October 27, 2020 News Read > Hawaii Free Press

SA: … Hawaii law allows for processing — opening envelopes and running ballots through a scanner — to start at the 10-day mark, and that’s a good thing, to allow for timely results in highly consequential local races, such as for Honolulu mayor, city prosecutor and Hawaii island mayor. The first-printout results will be made public shortly after voting wraps up at 7 p.m. Nov. 3.

In the Aug. 8 primary, thanks to vote-by-mail, that first release of results included 90% of the vote — a rapid pace compared with previous elections in which the initial rounds routinely included less than 10%, with updates continuing for hours.

With Election Day now one week away, Nago recommends today as the last day for mailing in your ballot, to ensure U.S. Postal Service delivery. Starting Wednesday, options to make sure a ballot gets counted will be via yellow drop-boxes around town and booth-voting at voter service centers….

Despite Hawaii’s easy-to-navigate process, about 1,000 last-minute voters missed the primary election deadline, and their ballots were not counted. Nago’s sound advice in this final push to Election Day: “Don’t delay, vote today.”…

KHON: 381,000 votes received as deadline to mail in ballot nears

Big Q: With the general election just a week way, have you voted?

read … Vote now; Ballot deadlines nearing

381,000 Hawaii ballots already returned in election with ‘tremendous enthusiasm’

HNN: … More than 381,000 ballots have already been returned across the state and more are flooding in every day, the Office of Elections said….

“The big contributing factor here is the presidential election,” said Hawaii News Now political analyst Colin Moore. “More people think that this election is one of the most important in their lifetimes."

He said there’s “tremendous enthusiasm” on both sides of the political aisle….

“One of the long-lasting effects of this will be that this will boost our turnout for years to come because people tend to remain voters once they become voters,” Moore said.….

The state has begun pre-processing ballots at the Hawaii Convention Center. where thousands of ballots are delivered each day for 10 days before the election. Each county has its own pre-processing site and once envelopes are received, they are first sorted by district.

"Once that’s done, we take it to the scanners here and it gets fed through and read and it gets counted,' said state Chief Election Officer Scott Nago. “We don’t tabulate results until after the close of polls, after the close of voting on election day, November 3rd at 7 p.m.”

The first results are expected to be released at 7 p.m. on election night.

It’s estimated 90% of all ballots cast across the state will be in that printout.

If you haven’t submitted your ballot yet, be sure to drop it in the mail by Tuesday.

After that, the state advises voters to turn in their ballots at drop boxes located around the island. Or you can vote in person at Honolulu Hale or Kapolei Hale….

read … 381,000 Hawaii ballots already returned in election with ‘tremendous enthusiasm’

Caldwell Presents 8-Point Plan for Rail

SA: … “We need to get a plan to the FTA shortly,” Caldwell said, noting that the city has until the end of the year to present a plan to satisfy concerns raised about project funding by the Federal Transit Administration. The $250 million due to lapse is a portion of the $1.55 billion that the FTA promised, and Caldwell voiced concern that federal officials could ask for the entire amount back if the city does not build 21 stations and 20 miles of guideway.

Caldwell presented an eight-point “conceptual plan” that includes amending an existing contract with Shimmick/Traylor/Granite, which is tasked with building the airport guideway section, to allow the company to extend its work as far down Dillingham Boulevard as possible.

The remaining segments of the final, 4-mile leg then could be segmented into three separate proposals where contractors would submit bids for each section, he said. Those three segments would be: building the guideway and stations from Kalihi to downtown, building the Pearl Highlands Garage and Transit Center, and constructing the guideway and stations to Ala Moana, he said.

But in order to do that, HART will need to determine how far the project can be built within the parameters of its budget, Caldwell said, noting estimated revenue for both general excise and hotel room taxes, the two main sources of revenue for the project, are forecast to drop significantly due to the economic setbacks caused by the coronavirus outbreak.

“And then we need to keep building somewhere closer to town, hopefully downtown, based on HART’s certification of funds … to find out what is the amount that we actually have and where does that get us.”….

KHON: Caldwell believes shortfall more than HART’s estimate

KITV: "At the end of this year, we are in danger of losing $250 million in HART funds. Dec 30th is a drop dead date and ticking," said Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell.

read … Caldwell again calls for HART to nix P3 process

Lanai 2,800 Surge tests on island of 3,000

MN: … The county’s smallest inhabited island with a population of 3,200 saw cases recently shoot up from zero to about 80 in a week’s time. Still, Victorino said recent testing on Lanai may offer signs of hope. Nearly 1,000 tests were done Saturday and results will likely be disclosed today, he said. The surge testing follows another 1,800 tests done Oct. 18 to Friday.

