Meeting Summary of the

Oahu Metropolitan Planning Organization

 

CITIZEN ADVISORY COMMITTEE

 

Wednesday, January 20, 2010, 3:30 p.m.
Department of Labor and Industrial Relations Conference Room 310
830 Punchbowl Street, Honolulu, Hawaii

 

 

Members Present:                                                                        

Land Use Research Foundation

David Arakawa, Chair

NB #34 Makakilo-Kapolei-Honokai Hale

Michael Golojuch, Vice Chair

AARP

Mary Protheroe

Citizens for a Fair ADA Ride

Ronald Pike

Committee for Balanced Transportation

Joseph Magaldi

Eye of the Pacific

Twila Lai

Hawaii Bicycling League

Janice Marsters

Hawaii Centers for Independent Living

Charlene Ota

Hawaii Teamsters and Allied Workers, Local 996

Michael Costa

Honolulu Community Action Program

Kristina Copeland

Hui Kupuna VIP

Louise Horio

Institute of Transportation Engineers

I. Robert Nehmad

Mestizo Association

Arvid Youngquist

NB #01 Hawaii Kai

Greg Knudsen

NB #05 Diamond Head-Kapahulu-Saint Louis Heights

Bert Narita

NB #07 Manoa

Tom Heinrich

NB #08 McCully-Moiliili

Ron Lockwood

NB #10 Makiki-Lower Punchbowl-Tantalus

Charles Carole

NB #12 Nuuanu-Punchbowl

James Marn

NB #13 Downtown

Tom Smyth

NB #18 Aliamanu-Salt Lake-Foster Village

Lorene Godfrey

NB #22 Waipahu

Blaine Tsugawa

NB #26 Wahiawa-Whitmore Village

Joseph Francher

NB #29 Kahaluu

Elwin Spray

NB #30 Kaneohe

Glenn Ida

NB #35 Mililani Mauka-Launani Valley

Pamela Young

Pacific Resource Partnership

Josh Magno

Tax Foundation of Hawaii

Randall Hiu

Waikiki Residents Association

Daisy Murai

 

Members Absent (Reps):

American Planning Association Hawaii

John Valera

American Society of Civil Engineers

Tiffany Hamada

Castle & Cooke Homes Hawaii

Dean Minakami

E Noa Corporation

Tom Dinell

League of Women Voters

Piilani Kaopuiki

Leeward Oahu Transportation Management Association

Darwin Hamamoto

NB #02 Kuliouou-Kalani Iki

Linda Starr

NB #03 Waialae-Kahala

Lester Fukuda

NB #09 Waikiki

Robert Finley

NB #20 Aiea

Carl Jacobs

NB #21 Pearl City

Cruz J. Vina, Jr.

NB #23 Ewa

Coby M. Lynn

NB #25 Mililani-Waipio-Melemanu

David Aki

North Shore Chamber of Commerce

Gil Riviere

 

 

Guests Present:

Christine Absher

Citizens for a Fair ADA Ride

Nicholas Poulos

Department of Transportation Services

Ben Gorospe

Hawaii Department of Transportation

Rose Pou

Hui Kupuna VIP

David Hilea, Jr.

NB #11 Ala Moana

Brandon Lau

NB #14 Liliha

Bob R. Smith   

NB #24 Waianae Coast

                                               

OahuMPO Staff Present:  Lori Arakaki, Randolph Sykes, and Marian Yasuda

 

Vice Chair Michael Golojuch called the meeting to order at 3:35 p.m.

Chair David Arakawa arrived at 3:41 p.m.

 

1.  New Business

“Oahu Regional Transportation Plan (ORTP) 2035 - Public Outreach Phase One Report”

Vice Chair Golojuch introduced Randolph Sykes, OahuMPO Project Manager for the ORTP 2035.

 

Mr. Sykes outlined the public outreach efforts for the ORTP 2035 that have already occurred as well as those scheduled to occur throughout the length of the plan’s development. 

 

The goals of the initial stage of the public outreach were to get the pulse of the island as to priorities in transportation projects and corridors, satisfaction with Oahu’s roads, challenges to transportation, and possible solutions to those challenges.  Stakeholder interviews, focus groups, and a telephone survey were utilized in this first stage of outreach.  Throughout the three methods used to gain input, the commonalities were:

  • Congestion is the island’s primary challenge,
  • The H-1 corridor between Leeward Oahu and Downtown is the island’s primary corridor,
  • There is widespread dissatisfaction with Oahu’s roads, and
  • Road maintenance of existing facilities is viewed as an immediate priority.

