Maui Economic Development: Official Gets Paid Leave After Giving $1.4M to Friends and Family
Zombie News: Vacant Home Tax Dies Again
CB: … What constitutes an empty home? And what city services should benefit from revenue that would be generated by a proposed special tax on vacant properties?
Disputes over that last issue emerged as a dealbreaker Wednesday when a Honolulu City Council bill that would raise taxes on vacant homes was postponed indefinitely.….
That swayed council member Matt Weyer to postpone the bill using his power as chair of the Housing, Sustainability and Health Committee. He said he intends to bring it up again for more discussion, perhaps as soon as a month or two from now….
As written, the default assumption would be that homeowners need to pay the tax, which would start at 1% of assessed value before climbing to 2% the next year and settling at 3%. If Bill 46 passes, the empty homes tax would be in addition to regular property taxes.
Homeowners could prove occupancy by sending in proof of permanent residence like utility bills, a driver’s license or tenancy agreements. …
the bill keeps getting stuck in hearings as council members and administration officials struggle over how to make it work.
Considerations include the threshold for when a home is considered “empty,” the city’s method of enforcement and the exact rate that property owners would have to pay.
The bill considers a home “empty” if it is unoccupied for at least six months of the year. But how those six months are calculated is opposed by the Oahu Short-Term Rental Alliance, whose members already got a big property tax bump a couple months ago when their rate was set closer to what hotels pay. …
read … Why Do Efforts To Impose Higher Taxes On Empty Homes In Honolulu Keep Stalling?
Skyline sees low rail ridership, high monthly costs during first year
KITV: … It's been just over a year since Honolulu Skyline started up, and it has been slow going for rail when it comes to ridership.
"Right now, we are doing about 250 people per hour," said Dept. of Transportation Services Director Roger Morton.
But Skyline trains can handle more than 14 times that amount each hour.
Which means there isn't much revenue coming in, for rail that costs the city $6 million each month to run….
He hopes to one day get 25% of the operating cost returned in revenue. Which means for that $6 million monthly cost, the city would make $1.5 million in revenue….
(DO THE MATH: $1.5M / $3 per ticket = 500K riders/ month /30 days = 16,667 riders per day.)
"My concern is always about cost and how we pay for it. We pay for it with GE Tax on food and medical services, so it hits lower income people the hardest," said Hawaii Kai resident Natalie Iwasa….
read … Skyline sees low rail ridership, high monthly costs during first year | Local | kitv.com
HPD looks to build citizen ‘army’ to help reduce crime in Waikiki
HNN: … HPD is re-launching its Waikiki Citizen Patrols this Saturday in hopes of getting more residents and businesses engaged in public safety….
Slayter recruited the help of nonprofit Waikiki Business Improvement District Association (WBID) — known for its Aloha Ambassadors in bright yellow shirts who assist tourists and keep areas clean.
Weekly citizen patrols never stopped but Slayter said participation had dropped down to two residents. He said the new patrols will be scheduled to accommodate more volunteers and patrol routes will rotate to incorporate more residential streets, not just Kalakaua Avenue….
read … HPD looks to build citizen ‘army’ to help reduce crime in Waikiki
Hawaii Has Done Little To Shore Up Neighborhoods Against Fire. Some Are Doing It Themselves
CB: … The residents walked with firefighters and staff from the Hawaii Wildfire Management Organization, looking at fence lines, roofs, gutters, windows and walls. They pondered the preened lawns and foliage. They eyed each home’s characteristics and surroundings.
They were evaluating the community’s wildfire hazards.
Across Hawaii, neighborhoods have been working to safeguard themselves from the ever-growing peril of wildfire after the disaster of Aug. 8, 2023, in what they say is the absence of significant government action to fortify the built environment.
This Maui community is among many requesting an appraisal of fire hardiness, the first step to becoming accredited as a Firewise USA community. The initiative started in the early 2000s to educate residents to better safeguard themselves from a fate similar to Lahaina’s….
