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Honolulu Rail: It’s looking like a game of blame avoidance if the civic center bids come in over budget
Shapiro: … It’s looking like a game of blame avoidance if the civic center bids come in over budget and HART, already having run its original $5 billion budget to $10 billion, must ask the Legislature for a third bailout….
Now the curtain has been ripped down in the fight between HART board Chair Colleen Hanabusa and CEO Lori Kahikina, which has the agency in turmoil at a critical time that could determine whether we leave the line half-finished or throw billions of dollars more at a project already grossly over budget.
Hanabusa, on her second tour as HART chair, is a former congresswoman and state legislator — the ultimate politician. So much for keeping politics out of rail.
Mayor Rick Blangiardi, a politician HART was aimed at keeping away from rail, is playing the adult in the room, trying to mediate between Hanabusa and Kahikina and fend off retribution from the Federal Transit Administration if rail goes off the tracks again just when it seemed to be stabilizing….
Bringing a political dynamic to a nonpolitical organization is what brought down the Kamehameha Schools/Bishop Estate board in the 1990s, when former lawmakers Henry Peters and Richard Wong ran it like a legislative panel.
Recent moves at HART have a similar vibe….
Hanabusa, an admirer of Peters and Wong, appears bent on forcing out Kahikina when her term ends in December. She’s loudly berated the CEO at meetings, and the board gave her a tepid performance evaluation grumbling mainly about insufficient kowtowing to the board….
read … David Shapiro: A political roller coaster could crash Honolulu rail
Maui County trying to block AG interview related to 2018 Hurricane Lane wildfires
SA: … Maui county officials are trying to block the state Department of the Attorney General from questioning the head of the Maui Emergency Management Agency about what the county learned from the 2018 West Maui wildfires.
As part of the ongoing investigation into the Aug. 8 firestorm that killed 101 people, destroyed the heart of Lahaina and left thousands homeless, the state issued three subpoenas on May 29 to the current MEMA administrator, Amos Lonokailua-Hewett; Darryl Takeda, MEMA’s community emergency response team manager; and Mahina Martin, Mayor Richard Bissen’s communications director on Aug. 8.
Martin was questioned by investigators a second time after new information emerged during the first phase of the state investigation, being conducted by the Fire Safety Research Institute. What that new information is and what prompted the brief second interview of Martin on June 7, will be covered in the second phase of findings.
“Mahina Martin and Darryl Takeda appeared for interviews pursuant to the subpoenas issued. The County of Maui filed a motion to quash the subpoena to Amos Lonokailua-Hewett and Lonokailua-Hewett did not appear for the June 7th interview,” Toni Schwartz, public Information officer for the Department of the Attorney General, told the Star-Advertiser in a statement.
A judge will eventually determine if Lonokailua-Hewett must submit to questioning….
FSRI has interviewed “over 125 county personnel to complete its Phase 1 data collection.” Lonokailua-Hewett is the only county official instructed not to testify by counsel.
“In contrast, (FSRI) interviewed just a few representatives from the state of Hawaii and zero representatives from Hawaiian Electric Company or its affiliates and/or any other named defendant,” Minkin wrote….
“The county informed the state AG that administrator Lonokailua-Hewett was not an employee of the county on August 7-8, 2023, and that he had no role in MEMA, or in the county, leading up to or during the fire incident. Administrator Lonokailua-Hewett previously served in many capacities in the Maui Fire Department before retiring in 2019 as a battalion chief. He had not served in a county position until being appointed as the new administrator of MEMA on Dec. 29, 2023. Nevertheless, the state AG served administrator Lonokailua- Hewett on or about May 30, 2024, to appear to testify just eight days later on June 7, 2024,’” wrote Minkin. “Though the state AG spent weeks framing this technical interview as a discussion about MEMA and the Emergency Operations Center, the subpoena instead sought to examine administrator Lonokailua-Hewett about the ‘conditions present during the 2018 Hurricane Lane fire incident on Maui, the emergency response to the incident, and any changes implemented by the County of Maui Department of Fire and Public Safety after the incident.’”…
County officials do (pretend to) not believe discussions about the 2018 wildfires in West Maui, that destroyed structures and prompted evacuations, is within the scope of FSRI’s contract to investigate….
