Message to Constituents from Councilmember Kymberly Marcos Pine, October 23, 2014

Our city parks are gathering places for our 'ohana, friends, sports teams and civic organizations, and their care is a continued source of community pride. This is why I introduced a new bill to incentivize park adoptions and make it easier for organizations to donate their time and resources to improving our parks. While the City’s existing Adopt-a-Park program brings volunteers to our parks to help keep them clean, our families deserve more and we can have more. When I see the condition of our parks on the Leeward Coast, I am reminded that the taxpayer isn’t able sustain the improvements needed. By having multiple park partners contribute, our parks will be revitalized without raising taxes for homeowners. With businesses, organizations and groups in our community committed to donate goods and services, now is the time to be innovative and push forward with the beautification and capital improvement of our parks.        

In tandem with the park partners donating improvements, there are groups and non-profit organizations who want to help restore pride in our parks by engaging the community with beautification projects and family and culturally oriented programs that can benefit the community by promoting healthier lifestyles and environmental stewardship toward their park.

Currently the process for participants or organizations willing to donate goods or services involves clearance by the City departments which is a complicated and lengthy process, requiring multiple department approvals (that does not include new polices changes that occur from one administration to the next). I will be working with City departments to formulate a simplistic and expeditious process that would attract more park donors to kokua.          

If you or your organization would like to become a park adoption partner on the Leeward Coast, please call my office at (808) 768-5001 or send an e-mail to kmpine@honolulu.gov with your comments, suggestions and questions. Remember, it’s not just about adopting a park; it’s about transforming a community.

'These new ordinances will bring environmental justice to many Oahu communities that have new plagued by illegal dumping for decades' -Councilmember Pine with Mayor Caldwell, as he signed her bills to fight illegal dumping, into law.