected to begin in May or June with the goal of being completed in time for the back to school rush.

• Waialae Exit -- The shoulder lane will be opened up and be made legal to be in the shoulder lane while waiting to exit. That will happen further down the line once they finish working on the guard rails.

• Aloha Q -- Designed to reduce wait times for the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) customers by allowing them to get in online. Oahu residents can now book advance appointments from their mobile device or home computer at alohaq.org.

• Ka Iwi Coast -- On Friday, March 31, 2017, the trust for public land conveyed the remaining two parcels totaling 182 acres of Ka Iwi Coast to the community through the non-profit organization Livable Hawaii Kai Hui. The organization now owns and will steward the land.

• Homeless -- The homelessness is the top issue. There was a bill proposed to have a mobile clinic to provide service to homeless individuals. Unfortunately that did not pass. This bill will be worked on in order to pass.

• Unclaimed Roads -- If any road is unclaimed for more than five (5) years it will go to the County.

• Paris Climate Agreement -- Governor Ige plans on signing the Paris Climate Agreement.

Senator Les Ihara Jr. -- Rail issues will go into special session. Senator Ihara stated that he is not for the Rail he said that it is completely a City and County project not a State project.

Questions, comments and concerns followed: Concerns -- A resident asked why Senator Ihara did not voice his concerns about the Rail in the beginning? Senator Ihara stated that he trusted the legislators and their numbers.

Representative Calvin K.Y. Say -- A handout was passed out and Representative Say reported the following:

• Rail -- Representative Say stated that regarding rail he voted for the Floor Amendment in regards to the 10 year extension. Representative Say thinks we should be patient and states that this will take time. Look back at all the past projects such as Magic Island and H3 those all took a lot of time and are now very beneficial. Representative Say says that he does not support the Transient Accommodations Tax (TAT) increase.

Questions, comments and concerns followed: Solar -- Chair Bullock brought up House Bill (HB) 957. Green Energy Market Securitization (GEMS) is a program to set up solar for low income housing or to loan them money to pay for solar. This allows the Department of Education (DOE) to use $46 million to use for infrastructure. Chair Bullock said that he has yet to see anything to save money.

Representative Bertrand Kobayashi -- A representative was not present.

PUBLIC INPUT

• Housing Rentals -- Residents are concerned that new homes are being built illegally and are being used as rentals. Which are creating a problem of over population. Homeowners are renting out parts of their home and it is creating more cars in the area and it is creating parking issues. Chair Bullock stated to report it to a building inspector and let Councilmember Ozawa and Councilmember Kobayashi.

BOARD ADMINISTRATION

Approval of the Wednesday, April 19, 2017 Regular Meeting Minutes: Hoe moved and Hagadone seconded that the Kaimuki Neighborhood Board No. 4 APPROVE the Wednesday, April 19, 2017, regular meeting minutes by UNANIMOUS consent, 7-0-0 (AYE: Bullock, Hagadone, Hoe, Moniz-Kahoohanohano, Schneider, Yamada and Hara; NAY: None; ABSTAIN: None).

Three Absences of Lori Yamada: Lori Yamada would like to stay on the board and missed meetings due to sickness. The motion was adopted by UNANIMOUS consent, 7-0-0 (AYE: Bullock, Hagadone, Hoe, Moniz-Kahoohanohano, Schneider, Yamada and Hara; NAY: None; ABSTAIN: None).

Kaimuki Street Sinage Requirements Reporting: Chair Bullock noted that he only knows two (2) streets that are really bad. Let Chair Bullock or Member Hagadone know if there are any streets they would like to report or use the 311 app.

REPORTS

Treasurer's Report -- Hagadone reported a remaining balance of $140.07. The report was filied.

Members Attendance at other Meetings: No members attended other meetings.

EnVission Kaimuki Meeting Minutes and Reports -- Chair Bullock noted that the Agenda and Minutes are attached in the packet.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

• Library: The Kaimuki Library is now reopened.

• Next Meeting: The next meeting of the Kaimuki Neighborhood Board No. 4 will be Wednesday, June 21, 2017, at 7:00 p.m. at the Kaimuki Christian Church, Fellowship Hall, 1117 Koko Head Avenue.

ADJOURNMENT -- The meeting adjourned at 9:23 p.m.

Submitted by: Anela Kekoolani, Neighborhood Assistant

Reviewed by: Sultan White, Neighborhood Assistant

Reviewed by: Lyle Bullock Jr., Board Chair

Questions? Ready for an appointment?

Like Our Facebook

Kaimuki, Hawaii News Item

Kaimuki, Hawaii
News Item