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With Permission / Courtesy of: City and County of Honolulu Neighborhood Commission Office

DOWNTOWN-CHINATOWN NEIGHBORHOOD BOARD NO. 13

 

March 2023 Minutes

 

DRAFT REGULAR MEETING MINUTES

THURSDAY, MARCH 2, 2023 at 6:00 P.M.

Ke'elikolani Middle School Cafeteria & WebEx

CALL TO ORDER: Chair Ernest Caravalho called the Downtown-Chinatown Neighborhood Board No. 13 meeting to order at 6:01 p.m. Quorum was established with eight (8) members present. Note: This nine-member Board requires five (5) members to establish quorum and to take official Board action.

Members Present: Robert Armstrong, Ernest Caravalho, Sean Fitzsimmons, Willis Moore, Kevin Lye, Lori McCarney, Chu Lan Shubert-Kwock, Laura Sturges, and Kevin McDonald (6:07 p.m.).

Members Absent: None.

Guests: Firefighter Jonathan Waltz (Honolulu Fire Department); Lieutenant Arnold Sagucio (Honolulu Police Department); Deputy Director of EMS Ian Santee (Mayor Blangiardi's Representative); James Tennant (Hank's Cafe); Honglong Li (Department of Transportation Services); Shawn Hamamoto (Governor Green's Representative); Councilmember Tyler Dos Santos-Tam, Richmond Luzar; Iris Oda (Board of Water Supply); Greg Payton (Mental Health Kokua); Harry Cho (Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation); Patrick Watson (Honua Consulting Company); Ra Long (Fred Sundries); Christine Trecker, Travis Thompson, Rick Keene, Kalei Salcedo, Chang Chang, KITV4 Island News, Hugh Janus, Marissa Kometani, Ron Brown, Craig Morrison (Residents); Dylan Buck (Neighborhood Commission Office). Note: Name was not included if not legible. There were 64 total attendees.

PUBLIC SAFETY REPORTS

Honolulu Fire Department (HFD): Firefighter Waltz reported the following.

• February 2023 Statistics: There were three (3) nuisance fires, 12 activated alarms (no fire), 112 medical emergencies, one (1) motor vehicle collision with pedestrian, and five (5) motor vehicle crash/collisions.

• Safety Tip: Smoke Alarm Safety Tips - Smoke alarms save lives and are an important part of a home fire escape plan. Properly installed and maintained smoke alarms give occupants early warning to get outside quickly. Visit https://fire.honolulu.gov/ to learn more.

Honolulu Police Department (HPD): Lieutenant Sagucio reported the following.

• February 2023 Statistics: There were 18 motor vehicle thefts, nine (9) burglaries, 44 thefts, 20 unauthorized entry into motor vehicles (UEMV), 23 assaults, two (2) sexual assaults, five (5) drug offenses, two (2) robberies, and 2,158 total calls for service.

• Safety Tip: Pedestrian Safety - HPD intends to hold several sign waiving initiatives in the Kapiolani corridor following Spring Break to promote public awareness of pedestrian safety, and invited anyone interested in participating to contact District 1 Lieutenant Henry Roberts at (808) 723-3327.

McDonald joined the meeting at 6:07 p.m.; all nine (9) members present.

Questions, comments, and concerns followed.

1. Kekaulike Mall Robbery/Property Damage: Shubert-Kwock reported that a robbery occurred before 5:00 a.m. this morning at Kekaulike Mall, and three (3) days ago several windows and doors were broken. Lieutenant Sagucio responded that HPD will start a new project tomorrow morning where officers will patrol the Downtown-Chinatown area on all-terrain vehicles (ATV's).

2. Various Questions: Lye asked several questions relating to citizen's arrest, non-lethal weapons, technology available to improve dispatcher communications, and late-night patrols near the time of bar closures. Lieutenant Sagucio responded that citizen's arrest is more of legal question, that HPD dispatchers identify calls for service as priority one (1) or priority two (2) which results in different response times, and the request for additional patrols at night has been relayed.

3. Number of Officers in the District: McDonald asked and Lieutenant Sagucio responded that the number of officers in this area has not decreased, but with the implementation of several projects it results in a slight decrease of regular patrol officers because staff have been temporarily reassigned to address other areas of concern.

