Meeting Summary of the

Oahu Metropolitan Planning Organization

 

CITIZEN ADVISORY COMMITTEE

 

Wednesday, July 15, 2009, 3:30 p.m.
Mayor’s Conference Room 301, Honolulu Hale
530 South King Street, Honolulu, Hawaii

 

 

 

Members Present:                                                                        

Land Use Research Foundation

David Arakawa, Chair

NB #34 Makakilo-Kapolei-Honokai Hale

Michael Golojuch, Vice Chair

Castle & Cooke Homes Hawaii

Ray Kunishige

Citizens for a Fair ADA Ride

Ronald Pike

Committee for Balanced Transportation

Joseph Magaldi

Hawaii Centers for Independent Living

Mark Ramoser

Hawaii Teamsters and Allied Workers, Local 996

Michael Costa

Honolulu Community Action Program

Darin Olson

Hui Kupuna VIP

Louise Horio

Institute of Transportation Engineers

Robert Nehmad

League of Women Voters

Piilani Kaopuiki

Leeward Oahu Transportation Management Association

Shannon Alivado

NB #03 Waialae-Kahala

Lester Fukuda

NB #05 Diamond Head-Kapahulu-Saint Louis Heights

Bert Narita

NB #07 Manoa

Tom Heinrich

NB #09 Waikiki

Robert Finley

NB #10 Makiki-Lower Punchbowl-Tantalus

Charles Carole

NB #12 Nuuanu-Punchbowl

James Marn

NB #18 Aliamanu-Salt Lake-Foster Village

Rachel Glanstein

NB #20 Aiea

Jane Sugimura

NB #21 Pearl City

Cruz J. Vina, Jr.

NB #25 Mililani-Waipio-Melemanu

Dick Poirier

NB #26 Wahiawa-Whitmore Village

Joseph Francher

NB #35 Mililani Mauka-Launani Valley

Pamela Young

Waikiki Residents Association

Daisy Murai

 

Members Absent (Reps):

AARP

Mary Protheroe

American Planning Association Hawaii

John Valera

American Society of Civil Engineers

Tiffany Hamada

American Society of Landscape Architects

Chris Dacus                                        

E Noa Corporation

Tom Dinell

Eye of the Pacific

Twila Lai

Hawaii Bicycling League

Janice Marsters

Interagency COORDINATION Councils

CC Curry

NB #01 Hawaii Kai

Greg Knudsen

NB #02 Kuliouou-Kalani Iki

Linda Starr

NB #08 McCully-Moiliili

Ron Lockwood

NB #13 Downtown

Tom Smyth

NB #14 Liliha-Alewa-Puunui-Kamehameha Heights

Dale White

NB #22 Waipahu

Thomas Maus

NB #23 Ewa

Coby M. Lynn

NB #29 Kahaluu

Ken LeVasseur

NB #30 Kaneohe

Wendell Lum

North Shore Chamber of Commerce

Gil Riviere

Pacific Resource Partnership

Mike Kido

Tax Foundation of Hawaii

Randall Hiu

 

Guests Present:

Kevin Killeen

Citizen

Christine Absher

Citizens for a Fair ADA Ride

Julia K. Belesario

Citizens for a Fair ADA Ride

Nicholas Poulos

Department of Transportation Services

Susan Uejo

Hawaii Department of Transportation

Rose Pou

Hui Kupuna VIP

Robert Whitaker

NB #7 Manoa

 

OahuMPO Staff Present:  Gordon Lum, Randolph Sykes, and Marian Yasuda

 

Chair David Arakawa called the meeting to order at 3:40 p.m. with a quorum (23 member organizations) present.

 

1.  New Business

A. “Election of Officers”

Chair Arakawa read the nominations submitted by the nominations subcommittee:

·        David Arakawa, Land Use Research Foundation, for CAC Chair, and

·        Michael Golojuch, Neighborhood Board #34, for CAC Vice Chair

 

Chair Arakawa asked for additional nominations from the floor.  Hearing none, Chair Arakawa asked for a motion to close the nominations.

 

Bert Narita moved and Lester Fukuda seconded that the nominations for CAC Chair and Vice Chair be closed. 

