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

WAIK K NEIGHBORHOOD BOARD NO. 9

 

March 2023 Minutes

 

REGULAR MEETING MINUTES - DRAFT

TUESDAY, MARCH 14, 2023

WAIKIKI COMMUNITY CENTER IN PERSON

CALL TO ORDER: Chair Robert Finley called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. A quorum was not established with (eight) 8 members present. Note: This 17-member Board requires nine (9) members to establish quorum and to take official board action.

Board Members Present: Robert Finley, Louis Erteschik, Melissa Filek, John Nigro, Jeffery Merz, Daniel Jacob, Mark Smith, and Gregory Misakan.

Board Members Absent: Robert Boyack, Ken Jacob, Bowe Souza, Jacob Wiencek, Michael Brown, Katheryn Henski, Tommy Penrose, Mark Garrity, and Lisa Cabanero,

Guests: Captain Keoni Abaya (Honolulu Fire Department); Lieutenant Troy Komoda and Officer Jordan Cho (Honolulu Police Department); Dominic Dias (Board of Water Supply); Nola Miyasaki (Mayor Rick Blangiardi's Representative); William Oku Jr. (Governor Josh Green's Representative); Senator Sharon Moriwaki; Representative Adrian Tam; Council Chair Tommy Waters and Keola Fisher (Council Chair Tommy Waters Office); Roger Morton and Daniel Alexander (Complete Streets Department of Transportation); Susan Gorman Chang, Stephanie Lusail, Carlino Giampaolo, Julian Pineda, Denise Boisert, Jamel Duldulao, John Deutzman, Tim Gary, Pam Walker, Fung Ing, Shotaro Dabbs, Richard Byron, Ed Springer, Sally Manglicmot, Brynn Rorito, Michelle Bunnell, R. Nipps, and Sarah Worth (Residents) and Judi-Ann Smith-Kauhane - Neighborhood Assistant. In-Person Participants: 32.

CITY MONTHLY REPORTS

Honolulu Fire Department (HFD): Captain Keoni Abaya report the following:

• February 2023: Two (2) structure fires, two (2) nuisance fires, 17 activated alarms, 155 medical calls, three (3) motor vehicle crash/collision, one (1) ocean rescue, and two (2) hazardous materials incidents.

• Safety Tip for March 2023: Smoke Alarm Safety Tips. For more information visit www.fire.honolulu.gov.

Questions, comments and, concerns followed:

1. Motor Vehicle Crash/Collision with and without Pedestrians: Member Smith asked for a follow-up in regards to motor vehicle crash/collision with pedestrians on the Ala Wai Boulevard. Captain Abaya responded we can follow up with that particular statistic at next month's meeting.

2. Sirens for EMS Calls: Resident asked is it important to use a siren at every medical emergency call to go to. Captain Abaya responded; it is required by law to use our sirens for all medical emergencies. It also exempts us from the roads laws in order to get to our emergencies more efficiently.

Honolulu Police Department (HPD): Lieutenant Troy Komoda and Officer Jordan Cho from District 6 gave the following report:

• February 2023/January 2022: Robbery; 4/3; burglary; 12/7; theft: 123/174; UEMV; 26/22; assault 29/32; sex crimes 1/8; and bike/skateboard on sidewalk citations.

o Citations: Speeding; 25/7; parking; 1,911/1,813; loud muffler; 0/1; and park closers; 88/102.

o Arrests: Park Closures; 1/10

o Total calls of service; 3,118/5,400.

• Safety Tips for March 2023: Move Over Law. For more information visit http://www.honolulupd.org.

Questions, comments and concerns followed:

1. Muffler Law: Member Jacob asked what specific law is being referenced by HPD when it comes to loud mufflers. Officer Cho responded will get the exact revised ordinance for member Jacob.

2. Motorcycle Split Lanes: Member Smith asked if there is a "split lane law" for motorcycles on the roads and freeways. Lieutenant Komoda responded; it is considered an "unsafe lane change," of which a cyclist can be cited but unfortunately it is not a law in Hawai'i.

3. No Right Turn on Red: Member Merz thanked HPD for enforcing the "no right turn on red," in various locations in the Waik k area.