4. HPD Legislative Liaison: McDonald asked and Lieutenant Sagucio responded that he previously provided McDonald with the contact information for HPD Legislative Liaison Bradon Ogata and will relay the request once again for him to attend one of these meetings. McDonald commented that if Ogata is unavailable to attend the meetings, a list of bills that HPD encourages the Board to support would suffice.

5. Security Cameras: Armstrong asked and Lieutenant Sagucio responded that the security cameras are still delayed due to supply chain issues but about $600,000 was recently allocated for HPD to improve the Downtown-Chinatown area which will help expedite this process.

NEW BUSINESS / PRESENTATIONS

Discussion of proposed Cinco de Mayo Event: James Tennant (Hank's Cafe) presented information on the upcoming Cinco de Mayo 2023 Event in Chinatown on Friday, May 5, 2023 from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. A copy of the handouts and maps of the event can be found at: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1F4DdI9R8Er12TNf6Bl-yb4p4EW0-68vu. Tennant highlighted that the event footprint will be smaller than previous years, with an expected 500-1,000 guests, and will now feature a designated beer garden for alcohol consumption.

Chair Caravalho disclosed a personal interest on this matter and passed the gavel to Vice Chair Fitzsimmons at 6:25 p.m.

McDonald MOVED and Moore SECONDED to support the Cinco De Mayo 2023 event as presented. Discussion followed.

Lye MOVED and Shubert-Kwock SECONDED to amend the motion to: the Downtown-Chinatown Neighborhood Board No.13 supports an alcohol-free Cinco de Mayo block party on Friday, May 5, 2023 with cessation of all outdoor music by no later than 10:00 p.m., continuous monitoring by event promoters of sound levels at each sound or music venue to ensure that no illegal sound levels are exceeded at any time, timely presentation of a full report to NB13 during the first regular meeting of same following said event. Discussion followed. Moore MOVED and McDonald SECONDED the previous question. Hearing no objections, the Board took a roll-call vote. The motion WAS NOT passed; 2-7-0 (Aye: Lye, Shubert-Kwock; Nay: Armstrong, Fitzsimmons, Moore, McDonald, McCarney, Sturges, Caravalho; Abstain: None.).

The Board took a roll-call vote on the main motion to support the Cinco de Mayo 2023 event as presented. The motion PASSED; 7-2-0 (Aye: Armstrong, Fitzsimmons, Moore, McDonald, McCarney, Sturges, Caravalho; Nay: Lye, Shubert-Kwock; Abstain: None.).

Vice Chair Fitzsimmons returned the gavel to Chair Caravalho at 6:53 p.m.

Kekaulike Mall Project: Honglong Li (Department of Transportation Services) presented on the reconstruction project of Kekaulike Mall in Honolulu's Chinatown. A copy of the presentation can be found at: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1F4DdI9R8Er12TNf6Bl-yb4p4EW0-68vu. Project construction is expected to begin in March 2023 and be completed by October 2023 at a cost of $4,411,071.00. Li highlighted that Kekaulike Mall will receive new concrete pavement, the relocation of the existing community dragon decal on King Street to the middle of Kekaulike Mall, stormwater management systems, new trees, new landscape materials, new lighting and poles, and electrical improvements. For more information, or to report concerns, call the project hotline: (808) 979-1291.

Questions, comments, and concerns followed.

1. New Trees: Long asked and Li responded that the new trees to be planted will be young, will require time and attention to mature, the contract includes 180 days of maintenance, and the new stormwater management system will address past issues of leaves clogging drains. Li noted that the Department of Parks and Recreations (DPR) owns Kekaulike Mall and will continue to care for the trees here.

2. Trash Cans: Long asked and Li responded that the trash receptacles will remain as is.

3. Gratitude: Shubert-Kwock expressed her gratitude towards Li and his team for their years of work on this project.

4. Opposed: Armstrong voiced his opposition to the project as it does not accurately resemble the standard Chinatown atmosphere. McDonald commented that this project could include more ethnic architecture and artwork.

5. Rail Station: McCarney asked and Li responded that this project is part of a larger goal to build a strong multimodal connection with rail and the bus transit mall, which is outlined in the Environmental Assessment (EA).

6. Affected Vendors: Lye asked and Li responded that all of the vendors throughout Kekaulike Mall have been notified of the construction dates/times.

