Contact Us Subscribe
  1. Back
  2. Current News
  3. News Archive
With Permission / Courtesy of: City and County of Honolulu Neighborhood Commission Office
WAIKIKI NEIGHBORHOOD BOARD NO. 9
REGULAR MEETING MINUTES
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2019
WAIKIKI COMMUNITY CENTER

CALL TO ORDER: Chair Robert Finley called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. A quorum was established with 12 members present. Note: This 17-member Board requires nine (9) members to establish quorum and to take official board action.

Board Members Present: Robert Boyack, Lisa Cabanero, Helen Carroll, Louis Erteschik, Robert Finley, Walt Flood, Mark Garrity, Jeffrey Merz, John Nigro, Patricia Shields, Mark Smith, and Michael Brown.

Board Members Absent: Jerome Bautista, Kathryn Henski, and Kenneth Wilder.

Guests: Councilmember Tommy Waters; Senator Sharon Moriwaki; Dominic Dias (Board of Water Supply); Scott Glenn (Office of Governor David Ige); Franklin Chung (Libertarian Party of Hawaii); Lloyd Lytle, Sarah Delfin, Dave Moskiwitz, Jerry Leschinsky, Steve Przybelinski, Rosa Lee Przybelinski, Steven Koyama, Tom Penrose, James Browne, Chelsie Arashiro, and Time Garry (Residents); Casey Ishitani (Neighborhood Assistant). Name was not included if not legible on the attendance sheet.

FILLING OF VACANCIES:
Two (2) Vacancies Sub District 2: Hearing no appointees, Chair Finley deferred this item to the November 2019 meeting.

CITY MONTHLY REPORTS
Honolulu Fire Department (HFD): No representative was present. There was no report.

Honolulu Police Department (HPD): HPD Sergeant Glenn Romero reported that crime statistics are available online at www.honolulupd.org.

Questions, comments, and concerns followed:
1. Loud Mufflers: Smith reiterated concerns regarding the amount of loud mufflers heard at night not matching citations by HPD. Sergeant Romero responded that HPD is attempting to cite as many as possible.
2. Criminal Activity: Resident Dave Moskiwitz raised concerns regarding claims of criminal activity in the 7-11 parking lot on Ena Road.
3. Aloha Aina Unity March: Resident Tim Garry raised concerns regarding the lack of parking in Waikiki during the First Amendment event Aloha Aina Unity March. Resident Garry inquired if the march obtained a permit and Sergeant Romero inquired that they did.
4. Trespassers: A resident raised concerns regarding trespassers using his apartment building's external outlets and water hoses. The resident's building has no resident manager. Sergeant Romero responded that residents can file a trespassing report. Chair Finley reported that the resident can procure trespassing forms from the Waikiki Improvement Association (WIA) and that once a trespassing notice has been filed, the violator can be immediately arrested, but HPD officers do an identification check on all suspected trespass violators for outstanding warrants.

Board of Water Supply (BWS): BWS representative Dominic Dias reported the following.
• Main Breaks: There were no main breaks in September 2019, but Dias reported that he will report on details regarding the Sunday, October 6, 2019 main break at the November 2019 meeting.
• 2019-2020 Halawa Xeriscape Garden Workshop Schedule: The Halawa Xeriscape Garden 2019-2020 workshop schedule can be found at https://www.boardofwatersupply.com/.
• Water Emergency Preparedness: Due to recent storm activity, BWS reminded residents that an emergency preparedness kit should be available in residents' households. Information regarding how best to store drinking water is available online at www.boardofwatersupply.com/emergencypreparedness. To receive alerts via email or text message, subscribe to BWS at www.hnl.info.

Questions, comments, and concerns followed: Water Mains: Flood inquired about the usage of cast iron for water mains and if heavy vehicles have an effect on PVC pipes and Dias responded that the materials used for water mains are dependent on proximity to tidal areas.

RESIDENTS AND COMMUNITY CONCERNS
Waikiki International Food Fest: Steve Oyama of Waikiki Rotary Club reported that the 14th Annual Waikiki International Food Fest fundraiser will take place on Saturday, October 19, 2019 from 5:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. at Pomaika'i Ballroom at Dole Cannery, 735 Iwilei Road.

Centennial Park: Linda Collard of Waikiki Rotary Club reported a clean-up of the proposed Centennial Park area will be held on Saturday, October 12, 2019 at 2251 Aloha Drive.

Surf Contests: Resident Tim Garry reiterated concerns regarding surf contests in Waikiki, requesting that the Board adopt his petition.