4. J-Walking: Resident asked for the amount of J-Walking cited every month. Officer Cho responded it is anywhere between 280-300 cited a month.

5. Report: Resident Deutzman gave an overview report in his section of Waik k and thanked Officer Cho for such a great job.

6. Parking Meters: Resident Gary asked about the ticketing of the parking meters. Officer Cho responded HPD does their best to ticket cars with expired meters when they can. There is a moblie app available to pay for parking.

7. Red-Light Cameras: Member Smith asked if Red-Light Cameras help with the lightening HPD load. Officer Cho responded; currently there are no red-light cameras in the Waik k area.

Board of Water Supply (BWS): Dominic Dias gave the following report:

• Breakages: No breaks for the month of February 2023.

• World Water Day: BWS along with other participating City agencies are observing "World Water Day," on Wednesday, March 22, 2023.

Questions, comments and concerns followed:

1. PIFA & PFOA Levels: Resident asked is BWS testing for Phenyl iodine bistrifluoroacete (PIFA) and Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA) in the water and what are the current levels. Dias responded; he is tracking and researching all the articles about PIFAS & PFOAS. He will be attending a webinar regarding these chemicals in March to find out the process of testing. The results will be posted on our website at www.boardofwatersupply.com.

2. Sources of PIFAS & PFOAS: Member Merz asked what are the sources of these chemicals. Dias responded; from the limited information some of the sources are decomposing Teflon, Kevlar, and water proofing materials from land fills that seep into our ground water.

BOARD BUSINESS

Legislative Update: Vice Chair Lou Erteschik gave an updated report on the current status of Bills that pertain to the Waik k Board and the community. Discussion Followed.

Legislative Resolution HB175/SB346: Was postponed to next month's meeting due to lack of quorum.

Red Hill Resolution: Was postponed to next month's meeting due to lack of quorum.

Ala Wai Complete Streets Update: Daniel Alexander and Director Roger Morton from DTS gave an updated report to the board and the community regarding proposed changes on the Ala Wai Boulevard. Alexander highlighted key reasons for updating the Ala Wai Boulevard including; speeding, bike lanes, increase of traffic flow, and pedestrian safety. There are 100 problem areas on O'ahu and five (5) areas of concern occur exclusively on Ala Wai Boulevard. There are residents who are on the fence in the Waik k community and many in opposition that commute on Ala Wai Boulevard regarding this project. Director Morton informed the community that he attended the meeting to field any questions or concerns and also to get feedback about the project. Member Merz was in favor of the changes and hopes this project will happen soon in conjunction with the Board approved Ala Wai Bridge Project.

Questions, comments and concerns followed:

• Speed Limit: The Ala Wai Boulevard speed limit reduced to 25mph speed limit - Community feed-back was this will cause congestion on Ala Wai Boulevard, but it is needed due to the current speeding of vehicles.

• Additional Pedestrians Crossings: Community feed-back was this will back up traffic and concerns of creating smaller lanes for Ala Wai Boulevard.

• Two-Way Protected Bikeway: The Board and Community asked will the bikes need to ride on the side walk? The response from DTS was they will lengthen the bike lane from Kapahulu all the way down Ala Wai Boulevard to accommodate a two-bike lane.

• Less Lanes for Vehicles and More Room for Bicycles: Community feedback was the amount of bikes that use the existing bike lane can be counted on one hand, how will they know if there are going to be more bikes using the lane. The response from DTS was currently the only bicyclists that ride on Ala Wai Boulevard are experienced riders. Using the example of King Street, after the installation of the secured bike lane, there are currently 1,200 bikes per day using the bike lane.

• State Law: Member Merz commented to the board and the community; Complete the Streets are already State Law, DTS is doing their best to accommodate everyone but when it comes down to the final say, it will be DTS administration's decision.

PUBLIC EVENTS

Public events were announced by Chair Finley: March 2023 agenda.

APPLICATIONS FOR LIQUIOR LICENCES

Applications for liquior licences were announced by Chiar Finley: See March 2023 agenda.

