Minutes of the

Oahu Metropolitan Planning Organization

 

POLICY COMMITTEE

 

Tuesday, July 22, 2008, 1:30 p.m.

City Council Committee Room, room 205

530 South King Street, Honolulu, Hawaii

 

Members Present:

Senator Will Espero, Chair (FY 2008)

Councilmember Charles Djou

Councilmember Nestor Garcia, Chair (FY 2009), 

Councilmember Gary Okino

      Vice Chair (FY 2008)

Senator J. Kalani English

Representative Marilyn Lee, Vice Chair (FY 2009)

Acting DOT Director Mike Formby

Councilmember Todd Apo

DTS Director Wayne Yoshioka

 

Member(s) Absent:  Councilmember Rod Tam, Representative Joseph Souki, Representative Ryan Yamane, and Senator Carol Fukunaga

 

Guests Present:

Robert Sato (Councilmember Okino)

 

David Arakawa (Land Use Research Foundation,

Glenn Soma (DOT, TAC)

 

       CAC)

Ken Tatsuguchi (DOT)

 

Kelley Roberson (NB #3, CAC)

Patrick Tom (DOT)

 

Bert Narita (NB #5, CAC)

Jill Yamanouchi (DOT)

 

Michael Golojuch (NB #34, CAC)

Mark Au (DTS, TAC)

 

Pamela Young (NB #35, CAC)

John Valera (American Planning Assn.,

 

Joseph Magaldi (Committee for Balanced

      Hawaii, CAC)

 

      Transportation, CAC)

CC Curry (Interagency COORDINATION

 

Tom Dinell (E Noa Corp., CAC)

      Councils, CAC)

 

Robert Kessler (Waikiki Residents Assn, CAC)

 

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

 

Chair Will Espero called the meeting to order at 1:32 p.m.  A quorum was present.

 

I.          ELECTION OF FY 2009 CHAIR & VICE CHAIR

Councilmember Gary Okino nominated Councilmember Nestor Garcia for office of the Chair for FY 2009.  Senator J. Kalani English seconded the nomination.  Councilmember Nestor Garcia was unanimously elected FY 2009 Chair.

 

Senator English nominated Representative Marilyn Lee for office of the Vice Chair for FY 2009. Department of Transportation Services (DTS) Director Wayne Yoshioka seconded the nomination.  Representative Lee was unanimously elected FY 2009 Vice Chair.

 

II.        MINUTES OF THE JUNE 3, 2008 MEETING

Senator English moved and Councilmember Okino seconded that the minutes of the June 3, 2008 meeting be approved as circulated.  The motion carried unanimously.

 

III.       CITIZEN ADVISORY COMMITTEE (CAC) CERTIFICATES OF APPRECIATION

[Councilmember Charles Djou arrived at 1:38 p.m.]

 

Chair Garcia and the Policy Committee members recognized and presented certificates of appreciation to the following Citizen Advisory Committee (CAC) member organizations for their commitment to and participation in the metropolitan planning process in FY 2008 (organizations’ representatives present to accept certificates in parentheses):

·        American Planning Association (John Valera)

·        Committee for Balanced Transportation (Joseph Magaldi, Jr.)

·        E Noa Corporation  (Tom Dinell)

·        Interagency COORDINATION Councils (CC Curry)

·        NB #03 Waialae-Kahala (not present)

·        NB #05 Diamond Head-Kapahulu-St Louis Heights (Bert Narita)

·        NB #10 Makiki-Lower Punchbowl-Tantalus (Charles Carole)

·        NB #23 Ewa (Scott Belford)

·        NB #34 Makakilo-Kapolei-Honokai Hale (Michael Golojuch)

·        NB #35 Mililani Mauka-Launani Valley (Pamela Young)

·        Waikiki Residents Association (Robert Kessler)

 

OahuMPO Resolution for Outgoing OahuMPO Chair

Chair Garcia then presented former Chair Espero with a resolution from the Policy Committee – thanking him for his leadership, dedication, and commitment to improving transportation conditions for Oahu residents through the Oahu Metropolitan Planning Organization planning process during fiscal year 2008.

 

IV.       FYs 2008, 2009, 2010, AND 2011 TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM (TIP)

Handouts:  FYs 2008-2011 TIP Revision #4: Expedited Administrative Modification (Draft); FYs 2008-2011 TIP Revision #5: Amendment (Draft); FYs 2008-2011 TIP Revision #6: Amendment (Draft); Project Evaluation Criteria for Roadway and Transit Projects in the TIP; Project Evaluations FYs 2008-2011 TIP Revision #5; Intergovernmental Review Revision #5 to the FYs 2008-2011 TIP Comment Summary; Intergovernmental Review Revision #6 to the FYs 2008-2011 TIP Comment Summary

 

IV.A.   FYs 2008-2011 TIP Revision #4

OahuMPO Executive Director Gordon Lum gave a presentation on FYs 2008-2011 TIP Revision #4, an expedited administrative modification that does not require Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) or public review, but does require Policy Committee’s approval.  Revision #4 changes are housekeeping in nature, to reflect projects’ status.  The revision to federal funds would include: 1) a reduction of Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) funds by $32 million for 25 State projects and six City projects; and 2) an increase of Federal Transit Administration funds by $32,000 for two City projects.