“I have preliminary reports that the numbers from the surge test that we did on Saturday are extremely good, and we will be getting those numbers firmed up tomorrow,” he said during a news conference Monday. “That may change a lot of what is happening on Lanai.” ….

read … Victorino optimistic about surge test results from island

Life Care Center reports two more deaths

HTH: … Life Care Center of Hilo has reported the COVID-related deaths of two more residents over the weekend, according to an update posted this morning on the facility’s website.

A total of 10 COVID-related deaths have now been reported at Life Care Center.

The facility has reported COVID-19 in 55 residents and 17 employees since late September.

As of this morning, there are 19 active resident cases at the facility and one receiving treatment at Hilo Medical Center. Two resident have been discharged and 23 have recovered….

Fifteen employees have fully recovered.

Hawaii County Civil Defense has reported nine new coronavirus cases on the Big Island today, a decline in new cases compared to Sunday.

The Big Island on Sunday recorded 51 new cases of the virus, the highest single-day jump in new COVID-19 cases since the start of the pandemic and more than were reported on Oahu.

SA: The Hawaii County Civil Defense Agency also said today that the Big Island’s COVID-19 death toll is now at 40, however, state health officials now have yet to verify coronavirus as a factor in 12 of those Big Island deaths.

read … Life Care Center reports two more deaths

Japanese travel plan nearly set, Canada, S Korea Next

HTH: … Gov. David Ige said Monday his administration is “very close” to being able to announce plans for the return of Japanese visitors to the state.

Ige told the state House Select Committee on COVID-19 Economic and Financial Preparedness the announcement likely will be made in the next week or so.

“We had a good meeting two weeks ago with member of the Japanese (legislature) about the travel bubble …,” Ige said, adding he had a follow-up meeting with Japan’s consul general to Hawaii.

“We continue to get requests from international partners — Canada and South Korea, which is the two next-largest international markets for travelers to Hawaii,” Ige told members of the committee, which is comprised of legislators and tourism and business leaders….

read … Japanese travel plan nearly set

Utah family flies to Hawaii, finds out negative COVID-19 results won't be accepted

KUTV: … Before leaving Utah on Friday morning, Robb and Pam Alexander and four of their family members got COVID tested.

They say the Hawaiian government sent them QR codes to scan when they arrived in Maui proving they filled out all the proper paperwork and had a valid negative test result.

Friday was a long day for the Alexanders, who flew from St. George to Salt Lake International to LAX, and then another five-and-a-half hours to Maui.

That's when their plans fell apart.

“This just blew us away, how they treated us,” Pam Alexander says.

The Alexanders say agents at the Maui airport scanned the QR codes supplied by the state of Hawaii earlier that day.

“And the lady came over and said 'well, that's not on our list, so you can't come in,' and we said 'are you kidding us? That's it?'” Robb Alexander said.

The agents were telling the Alexanders the vendor they used in Utah was not on the Hawaii-approved list, even though they were sent a QR code proving their negative result.

Before their trip, the approved test site Hawaii wanted them to go to was in Las Vegas.

The Alexanders called the state of Utah to see if there were other options and were given a travel code allowing them to get an approved test in St. George and still get into Maui.….

read … Utah family flies to Hawaii, finds out negative COVID-19 results won't be accepted

97-percent of COVID-19 emergency order violation cases that reached outcome were dismissed

KITV: … If the maximum fine of $5,000 were imposed on everyone of those cases, the state could collect as much as $185,000,000….of the 66,000 cases, 37,849 reached an outcome. Of those cases that have been resolved, 97-percent were dropped or dismissed, that's 37,000 cases that were dropped or dismissed….

read … 97-percent of COVID-19 emergency order violation cases that reached outcome were dismissed

The state is sitting on $90M for housing aid and time is running out to distribute it—HHFDC Solves Problem by Not Checking Eligibility

HNN: … A program to help struggling families stay in their homes is sitting on more than 90% of the $100 million it’s supposed to distribute.

The Ige administration announced the program in early September. Eligible applicants can get up to $2,000 a month through the end of the year ― paid directly to their landlord.

