HART needs to quit being so secretive
Mayor Victorino Bill 10 Veto Upheld, Saves Affordable Housing
Statewide List of Walk-In COVID Vaccination Sites
Ige Signs Proclamation--Vaccine Passport Begins May 11
HS Students Watch Kahuku Windfarm Case Argued Before Supreme Court
Notice of Anticipated Judicial Vacancy – District Judge, District Court of the First Circuit
With HART facing $3.6B deficit, Blangiardi says rail will likely not make it to Ala Moana
HNN: … In an interview on Hawaii News Now Sunrise Friday, Blangiardi said he is working with the rail authority and federal officials to develop a plan by July to continue construction beyond Middle Street.
But he said he doesn’t think the city can afford the entire route.
“If the numbers don’t make sense, the strategy don’t make sense. The strategy to build from east Kapolei to Ala Moana and the numbers that I’m looking at, doesn’t make sense,” Blangiardi said.
“No matter what we do between now and July, I’m not gonna be able to manufacture $3.6 billion. So we’ve gotten to a moment of truth here, not to misstep or overstep.” ….
read … With HART facing $3.6B deficit, Blangiardi says rail will likely not make it to Ala Moana
Search for new HPD chief will (pretend to) be expanded to more states than in previous years
HNN: … Commissioners said they wanted the job posting to appear on more social media sites and in more advertisements nationwide than in 2017 when Susan Ballard was chosen as HPD chief….
Once the job description is finalized, the Human Resources department will post it.
The commission is expanding the time limit to apply, from 20 days to 30 days. A consulting firm will narrow down the list, providing finalists who will then be interviewed by the panel….
SA: Editorial: Interim chief for Honolulu Police Department
read … Search for new HPD chief will be expanded to more states than in previous years
Mayor tells Chinatown he’s got a big ‘to do’ list for the area
HNN: … “A core outreach and providing services — and some tough love, because that’s what has to happen,” Blangiardi responded.
The mayor also had a long “to-do” list, which was distributed to attendees.
They include future projects to have more security cameras, improve parks and have more community walks. His administration is also in continued negotiations to have the River of Life Mission move its homeless feeding services out of Chinatown.
“They’re in the same position that we are, they would like to move their public feeding service to Iwilei from Chinatown, and we hope to deliver that to the community as soon as possible,” city Managing Director Mike Formby told the gathering. “We’re committed.” ….
KITV: A reduction in social service programs during the pandemic has exacerbated substance abuse, mental illness and other health problems for Hawaii's homeless.
KHON: Honolulu mayor enlists several City departments to improve Chinatown
read … Mayor tells Chinatown he’s got a big ‘to do’ list for the area
Mediation Scheme Sticks landlords with Bill for 3,600 COVID Deadbeats
KITV: … Hawaii landlords say a proposal by lawmakers to essentially create a payment plan for past-due renters shifts the burden onto private owners who are also suffering financially.
"It does nothing to protect people like me as far as giving me income to pay my mortgage, to pay my property taxes," said landlord Becky Gustafson. "It's a bandaid on the real problem, which is tenants were given a carte blanche to not pay rent."
Mediation prevents landlords from evicting renters for up to 30 days. If tenants are behind in rent for more than four months, after mediation a landlord could still file an eviction lawsuit when the state moratorium ends on June 8.
Honolulu attorney David Chee who represents landlords and helped draft the bill says the idea is to avert as many evictions as possible.
"What our community should be trying to balance is not just trying to prevent people from becoming homeless because this is coming at a substantial cost to the landlords," he said.
According to the University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization, about 2% — or 3,600 of the 180,000 rental households — are estimated to be four or more months late in payments.
"They've taken a public housing crisis and made it a crisis for the people that own property," Chee said. "Transferring a public problem and turned it into a private problem. To me, it's just unfair."…
SA Editorial: Mediation needed to stop Hawaii evictions
read … Hawaii landlords bear the brunt of housing crisis
Hawaii is one of two states without a plan or date to fully reopen
MNW: … There is a petition, started by the Washington Hospitality Association, asking Governor Jay Inslee to put a plan in place to fully reopen the state and to actually set a date….
Anton says his team was talking after the governor’s news conference around the same time the news broke that New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut set a plan to reopen on May 19.
“We’re like, well, where are all the other states on moving forward? And we started doing the research and really learned that 48 other states already either are open or have a plan to move forward,” Anton said. “Only us and Hawaii are the two states that don’t have a plan to move forward. Even California has a plan to move forward on June 15.”…
read … Washington is one of two states without a plan or date to fully reopen
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