Meeting Minutes of the
Oahu Metropolitan Planning Organization
POLICY COMMITTEE

Open Session

Thursday, May 26, 2005, 1:00 p.m.
City Council Committee Room
Room 205, Honolulu Hale, 530 South King Street, Honolulu, Hawaii

Member(s) Absent: Councilmember Charles Djou and Rodney Haraga (DOT Director)

Invited Guests Present: Mary Lou Kobayashi (for Laura Thielen, DBEDT-OP), Henry Eng (DPP)

OMPO Staff Present: Gordon Lum (Executive Director),  Lori Arakaki, Michelle Kurisu, and Pamela Toyooka

Chair Nestor Garcia called the meeting to order at 1:07 p.m. A quorum was present.

I.    SALARY ADJUSTMENT FOR TWO SENIOR OMPO PLANNERS
Chair Garcia stated that the committee needed to go into Executive Session in order to discuss and act upon a personnel matter. A recorded vote would be taken to go into Executive Session.

All members present voted in favor of going into Executive Session.

The room was cleared of everyone except the members, Gordon Lum, and Pamela Toyooka. Following the Executive Session, the public was allowed back into the room.

II.    MINUTES OF THE MARCH 29, 2005 MEETING
The minutes of the March 29, 2005 were approved as circulated.

III.    CAC MEMBERSHIP REQUEST
Citizen Advisory Committee (CAC) Chair Joe Magaldi stated that the Committee for Balanced Transportation and the Hawaii Teamsters and Allied Workers Local 996 had attended the required four meetings within a 12-month period and had requested CAC membership.

Representative Joseph Souki moved and Senator Lorraine Inouye seconded that the above-mentioned organizations be appointed to the CAC. The motion was unanimously carried.

IV.    FY 2006 OWP
Mr. Lum gave a presentation on the fiscal year (FY) 2006 Overall Work Program (OWP) – including a breakdown of the OMPO budget; new studies and consultant contracts undertaken by OMPO and the Department of Transportation Services; and the public and technical reviews. He noted that there was one correction in the Executive Summary on page five, paragraph five. “Section IV” in the second sentence should read “Section II.”; and the rest of the text following that should be deleted. In endorsing the FY 2006 OWP, Mr. Lum stated that this action would allow the agencies to proceed with the new work activities, including consultant contracts.

Edward Hirata moved and Senator Inouye seconded that FY 2006 OWP be endorsed as amended. The motion was unanimously carried.

V.    FYS 2006-2008 TIP
Chair Garcia stated that action on the FYs 2006-2008 TIP would occur in the upcoming July 20, 2005 Policy Committee meeting. The current meeting would allow these TIP projects to be presented and discussed.

Department of Transportation (DOT) Deputy Director Brennon Morioka gave an overview of the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) process and described some of the major State TIP projects. Department of Transportation Services (DTS) Transportation Planning Division Chief Toru Hamayasu went over each City project in the draft FYs 2006-2008 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP).

Testimony
Donna Goth, Kapolei Property Dev. LLC & Aina Nui Corp. (Estate of James Campbell (EJC))
Ms. Goth requested that the following projects be placed back on the TIP project list: the Kapolei Interchange and the Expansion of the Makakilo Interchange. EJC and its affiliates have started to develop the environmental impact statements and designs for both projects. As of result of this, both of these projects will be able to move forward fairly quickly.

Representative Mark Moses and Senator Brian Kanno both voiced their support of the projects.

Mr. Morioka stated that EJC is using private funds, so they can move more quickly without restrictions. Mr. Morioka proposed that the projects be placed in the TIP with EJC’s funds reflected in the local funds column. No federal funds would be shown, so it’s placement in the TIP would not affect other projects. The funds would be for planning and design.
In response to Representative Moses, Ms. Goth stated that both projects will be full four-way interchanges.

Mike Golojuch, Chair Makakilo/Kapolei/Honokai Hale Neighborhood Board No. 34. (CAC)
Mr. Golojuch stated NB #34’s support for inclusion of both the Kapolei Interchange and the Expansion of the Makakilo Interchange projects. He also stated the board’s support for a Farrington Highway Widening project, from the Kapolei golf course to Fort Weaver Road, though he knows that this project would be too far down the list of projects to be included in this TIP. He also stated the board’s support for the Kapolei Parkway, Units 2 & 3, projects.

Frank Genadio
Mr. Genadio stated that he stood by his written testimony in support of project C9, Makakilo Drive Extension. Mr. Genadio added that this project has been talked about since 1979.
Chair Garcia noted that the Land Use Research Foundation of Hawaii had also submitted written testimony in support of these projects.