PUBLIC EVENTS: Chair Finley reported the following public events in Waikiki.
• Saturday, November 9, 2019, 2 p.m. to midnight, Kalakaua Festival
• Friday, November 29, 2019, 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., Waikiki Holiday Parade
• Sunday, December 1, 2019, 10:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., Street Bikers United Toys for Tots Caravan
• Saturday, December 7, 2019, Tree Lighting Events Downtown
• Saturday, December 7, 2019, 5:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m., Kalakaua Merrie Mile Run 
• Saturday, December 7, 2019, 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Pearl Harbor Memorial Anniversary Parade
• Sunday, December 8, 2019, 2:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Honolulu Marathon

APPLICATIONS FOR LIQUOR LICENSES: Chair Finley reported the following liquor license hearings.
• Thursday, November 7, 2019, Uncles NY Pub, 2299 Kuhio Avenue, The Laylow, Autograph Collection, Category 1
• Thursday, November 14, 2019, ChopChop Rotisserie, 438 Hobron Lane, Category 2
• Thursday, November 14, 2019, Waikiki Club Lounge, HIS Tour Private Club, 330 Royal Hawaiian Avenue, Category 1

ELECTED OFFICIALS AND OTHERS
Mayor Kirk Caldwell's Representative: Department of Design and Construction (DDC) Deputy Director Mark Yonamine reported the following.
• Recognition: Deputy Director Yonamine reported that Neighborhood Commission Executive Secretary Shawn Hamamoto has transferred to Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transit (HART).
• Building Access: Board members raised concerns regarding building entry procedures in structures for HFD. HFD personnel are trained and equipped with forcible entry tools that allow them to quickly gain access into structures to expedite their emergency response. Another option for owners and managers is to install a KnoxBox, which is a rapid access system. More information may be found at www.knoxbox.com. Residents can contact Assistant Chief Ronald Rico of the Fire Operations division at (808) 723-7103 or rrico@honolulu.gov.
• Loud Mufflers: Residents and Board members all reported constant loud mufflers with a lack of HPD citations to curb it. The officers assigned to the Waikiki district issued the following citations during the period of January 2019 to Friday, September 27, 2019: eight (8) citations for motorcycle and moped noise muffler violations; 26 citations for mufflers and noise control devices violations; and nine (9) citations for motor vehicle muffler violations. HPD officers will continue to monitor the area and take appropriate enforcement action when violations of the law are observed.
• Early Morning Privately Owned Refuse Pick Up: Residents and Board members also reported multiple instances of privately owned trucks collecting dumpster trash as early as 3:00 a.m. An HPD officer from the District 6 Community Policing Team monitored the computer aided dispatch system for one week for any calls for service regarding early morning refuse pickups, but there were no complaints made during that period.
• Bird Excrement: A Board member reiterated last month's claim regarding bird excrement covering benches in Kapiolani Park. Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) reported that staff cleans the benches weekly. However, many of the benches are situated under trees where birds gather and their droppings land on the benches. DPR does clean the benches before large events at Kapiolani Park Bandstand, but most of the benches fronting the Bandstand are also under trees and subject to continual bird droppings.
• 1615 Ala Wai Boulevard: Board members inquired about updates on the status of an abandoned building at 1615 Ala Wai Boulevard. On Monday, September 16, 2019, inspection by the Department of Planning and Permitting (DPP) revealed an abandoned building with graffiti on the exterior walls. Several graffiti letters were sent to the owner requesting his assistance in removing or covering the graffiti. The DPP has no enforcement powers requiring the removal of graffiti on private properties.
• Parking Laws: Board members raised concerns regarding the changed street parking laws, citing incidents of residents being unable to park in their neighborhoods until later at night. The Board requested that day passes be given to residents. Department of Transportation Services (DTS) reported that Ordinance 17-25 approved by the City Council in June 2017 and establishes rates for on-street parking. Day passes for residents are not authorized in the ordinance. The only incident that the HPD officers are familiar with is a recent parking enforcement operation that was conducted around the Kapiolani Park area. This operation was conducted in response to multiple complaints of vehicles parked overnight in the area and people sleeping in their vehicles.
• Beach Closures: Resident Tim Garry requested that Board adopt a resolution that reiterates his petition to change the number of days that a portion of Queens Beach is closed for surf competitions for 34 days in the last three (3) months. DPR reported that contests are permitted to non-profit organizations at Kuhio Beach Park. These events give the opportunity for the public including persons with special needs such as physical and/or mental disabilities to participate in surfing. These events are all amateur non-professional contests, which also showcases the birthplace of surfing to visitors and local residents. DPR continues to permit and monitor any unauthorized commercial activities during this events. Majority of all surf events are during the summer months when wave activity is ideal.
• Community Benefits Program: Chair Finley inquired with Councilmember Tommy Waters about the status of a community benefits program placed in Waikiki for neighborhood improvements and if funds had been extracted by the City and County of Honolulu. The status of the community benefits program package for the Hilton Grand Vacations project (formerly 133 Kaiulani Place and King's Village) remains unchanged.

