Diamond Head Neighborhood Board Meeting MARCH 2025 Minutes

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
Diamond Head Neighborhood Board Meeting MARCH 2025 Minutes
Tweet

NEXT MEETING - Click here to read next meeting agenda scheduled for 4/10/2025.

With Permission / Courtesy of: City and County of Honolulu Neighborhood Commission Office

DIAMOND HEAD - KAPAHULU - ST. LOUIS HEIGHTS NEIGHBORHOOD BOARD NO. 5

DRAFT REGULAR MEETING WRITTEN SUMMARY FOR VIDEO RECORD

THURSDAY, MARCH 13, 2025 AT 6:00 P.M.

ALA WAI GOLF COURSE CLUBHOUSE BALLROOM -- 404 KAPAHULU AVENUE, HONOLULU, HI 96815

AND ONLINE VIA WEBEX

Video Recording of Meeting: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfqRwVpRroolsFSNpDzklm59N89al2XyQ

Google Drive Link: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1WKnOJqdvqoRuGhJ7E9rg5u7AtruuZZZn

1. CALL TO ORDER -- [0:00:08]: Vice Chair Velasco called the meeting to order at 6:01 p.m. Quorum WAS NOT established with 6 members present. This 15-member board requires 8 members to establish a quorum and to take official board action.

Board Members Present: Julia Allen, David Beutel, Rafia Hasina, Angie Knight (arrived at 6:10 p.m.), Michelle Matson (arrived at 6:18 p.m.), Anthony Miranda (appointed at 6:15 p.m.); Margaret Murchie, Laura St. Denis, Bruce Wong, Linda Wong (arrived at 7:27 p.m.), and Arleen Velasco.

Board Members Absent: Winston Welch, Dylan Whitsell, and Kendric Wong.

Guests: Lieutenant Steven Ono and Lieutenant Michael Thompson (Honolulu Police Department); Kathleen Elliott-Pahinui (Board of Water Supply); Department of Community Services Director Anton Krucky (Mayor Blangiardi); Councilmember Tommy Waters, Kevin Imanaka, and Adam Doo (City Council Chair Waters); Kylie Tokujo (Councilmember Nishimoto); Senator Les Ihara, Jr.; Representative Tina Nakada Grandinetti; Representative Ikaika Olds; Ross Isokane, Audrey Abe, Juanita Liu, Daisy Murai, Leolani Iwaki, and Grace Benson (Residents/Guests); Curtis Hayashi (Neighborhood Commission Office). Note: Name was not included if not legible or stated for the record. There were approximately 28 total participants.

2. PUBLIC SAFETY MONTHLY REPORTS -- [0:00:22]

Honolulu Fire Department (HFD), Waikīkī Station -- [0:00:26]: No representative present. Should you have questions, please email the HFD's Public Affairs & Media Liaison at HFDNHB@honolulu.gov.

• Report: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SaSrX8j8ol9Ny7UnjC-RINimIR352AVY/view?usp=sharing

• Request for Information: https://fire.honolulu.gov/requests-for-information

• Website: https://fire.honolulu.gov

• Response Mapping: http://www.responsemapping.com/map.aspx?aid=2d8b134f-7c9f-4f42-8ef7-424c4cfe3ae5

HFD recommends anyone wanting more details to use the response map to search for the incidents near them. The map contains data from the last 6 months and can be filtered by date, type of incidents, and location, making it easy for residents to learn more about what is going on in their neighborhood.

Honolulu Police Department (HPD) District 6 -- Waikīkī/Kapiʻolani Park/Diamond Head -- [0:00:49]: Lieutenant Ono provided the report and highlighted the February 2025 statistics.

• Crime Mapping Statistics: https://www.honolulupd.org/dashboard

Questions, comments, and concerns followed -- [0:02:21].

Honolulu Police Department (HPD) District 7 -- Diamond Head/Kapahulu/St. Louis Heights/East Honolulu -- [0:03:40]: Lieutenant Thompson provided the report and highlighted the February 2025 statistics.

• Crime Mapping Statistics: https://www.honolulupd.org/dashboard

Questions, comments, and concerns followed -- [0:05:36].

Angie Knight joined at 6:10 p.m.; 7 members present.

Michelle Matson joined at 6:18 p.m.; 8 members present.