Senator Kanno asked why the $500,000 the State Legislature had granted the City for design of the Makakilo Extension project was not reflected in the draft TIP. Mr. Hamayasu responded that DTS was still trying to decide what alignment the project will take. Since the alignment will determine what the cost will be, it was thought that the TIP could be amended to include design once the alignment is decided upon and the costs are more firm. Mr. Hamayasu suggested that, like the EJC funds, the State funds could be placed in the TIP as the local match for the design phase of the project. The federal funding could be added once the alignment is chosen.

Representative Moses stated the need to align the Makakilo Drive Extension project with North-South Road. Mr. Morioka responded that this will be taken into consideration during the design phase of North-South Road.

In response to Representative Moses, Mr. Morioka stated that the current plan is to construct a full build-out of the North-South Road with H-1 as a full interchange. It will proceed with or without the Makakilo Drive Extension. There will be full access from North-South Road onto H-1 in both directions and from H-1 to North-South Road in both directions.

Mr. Genadio added that a full interchange would allow University of Hawaii West Oahu students from Kapolei and the Waianae Coast to come in to the campus without having to drive through Kapolei Parkway.

Councilmember Romy Cachola stated that the Salt Lake Boulevard Widening project, phase 2B, should be added back into the TIP. Department of Design and Construction Deputy Director Eugene Lee stated that the City is aware of this last unimproved section of Salt Lake Boulevard, from Maluna Street to Ala Lilikoi Street. The City would re-study the remaining section and figure out the best way to approach making the last final improvements, as there is actually a whole block of improvements in that section, formally called Unit 2. To approach it as a single project would be almost unmanageable, considering how much funding would be required.

Senator Inouye stated that the intersection at Ala Lilikoi Street and Salt Lake Boulevard is very dangerous. She stated that the federal government should be asked to contribute to or make improvements to this intersection, since many military residents use this intersection. There is military housing and the Navy Marine golf course in the vicinity; and many military families live in the Salt Lake area.

Representative Moses stated that project S7, Fort Barrette Road Widening, is planned to end at Barber’s Point Gate. However, it should go to Roosevelt Avenue. Mr. Morioka stated that DOT may be able to work with the current funding to try and stretch the project to Roosevelt.

[Senators Inouye and Kanno, and Representative Souki left at 2:32 p.m.]

Chair Garcia stated that the remaining agenda items would be taken out of order, since Senator Will Espero has a pressing matter to attend to.

VI.    OTHER BUSINESS

Mr. Morioka stated that DOT has been working on the use and occupancy agreement with the Hawaiian Railway Society (HRS) that would allow HRS to repair the railroad tracks. The agreement had been sent over to the Attorney General’s office for review. DOT is currently making revisions to the agreement as requested by the Attorney General’s office. It is anticipated that DOT will have a signed agreement by next Friday, June 3. Senator Espero asked if HRS would be able to review the agreement before the DOT director signs it. Mr. Morioka stated that it was recommended to DOT that they take care of the revisions first before sending it to HRS.

[Senator Espero and Representative Moses left at 2:40 p.m. Councilmember Kobayashi left at 2:44 p.m.]

VII.    CMS BASELINE CONDITION

Mr. Lum stated that, on April 6, 2001, the Policy Committee endorsed a report that outlined the procedures that were to be followed to evaluate Congestion Management System (CMS) performance. Under the approach agreed to by OMPO and its participating agencies, DOT and DTS would have the primary role in the CMS analysis. However, at the 2003 Certification Review and the 2005 Intermodal Planning Group meetings, the Federal Transit and Federal Highway Administrations (FTA and FHWA) urged OMPO to reevaluate its approach and implement a CMS as soon as possible to avoid a “corrective action” at the 2006 Certification Review. As a result of these comments, OMPO decided to update its approach to one that relies heavily on the use of the OMPO travel forecasting models. This approach is consistent with the CMS Procedures and Responsibilities report endorsed by the Policy Committee in April 2001.

Mr. Lum gave a presentation on the approach that will be used to evaluate CMS performance and identified locations of significant congestion on Oahu.

Mr. Lum stated that OMPO plans to document this approach by April 2006, in time for the next Certification Review. When the Policy Committee deliberates on which projects to include in the TIP and Oahu Regional Transportation Plan, they will be provided with an assessment of those projects that are aimed at reducing congestion.

Testimony
CC Curry, Interagency Coordination Councils Organization (ICCO)
Ms. Curry stated that all the Ewa projects were taken out of the TIP, but all the Makakilo and Kapolei projects remained or were being placed back in the TIP.

Mr. Genadio pointed out that the North-South Road project has $42 million in the TIP; therefore, he did not feel that Ewa was being overlooked.

There being no other business, the meeting was adjourned at 2:52 p.m.