SA: Editorial: County must allow probe into tragedy
read … Maui County trying to block AG interview related to 2018 wildfires
Sandwich Isles Cut Services To Hawaiian Homelands Despite Orders Not To
CB: … The telecommunications company providing telephone and broadband services to the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands and its beneficiaries has laid off its employees and terminated its services despite orders from state regulators and the governor to stay in business through June.
At least 100 homesteads and businesses throughout the state have been without internet since at least June 8 when Sandwich Isles Communications abruptly ended services that weekend for its customers, according to records filed Friday afternoon in response to subpoenas from the Public Utilities Commission. Molokai has been particularly hard hit.
The PUC has set a hearing for Monday where it will determine if Sandwich Isles violated any laws. Penalties could include fines or the suspension or revocation of Sandwich Isles operating licenses, according to state law.
The PUC can also determine that Sandwich Isles is allowed to discontinue its services, propose a date for when Sandwich Isles can discontinue its services or force Sandwich Isles to continue its services unless it demonstrates “that a reliable competitive alternative exists at reasonable rates.”
These latest proceedings at the PUC may be the death knell for a company that has slipped into financial ruin after struggling for years to provide reliable services to Native Hawaiian residents and businesses on areas owned by DHHL (the owner, Al Hee, was convicted of tax evasion and fraud and sentenced to prison.) …
During that June 8 weekend, DHHL started receiving reports of service outages on Molokai, according to documents filed with the PUC. Businesses in Kaunakakai that were not on homelands were also affected. DHHL offices on Maui, Molokai and the west side of Hawaii island also reported drops in service. As of last week, two charter schools that operate on homelands were also without internet….
read … Sandwich Isles Cut Services To Hawaiian Homelands Despite Orders Not To
Maui Is Mapping Its Wetlands To Block Lahaina Reconstruction
CB: … Maui County has nearly completed mapping wetlands across Maui, Molokai and Lanai in an effort to help mitigate flooding, control harmful runoff, enhance wildlife habitat, restore natural fire breaks and provide other benefits like sequestering carbon.
(CLUE: The plan is to use eminent domain to rebuild Lahaina as Wailea v2 centered on the ‘Venice of the Pacific’ water feature.)
Over the last year, the Planning Department, Hawaii Sea Grant and consultant H.T. Harvey & Associates tried to determine which of the estimated 52,000 tracts of land across the county could be considered wetlands.
An overview and draft map were released and public comment was accepted through last Friday, although continued feedback is welcome, said Wesley Crile, a Sea Grant coastal dune restoration specialist who works on the project.
More than 20 property owners asked to have their land removed from the map, according to the Planning Department. They expressed fear over unintended consequences, red tape and diminished property values, concerns that environmental advocates say are likely overstated.
The mapping effort stems from a county ordinance adopted in 2022. Bill 91 was sponsored by former County Council member Kelly King who was alarmed by the diminishing amount of wetlands in Maui County (sensed an opportunity to make housing even more expensive.)
read … Maui Is Mapping Its Wetlands To Protect Environmentally Sensitive Areas
Crooks and Cromies: “time to set a place for all of them at the dinner table”
Borreca: … For Hawaii elections, it means this is not a year of change.
In fact, instead of this being the time to throw out the rascals, it may be the time to set a place for all of them at the dinner table.
According to calculations performed by the Associated Press, in this election year, just 279 candidates filed for office. By way of comparison, in 2020 there were 330, and in 2022 Hawaii saw more than 400 candidates filing to run for office….
If a seat is vacant, candidates will show up to fill it.
For instance, the AP reported that in the state House, five Democrats are running to take retiring Bert Kobayashi’s District 20 place, two are gunning for Scott Nishimoto’s District 23 spot, and four want to replace Cedric Gates in District 45. Nishimoto is running for the City Council, and Gates also is running for a different office....