Comparative Snapshot of Homeless Resources found in the Chinatown/Iwilei Area Compared to other O'ahu Areas: Christine Trecker presented information on the homeless resources found within the Chinatown/Iwilei area as compared to other areas on O'ahu. A copy of the presentation can be found at: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1F4DdI9R8Er12TNf6Bl-yb4p4EW0-68vu. Trecker highlighted that 43% of all homeless facilities (emergency shelters, medical clinics, meal stations, and hygiene centers) on O'ahu are located within the Chinatown/Iwilei area and she believes that the location of these services could explain why this area experiences a large homeless population. Trecker is interested in seeing the City and State operated homeless facilities evenly distributed across the island and asked for the Board's support.

Questions, comments, and concerns followed.

1. Opposed: Thompson commented in opposition to the presentation and noted that correlation is not causation, and that these services are vital for the care of our homeless population. Trecker responded that her research is based on facilities and not temporary or mobile services, and that having critical resources in your community is a major contributing factor.

2. In Support: Brown commented that one of the greatest improvements to the homeless situation in Chinatown was the relocation of the River of Life feeding program to Iwilei. McDonald commented in support of the information presented and encouraged Trecker to work with Lye on a resolution to bring before the Board. Shubert-Kwock commented in support of relocating homeless services out of Chinatown and noted the long history of drug and alcohol abuse in the area.

Continued Discussion Regarding Crisis Outreach Response and Engagement Program (CORE) and its Location at Hale Pauahi: Deputy Director Ian Santee (Emergency Medical Services) presented data on the CORE programs effectiveness after it's first year of service. A copy of the presentation can be found at: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1F4DdI9R8Er12TNf6Bl-yb4p4EW0-68vu. Deputy Santee highlighted the following services provided by CORE: shelter (short-term and long-term), document assistance (ID's, birth certificates, social security cards, etc.), medical (wound care, transportation to other outreach services, etc.), financial (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and Electronic Benefits Transfer), and continuum of care (linkage to existing service providers). To reach the CORE Hotline, call (808) 768-CORE (2673).

Questions, comments, and concerns followed.

1. Concerns: Trecker raised concerns with the recent establishment of a CORE Clinic on Pauahi Street and Deputy Santee responded that the clinic is not meant to treat people from all parts of the island, and everyone that is treated at the clinic will be returned to the place they were picked up at.

2. In Support of Chinatown/Iwilei Homeless Outreach Services: Thompson commented that we cannot say as a community that we're not going to take care of homeless people, and we want to ban services like this, then turn around and applaud the CORE staff for their great work.

3. Identification Service: Long asked and Deputy Santee responded that CORE does provide ID assistance services to homeless individuals, and with their consent, CORE will file a copy for safe keeping.

4. Gratitude: Shubert-Kwock and Armstrong expressed their gratitude to the CORE staff and the administration for implementing this program.

5. Funding: Lye asked and Deputy Santee responded that CORE is currently funded by $3 million in federal funds and that Mayor Blangiardi's budget proposal for FY2024 includes the appropriation of $1 million for the CORE program.

6. Follow Up: Lye asked several more questions and Deputy Santee commented that he will follow up with Lye via email.

PUBLIC CONCERNS

Various Concerns: Kevin Lye raised the following concerns/announcements: (1) encouraged Chair Caravalho to identify or appoint a new O'ahu Metropolitan Planning Organization (OMPO) Citizen's Advisory Committee (CAC) representative; (2) the July 2022 regular meeting recording for this Board is missing from Olelo's website.

ELECTED OFFICIALS

Governor Josh Green's Representative: Shawn Hamamoto provided the report, which can be found at: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1F4DdI9R8Er12TNf6Bl-yb4p4EW0-68vu. Hamamoto highlighted that ÔKe Ala Hou' (translates to: A New Path Forward) is a monthly publication of the Office of Governor Green and you can sign up to receive these newsletters by calling: (808) 586-0034 or emailing: gov.communications@hawaii.gov.

Questions, comments, and concerns followed.

1. Gratitude: Moore expressed his gratitude to the Office of Governor Green for the newsletter as it is a good start.

2. Crosswalk: Lye asked and Hamamoto responded that he will follow up on the request for an augmented crosswalk at the intersection of Miller and Punchbowl Street.

