Meeting Summary of the
Oahu Metropolitan Planning Organization
CITIZEN ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Wednesday, January 17, 2007, 3:30 p.m.
Mayor's Conference Room
530 South King Street
Members Present:
|
Castle & Cooke Homes Hawaii |
Sherman Wong |
|
Committee for Balanced Transportation |
Joe Magaldi, Jr., Chair |
|
|
Frank Genadio |
|
NB #10 Makiki-Lower Punchbowl-Tantalus |
Charles |
|
E Noa Corporation |
Tom Dinell |
|
Eye of the Pacific |
Twila Lai |
|
Hawaii Bicycling League |
Scott Snider |
|
|
Michael Costa |
|
Honolulu Community Action Program |
Doug Goodman |
|
InterAgency COORDINATION Councils |
CC Curry |
|
League of Women Voters |
Jacqueline Parnell |
|
|
Piilani Kaopuiki |
|
NB #02 Kuliouou-Kalani Iki |
Linda Starr |
|
NB #03 Waialae-Kahala |
Lester Fukuda |
|
NB #05 Diamond Head-Kapahulu-Saint Louis Heights |
Joe Otto |
|
NB #08 McCully-Moilili |
Ron Lockwood |
|
NB #09 Waikiki |
Mike Peters |
|
NB #14 Liliha-Alewa-Puunui-Kamehameha Heights |
Donald Nitta |
|
NB #30 Kaneohe |
Wendell Lum |
|
NB #34 Makakilo-Kapolei-Honokai Hale |
Mike Golojuch |
|
NB #35 Mililani Mauka-Launani Valley |
|
|
North Shore Chamber of Commerce |
Gil Riviere |
|
Waianae Coast Transportation Concerns Group |
Dick Boddy |
|
Waikiki Residents Association |
Daisy Murai |
Members
Absent (Reps):
|
American Planning Association |
Gene Yong |
|
American Society of Civil Engineers |
Joy Nishida |
|
American Society of Landscape Architects |
Chris Dacus |
|
Charley’s Taxi |
|
|
Hawaii Highway Users Alliance |
Darci Evans |
|
Hawaii Transportation Association |
Gareth Sakakida |
|
Institute of Transportation Engineers |
Pete Pascua |
|
Land Use Research Foundation |
Gladys Quinto |
|
Leeward Oahu Transportation Management Association |
Gladys Quinto |
|
NB #01 Hawaii Kai |
Don Huff |
|
NB #12 Nuuanu-Punchbowl |
Al Canopin, Jr. (Chair) |
|
NB #13 Downtown |
Burton White |
|
NB #18 Aliamanu-Salt Lake-Foster Village |
Larry Baird |
|
NB #21 Pearl City |
Cruz J. Vina, Jr. |
|
NB #22 Waipahu |
Thomas Maus |
|
NB #23 Ewa |
L. Gary Bautista |
|
NB #24 Waianae Coast |
Karen Awana |
|
NB #25 Mililani-Waipio-Melemanu |
David Aki |
|
NB #26 Wahiawa |
Robert Kent |
|
NB #27 North Shore |
Antya Miller |
|
Pacific Resource Partnership |
Richard Kane |
|
Sierra Club Hawaii Chapter |
Randy Ching |
|
Tax Foundation of Hawaii |
Lowell Kalapa |
|
|
|
Guests Present:
|
Janet Inamine |
Citizen |
|
Jacce Mikulanec |
Councilmember Dela Cruz |
|
Ben Gorospe |
Hawaii Department of Transportation |
|
|
Hawaii Department of Transportation |
|
Megan Callan |
Honolulu Academy of Arts |
|
Peter Hirai |
|
OMPO Staff Present:
Shevaun Low and Marian Yasuda
Chair Joe Magaldi called the meeting to order at 3:35 p.m. A quorum was present.
Michael Golojuch moved and Scott Snider
seconded that the November 15, 2006 meeting minutes be approved. The motion carried unanimously.
Peter Hirai, Acting Administrator, Oahu Civil Defense Agency
(OCDA), gave a presentation featuring historical information about hurricanes
and tsunamis that have hit Hawaii and offered advice on preparation for future
disasters. In addition, Mr. Hirai’s
presentation included guidance for action during and following a disaster.
[Note: Unless otherwise specified, questions were
answered by Mr. Hirai.]
Discussion Highlights:
· In response to a question by Wendell Lum: The schools that serve as shelters during a disaster have not been tested for the strength of storms that can be withstood.
· In response to a question by Twila Lai: For the evacuation of non-drivers to shelter locations, the City buses will be activated for free transportation to shelters or out of the tsunami zones. These buses will be identified as providing evacuation transportation and can be flagged down at any point along their route. Many shelters are within walking distance of homes. TheBus will continue to operate this free evacuation service until one to two hours prior to the impact of the hurricane or tsunami.
