Minutes of the

Oahu Metropolitan Planning Organization

 

POLICY COMMITTEE

 

Tuesday, May 22, 2007, 10:30 a.m.

City Council Committee Room 205

Honolulu Hale, 530 South King Street, Honolulu, Hawaii

 

Members Present:

Councilmember Nestor Garcia, Chair

Councilmember Rod Tam

Senator Will Espero, Vice Chair

Representative Joseph Souki

Councilmember Todd Apo

Representative Ryan Yamane

Councilmember Charles Djou

Senator Carol Fukunaga

Councilmember Gary Okino

DOT Director Barry Fukunaga

 

Member(s) Absent:  Representative Marilyn Lee, Senator J. Kalani English, DTS Director Melvin Kaku

 

Guests Present:

Hiroko Nakamura (Cnclmbr. Cachola)

 

Ronald Tsuzuki (HDOT)

Francisco Figueiredo (Cnclmbr. Djou)

 

Frank Genadio (CBT, CAC)

Darrell Young (Cnclmbr. Garcia)

 

Gladys Quinto (Leeward Oahu

J. Ikaika Anderson (Cncl. Chair Marshall)

 

   Transportation Management Assn., CAC)

Mark Au (DTS)

 

Michael Golojuch (NB #34, CAC)

Glenn Soma (HDOT, TAC)

 

 

 

OahuMPO Staff Present:  Gordon Lum (Executive Director), Lori Arakaki, Marian Yasuda, Pamela Toyooka

 

Chair Nestor Garcia called the meeting to order at 10:37 a.m.  A quorum was present.

 

I.          EVALUATION AND SALARY ADJUSTMENT FOR OAHUMPO OFFICE MANAGER

 

Chair Garcia stated that, in accordance with Hawaii Revised Statutes Sections 92-4 and 92(a)(2), the Policy Committee would go into Executive Session to discuss the evaluation and salary adjustment for the OahuMPO Office Manager. 

 

All members present voted in favor of going into Executive Session.  Chair Garcia called a recess to the Open Session and convened the Executive Session in an adjoining room at 10:39 a.m.

 

[Councilmember Todd Apo, Councilmember Rod Tam, and Representative Ryan Yamane arrived after the vote was taken to go into Executive Session.]

 

The Open Session was reconvened at 10:47 a.m.

 

Gordon Lum recommended that the Policy Committee approve two 4% salary increases, effective July 1, 2007 and July 1, 2008, for Pamela Toyooka, the OahuMPO Office Manager.

 

Hawaii Department of Transportation (HDOT) Director Barry Fukunaga moved and Senator Carol Fukunaga seconded that the Policy Committee approve Ms. Toyooka’s salary increases, as stated in Mr. Lum’s recommendation.  The motion was unanimously approved.

 

II.        MINUTES OF THE MAY 4, 2007 MEETING

 

Councilmember Charles Djou moved and Councilmember Tam seconded that the May 4, 2007 minutes be approved as circulated.  The motion was unanimously approved.

 

III.       FY 2008 OVERALL WORK PROGRAM

 

Handout(s):  FY 2008 Overall Work Program (OWP)

 

In describing the FY 2008 OWP, Mr. Lum noted that the draft document circulated to the Policy Committee did not reflect the deletion of W.E. 201.30-03 (Demonstration of ITS Technologies for Use in Collecting CMS Data), which has been recently requested by HDOT.  In response to Chair Garcia, Mr. Lum stated that HDOT indicated the reason for the deletion of W.E. 201.30-03 was that this work element would cost significantly more than originally estimated.  Various summary tables in the draft FY 2008 OWP would be modified as a result of this deletion.

 

Of the 28 studies proposed for the FY 2008 OWP, 12 were new work elements.  Approval of the FY 2008 OWP would allow the various studies and activities contained in the work elements to proceed without further Policy Committee action.  When discussing the new studies for FY 2008, Mr. Lum highlighted four work elements involving consultant contracts:

o       W.E. 201.11-08   Federal Planning Requirements ($250,000)

o       W.E. 301.05-08   Single Audit ($25,000)

o       W.E. 203.72-08   Public Transit Facility Master Plan ($500,000)

o       W.E. 203.74-08   Human Service Transportation Coordination Plan & Program ($500,000)

 

Mr. Lum reviewed the comments received from the public and intergovernmental review process.  He noted that the Technical Advisory Committee recommended that the Policy Committee approve the FY 2008 OWP.