 

Discussion Highlights:

Dick Poirier raised a point of order; Mr. Poirier stated that Mr. Golojuch was not reelected to Neighborhood Board (NB) #34 in the most recent election.  He questioned Mr. Golojuch’s eligibility for nomination.

Mr. Golojuch responded that he has been selected by the Chair of his neighborhood board as its representative to the CAC.

 

Gordon Lum noted that the Bylaws of the CAC (in Section III. A. 6.) state that any changes in member organization information, including the designated representative and alternate(s), shall be made by the presiding officer or authorized representative of the member organization and shall be sent to the OahuMPO in writing.  At this time, the OahuMPO has not received any notification of change in the representation for NB #34.

 

Tom Heinrich stated that the Manoa NB #7 is in a similar situation.  Its CAC representatives and alternates have not yet been ratified, but are willing to continue in their current roles on the CAC.

Mr. Lum noted that there is a distinction between the rules of the CAC and the rules of its member organizations.

 

Chair Arakawa recommended that the CAC vote on the current slate of nominees.

 

The motion to close the nominations was approved unanimously.

 

The slate of nominees was elected by unanimous consent.   

 

1.B. Councilmember Gary Okino 

Chair Arakawa introduced Councilmember Gary Okino as representing District 8, which consists of Fort Shafter, Moanalua, Halawa, Aiea, Pearl City, Pearl City Peninsula, Seaview, Crestview, and Waipio Gentry.  He previously served as Chief of the Planning Division in the Department of Planning and Permitting (DPP), the Chair of the OahuMPO Policy Committee for fiscal year (FY) 2009, and is currently serving as Vice Chair for the Policy Committee during FY 2010. 

Councilmember Okino provided the history of his goals and visions for Oahu.  He began his 33‑year career with the City in 1963 as a student planner.  The City’s development of a second urban center in Ewa created the challenge of providing infrastructure for that development – specifically regional transportation.  A high-speed rail system was viewed as the solution to that challenge; it has become a major personal goal throughout his career.

Councilmember Okino provided some highlights of the City Council’s transportation achievements for the past year:

·        They eliminated TheBoat, saving $5 million.  An intra-island ferry system may be revisited in the future, utilizing lessons learned with this effort;

·        They approved a public transit budget of $200 million, which includes subsidizing 70% of the TheBus costs;

·        They added funds for implementation of the Coordinated Human Services Transportation Program;

·        They provided 44 new positions to the Rapid Transit Division to take the Honolulu High-Capacity Transit Corridor Project (HHCTCP) to the next level;

·        They approved the establishment of a Transit-Oriented Development special district regulation that will allow the DPP to plan the areas around the rail stations;

·        They introduced Bill 55, which will allow eligible Handi-Van riders to ride TheBus;

·        They passed a law that prohibits the use of mobile electronic devices; and

·        They added the following to the Capital Budget:

o       $1.5 million for bikeway improvements;

o       $19 million for Kapiolani Boulevard improvements;

o       $77 million for rehabilitation of the streets;

o       $6 million for planning and design of the Salt Lake Boulevard widening project;

o       $17 million for bus and Handi-Van acquisition;

o       $2.8 million for the Wahiawa Transit Center; and

o       $1 billion for the HHCTCP.

 

Discussion Highlights:

[Note:  Unless otherwise noted, all questions were answered by Councilmember Okino.]

 

·        Mark Ramoser commented that access to TheBus by eligible Handi-Van riders was previously free, but that free accessibility changed with the passing of last year’s omnibus transit bill.  Bill 55 attempts to restore that free option.

·        In response to a question by Mr. Narita: The City is limited to a 70% subsidy of TheBus. Last year, that subsidy amounted to $125 million, which is funded through property taxes.

·        In response to a question by Louise Horio: The City Council deals with policies rather than operational issues of the bus system.  Nicholas Poulos, from the Department of Transportation Services (DTS), will transmit the concerns voiced by Ms. Horio to the Transit Division of DTS.

·        In response to a question by Joe Francher: An extension spur of the HHCTCP to central Oahu is very viable in the future.

·         Joseph Magaldi expressed his appreciation to Councilmember Okino for his years of dedication and service.

·        In response to a question by Charles Carole: The Environmental Impact Statement for the HHCTCP should be approved and released in the fall of 2009.  Mr. Lum noted that the schedule was identified in an earlier presentation to the CAC.