3. FILLING OF BOARD SEATS -- TWO VACANCIES IN SUBDISTRICT 2 (KAPAHULU, EAST ALA WAI) -- [0:12:48]: Resident Anthony Miranda expressed interest in filling the vacancy and introduced himself. [0:14:00] -- Knight NOMINATED Miranda to fill a vacant seat in Subdistrict 2. Miranda was APPOINTED; 8-0-0 (Miranda: Allen, Beutel, Hasina, Knight, Murchie, St. Denis, Velasco, and Bruce Wong; Abstain: None) -- [0:14:35]. One seat in Subdistrict 2 remains vacant.

Anthony Miranda was appointed at 6:15 p.m.; 9 members present.

4. PUBLIC INTEREST REPORTS AND EVENT ANNOUNCEMENTS -- [0:16:14]

Board of Water Supply (BWS) Report -- [0:16:18]: Kathleen Elliott-Pahinui (kelliott-pahinui@hbws.org) report no main breaks for February 2025, shared BWS job opportunities (https://www.boardofwatersupply.com/jobs), and an update on the Diamond Head fencing project.

• General Water Announcement: Report water waste at www.boardofwatersupply.com/waterwaste, email contactus@hbws.org, or call (808) 748-5041.

• Website: https://boardofwatersupply.com

• Inquiries on BWS Construction Projects: (808) 748-5319

Questions, comments, and concerns followed -- [0:18:36].

Kapiʻolani Community College (KCC) Updates -- [0:20:31]: No representative present.

5. PUBLIC AND COMMUNITY CONCERNS & EVENT ANNOUNCMENTS OPEN FORUM -- [0:20:39]

Joint Transportation Committee Meeting -- [0:21:00]: Audrey Abe (Kaimuki Neighborhood Board) reported there was a good turnout of residents at a recent joint committee meeting with the Diamond Head Neighborhood Board. Abe thanked Murchie (chair of the traffic and public safety committee) and Chair Welch for attending. Department of Transportation Services (DTS) Director Roger Morton and Brian McKee from Mayor Blangiardi's office attended the committee meeting and discussed TheBus Route 200 along with other pedestrian and traffic safety concerns. Resident Juanita Liu and Bruce Wong shared comments in support of the joint committee efforts to address these issues in the neighborhood, especially regarding TheBus Route 200 operations.

Plot of Land at the Ala Wai Golf Course Entrance and Ala Wai Community Garden Waitlist -- [0:24:09]: Miranda asked if the City have any plans to beautify or use the empty plot of land at the Ala Wai Golf Course entrance. Also, Miranda commented about the Ala Wai Community Garden waitlist and asked if the City have any plans to expand existing community gardens or open new community gardens.

Speeding and Stream Overgrowth Concerns -- [0:25:40]: A resident raised speeding concerns at the intersection of Kapahulu Avenue and Waialae Avenue in addition to stream overgrowth in the neighborhood nearby 2847 Waialae Avenue.

Future Joint Transportation Committee Meeting -- [0:30:33]: Hasina commented about the traffic safety committee meeting and expressed support for a future committee meeting to address concerns in the neighborhood.

6. PRESENTATIONS -- [0:31:26]

Presentation requesting support for Honolulu City Council Bill 46 (2024) on taxing empty homes -- [0:31:28]: Ross Isokane (Empty Homes Tax Coalition) provided an overview of City Council Bill 46 (2024) in support of the empty homes tax. Isokane is advocating for solutions to Honolulu's "housing crisis" by curbing demand from speculators and outside investors.

• Bill 46 (2024): https://hnldoc.ehawaii.gov/hnldoc/measure/browse/3047

City Council Chair Tommy Waters also provided details on Bill 46 (2024) and an update on the Ernst & Young empty homes tax report that is due this summer 2025. Questions, comments, and concerns followed -- [0:34:27].

7. RESOLUTIONS FOR BOARD ACTION -- [0:46:15]

Resolution in Support of Honolulu City Council Bill 46 (2024) -- [0:46:15]: [0:46:23] Beutel MOVED and Miranda

SECONDED to adopt this resolution. Following discussion, the resolution was NOT ADOPTED; 4-3-3 (Aye: Beutel, Miranda, Knight, and Velasco; Nay: Allen, Hasina, and Murchie; Abstain: Matson, St. Denis, and Bruce Wong) -- [1:10:03].