LINK: NFPA - Firewise USA®
LINK: 5% Insurance discount for Firewise Communities
read … Hawaii Has Done Little To Shore Up Neighborhoods Against Fire. Some Are Doing It Themselves
Kauaʻi councilman ‘inappropriately’ messaged student on social media, school investigation reveals
KN: … DeCosta, who was first elected as one of Kaua’i’s seven council members in 2020, is currently running for re-election. He finished in eighth place in the 2024 primary earlier this month….
The letter outlines the incident and results of the investigation regarding DeCosta’s behavior while employed as a building and construction teacher at Kapa‘a High School.
“On or about Jan. 14 or 15, you acted inappropriately so as to be construed as misconduct when you inappropriately messaged a student via social media,” Hamada wrote to DeCosta.
The letter states Kapaʻa High School Principal Tommy Cox recommended “serious discipline” for DeCostaʻs actions.
The recommendation was based on the investigation report conducted by investigator Courtney Dennis, and DeCosta’s comments made during a post-investigation meeting held on May 20 during which he did not present any evidence to refute the allegations — and during a May 30 meeting in which he admitted he commented on the student’s picture and acknowledged he should not have done so….
REALITY: Kauai Island of Retaliation: Year in Jail After Putin Dupe Passes Along ‘Threat’ from Schizophrenic
read … Kauaʻi councilman ‘inappropriately’ messaged student on social media, school investigation reveals
HECO Will Receive Federal Funds for Grid Hardening
IM: … The HECO Companies requested approval from the Public Utilities Commission to commit $189 million, half from a federal grant, for a Climate Adaptation, Transmission, and Distribution Resilience Program for the period 2022-2027….
The United States Department of Energy officially awarded HECO the IIJA grant on August 7, 2024…..
read … HECO Will Receive Federal Funds for Grid Hardening
HECO Files PUC Mandated Utility Natural Hazard Mitigation Report
IM: … Public Utilities were to detail their “ongoing efforts and future mitigation plans to address natural hazards as they relate to their provision of utility service, capital expenditures, operations, and/or finances.”
The Commission Order allowed any utility to request a three-month delay. HECO asked for an extension. Thus, the reports were due on August 21, 2024….
Most public utilities failed to file their reports by the deadline. ….
The Commission included a long list of what should be in the report including all "resiliency efforts and mitigation planning projects and/or programs that are currently ongoing or are planned to be constructed and/or implemented over the next five years.”
“The Commission also directs each Utility to provide information regarding how it plans to request to recover the costs for construction and/or implementation of these projects and/or programs in their Report.”
A very brief summary of some of the Report requirements include “objectives, goals, and key performance indicators/metrics… lessons learned from past natural hazard events… utility infrastructure, environmental conditions/relevant natural features, communities and regions at risk, critical facilities/customers, vulnerable or special needs customers, and environmental compliance and permitting issues and risks… description of risk assessment methodology and process used to identify, describe, and prioritize mitigation of disaster risks and drivers for those risks… natural hazard mitigation strategy development, including discussion of key processes and scoping, stakeholder engagement, mitigation prioritization and selection, and measuring the effectiveness of mitigation initiatives.”
The reports should contain “natural hazard mitigation measures, including infrastructure design, operations, and maintenance; vegetation management and inspections, if applicable; situational awareness and forecasting; community outreach and engagement… staff training and workforce planning, and public safety measures… Planned projects/programs to address or implement identified natural hazard mitigation measures and system resiliency… Proposed Utility expenditures for projects/programs and intended methods and estimated amounts of cost recovery for those projects/programs… practices surrounding data collection and reporting on identified key performance indicators/metrics.”
PDF: HECO Report
UPDATE -- IM: HECO and Other Utilities Filed Natural Hazard Mitigation Reports | Ililani Media
read … Most Hawaii Utilities Failed to File PUC Mandated Utility Natural Hazard Mitigation Reports
Hawaii sheriff vetting faces scrutiny – Deputy Hired with history of Domestic Violence
KHON: … Questions are being raised over the hiring process of sheriffs after the arrest of an off-duty sheriff for allegedly threatening a Waianae fisherman with a weapon on Monday, Aug. 19….