But of the 19,591 people who have applied, only about 2,810 applications are in process.

Meanwhile, just $8.5 million has actually been paid out. Another $6.19 million in payments is pending….

In it, the director of the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation admitted “most of the challenges (with the program) involve capacity and technology.”

She said delays were also attributed to the state deciding to double-check the work of non-profit agencies reviewing the applications and because some applications were “incomplete” or had “incorrect information.”

The letter went on to say they’ve since backed off on oversight of the agencies….

HD: House Informational Briefing Highlights Impacts to Renters, Landlords under Eviction Moratorium

CB: More Rental Subsidies In 2021? House Lawmakers Say It’s An Open Question

KITV: State's COVID-19 rent relief program ramps up to pay out $78 million by end of year

read … The state is sitting on $90M for housing aid and time is running out to distribute it

Hawaii County coffers contain an extra $40M

HTH: … Hawaii County ended the last fiscal year with $40 million left over to be applied to the current budget, according to an Oct. 15 report to the County Council.

“This fund balance will be helpful in meeting next year’s budgetary needs,” said Finance Director Deanna Sako in the report. “Balancing the fiscal year 2021-22 budget will continue to be challenging given the current economic climate.”…

Sako attributes a greater than anticipated fund balance to expenditures in several areas being lower than expected because the focus has been on dealing with the coronavirus pandemic rather than other county projects. Much of the coronavirus response has been paid by $80 million in federal relief funds, which have been used for everything from staffing to personal protective equipment and sanitizers to relief for individuals and businesses hard-hit by the economic slowdown.

Other factors, Sako said, are “careful spending” by county departments and pay raises approved later than anticipated, which pushed them into the new budget year….

read … County coffers contain an extra $40M

Maui Liquor director to hand position to Son?

MN: … The search for a new Maui County Liquor Control director appears to have been narrowed to two candidates, including a current liquor control officer who is the son of a former liquor control director.

Layne Silva, who has worked for the Department of Liquor Control for 21 years, and Timothy Poindexter, a former California Highway Patrol sergeant who is currently director of safety and security at Turtle Bay Resort on Oahu, are the two candidates who are being considered for the job, according to a source familiar with the situation.

Although two other finalists for the position are listed on the agenda of a Liquor Control Commission special meeting today, only Silva and Poindexter have been asked to be available for additional interviews, the source said.

Public testimony will be taken at the meeting, which begins at 9 a.m. and will be held by videoconference. People can attend or testify at the meeting by videoconference using the link https://bluejeans.com/200439852 or by phone by calling (408) 915-6290 and entering meeting ID code 200439852….

(Really Obvious Question: Would the son expose any wrongdoing committed under the father? Duh.)

read … Liquor director selection reportedly down to two

McKinley Students Still Unable To Play Football On New $5M Field

CB: …Soon after planning for the athletic complex began in 2008, the DOE caved in to complaints from residents of nearby luxury condominiums who said they would be bothered by the cheering noises, band music and bright lights if McKinley got a field with lights….

read … McKinley Students Still Unable To Play Football On New $5M Field

Batteries $947/kwh in Hawaii

EI: … From 2013 to 2018, the average utility-scale battery costs ranged from $1,946 kWh in the PJM Interconnection (PJM), covering 13 eastern and midwestern states and the District of Columbia, to the low point of $947/kWh in Hawaii. The electric system is divided under the management of various independent system operators and regional transmission organizations.

Another point worth noting is the amount of capacity being deployed. At the end of 2019, the U.S. had 869 MW of installed battery power capacity — the total amount of power a battery could provide — and 1,236 megawatt hours (MWh) of battery energy capacity, referring to the total amount of energy a battery could store. These systems store electricity produced by generators or the grid and redistribute the power later as needed.

In 2019 alone, the United States added 152 MW of battery storage capacity. Up through July 2020, it has already gained another 301 MW for the year. Further, EIA expects battery storage to grow by more than 6,900 MW over the coming years

read … Waaaay too Expensive

Closing Dillingham Airport May Slow Tourism

AOPA: … High hopes for a tourism-driven economic rebound in Hawaii could suffer if officials close an Oahu airport that offers visitors glider rides, skydiving, and flying lessons—activity that supports 130 jobs and injects $12 million into the struggling state economy, say the airfield’s backers ….

read … CLOSING OAHU AIRPORT AS HAWAII STRUGGLES COULD SLOW TOURISM

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