• Resolution: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1nX2of5973ffFUoQe3k88U6m2LJM6AF5i_kgF_fVf7Go/edit?usp=drive_link

8. TRAFFIC AND SAFETY BOARD COMMITTEE REPORT -- [1:11:14]: Margaret Murchie (Diamond Head Neighborhood Board) provided a report on the joint meeting of the Kaimuki Neighborhood Board's transportation committee and Diamond Head Neighborhood Board's traffic and public safety committee regarding issues with TheBus Route 200 and other traffic congestion and safety concerns. The meeting minutes are still being finalized.

Questions, comments, and concerns followed -- [1:15:51].

9. CITY & COUNTY OF HONOLULU REPORTS -- [1:19:00]

Mayor's Representative -- [1:19:05]: Department of Community Services (DCS) Director Anton Krucky provided the report and responded to constituent concerns. Roy Miyahira will serve as the City's new Director of Homeless Solutions. There are currently no updates or new developments to share about the Ala Wai Canal flood risk management project. The City is working on addressing homeless encampments on Kapahulu Avenue and there will be new signage in the neighborhood. The City's DDC (Department of Design and Construction) met with DPR (Department of Parks and Recreation) at Leahi Beach Park on Friday, January 17, 2025 and recommended an assessment be made to determine what remedial action is to be taken. Construction work for the beachfront wall at Queen's Beach began on Tuesday, January 21, 2025 and is expected to take six months to complete. DTS (Department of Transportation Services) acknowledges receipt of the petition and accompanying photographs. DTS will review the petition and information presented by Ms. Isaacs in conjunction with other informational materials presented by community members at the Tuesday, March 4, 2025 joint meeting of the Kaimuki Neighborhood Board Transportation Committee and Diamond Head Neighborhood Board Traffic and Public Safety Committee.

• Newsletter: https://www8.honolulu.gov/mayor/newsletter

• Contact Mayor Blangiardi: https://www8.honolulu.gov/mayor/contact-the-mayor

Questions, comments, and concerns followed -- [1:23:52].

Linda Wong joined at 7:27 p.m.; 10 members present.

City Council Chair Tommy Waters, City Council District 4 -- [1:47:59]: Council Chair Waters provided the report, introduced Kevin Imanaka (his new chief of staff) and Adam Doo, update on the Primary Urban Center Development Plan (https://www8.honolulu.gov/dpp/planning/applying-for-changes/dp-scp/primary-urban-center), and Bill 46 (2024) related to the empty homes tax. Should you have any questions, call (808) 768-5004 or email tommy.waters@honolulu.gov.

• Website: https://www.honolulucitycouncil.org/district4

• Newsletter: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/6098c5bb75e480679bd2fab3/t/67c22becc7e5d05cda09ec8c/1740778510107/DISTRICT+4+NEWSLETTER+MARCH+4.pdf

Questions, comments, and concerns followed -- [1:53:45].

Councilmember Scott Nishimoto, City Council District 5 -- [2:06:00]: Kylie Tokujo (kylie.tokujo@honolulu.gov) provided the report, highlighted budget hearings at the Honolulu City Council, and shared information about an upcoming park cleanup in Palolo. Should you have any questions, call (808) 768-5005 or email scott.nishimoto@honolulu.gov.

• E-Blast: http://eepurl.com/dI6xMz

10. FEDERAL & STATE ELECTED OFFICIALS' REPORTS -- [2:07:37]

U.S. Congressman Ed Case -- [2:07:45]: No representative present.

U.S. Senator Brian Schatz -- [2:07:58]: No representative present.

U.S. Senator Mazie Hirono -- [2:07:59]: No representative present.

Governor Josh Green's Representative -- [2:08:06]: No representative present.

State Senator Stanley Chang -- [2:08:21]: No representative present.

State Senator Les Ihara, Jr. -- [2:08:42]: No representative present.

State Senator Carol Fukunaga -- [2:08:49]: No representative present.

State House Representative Tina Nakada Grandinetti -- [2:08:57]: Representative Grandinetti provided the report, including committee and legislative updates regarding housing, rental protection, homelessness, mental health, and State House budget. Should you have any questions, call (808) 586-6310 or email repgrandinetti@capitol.hawaii.gov.