Court documents showed the deputy has a history in Hawaii’s court system.
Stanford Hokoana said on Tuesday, Aug. 20 that he will press charges, though court documents regarding the off-duty deputy accused of second-degree terroristic threatening were still not posted on Wednesday, Aug. 21.
Other records filed show three court cases involving the deputy from over 10 years ago — domestic abuse and third-degree assault in 2009 and another third-degree assault in 2010….
read … Hawaii sheriff vetting faces scrutiny amid recent allegations
Honolulu Police Commissioners Check Boxes on Chief's Evaluation
SA: … Logan met expectations in 19 metrics, exceeded expectations in seven others and did not perform below expectations in any category.
The results were similar to his first evaluation in 2023 when commissioners also believed Logan met or exceeded their expectations in every category they measured….
CB: Honolulu Police Commissioners Stress Need For Better Communication During Chief's Evaluation
KHON: Honolulu police chief Joe Logan receives strong annual review | KHON2
read … Honolulu police chief scores high in evaluation
Waianae Crime Solution: “Numerous arrests over the weekend for violent crimes, narcotics offenses”
KHON: … Last week, Honolulu police announced they would deploy more uniformed and plainclothes officers in response to a rise in violent crime.
The increased effort also includes support from state sheriffs and the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR).
Deputy Chief Horikawa of the Honolulu Police Department said, “This resulted in numerous arrests over the weekend for violent crimes, narcotics offenses, OVI or DUI, and warrants, as well as over 80 citations being issued.”…
KITV: ‘It’s scary to go outside’ | West Oahu residents speak about needed changes ahead of town hall on violence
read … Recent crime in Waianae prompts increased law enforcement presence, town hall | KHON2
Navy accused of ‘negligence and wrongful acts’ in Hawaii child abuse case
HNN: … A military family has filed a federal tort claim against the Navy after two daycare workers were convicted and jailed for abusing their daughter at Pearl Harbor. The court documents are scathing and the Navy says it can’t comment on pending litigation or its personnel.
The abuse to Isabella Kuykendall who was nearly a year-and-a-half old at the Navy’s Ford Island Child Development Center at Pearl Harbor was caught on security camera in 2022. It showed one woman striking the toddler’s head and using the child’s arm to hit her in the face. Another worker is seen violently shaking the child.
Later doctors at Kapiolani Medical Center documented bruises and injuries over Isabella’s “face, legs, arms, wrists, back, chest, stomach, and neck.”
The two daycare workers were convicted in state court for 3rd degree assault and spent days in jail ….
read .. Navy accused of ‘negligence and wrongful acts’ in Hawaii child abuse case
Could Alaska-Hawaiian Air Deal Still Face Challenge?
KHON: … Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines announced this week that they had reached a significant milestone in the proposed merger, as the Department of Justice antitrust review period expired Monday evening.
However, DOJ is staying mum on whether they have approved the deal or if there are any conditions that they expect to be met. Federal regulators can sue to block mergers before and even after sales close.
“It is, I think, erroneous to assume that this is a clearance as opposed to a step in a process,” explained Bill Baer, the only person to have led antitrust divisions at both the DOJ
“It doesn’t mean that I think there’s necessarily going to be a challenge, but it is also wrong to say this means there won’t be a challenge. From my experience, I would not infer approval. I would infer continued uncertainty.”
Baer said because the Department of Transportation still has to approve the merger, the DOJ is likely still coordinating with DOT and has plenty of time to file a request for preliminary injunction if antitrust officials lean unfavorably toward the merger ….
VW: Alaska Airlines Rewrites Its Press Release, Merger With Hawaiian Airlines Not 'Approved' After All - View from the Wing
BH: Alaska/Hawaiian Deal "At Their Own Risk" Per Feds? - Beat of Hawaii
HNN: Could DOJ object to Hawaiian-Alaska merger? There’s some speculation of it
L360: Flyers Chided For Late Bid To Block Alaska-Hawaiian Deal - Law360
read … DOJ not saying if Alaska-Hawaiian merger passed muster
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