3. Office of Wellness and Resilience: Shubert-Kwock commented that she is hopeful that the Office of Wellness and Resilience will be able to collaborate and assist the City and County of Honolulu in their efforts to curb homelessness.

Mayor Rick Blangiardi's Representative: Deputy Santee (Honolulu Emergency Services Department) provided the report, which can be found at: https://www.oneoahu.org/newsletter. Deputy Director Santee highlighted that Mayor Blangiardi will hold 11 town hall meetings across O'ahu between March - May 2023, starting with the Ewa region on Tuesday, March 21, 2023. To explore career opportunities at the City and County of Honolulu, please visit: https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/honolulu. Deputy Director Santee also provided follow up responses to questions raised at the last meeting, and was available to take questions.

Questions, comments, and concerns followed.

1. Neighborhood Commission: Lye noted the three (3) existing vacancies on the Neighborhood Commission and that there is at least one (1) applicant ready to fulfill the mayoral appointed position.

2. Neighborhood Board Elections: Lye asked and Deputy Santee responded that he will follow up on the number of Neighborhood Assistants that are running for the upcoming Neighborhood Board term and how many of those have any responsibility with the election process.

Councilmember Tyler Dos Santos-Tam (District 6): Councilmember Dos Santos-Tam provided his report, which can be found at: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1F4DdI9R8Er12TNf6Bl-yb4p4EW0-68vu. Councilmember Dos Santos-Tam highlighted legislative updates regarding the following bills: Bill 57 relating to concealed carry firearms; Bill 03 relating to public sidewalks and sit-lie laws; and Bill 25 relating to anti-bias and anti-discrimination policy for City employees. Councilmember Dos Santos Tam also spoke to pedestrian safety in light of the recent fatal accident of a McKinley High School student on Kapiolani Boulevard.

Questions, comments, and concerns followed.

1. Leaf Blowers: Lye raised noise concerns regarding gas-powered leaf blower usage in the area in the early morning hours and encouraged Councilmember Dos Santos-Tam to add this to his list of concerns. Councilmember Dos Santos-Tam agreed that the transition from gas-powered to electric leaf blowers needs to be accelerated.

2. Intersection of Pauahi/Smith: Shubert-Kwock raised safety concerns with the intersection of Pauahi and Smith Street, and suggested that a traffic light be installed to prevent future accidents from occurring.

3. ÔIolani Palace: Chair Caravalho encouraged Councilmember Dos Santos-Tam to take a walk around ÔIolani Palace to witness the growing homeless population and results of such.

Senator Karl Rhoads (District 13): A representative provided the report, which can be found at: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1F4DdI9R8Er12TNf6Bl-yb4p4EW0-68vu. Senator Rhoads's representative highlighted the locations of the Red Light safety program and Covid-19 updates. To contact Senator Rhoads's Office call 808-586-6130 or email senrhoads@capitol.hawaii.gov

Questions, comments, and concerns followed.

1. Senate Bill 23: Lye encouraged Senator Rhoads to let the public know what relief the language of Senate Bill 23, relating to leaf blowers, would bring to the residents who live near the chronic early morning leaf blowing offenders.

2. Attendance at Meetings: McDonald commented that there is not more of an important time for our elected officials to attend these Neighborhood Board meetings than while the legislature is in session.

3. Criminal Activity: McDonald commented that a state judge ruled that Senator Rhoads did participate in criminal activity approximately eight (8) years ago when he was in the House of Representatives, and Senator Rhoads has not explained his position in the multiple times McDonald has requested he do so.

4. Senate Bill 910: Shubert-Kwock asked and Senator Rhoads's representative responded that SB910, relating to intoxicating liquor, is moving forward to the Senate floor for a full vote.

Representative Scott Saiki (District 26): No representative present. A report was submitted, which can be found here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1F4DdI9R8Er12TNf6Bl-yb4p4EW0-68vu.

Representative Daniel Holt (District 28): No representative present.