·        In response to a question by James Marn: The election of a new Mayor for Honolulu should not affect the rail project.

 

2.  Approval of the June 17, 2009 Meeting Minutes

Chair Arakawa announced a correction at the bottom of page 4 of the draft June minutes; it should read (deleted text struck out; added text underlined):

”In response to a question by Bert Narita: Ms. Glanstein stated that the 1.5 mile segment for widening goes from Puuloa Road to the shopping center the shopping center to Maluna Street.” 

Tom Heinrich provided the following corrections:

·        Robert Whitaker should be listed as present;

·        The word proposed should be inserted prior to Bylaws in the second and last paragraphs of page 3;

·        Suggests the following change to wording of the first sentence at the top of page 4:  Mr. Smyth moved and Cruz Vina, Jr., seconded that the amended proposed Bylaws amendment be approved by the CAC.

·        Insert the full text of the proposed Bylaws amendment into the minutes;

·        Delete the word friendly before amendment in the first discussion bullet at the top of page 4;

·        Change Hawaii’s system to Honolulu’s system in the first discussion bullet for item 1.C. on page 5; and

·        Correct the first announcement to read:  “... plan of the Kapiolani Medical Center for Women and Children, and an update on the State Department of Transportation’s potential ‘H-1 Eastbound, Punahou Street On-Ramp’ project.”

Chair Arakawa asked if there were any other corrections to the minutes.  Hearing none, he asked if there were any objections to approving the minutes as corrected. 

Hearing no objections, the June 17, 2009 minutes were approved as corrected by unanimous consent.

 

3.  Other Business

There was no other business.

 

4.  OahuMPO Meeting Highlights - Policy Committee & Technical Advisory Committee

Ms. Yasuda announced the following:

·        The Policy Committee met on July 7, 2009.  At that meeting, they:

o       Elected Senator Will Espero as Chair and Councilmember Gary Okino as Vice Chair for FY 2010;

o       Awarded Certificates of Appreciation to the following CAC member organizations:

§         Citizens for a Fair ADA Ride

§         Committee for Balanced Transportation

§         Eye of the Pacific

§         Hui Kupuna VIP

§         InterAgency COORDINATION Council

§         Land Use Research Foundation

§         Leeward Oahu Transportation Management Association

§         NB #05 Diamond Head-Kapahulu-St. Louis Heights

§         NB #10 Makiki-Lower Punchbowl-Tantalus

§         NB #22 Waipahu

§         NB #29 Kahaluu

§         NB #34 Makakilo-Kapolei-Honokai Hale

§         NB #35 Mililani Mauka-Launani Valley

o       Approved the CAC Bylaws as amended;

o       Acknowledged the amended CAC Recommendations to the FFYs 2011-2014 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP);

o       Approved Revision #13 to the FFYs 2008-2011 TIP;

o       Heard an update on the Honolulu Rail Transit Project; and

o       Heard the CAC meeting highlights.

 

·        The Technical Advisory Committee met on July 1, 2009.  At that meeting, they:

o       Elected Mark Au, DTS, as Chair and Glenn Yasui, Hawaii Department of Transportation, as Vice Chair for FY 2010; and

o       Made a recommendation to the Policy Committee to approve Revision #13 to the FFYs 2008-2011 TIP.

Chair Arakawa added that the Policy Committee suggested the CAC prioritize their early listing of recommended TIP projects in an effort to give additional guidance to the agencies about the relative importance of these projects.

·        In response to a question by Mr. Heinrich: Mr. Lum stated that the goal of this early input effort is to provide the agencies with an understanding of what projects might be a high priority to the CAC.  The timing of this effort allows for this information to be received prior to the agencies’ submittal of TIP projects to the OahuMPO in the late fall of 2009.  There will be an additional opportunity for the CAC to review and comment on the draft TIP.  The CAC could consider prioritizing their early recommendations during the development of the next TIP.


5.  Announcements

Marian Yasuda announced that the Bylaws have been distributed to each member organization.  Additionally, a form requesting suggestions for presentation topics for the coming fiscal year and a memo requesting each members mailing information update were distributed.

 

Chair Arakawa stressed the importance of presentation suggestions in assisting his decisions regarding agenda topics during the coming year. 

 

The meeting was adjourned at 4:30 p.m.