Minutes of the

Oahu Metropolitan Planning Organization

POLICY COMMITTEE

Friday, December 15, 2006, 3:00 p.m.

City Council Committee Room 205

Honolulu Hale, 530 South King Street, Honolulu, Hawaii

Members Present:
Councilmember Romy Cachola, Chair	Representative Ryan Yamane
Senator Will Espero, Vice Chair	Senator Carol Fukunaga
Councilmember Ann Kobayashi	DTS Director Melvin Kaku
Representative Marilyn Lee

Members Absent: Councilmembers Barbara Marshall, Gary Okino, and Rod Tam; Representative Joseph Souki; Senator J. Kalani English; DOT Director Rodney Haraga

Guests Present:
Hiroko Nakamura (Clmbr Cachola staff)	Mark Au (DTS)
Katherine Folasa (Council Chair Dela Cruz staff)	James Burke (DTS)
Chris Vandercook (Senator J.K. English staff)	Phyllis Kurio (DTS)

OMPO Staff Present: Gordon Lum (Executive Director), Shevaun Low, Marian Yasuda, Pamela Toyooka

Chair Romy Cachola called the meeting to order at 3:12 p.m. A quorum was present.

Chair Cachola announced that there were two new Policy Committee members – Senator J. Kalani English and Representative Ryan Yamane. Representative Yamane, present at the meeting, was welcomed.

I. APPROVAL OF SEPTEMBER 27, 2006 MEETING MINUTES

Councilmember Ann Kobayashi moved and Representative Marilyn Lee seconded that the September 27, 2006 meeting minutes be approved as circulated. The motion was unanimously carried.

II. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE CITY AND COUNTY OF HONOLULU AS THE DESIGNATED RECIPIENT FOR JOB ACCESS AND REVERSE COMMUTE (JARC) PROGRAM AND NEW FREEDOM FUNDS FOR THE HONOLULU URBANIZED AREA

Gordon Lum gave a presentation on the Department of Transportation Services’ request for the establishment of the C&C of Honolulu as the designated recipient for JARC Program and New Freedom Program funds for the Honolulu urbanized area.

Questions and Answers

Mr. Lum made a correction to his presentation. He stated that the funds shown in the JARC and New Freedom fact sheets were actually nationwide figures.

Phyllis Kurio stated that the 2006 amounts for Honolulu were $294,000 for JARC and $170,380 for New Freedom funds. Congress had not yet enacted the 2007 budget, so the allocation for Hawaii has not yet been determined. In response to Representative Marilyn Lee, Ms. Kurio stated that the funds are apportioned to the states after Congress authorizes the funds to the JARC and New Freedom programs.

In response to Representative Lee, Ms. Kurio stated that projects seeking these funds must go through the locally developed coordinated public transit-human services transportation planning process. Through this process, proposed projects from public transportation and human services agencies will be evaluated. Grants submitted to the Federal Transit Administration, will come before the City Council.

Senator Will Espero asked if an elderly person who is not capable or allowed to drive anymore (for example, due to poor eyesight or slow reflexes) fall under the category of transportation needs of persons with disabilities. Mr. Lum stated that the New Freedom program addresses the transportation needs of persons with disabilities beyond those required by the Americans with Disabilities Act requirements. Ms. Kurio read the definition of an individual with a disability from the proposed draft federal circular; she stated that there wasn’t anything specific to age.

In response to Chair Cachola, Ms. Kurio stated that the funds are good for the year it is apportioned, plus two additional years – a total of three years.

In response to Chair Cachola, Mr. Lum stated that the criteria will be determined through the locally developed coordinated public transit-human services transportation plan. The designated recipient will be involved in awarding grants to subrecipients through this coordinated plan.

Chair Cachola asked if anyone from the audience wanted to testify on this agenda item. No one asked to testify.

Councilmember Ann Kobayashi moved and Senator Carol Fukunaga seconded that the City and County of Honolulu be identified as the designated recipient for Job Access and Reverse Commute Program and New Freedom funds for the Honolulu urbanized area. The motion carried unanimously.

III. ENDORSEMENT OF THE DRAFT OAHUMPO PARTICIPATION PLAN

Mr. Lum gave a presentation on the draft OahuMPO Participation Plan (OPP). Mr. Lum noted that the OPP updates The OMPO Guide to Public Involvement by reflecting requirements under the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act – A Legacy for Users, incorporating comments raised from reviewing agencies and the public, and rearranging and modifying passages to improve the flow of the document. Mr. Lum stated that there was also a public comment to lengthen the oral testimony time limit (currently at one minute per person). Mr. Lum noted that the one-minute time limit was established by the Policy Committee Chair in 1998. This was to insure the meetings would be conducted in an efficient manner. Mr. Lum presented various options to the Policy Committee.

Chair Cachola asked if anyone from the audience wanted to testify on this agenda item. No one asked to testify.

Senator Espero moved and Councilmember Kobayashi seconded that the OahuMPO Participation Plan be endorsed, including the changes identified by Mr. Lum.

Representative Lee moved and Senator Fukunaga seconded that the motion be amended to endorse the OahuMPO Participation Plan, including the changes identified by Mr. Lum, as well as to change the wording of Section 3.7.1.a. under Oral Testimony to read:

“Oral testimony will be limited to 1 minute per person, or lengthened upon the discretion of the Policy Committee Chair.”

Following discussion, a vote was taken on the amended motion. The motion carried unanimously.

IV. OTHER BUSINESS

There was no other business.

There being no other business, the meeting was adjourned at 3:45 p.m.