MONTHLY REPORTS

Board of Water Supply (BWS): Iris Oda provided the report, which can be found at: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1F4DdI9R8Er12TNf6Bl-yb4p4EW0-68vu. Oda announced that Wednesday, March 22, 2023 is ÔWorld Water Day' and this year's theme is accelerating change. For more information visit: https://www.boardofwatersupply.com/

Questions, comments, and concerns followed. Bill Increased: McDonald reported that his water bill increased by 30% and Oda responded that she will follow up on that because BWS has not implemented a standard rate increase of 30%.

Safe Haven: Greg Payton provided the report, which can be found at: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1F4DdI9R8Er12TNf6Bl-yb4p4EW0-68vu. Payton highlighted that Mental Health Kokua's (MHK) Safe Haven facility has been able to place 34 individuals into permanent housing between January and February 2023.

Questions, comments, and concerns followed. Purchasing Property: Shubert-Kwock asked and Payton responded that MHK is not purchasing the properties in question along Maunakea Street.

Chinatown Business Community Association (CBCA): Shubert-Kwock provided the report, which can be found at: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1F4DdI9R8Er12TNf6Bl-yb4p4EW0-68vu. The next CBCA will be held on Tuesday, March 14, 2023 at 10:30 a.m. at Yong's Kitchen (1157 Maunakea Street).

Chinatown Improvement District (CID): No representative present.

Neighborhood Citizen Patrol: Lye presented images and reported observations by the patrol during the prior month, including Lye inviting the public to walk with the patrol on the second Tuesday of every month, departing at 7:00 p.m. from the Diamond Head Tower lobby of Kukui Plaza. Please bring a friend, join the patrol, and help identify areas of concern within the community.

Questions, comments, and concerns followed. Funeral Services: Shubert-Kwock commented that Dr. Joseph Young, the Honorary Mayor of Chinatown in 2014, passed away on Thursday, February 16, 2023 at age 97 and invited everyone to attend his funeral service on Tuesday, March 13, 2023 from 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation (HART): Harry Cho provided follow up responses to questions raised at the last meeting. Patrick Watson provided construction updates regarding the City Center Utilities Relocation (CCUR) Phase III contract, on behalf of the Frank V. Coluccio Construction Company (FVCCC) who will be performing the work. Traffic updates can be found at: https://honolulutransit.org/hart-traffic/. Watson invited the public to join HCC's next monthly CCUR Phase III Business and Community Meeting on Wednesday, March 8, 2023, at 6:00 p.m. via Zoom. You can register at: https://bit.ly/HARTPhase3. Sign up for the CCUR III eBlast: http://eepurl.com/h1g2W5. You can also email ccur3@honuaconsulting.com for more information.

BOARD BUSINESS

Discussion of allocation of $1,000 for Downtown-Chinatown Cleanup: Postponed to next meeting.

Amendment of Regular Meeting Minutes - Thursday, November 3, 2022; Thursday, December 1, 2022: Postponed to next meeting.

Approval of Regular Meeting Minutes - Thursday, February 2, 2023: Postponed to next meeting.

Board Concerns - Proposed policy revision provided to the Neighborhood Commission for their adoption, together with the Pearl City Neighborhood Board's adopted Resolution addressing this issue, and portions of such proposed policies and the Sunshine Law (HRS 92-9 and HRS 92-3.77) together with the Neighborhood Plan's requirement for written minutes: Postponed to next meeting.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Next Regular Meeting: The next meeting of the Downtown-Chinatown Neighborhood Board No. 13 is scheduled for Thursday, April 6, 2023 at 6:00 p.m. at Ke'elikolani Middle School Cafeteria and virtually via WebEx.

Rebroadcast: Rebroadcasts of Downtown-Chinatown Neighborhood Board 13 meetings are scheduled on Ô lelo channel 49 every third Thursday at 9:00 p.m., as well as 6:00 a.m. on the second and fourth Saturdays of each month. An archive of past meetings may be found on https://olelo.org/olelonet/ upon searching on .

Archive: Find an archive of handouts and referenced materials apropos to Downtown-Chinatown Neighborhood Board 13 at: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1F4DdI9R8Er12TNf6Bl-yb4p4EW0-68vu

ADJOURNMENT: The meeting was adjourned at 9:00 p.m.

Submitted by: Dylan Buck, Neighborhood Assistant

Reviewed by: Naomi Hanohano, Community Relations Specialist

Finalized by: Ernest Caravalho, Chair

Last Updated: 31 March 2023
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