 

Acting Department of Transportation (DOT) Director Mike Formby stated his department’s support of the revision.  Director Yoshioka reiterated that this revision is standard housekeeping changes.

 

In response to Senator Espero, Mr. Lum stated that, though there was a reduction of $32 million in FHWA funds programmed for this revision, there was an increase in FHWA funds programmed in draft Revision #5.  Some projects were just not ready-to-go.

 

Senator Espero moved and Senator English seconded that FYs 2008-2011 Revision #4 be approved.  The motion was unanimously carried.

 

IV.B.   FYs 2008-2011 TIP Revision #5

Mr. Lum gave a presentation on FYs 2008-2011 TIP Revision #5, an amendment, requiring TAC and public review, as well as Policy Committee approval.  This revision would add six projects, delete six projects, and revise 14 projects.  The federal fund revisions would be an increase of $10.5 million in FHWA funds and a reduction of $30.6 million in FTA funds.  Mr. Lum went over the technical analysis for this revision – including consistency with the Oahu Regional Transportation Plan (ORTP) 2030 and the Oahu Regional Intelligent Transportation Systems Architecture (ORITSA); the Congestion Management Process (CMP) results; Title VI and Environmental Justice results; and TAC recommendation for approval.  Although notices were sent to 417 organizations/individuals, 198 hits were made on the OahuMPO TIP website, and an announcement made at the CAC meeting, Mr. Lum reported that no comments were received.  Under the Intergovernmental Review processes, three agencies submitted comments and nineteen agencies replied that they had no comments.  Mr. Lum went over the comments that were received.

 

Testimony

Chair Garcia asked for testimony on Revisions #4 & #5.

 

CC Curry noted that the OahuMPO Citizen Advisory Committee (CAC) had provided comments at their CAC meeting during the question-and-answer period following Senator English’s presentation.  She also asked for the disbursement of $1 million in funds for bus stop improvement; asked for the City allotment of the New Freedom funds; and asked about the Shadow Program.

 

Vice Chair Lee moved and Director Yoshioka seconded that FYs 2008-2011 Revision #5 be approved.  The motion was unanimously carried.

 

IV.C.   FYs 2008-2011 TIP Revision #6

Mr. Lum gave a presentation on FYs 2008-2011 TIP Revision #6, an amendment, requiring TAC and public review, as well as Policy Committee approval.  This revision would modify Chapter 10 Revisions to the TIP and make changes to thresholds for TIP revisions. Although notices were sent to 417 organizations/individuals, 198 hits were made on the OahuMPO TIP website, and an announcement was made at the CAC meeting, Mr. Lum reported that no comments were received.  56 agencies were requested to review this amendment under the Intergovernmental Review processes.  22 agencies replied “no comment”.  Mr. Lum stated that, in addition to TAC’s recommended approval of Revision #6, TAC also expressed concern that the thresholds were still too restrictive.

 

Chair Garcia asked if anyone wanted to testify.  No one came forward to testify.

 

Councimember Djou moved and Vice Chair Lee seconded that FYs 2008-2011 Revision #6 be approved.  The motion was unanimously carried.

 

[Councilmember Djou left at 2:07 p.m.  A quorum was still present.]

 

V.        UPDATE OF THE COMPREHENSIVE AGREEMENT

Handout:  Draft updated Comprehensive Agreement

 

Mr. Lum gave a presentation on the update of the Comprehensive Agreement.  Senator English noted that there were technical and typographical errors in the draft document.  Mr. Lum stated that OahuMPO staff would make the needed changes.

 

Senator English moved and Director Yoshioka seconded that the Comprehensive Agreement, incorporating technical and typographical corrections by the OahuMPO staff, be approved.  The motion unanimously carried.

 

VI.       CAC MEETING HIGHLIGHTS

Newly elected CAC Chair David Arakawa introduced the new CAC Vice Chair, Michael Golojuch.  Mr. Arakawa then provided the highlights of the recent CAC activities.  The CAC received two presentations – Bus Ridership Trends (by DTS) and 2008 Accomplishments of the Transportation and International Affairs Committee (by Senator English).  Other CAC meeting highlights include:  1) the annual election of officers for FY 2009; 2) the formation of a subcommittee for early input on the FY 2010 Overall Work Program; and 3) the formation of a working group to brainstorm on the public involvement plan for the update of the ORTP 2035 effort.

 

VII.     OTHER BUSINESS (ANNOUNCEMENTS)

Mr. Lum introduced new OahuMPO staff member, Clement Chan.

 

There being no other business, the meeting was adjourned at 2:15 p.m.