Questions, comments, and concerns followed -- [2:13:21].

State House Representative Jackson Sayama -- [2:14:36]: No representative present.

State House Representative Andrew Garrett -- [2:14:44]: No representative present.

State House Representative Ikaika Olds -- [2:17:32]: Representative Olds provided the report, including committee, caucus, and legislative updates (homeless triage bill, homeless/housing initiative, and rainy day fund). Should you have any questions, call (808) 586-8515 or email repolds@capitol.hawaii.gov.

• Newsletter: https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/MemberFiles/House/Olds/Newsletters/2025MarNewsletter.pdf

• Subscribe to Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/capitol/email-sign-up

Questions, comments, and concerns followed -- [2:19:25].

11. BOARD BUSINESS -- [2:28:30]

Chair's question to board members: Would you like a presentation on "Empty Homes Tax" Bill 046(2024)? -- [2:28:30]: Chair Welch was absent and a presentation requesting support for the empty homes tax was given earlier in the meeting.

Board Committee Reports -- [2:28:40]:

Environment -- [2:28:41]: No report.

Parks & Recreation -- [2:28:43]: No report.

Planning & Zoning -- [2:28:59]: Matson provided an update regarding the joint committee meeting held on Tuesday, January 21, 2025 (https://www4.honolulu.gov/docushare/dsweb/Get/Document-347567/05%202025-01%20Joint%20Committee%20AG.pdf).

Traffic & Public Safety -- [2:31:53]: Murchie provided an update. After Abe reviews the joint transportation committee meeting minutes, the committee meeting minutes will be available at https://www4.honolulu.gov/docushare/dsweb/View/Collection-15398.

Board Subdistrict Reports -- [2:34:00]:

St. Louis Heights Subdistrict 1 Report -- [2:34:07]: The St. Louis Heights Community Association will meet on Monday, March 24, 2025 at 7:00 p.m. at Hokulani Elementary School with a meet-and-greet at 6:00 p.m.

Kapahulu Subdistrict 2 Report -- [2:34:41]: No report.

Diamond Head Subdistrict 3 Report -- [2:34:47]: Linda Wong shared her condolences for a resident by the name of Marilyn who attended community meetings and helped with issues in the neighborhood.

Reports of Board Members Attending Other Board and Public Meetings -- [2:36:00]: Laura St. Denis shared information about botanical garden tours (https://www8.honolulu.gov/dpr/honolulu-botanical-gardens).

Approval of Written Summaries for Video Record in accordance with HRS 92-3.7 (b)(6) and 92-9 (a) and (b) -- [2:37:04]: [2:37:18] -- Beutel MOVED and Knight SECONDED to approve all of the listed written summaries (Thursday, March 14, 2024; Thursday, September 12, 2024; Thursday, October 10, 2024; Thursday, November 14, 2024; Thursday, December 12, 2024; Thursday, January 9, 2025; and Thursday, February 13, 2025. The written summaries were NOT ADOPTED; 7-3-1 (Aye: Allen, Beutel, Miranda, Knight, St. Denis, Velasco, and Bruce Wong; Nay: Hasina, Matson, and Linda Wong; Abstain: Murchie) -- [2:50:32].

12. ANNOUNCEMENTS -- [2:51:59]: Vice Chair Velasco read a letter from the Department of Transportation Services (DTS) regarding no parking restrictions on the makai side of Herman Street. For questions/concerns, call (808) 768-3622.

Next Meeting -- The next Neighborhood Board No. 5 regular meeting is scheduled for Thursday, April 10, 2025 at 6:00 p.m. at the Ala Wai Golf Course Club House Ballroom, and online via Webex.

Contact NCO@honolulu.gov or call (808) 768-3710

13. ADJOURNMENT -- [2:54:05]: The meeting adjourned at 8:55 p.m.

Submitted by: Curtis Hayashi, Neighborhood Assistant, Neighborhood Commission Office

Reviewed by: Dylan Buck, Community Relations Specialist, Neighborhood Commission Office

Finalized by:

Questions? Ready for an appointment?

Like Our Facebook

Kaimuki Hawaii News Item

Diamond Head Neighborhood Board Meeting MARCH 2025 Minutes

Kaimuki Hawaii
News Item