 

In discussing the OahuMPO budget, which was contained in the FY 2008 OWP, Mr. Lum stated that 80% was funded by the federal government, with the City and State each funding 10%.  A travel budget of $5,000 was included, as well as a line item description of the overhead items.

 

No one testified on this agenda item.

 

Councilmember Apo moved and Councilmember Gary Okino seconded that the FY 2008 OWP, with the deletion of W.E. 201.30-03, be approved.  The motion was unanimously approved.

 

VI.       AUTHORIZATION TO HIRE AND SELECT OAHUMPO STAFF

 

Mr. Lum noted that one vacancy at the OahuMPO office currently exists, one will exist very shortly, and another will exist at the end of 2008. Mr. Lum requested that the Policy Committee authorize the OahuMPO Executive Director to select and hire their replacements.

 

Councilmember Tam moved and Senator Fukunaga seconded that the Executive Director be authorized to hire and select replacements for the three positions. 

 

Chair Garcia noted that the salaries for these positions are already accounted for in the OahuMPO budget.

 

A vote was taken.  The motion was unanimously approved.

 

V.        CHANGE IN BYLAWS OF THE CAC PERTAINING TO TERM OF OFFICERS

 

Mr. Lum reported that the CAC, at their May 16, 2007 meeting, approved a recommendation to the Policy Committee to change to the CAC bylaws.  The proposed change pertains to the term of CAC officers (third sentence under Section III.C.1.) and would reword the bylaws as follows:

Delete:              “An individual shall not serve as a CAC Chair or Vice Chair for more than four consecutive years.”

Replace with:    “No member shall serve longer than four consecutive years as Chair and no more than four consecutive years as Vice Chair.”

 

Councilmember Tam moved and Councilmember Okino seconded that the CAC bylaws be changed to read: “No member shall serve longer than four consecutive years as Chair and no more than four consecutive years as Vice Chair.” 

 

Mr. Lum stated that the initial reason for the CAC’s discussion of this section in the bylaws was to consider an option for the current CAC Chair and Vice Chair to continue to serve as CAC officers.  Mr. Lum indicated that the current CAC Chair and Vice Chair both served four consecutive terms and were now prohibited from serving another consecutive term as either Chair or Vice Chair.  Under the proposed change, the CAC Chair could now serve another term as Vice Chair and vice versa.

 

The motion was approved with nine in favor and one opposed.

 

[Councilmember Djou left the meeting.  A quorum was still present.]

 

VI.       STATUS OF THE DRAFT OAHU TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM FYS 2008 TO 2011

 

Handouts:  FYs 2008-2011 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) Draft Project Listing;  FYs TIP Draft Financial Plan; Agency Responses to CAC Early Project Recommendations, Draft FYs 2008-2011 TIP; Agency Responses to Freight Task Force Project Recommendations, Draft FYs 2008-2011 TIP; written testimony

 

Mr. Lum went over the new format of the FYs 2008-2011 TIP (“TIP”); the new requirements resulting from the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users; and the TIP schedule.  He noted that the current draft TIP reflects the deletion of Project S67 (Kamehameha Highway, Improvements, Waipahu Street to Ka Uka Boulevard), which was requested by HDOT.

 

Mr. Lum presented a table which highlighted the funding deficiency of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) program of projects.  For all years between 2008 and 2011, FHWA program was over-programmed by between $9.6 million to over $24 million.  Unless HDOT found additional monies from savings in the Statewide TIP (STIP), the Policy Committee would be asked to delete, defer, and/or program projects in phases; and/or apply innovative financing techniques such as advance construction.  The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) program of projects, unlike the FHWA program of projects, was financially constrained.

 

Mr. Lum reported that the Policy Committee was expected to meet in July 2007 to act on the TIP in order for HDOT to process an STIP by the start of federal fiscal year 2008.  To assist the Policy Committee in constraining the FHWA program of projects, recommendations from HDOT, City Department of Transportation Services (DTS), the public, and other agencies would be provided. In addition, the OahuMPO would provide the results of a number of technical analyses – including the Congestion Management Process and Title VI and Environmental Justice.

