Waikiki Neighborhood Board Meeting August 2017 Minutes

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Waikiki Neighborhood Board Meeting August 2017 Minutes
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With Permission / Courtesy of: City and County of Honolulu Neighborhood Commission Office

REGULAR MEETING MINUTES
TUESDAY, AUGUST 8, 2017
WAIKIKI COMMUNITY CENTER

CALL TO ORDER - Chair Robert Finley called the meeting to order at 7:01 p.m.; quorum was established with 11 members present. Note: This 17-member Board requires nine (9) members to establish quorum and to take official board action.

Board Members Present - Jeff Apaka, Kathryn Henski, Laura McIntyre, Louis Erteschik, Robert Finley, Walt Flood, Nicola Garreaud-Perez, Helen Carroll, Jeffrey Merz, Kenneth Wilder, Richard Poole, Jerome Bautista, and Patricia Shields.

Board Members Absent - Adam Ertel, Gordon Fahey, Grant Giventer, and Mark Smith.

Guests - Sergeant Lee and Lieutenant So (Honolulu Police Department); Firefighter Eric Capllonch (Honolulu Fire Department); Lynn Fallin (Governor David Ige's Representative); Representative Tom Brower; Kurt Tsuneyushi and Kim Ribellia (Councilmember Trevor Ozawa's Office); Rick Egged (Waikiki Improvement Association); Dana Yoshimura (Department of Land and Natural Resources); Dale Moskowitz, Brian Bagnau, Gordon Wood, Pat Kesling-Wood, Robert Miller, Joanne Weldon, Beth Schippers, Daisy Murai, Nancy Mueting; Zoe Tanaka (Videographer); and Sultan White (Neighborhood Commission Office).

SUB DISTRICT 1 VACANCY
Chair Finley moved and Shields seconded that Jerome Bautista fill the Waikiki Neighborhood Board No. 9 Sub District 1 Vacancy. The motion PASSED by UNANIMOUS CONSENT, 11-0-0; (AYE: Carroll, Apaka, Henski, McIntyre, Erteschik, Finley, Flood, Garreaud-Perez, Merz, Wilder, and Shields; NAY: None; ABSTAIN: None).

Jerome Bautista read the Oath of Office and sat on the Waikiki Neighborhood Board No. 9. Twelve members present.

CITY MONTHLY REPORTS
Honolulu Fire Department (HFD) - Firefighter Capllonch reported the following:
& #8226; July 2017 Fire Statistics - There were 3 structure fires, 4 nuisance fires, 8 activated alarms, 123 medical fires, 3 motor vehicle crashes, and 4 hazardous materials incidents.
& #8226; Safety Tip: Grilling Safety - Each year a national average of 8,900 home fires are grilling-related and almost half of all injuries involving grills are due to thermal burns. Follow these simple tips for safe grilling:
o Propane and charcoal barbeque grills should only be used outdoors.
o Grills should be placed well away from the home, deck railings, and out from under eaves and overhanging branches.
o Keep children and pets at least three (3) feet away from the grill area.
o Keep your grill clean by removing grease or fat buildup.
o Never leave your grill unattended. Ensure that the gas grill lid is open before lighting it.
o For Charcoal grills, charcoal chimney starters allow you to light the charcoal using newspaper as fuel.
o If you use a starter fluid, only use charcoal starter fluid. Never add any other flammable liquids to the fire.
o Keep charcoal fluid out of children's reach and away from heat sources.
o After grilling, let the coals cool completely before disposing it in a metal container.

Questions, comments, and concerns that followed:
1. Lanai: Chair Finley asked if electric grills are allowed on the lanai. Firefighter Capllonch will follow up.
2. Candles: Carrol said that there should be no lighted candles in rental units.

Honolulu Police Department (HPD) - Lieutenant Lee reported the following:
& #8226; July 2017 Crime Statistics - There were 15 robberies, 10 burglaries, 241 thefts, 19 unauthorized entries into motor vehicles (UEMVs), 37 assaults (aggravated and simple), 3 sex crimes, 27 speeding citations, 778 parking citations, 2 loud muffler citations, and 124 citations, 40 warnings and 7 arrests for park closures. A total of 4,381 calls were placed for service.