ELECTED OFFICIALS AND OTHERS

Mayor Rick Blangiardi's Representative: Nola Miyasaki gave the following report:

Highlights

• Oahu Good Food Pledge: Oahu's reliance on imported food is a long-running and well-known problem. Mayor Blangiardi and his team is committed to tackling this challenge by encouraging increases in both the demand and supply side of institutional food purchasing, aiming for growth and balance in Agriculture, an important sector of our island economy.

• Meet your City Officials: Mayor Blangiardi and his team will be on the road to visit communities around Oahu. There will be 11 Town Hall meetings which will include an open Q&A session with Mayor Blangiardi and representatives from 25 City departments and agencies. The public is encouraged to attend to give suggestions on how this administration can better serve the people of Oahu.

Tuesday, March 21st 7-9 p.m. Ewa Makai Middle School

Thursday, March 23rd 7-9 p.m. WaiÔanae District Park

Thursday, March 30th 6:30-8:30 p.m. Filipino Community Center - Waipahu

Thursday, April 6th 7-9 p.m. Mililani High School

Thursday, April 13th 6:30-8:30 p.m. Kalani High School

Thursday, April 20th 7-9 p.m. L ie Elementary School

Thursday, April 27th - 6:30-8:30 p.m. Benjamin Parker Elementary School

Thursday, May 4th 7-9 p.m. Waialua Elementary School

Thursday, May 11th 6-8 p.m. Ala Wai Golf Course Clubhouse

Thursday, May 18th 6-8 p.m. King David Kal kaua Middle School

Thursday, May 25th 6-8 p.m. Pearl Harbor Elementary School

Mayor Blangiardi notes "This is an invaluable opportunity to get our team into our neighborhoods and find out what is important to our residents. We are going to listen to concerns and suggestions and provide the best answers we can."

• City Affordable Housing Database Project: In an effort to gain better insight into Oahu's affordable housing inventory, the City commissioned the University of Hawaii's Economic Research Organization (UHERO) to create a database that will list all of Oahu's subsidized and price-restricted housing units, including those still being developed. Mayor's Newsletter may be found at https://www.oneoahu.org/newsletter.

For the second year in a row, Forbes has distinguished The City and County of Honolulu among America's Best Employers by State, ranking #2 employer in HawaiÔi and #1 in the state for government services. To explore career opportunities at the City and County of Honolulu, please visit https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/honolulu .

Neighborhood Board Elections:

• The NCO is proud to announce that we received 425 candidate registrations for the election to the 2023-2025 Neighborhood Board term.

• The voting period starts on April 28 and run through May 19, 2023 you can find out more information at the NCO website at www.honolulu.gov/nco/nbelections.

Follow Up:

Property: The Board requested an update on the City's acquisition of the property located at 1615 Ala Wai Boulevard for affordable housing. The Department of Land Management (DLM) responded they are currently working with a consultant on a comprehensive feasibility assessment, concept design, and preparation for requests for proposals (RFP) for the 1615 Ala Wai project site. The DLM has yet to finalize the selection of the preferred concept design for the senior affordable housing. The selection of the preferred alternative will spur further conceptual development of the chosen plan, and will create a basis of design on which an RFP will be established. Please close task for DLM. Thank you. The Department of Planning and Permitting responded this should be exclusively a DLM inquiry as DPP does not have a role in the acquisition.

Repainting: The Board requested the re-stenciling of bike graphics on Kalakaua Boulevard. The Department of Facilities Maintenance responded Service Request No. 45831 has been created to re-stencil bike graphics on Kalakaua Avenue. Work will be performed when resources become available and pending weather conditions.

Traffic Light: Member Smith asked to install a Red-Light Camera on the traffic light on Ala Moana Blvd and Kalaimoku St. Yesterday he witnessed 4 cars speed through that particular red light while he was waiting to cross the street. The Department of Transportation responded the Red-Light Camera is a State program, please contact the State Department of Transportation Public Affairs Office at 808-587-2160 or via email at dotpao@hawaii.gov.

Bike Lane: Residents requested an update on the Complete Streets project involving the implementation of a bike lane on Ala Wai Boulevard and asked if the bike lane could be installed as part of the sidewalk instead of utilizing an existing traffic lane. Daniel Alexander from the Department of Transportation will present on Complete Streets, Vision Zero and Ala Wai.