· In response to a question by Chair Magaldi: The City buses have not been tested for the maximum wind speeds they can withstand.
·
In response to a question by Gil Riviere: Islandwide, Oahu shelters
can support about 300,000 people.
Evacuation studies done before hurricane Katrina show that one-third to
one-fourth of the population are willing to evacuate to a shelter during a
disaster.
· In response to a question from Gregg Matsushima: If you are evacuated to a shelter, bring your own disaster kit, including bedding, and be prepared that bathrooms may be limited.
· In response to a question by Mr. W. Lum: After Hurricane Iniki, the OCDA learned that, in some cases, taking shelter in the classrooms at schools was safer than in the cafeterias and gyms.
· A comment by Joe Otto suggested that a good source of water is your hot water tank and if you know how to do it, you can siphon the water for your use during a disaster.
· In response to a question by Mr. W. Lum: Legislation of flood insurance is not under the purview of the OCDA.
· In response to a question by Mr. Riviere: In a tsunami, the water gets drawn out before the first wave and people need to be mindful of the danger of being on the beach during the low water level.
· In response to a question by Mr. W. Lum: Flood insurance can be purchased, regardless of whether you live in a flood zone or not. Mr. Lum commented that every tax map key (TMK) is in a flood zone.
·
In response to a comment offered by Lester
Fukuda, that Guam designs buildings to withstand 170 mph winds: Guam’s standards are double the standards
here in
·
In response to a question by Mr. Riviere:
· In response to a question by Mr. Otto: There has not been a statewide drill for evacuation; however, command post exercises for staff are conducted once per year for hurricanes and four times per year for tsunamis.
· In response to a follow-up question by Mr. Otto: The Red Cross performs regular real-life drills. The Department of Education requires three people at each school to have keys to critical facilities. Drivers and passengers of cars that are unable to drive because of a traffic jam in a tsunami zone are advised to get out of their vehicles and walk out of the evacuation zone.
· In response to a question from Ron Lockwood: A video produced by National Geographic of a locally-generated tsunami is scary and shows the worst case scenario of Oahu being wiped out.
· In response to a question by Mr. Snider: The OCDA has monitored the progress of the selection of the Honolulu High-Capacity Transit Corridor Project’s locally preferred alternative.
· In response to a question by Linda Starr: Transit stations will be required to have evacuation plans that will include the disabled.
· In response to a follow-up question by Ms. Starr: The OCDA plans for the most likely scenario rather than the unlikely occurrences. They plan for 50-year events rather than 1,000-year events. The OCDA is not involved in building design or establishing building codes.
· A comment by CC Curry highlighted a broadcast by National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration on two network affiliates about a 1,000-foot wave.
· In response to a question by Tom Dinell: The OCDA is concerned about global warming. To develop plans to deal with its consequences will require a multi-disciplinary approach. No planning is being developed at this time.
· In response to a question by Ben Gorospe: The evacuation maps that are printed in the phone book are from 1990 and are based on a one-dimensional model with an addition of a buffer zone. A two-dimensional model is being developed, after which, the maps will be updated.
3. CAC
Member Survey
Chair Magaldi provided the results of the survey of CAC member organizations regarding meeting times and locations:
o 80 percent of the respondents prefer the meeting time to change to 3:30 p.m. and the location to remain the same.
o 7 percent of the respondents prefer the same time (4:00 p.m.) at a new location.
o 13 percent of the respondents had no preference.
4. OahuMPO Meeting Highlights – Policy Committee
& Technical Advisory Committee
4.A. Policy Committee
A Policy Committee meeting was held December 15, 2006. At that meeting:
· The Policy Committee acted to endorse the establishment of the City and County of Honolulu as the designated recipient for Job Access and Reverse Commute Program and New Freedom Program funds for the Honolulu urbanized area.
· The Policy Committee acted to endorse the OahuMPO Participation Plan.
No future meeting is scheduled at this time.
4.B. Technical Advisory Committee
No Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) meeting has
been held since the November 15, 2006 CAC meeting. No future meeting is scheduled at this time.
5. Announcements
5.A
. Transportation Improvement Program (TIP)
Amendment #10
· Ms. Yasuda announced that the TIP Amendment #10 has been released for public comment. Member organizations have been mailed a copy of the amendment. It is also available at this meeting or can be viewed on the OahuMPO website. The deadline for public comment is January 22, 2007. Comments may be mailed, faxed, or e-mailed to the OahuMPO office.
5.B. OahuMPO Participation Plan
· Ms. Yasuda announced that the Participation Plan is available here for each member organization to pick up. It is also available for viewing on the OahuMPO website.
The meeting was adjourned at 4:30 p.m.