Questions, comments, and concerns that followed:
1. Crosswalk Safety: Henski said that two (2) people were hit on a crosswalk on Kalakaua Avenue. Are there any ways to make crosswalks safer? Lieutenant Lee said to be aware in dimly lit areas. Be aware when crossing and look both ways even when walking across a crosswalk. Henski asked if there could be crossing flags. Lieutenant Lee said that the Community Policing Team should look into it.
2. Homelessness: A resident said that there was a homeless camp along the Ala Wai Canal near Ala Moana Avenue. Lieutenant Lee said that he will pass on the information or to call 911 when they see it to pass on to the proper department. A resident said that they tried calling 911 before but no police came. Lieutenant Lee answered that it might have been an instance of other cases being prioritized or the HPD being too busy.
3. Food Pantry: A resident raised concerns with Food Pantry violating the 2011 Hawaii Code Division 1 Government Title 19 Health 342f. - 30.80 restrictions. They believe the code covers 5:00 a.m. unlawful private property garbage pick-up in the street. The resident reported speeding in the lot and on Walina Street. There is a pot hole on the left side of the street before Food Pantry. Lieutenant Lee responded that dump trucks are allowed on private property at certain times during the day. He will pass on this information to his colleagues.
4. Homelessness: Wilder asked what happens when one calls the cops on homeless people. Lieutenant Lee said that it depends if they are breaking a law. The officer will respond accordingly.

Board of Water Supply (BWS) - No representative present.

RESIDENTS'/COMMUNITY CONCERNS - There were no concerns.

PUBLIC EVENTS
??? Friday, August 18, 2017 to Wednesday, August 30, 2017, Duke's Oceanfest
& #8226; Saturday, September 23, 2017, 5:30 p.m. to 11:00 p.m., Aloha Festivals Hoolaulea
& #8226; Sunday, September 24, 2017, 6:15 a.m., Honolulu Century Bike Ride (East Oahu Event)
& #8226; Saturday, September 30, 2017, 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., Aloha Festivals Floral Parade

APPLICATIONS FOR LIQUOR LICENSES - There were none.

With no objection, Chair Finley moved Item IX a. Ala Wai Boat Harbor Presentation to be presented before the Elected Officials.

Ala Wai Boat Harbor Presentation - Lehua Kauhane reported that the first Public Visioning Meeting had wrapped up. Lehua Kauhane gave an overview of the history of the Ala Wai Boat Harbor. The State is considering developing four (4) plots with input from the public. The next Public Visioning Meeting will be in fall 2017. Visit http://www.envisionalawaismallboatharbor.com/ for more details.

Questions, comments, and concerns that followed:
1. Website: A resident suggested that the website be updated to engage the community more.
2. Next Meeting: A resident asked and Kauhane answered that the next meeting will be in October or November 2017.
3. Variances: A resident asked and Kauhane answered that there were variances issued to Honeybee and that it is up to the developer to verify if they are in effect.
4. Highrises: A resident said that there should be no highrises built in the Ala Wai Small Boat Harbor.
5. Stakeholder Meetings: A resident asked that the neighbors bordering the Ala Wai Harbor be invited to the stakeholder meetings.
6. Public-Private Partnerships: A resident raised concerns about public-private partnerships developing in the Ala Wai Harbor. He said that other companies lose when one gets in the pocket of the government.
7. Subsidizing: A resident raised concerns of the funds generated by the Ala Wai Small Boat Harbor subsidizing the other harbors.
8. No Development: A resident raised was against development in the harbor. She said that there should be no other businesses there. Kauhane said that they are only gathering community input. There are no plans to develop yet. No decisions have been made.
9. Finances: Merz asked if their due diligence involved financial disclosure. He called for transparency so they know the money stays in the harbor. Wilder asked if there was an income generator. Kauhane answered that they are not yet at that stage of due diligence. They have nto done any financial analysis yet. All they are doing is gathering input from the public.
10. Waikiki Yacht Club: Carroll asked and Kauhane replied that this will not have any impact on the Waikiki Yacht Club.

ELECTED OFFICIALS
Mayor Kirk Caldwell's Representative - Deputy Director Mark Yonamine reported on the following issues:
& #8226; Bus: The officers assigned to the Waikiki district constantly patrol and respond to complaints such as these. They take appropriate action (i.e., issue warnings or citations or make arrests) for violations, dependent on the circumstances. The officers also try to get proper social/welfare intervention for these individuals when necessary. It is not a crime for homeless individuals to be at bus stops. Persons who are homeless must be afforded the same civil rights guaranteed to all citizens. Therefore, they may remain in public places if they are not violating any laws. DTS understands and respects the concerns expressed by the board members and residents, however must concur with HPD.
& #8226; Floatilla: The Honolulu Police Department has taken the lead in coordinating multiagency efforts to maintain order during the floatillas. There are no laws regulating this specific activity. Thus, the officers enforce related laws based on the individual's actions. The problem is complex and multijurisdictional, but the officers continue to work together and refine our approach to this event. Officers assigned to the Waikiki district initiated several cases involving underage drinking during the most recent floatilla.
& #8226; Crosswalk: A temporary overhead service was installed and the street lights are operational. Permanent repairs are expected to be completed by the end of August 2017.
& #8226; Private Roads: A private land owner is legally entitled to due process and just compensation prior to condemnation. The funds to acquire the property need to be appropriated to conduct a survey, title search, and an appraisal in order to make an offer of just compensation. If the City is unable to acquire the property, funds need to be budgeted and a request will then be made by the Department of Design and Construction to the Department of Corporation Counsel to initiate eminent domain proceedings.
& #8226; Biki: DTS staff previously spoke to the owner of the bike rental business on Uluniu Street regarding the situation. Bikeshare Hawaii will move the Biki station on Uluniu Avenue further makai of the current location near Koa Avenue. Bike share systems are becoming popular worldwide because they offer another transportation option for people that is different than traditional bike rental agencies.