Patrol: The Board requests more officers on foot patrol rather than in patrol cars due to the area being the Honolulu Urban Core. HPD District 6 (Waikiki) officers patrol on foot when time permits and when they are not responding to calls for service. In 2022, a program called "Stop and Talk" was implemented and is exclusive to District 6. The program encourages the patrol officers to get out of their patrol cars, walk on their assigned beats, and have positive encounters with the businesses and people they come across. The officers document each encounter in an official Honolulu Police Department police report. District 6 also has officers specifically assigned to foot patrol from our Fourth Watch program. The majority of their shift is spent conducting foot patrol along K h o Beach Park and Kalakaua Avenue to increase police presence and visibility. The amount of officers assigned to this unit varies, based on availability.

HRS 7111-01: Chair wanted more explanation on HRS 7111-01, referring to noise complaint. HPD responded the enforcement of Hawaii Revised Statutes Section 7111-01 (1)(b), Disorderly Conduct, for unreasonable noise is generally conducted in the following manner:

• Officer receives a complaint regarding loud noise.

• Officer responds and determines if the noise is reasonable/unreasonable based on the totality of the circumstances.

• If the noise is unreasonable, officer takes appropriate action through warning/citation or arrest. Generally a citation is issued before an arrest.

• It is beneficial if the complainant or witness meets with the responding officer and provides a written statement.

Surf Contests: Resident commented there are too many organized surfing contests at Waik k Beach and other people cannot surf. Requesting to reduce the amount of organized surfing contests at Waik k Beach. DPR responded; a draft shore water rule in review and cooperation with Corporate Council legal team to limit Southshore surfing events similar to the Northshore events.

Questions, comments, and concerns followed: Property: Member Jacob requested to look at 226 K h o Avenue as a potential location to revitalize in Waik k . Currently that building has been abandoned for many years.

Council Chair Tommy Waters: Chair Waters gave an overview of his monthly report. www.tommy.waters@honolulu.gov. Chair Waters Highlighted the following:

• Budgeting: All departments are being reviewed on their budgets. There is a $44 million tax relief bill with a $300 relief for every person that filed their taxes.

• Residential "A": Residents that own a second home who rent to long-term residents (locals renting to locals) will be taxed the same as if that person is living in that home.

• K puna: Bill raising the tax exemption for k puna with fixed incomes.

• Income: if your income is $60,000 or less, property tax is capped at 3%. Possibly raising the income to $80,000.

• Update: Chair Waters gave an update for the Kaimana Beach showers.

Senator Sharon Moriwaki: Senator Moriwaki gave a quick overview of her monthly report regarding Bills currently in the House for voting. www.senstormoriwaki@capitol.hawaii.gov.

Representative Adrian Tam: Representative Tam gave a quick overview of his monthly report and Bills currently active in the legislature. www.reptam@capitol.hawaii.gov

Governor Josh Green: William Oku Jr. Deputy Director of Law Enforcement introduced himself as the new Governor's representative for the Waik k Board. www.governor.hawaii.gov.

Waikiki Business Improvement District Association (WBIDA): For more information go to www.waikikibid.org. Rick Egged gave updated reports regarding beach closures enforced Friday, March 17, 2023 referenced by the "Trespassing Law", increase of homelessness in the Waik k area, updating the refurbishing of Kal kaua Avenue.

Approval of Minutes Tuesday, February 14, 2023: Was postponed to next month's meeting due to lack of quorum.

RESIDENTS'/COMMUNITY CONCERNS NOT COVERED BY EARLIER DISCUSSION: Early morning trash pick up by Carlino Giampaolo.

REPORTS:

Suggestions to use $1000 one-time funds for Outreach: Postponed to next month's meeting.

Sub district 1 Report - JEFF MERZ: No Report.

Sub district 2 Report - JACOB WEINECK: Absent. No Report.

Sub district 3 KATHERYN HENSKI: Absent. No Report.

Chair Report: The next Waik k Neighborhood Board meeting will be on Tuesday, April 11, 2023.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

ADJOURNMENT - The meeting adjourned at 8:29pm.

Submitted by: Judi-Ann Smith-Kauhane, Neighborhood Assistant

Reviewed by: Naomi Hanohano, Community Relations Specialist

Final Review:

Last Updated: 05 April 2023
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