 

Another commonality between the three methods of outreach was the opposition to tax increases or new fees as a source of funding for new transportation projects.

 

Discussion Highlights:

[Unless noted otherwise, questions were answered by Mr. Sykes.]

·        In response to a question by Arvid Youngquist: In the telephone survey output, the term, “base”, refers to the respondents. 

·        In response to a question by Elwin Spray: The telephone survey format was more structured than the stakeholder interviews and focus groups to keep the survey brief.  A list of answers to the questions was sometimes provided to ensure consistency and brevity.

·        In response to a question by Joe Francher: The telephone survey results have been weighted so that age groups and ethnic groups would be proportionate to the representative numbers from the Oahu census.

·        In response to a question by Blaine Tsugawa: A final report containing these public outreach results will be posted to the OahuMPO Web site upon its completion.

·        In response to a question by Tom Smyth: Increasing road maintenance does have a negative impact on road congestion.

 

2.  Approval of the October 21, 2009 Meeting Minutes

Chair Arakawa announced a correction to the draft December 15, 2009 minutes showing that Castle and Cooke was present at that meeting.

 

Mr. Youngquist suggested an additional correction to the draft minutes adding a paragraph under Item 3, Other Business, which reflects that nominations for CAC officers are being accepted for the upcoming elections.

 

Hearing no other corrections, the minutes were unanimously accepted as corrected.

 

3.  Other Business

Chair Arakawa opened the discussion regarding the revision of the CAC Bylaws.  He explained that the proposed draft revision, including the change from a fiscal year to a calendar year for CAC operations, has not yet gone before the Policy Committee for approval.  On December 16, 2009, the Attorney General rendered an opinion regarding the CAC which states that the CAC may determine its own quorum requirement for meetings to occur in its Bylaws.  Since the draft revised Bylaws have not yet been approved, the CAC subcommittee on the Bylaws will be meeting again to address this new information.

 

Additionally, the election of the CAC officers will be postponed until the CAC bylaws subcommittee has had the opportunity to address the current draft revision and the new information from the Attorney General’s office.

 

Chair Arakawa announced that the Oahu Transit Service (OTS) is distributing a draft brochure on American with Disabilities Act policies and procedures for TheBus.  Comments should be provided to OTS by Friday, January 22, 2010.

 

 

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

Marian Yasuda announced the following:

There has been no meeting of the Technical Advisory Committee since the last meeting on December 15, 2009. 

 

The Policy Committee met twice since the last CAC meeting:

·      On Monday, December 21st, they heard the recommendations of the Investigative Committee for the Selection of the OahuMPO Executive Director in a closed executive session. 

·        On Tuesday, December 29th, they approved the temporary assignment of Lori Arakaki as Acting Executive Director and gave the Investigative Committee the authority to negotiate with and hire the next executive director.

The Technical Advisory Committee is scheduled to meet on Friday, January 22 at 1:30 p.m. in the Department of Transportation 5th floor conference room, 869 Punchbowl Street.  At that meeting they will:

o       Make a recommendation on Revision #18 to the FFYs 2008-2011 Transportation Improvement Program,

o       Approve the Revised Rules of Procedure for the TAC,

o       Approve the ORTP 2035 assumptions for the level of funding to be dedicated to operations, maintenance, and systems preservation, and

o       Hear a presentation on the planning issues identified in the initial stage of the public outreach for the ORTP 2035.

The Policy Committee is scheduled to meet on Monday, January 25, 2010 at 3:00 p.m. in the City Council Committee Room #205 in Honolulu Hale.  At that meeting they will:

o       Hear the findings and recommendation of the Investigative Committee for the selection of the OahuMPO Executive Director in a closed executive session,

o       Take action on Revisions #17 and #18 to the FFYs 2008-2011 Transportation Improvement Program, and

o       Hear a report on CAC activities.

 

4.  Announcements

Ms. Yasuda announced that a revision to the FFYs 2008-2011 Transportation Improvement Program is likely to begin a public review within the next week. 

 

Chair Arakawa shared a book published by the Hawaiian Electric Company in 1947 showing where growth on Oahu was predicted.

 

The meeting was adjourned at 4:35 p.m.