Questions, comments, and concerns that followed:
1. Homelessness: Perez-Garreaud said that DTS should have the hours of operation posted on bus stops to keep people from camping there. A resident said that there should be a no camping regulation on transportation places.
2. Trashcans: A resident raised concerns about the bottoms of the trashcans in Waikiki accumulating dirt and trash.
3. One Way Tickets: A resident raised concerns about homeless people coming to Hawaii with a one way ticket.

Governor David Ige's Representative - Deputy Director Lynn Fallin of the State Department of Health (DOH) Behavior Health Services Administration circulated a newsletter and reported that the Clean Air Branch investigated the construction dust from the restaurant being built. They were unable to detact fugitive dust violations. Deputy Fallin reported that the water is not safe in the Ala Wai. It was constructed for drainage. Deputy Fallin reported that there were graffiti issues in Waikiki. Lastly, do not use soaps or shampoos at the beach showers since they can flow into the ocean and harm the environment.

Representative Tom Brower ??? Representative Brower stated that laws are effective only when enforced and that there is going to be a special session on rail funding. He circulated a handout.

Questions, comments, and concerns followed:
1. Small Boat Harbor: Chair Finley asked that Representative Brower look into the funding for the Ala Wai Small Boat Harbor. Representative Brower said that the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) needs to be more involved with the community.
2. Rail: Erteschick asked how the Rail would be funded and Representative Brower replied that they are still debating and will decide during the special session.

Councilmember Trevor Ozawa - Kurt Tsuneyushi reported that the office is working with Biki for better solutions on how to integrate Bikeshare into the community. He circulated a handout.

Questions, comments, and concerns followed:
1. Private Roads: Henski asked for an update on Lemon and Cartwright Roads.
2. Biki: A resident raised concerns about Biki and said there should be a Bill about structures on the sidewalk.
3. Styrofoam: A resident asked why the ban on Styrofoam was taken off the agenda. Tsuneyushi responded that he does not know.

Senator Brickwood Galuteria - No representative was present.

Waikiki Improvement Association - Rick Egged reported that Biki stops could be considered sidewalk kiosks, which would place them under certain laws. Egged encouraged the community to attend the Aloha Festivals during September 2017.

Questions, comments, and concerns followed: Design Revision: Merz asked for an update on the design revision for the Waikiki special district. Egged responded that they suspended work on that until 2018.

APPROVAL OF THE JULY 11, 2017 REGULAR MEETING MINUTES
The July 11, 2017 regular meeting minutes were APPROVED BY UNANIMOUS CONSENT as circulated, 11-0-0; (AYE: Carroll, Apaka, Henski, McIntyre, Erteschik, Finley, Flood, Garreaud-Perez, Merz, Wilder, and Shields; NAY: None; ABSTAIN: None).

REPORTS
Treasurer's Report - There was no report.

Subdistrict 1 - There was no report.

Subdistrict 2 - Flood reported that the construction crew at the Ritz Carleton is using high-intensity large fluorescent lights all night that is in violation and disturbing the neighbors.

Subdistrict 3 - There was no report.

Chair Report - Chair Finley reported that the public should make suggestions for changes to the 2018 Neighborhood Plan by Thursday, October 19, 2017.

ANNOUNCEMENTS
& #8226; The next regular Waikiki Neighborhood Board No. 9 meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, September, 2017 at 7:00 p.m.
& #8226; View this meeting on Olelo Channel 49 at 9:00 p.m. on the 4th Tuesday each month, and at 6:00 a.m. on the 1st and 3rd Sunday of each month. View online at: http://olelo.granicus.com/ViewPublisher.php?view_id=30

ADJOURNMENT: The meeting adjourned at 9:00 p.m.

Submitted by: Sultan White, Neighborhood Assistant I
Reviewed by: Aran Wilson, Neighborhood Assistant I
Final Review: Chair Finley

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