 

Questions and Answers

Representative Yamane asked HDOT for the rationale for the deletion of Project S67.  Ronald Tsuzuki, Head Planning Engineer for HDOT Highways Division, stated that this project would put in some enhancements, but would not improve capacity on Kamehameha Highway.  That area was previously improved and widened to just beyond Ka Uka Boulevard when Waikele was being developed.  In response to Councilmember Okino, Mr. Tsuzuki stated that, when HDOT decided to delete Project S67, it was looking for projects to delete to work toward the financial constraint of the FHWA-funded projects.  This project could be deleted without a big impact. 

 

Mr. Tsuzuki stated that Project S80 (Kamehameha Highway, Widening, Lanikuhana Avenue to Ka Uka Boulevard) is a higher priority project, as it will widen Kamehameha Highway further towards Mililani.  HDOT is pursuing this project.

 

Representative Yamane stated that there was a need for Projects S67 and S80, and expressed his support for these projects.

 

In response to Representative Yamane and Vice Chair Espero, Mr. Tsuzuki stated that, because Project S80 goes through Kipapa Gulch, it is not an easy project to implement.  A new bridge may need to be built, so it may take a long time to complete this project. 

 

In response to Vice Chair Espero, Mr. Tsuzuki stated that deletion of Project S67 from the TIP does not necessarily mean that this project will not resurface again when funds are available.

 

Testimony

Frank Genadio, Committee for Balanced Transportation (CAC)

Mr. Genadio testified in support of project C06 (Makakilo Drive Extension).  He asked that the funding for construction be moved up from FY 2010 to FY 2009.

 

Discussion

With regard to ORTP Project 62 67 (Farrington Highway, widening Fort Barrette Road to west of Fort Weaver Road) in the Agency Responses to Freight Task Force Project Recommendations, Draft FYs 2008-2011 TIP, Vice Chair Espero asked why there was no indication of whether or not it was included in the draft TIP.  Mark Au, from DTS, stated that this project was left off the TIP mainly because the route of the City’s recently selected locally preferred alternative (LPA) is along that area.   DTS felt that it should wait on the widening of that road until the preliminary engineering on the LPA is completed.

 

In response to Mr. Genadio’s testimony, Chair Garcia asked about the possibility of adding construction funds to the FY 2009 component of project C06.  Mr. Lum stated that this is possible; however, this may further unconstrain the TIP.  Mr. Au stated that he was not sure if the City would be ready for the construction phase in FY 2009.

 

Representative Yamane requested that the City and State present the Policy Committee with the criteria they use to determine their priorities – which projects should or should not be deleted.  Mr. Au stated that the City’s priorities for FY 2008 are reflected in the CIP budget, which is submitted from the City Administration to the City Council.  Mr. Lum noted that one of the criteria for including a project in the TIP is that a project must be ready-to-go.  If a project (or phase of a project) is not ready-to-go and is placed in the TIP, then those funds are “frozen” for that project.  The only way to “unfreeze” those funds for another project is to amend the TIP.

 

Representative Yamane asked if the Policy Committee, at their July meeting, will be told which projects have been determined to be high or low priority, or will HDOT and DTS just present the projects they want deleted.  Mr. Lum stated that it will be a combination of both.  Mr. Lum added that HDOT and DTS may also come up with ways to allow more projects to be pushed forth, such as finding savings from other areas of the STIP, modifying the phasing of large projects, or committing future years’ federal funds to FYs 2008-2011 TIP projects. 

 

In response to Councilmember Tam, Mr. Lum explained the OahuMPO’s public involvement process for the TIP.

 

[Councilmember Tam left the meeting.  A quorum was still present.]

 

Representative Souki stated that the City and State need to think outside the box in order to come up with new sources of revenue.

 

VII.     INTERACTIONS BETWEEN THE POLICY COMMITTEE AND THE CAC

 

Mr. Lum reported that this item was placed on the agenda in anticipation of a discussion and recommendation from the CAC regarding this topic.  The CAC discussion of this topic was deferred.  At the request of Mr. Lum, Chair Garcia deferred this agenda item. 

 

In response to a question from Chair Garcia, Mr. Lum noted that the March 2007 Certification Review of the metropolitan transportation planning process conducted by FHWA and FTA is expected to recommend an increased level of interactions between the public and the Policy Committee to make its decision-making more transparent.  Chair Garcia stated that it would be appropriate to wait until the federal recommendations, which may cite examples, were received before deliberating on this topic.

 

There being no other business, the meeting was adjourned at 12:07 p.m.