Questions, comments, and concerns followed:
1. Private Refuse Pickup: The Board reiterated concerns regarding noise issues from early morning refuse pickup. A resident raised that Honolulu Disposal Service and West Oahu Aggregate are the private refuse companies that have been reported. The resident was also told by HPD's district office that the refuse trucks make multiple trips and need to complete their routes early.
2. Aloha Aina Unity March: Resident Garry reiterated concerns regarding the Aloha Aina Unity March on Saturday, October 5, 2019.

Governor David Ige's Representative: Director of the Office of Environmental Quality Control (OEQC) Scott Glenn reported the following.
• Affordable Housing: On Wednesday, August 28, 2019, Governor Ige took part in a groundbreaking ceremony of the second phase of Kalana Hale. The facility is projected to be completed by early 2021.
• Hawaii Annual Code Challenge (HACC): On Saturday, October 19, 2019 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., HACC Challenge will begin at Hawaii State Capitol Auditorium. The HACC will generate proof-of-concepts by student, amateur and professional coders to benefit community and State agencies to support sustainability at the idea-phase level, feeding into Hawai'i's vibrant innovation ecosystem to promote solutions for community resilience, professional development, local job creation, and building local businesses.
• Aloha Stadium: The State of Hawaii extended the public comment period on development at Aloha Stadium to Thursday, November 7, 2019.

Questions, comments, and concerns followed: Oahu Community Correctional Center (OCCC): Merz inquired about an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) proposed for OCCC and Director Glenn responded that a full EIS was completed.

Councilmember Tommy Waters: Councilmember Waters handed out his newsletter and reported the following.
• 1615 Ala Wai Boulevard: The owner of 1615 Ala Wai Boulevard has not negotiated a price for the derelict property. Councilmember Waters reported that the Department of Land Management (DLM) will suggest condemning the property but will need to declare a public purpose.
• Cabaret Licenses: Councilmember Waters reported that Resolution 19-239 limits cabaret liquor licenses to hotels is being developed. Cabaret liquor licenses allow an establishment to operate until 4:00 a.m.
• Muffler Noise: A Bill to mitigate muffler noise by obstructing alterations will go into first reading on Wednesday, October 9, 2019.
• Ala Wai Watershed Permitted Interaction Group (PIG): Councilmembers Carol Fukunaga, Ann Kobayashi, and Waters took part in a PIG regarding the Ala Wai Watershed Project, seeking alternatives to the retention basins in the current plan. The PIG expressed concerns regarding the current plan's wall along Waikiki.

Question, comments, and concerns followed.
1. Ala Wai Watershed Project: Smith raised concerns regarding a special meeting regarding the Ala Wai Watershed Project held on Wednesday, October 2, 2019, stating that Waikiki residents support the project more than mauka residents. Councilmember Waters stated that he shares concerns for Waiki residents, adding that he has been subpoenaed by Ala Wai Watershed Project opponents. Erteschik raised concerns that the United States Army Corp of Engineers (USACE) may not be making a genuine effort to compromise with opponents and Councilmember Waters responded that the PIG was formed to keep USACE plans transparent. Flood suggested that Waikiki have a dedicated representative. A resident raised concerns that Ala Wai Golf Course may not be considered in the current flood mitigation plan and Councilmember Waters responded that residential neighborhoods are also considered.
2. Mopeds: Garrity stated that gas powered mopeds should be banned.

Senator Sharon Moriwaki: Senator Moriwaki handed out a newsletter and reported the following.
• Private Refuse Pickup: Senator Moriwaki reported that there are no ordinances for private refuse pickup companies. Only City and County of Honolulu vehicles are restricted from early morning pickups. Senator Moriwaki stated that she will contact the refuse companies to request that their routes be adjusted due to noise complaints.

Representative Tom Brower: Representative Brower handed out his newsletter and reported the following.
• Ala Wai Watershed Project: Representative Brower reiterated issues regarding Ala Wai Watershed Project.
• Homelessness: Representative Brower raised concerns that Waikiki residents need to remain vigilant in mitigating the homelessness problem.
• Ala Wai Boulevard Parking: Representative Brower raised concerns regarding cars parking for excessive amounts of time along Ala Wai Boulevard, including a white box truck near Lipeepee Street.
• Vacant Property Tax: Representative Brower supported a vacant property tax, which would bring forth monetary penalties toward property owners who abandon real estate.