Republican state Rep. Kanani Souza is in the only GOP primary House battle as she will face Sheila Medeiros in the primary.
For those looking for change this year, the reason they won’t get it is because of that oft-repeated political saying, “You can’t beat someone with no one.”…
CB: It was a bit of a shock to read Richard Borreca’s column in the Sunday paper crediting AP with what was really work by Civil Beat’s Chad Blair.
BACKGROUND: Crooks and Cronies on the Move in Primary Races
read … On Politics: In Hawaii, change leaders need not apply — and haven’t
2024 Hawaiʻi County ‘primaries should be a raucous affair’
BIN: … This year’s primaries should be a raucous affair in Hawaiʻi County. Eight of the 9 County Council seats are up for grabs and all but two races have 2 or more candidates.
The only council seat already claimed before the first vote is cast in August is that of incumbent District 4 Councilwoman Ashley Kierkiewicz, who is the only candidate for her post to file by the deadline to be on the ballot.
Incumbent Hawaiʻi County Prosecuting Attorney Kelden Waltjen also already locked up another term as the only person to file to run for his seat in the primaries.
read … Election season is here: All but two 2024 Hawaiʻi County primary races feature multiple candidates
2024 Kauai Primary Election: ‘The real suspense is in this year’s Kaua‘i County Council race’
KN: … Kaua‘i County Prosecuting Attorney Rebecca Like of Anahola, who has filled the post for the past 2 years after winning a special election, will get another 4-year term. She is running uncontested in the Aug. 10 primary race after no one else filed.
The real suspense is in this year’s Kaua‘i County Council race.
The council consists of 7 at-large members and all of the incumbents are each seeking another 2-year term. Taking them head on are 10 challengers wanting their turn helping craft and make county policy.
There are a total of 17 candidates in the race. Fortunately, there’s not much time left to find out who wins their chance.
Primary Election Day is now less than 2 months away. The filing deadline for candidates was June 4.
Voters should start seeing 2024 primary ballots arriving in their mailboxes beginning July 23….
read … 2024 Primary Election: Only 2 local races, with one decided, the other an open field
Will Paid Protesters Stop Second Surf Park?
KITV: … The team behind Honokea West's proposed Surf Village is still deciding if it wants to move forward with the plan. That's after a judge on May 29th said the court wouldn't accept its Environmental Assessment and told the group to provide a new one.
Honokea West also lost rights to enter the property. The Hawaii Community Development Authority announced that and more at its most recent meeting June 5th. "I have communicated to HK Management legal counsel that all discussions between parties related to the ground lease and permit shall cease immediately."
Healani Sonoda-Pale of Na Kia'i o Wai Ha says the wave pool would destroy a culturally important area." It supports these important fisheries and the limu beds that feed the whole of the leeward coast and support cultural practices and cultural gathering rights for sustenance for native Hawaiians, (blablabla ca-ching)" $he $ay$ ….
read … Honokea West still deciding what to do about proposed Surf Village | News | kitv.com
Plans to demolish former PBS building provoke tempers at UH Board of Regents
HNN: … In a Regents meeting last week, Lassner told the board that the building was ridden with mold and unsafe for occupation. Abercrombie accused the administration of wasting the building to make way for commercial campus-related development, drawing an angry retort from Lassner.
“That is false. And I will not engage with you here on this,” Lassner said.
Abercrombie responded, “I have the proof because the truth hurts; I know the truth hurts.”…
The school has about 300 Manoa students producing films; many focused on diverse themes and communities. Despite its size, the school is often confused with the smaller West Oahu University Academy of Creative Media. The smaller West Oahu academy is housed in a brand-new $37 million building at the Kapolei campus, which was mandated by the legislature without the university’s input.
“I’ve heard numerous times, but there’s a $37 million building. Why aren’t you using it,’ Acham said.
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read … Plans to demolish former PBS building provoke tempers at UH Board of Regents
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