Questions, comments, and concerns followed. 
1. Harbor Fee Increase: Erteschik and resident Tom Penrose inquired if harbor fee increases in the Ala Wai Small Boat Harbor are final. Representative Brower responded that he will get back to the Board but disputes between boat owners and the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) have held up negotiations.
2. Abandoned Vehicle: Shields reported an abandoned vehicle on Liliuokalani Avenue and Ala Wai Boulevard.

Waikiki Improvement Association (WIA): WIA President Rick Egged reported the following. 
• Events: Saturday, October 12, 2019, Sunset on the Beach featuring "Ralph Breaks the Internet"
• Ala Wai Watershed Project: President Egged reported that WIA supports the Ala Wai Watershed Project.

Questions, comments, and concerns followed. Kalakaua Avenue: Resident Garry inquired about the status of sidewalk repairs on Kalakaua Avenue and WIA President Egged responded that the delays to the repairs are unacceptable.

Congressman Ed Case: A representative was no present. No report was given.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Tuesday, September 10, 2019 Regular Meeting Minutes: Chair Finley inquired if there were any corrections to the Tuesday, September 10, 2019 Regular Meeting minutes. Shields raised that on page 3, the phrase "Shields raised concerns regarding faulty traffic lightsÉ" should read "Shields raised concerns regarding traffic lights not being synchronizedÉ"

Chair Finley inquired if the Board would like to Adopt the Tuesday, September 10, 2019 Regular Meeting Minutes unanimously. Hearing no objection, the Board ADOPTED the Minutes by UNANIMOUS CONSENT, 12-0-0 (Aye: Boyack, Cabanero, Carroll, Erteschik, Finley, Flood, Garrity, Merz, Nigro, Shields, Smith, and Brown; Nay: None; Abstain: None).

NEW BOARD BUSINESS
2020 Census Information: United States Census Bureau Representative Sharen Nakashima reported that the census will take place on Wednesday, April 1, 2020. The decennial (once a decade) census is used to determine the number of seats for each state in the United States House of Representatives and are used to draw Congressional and State Legislative districts. There will be an outreach booth at the Honolulu Pride Festival and Parade, Saturday, October 19, 2019. The Census Bureau is looking for community support, with applications for census takers and information for the 2020 Census being found at www.census.gov.

Questions, comments, and concerns. Outreach: Boyack inquired if the Census Bureau will be collaborating with non-profit companies and Nakashima responded that they will. The Census Bureau will also need to count homeless individuals.

Proposed Mural at 325 Seaside Avenue: This item was deferred as a representative was not present.

Homeless Project Update: This item was deferred as a representative was not present.

REPORTS
Treasurer's Report: The remaining budget for the Waikiki Neighborhood Board was $358.68.

Sub District 1 Report: Merz raised that Kyoya Hotels and Resorts will be discussed at the next Committee meeting on Thursday, October 24, 2019.

Sub District 2 Report: Flood reported that that at a recent meeting with the Rotary Club of Waikiki, concerns were raised to Congressman Ed Case regarding veterans' issues. Hawaii currently has 130,000 veterans residing in the State, with factors such as cost of living and lack of benefits affecting the population.

Sub District 3 Report: No report was given.

Chair Report: Chair Finley reported the following:
• At the special meeting regarding the Ala Wai Watershed Project held on Wednesday, October 2, 2019, Waikiki residents' concerns were met with refutation by residents from other areas. Chair Finley has invited USACE representatives to attend the January 2020 Regular Board meeting.
• Chair Finley met with officials from Saipan who visited Honolulu, noting that the commonwealth is roughly the same size with the same population as Waikiki.

ANNOUNCEMENTS
• The next Waikiki Neighborhood Board No. 9 meeting is scheduled for Tuesday November 12, 2019 at 7:00 p.m.
• 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 9:28 p.m.

Submitted by: Casey Ishitani, Neighborhood Assistant 
Reviewed by: Harry Cho, Public Relations
Final Review: Chair Robert Finley

  1. Back
  2. Current News
  3. News Archive

Like Our Facebook

  • RELATED LINKS
    Please send questions about this website to
    Copyright© 2012 - 2019 WaikikiGetDown.com. All rights reserved.
    Terms of Use / Legal Disclaimer / Privacy Statement
    Site Designed and Managed by MacBusiness Consulting