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

DOWNTOWN - CHINATOWN NEIGHBORHOOD BOARD NO. 13

DRAFT REGULAR MEETING WRITTEN SUMMARY FOR VIDEO RECORD

THURSDAY, MARCH 6, 2025 at 6:00 P.M.

PRINCESS RUTH KE‘ELIKŌLANI MIDDLE SCHOOL CAFETERIA -- 1302 QUEEN EMMA STREET, HONOLULU, HI 96813

AND VIA WEBEX TELECONFERENCING

Video recording of this meeting can be found at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3pKe1mNwg0

Reports & other meeting materials can be found at:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1F4DdI9R8Er12TNf6Bl-yb4p4EW0-68vu

I. CALL TO ORDER -- [0:00:02]: 6:00 p.m.

Chair Ernest Caravalho called the Downtown-Chinatown Neighborhood Board No. 13 meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. Quorum was established with six (6) 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, Ross Isokane, Kevin Lye, Lori McCarney, Laura Sturges, Kevin McDonald (arrived at 6:02 p.m.), Sean Fitzsimmons (arrived at 6:04 p.m.) and Chu Lan Shubert-Kwock (arrived at 6:11 p.m.).

Members Absent: None

Guests: HFD Acting Captain Brad Harrison (Honolulu Fire Department); Sergeant Freeman (HPD); Ian Santee (Mayor Rick Blangiardi); Payton Haygood (Senator Karl Rhoads); Colby (Representative Kim Coco Iwamoto); Joshlyn Sand, Myles Ritchie, Dan Dinell (Exceptional Tree Program); Heather Lusk (Hawaiʻi Health & Harm Reduction Center); Greg Payton (Maunakea Villages); Maribell Pablan (Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation); Patrick Watson (Frank V. Coluccio Construction); Chad, Salliane, Candice, Jane Turner, Leimomi, Arlynne Pasion, Doug Pyle, Robert, Randall Jadulang (Residents); Camilia Epa Gomes (Neighborhood Commission Office). Note: Name was not included if not legible. There were 34 total attendees.

Chair Announcement -- [0:00:53]: Chair Caravalho recited the rules of the Neighborhood Boards in the Neighborhood Board Plan §2-14-117 Order and decorum (a)-(b) and §2-14-118 Discussion (a)-(d).

Member McDonald joined the meeting at 6:02 p.m.; 7 members present.

II. PUBLIC SAFETY REPORTS -- [0:02:44]

Honolulu Fire Department -- [0:02:47]: HFD Acting Captain Brad Harrison provided the report on the following: follow-up responses for questions raised at last month's Board meeting; monthly statistics for February 2025; and safety tip for the month is in regards to smoke alarms.

• Report: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1gUOYrxIpq4syHIv36zoIxu_fprFgZQyY/view?usp=drive_link

Member Fitzsimmons joined the meeting at 6:04 p.m.; 8 members present.

Questions, comments and concerns followed -- [0:06:18]

Member Shubert-Kwock joined the meeting at 6:11 p.m.; 9 members present.

Honolulu Police Department -- [0:12:15]: HPD Sergeant Freeman provided the report and shared the monthly statistics for February 2025.

Questions, comments and concerns followed -- [0:13:26]

III. PRESENTATIONS -- [0:41:37]

Hawaiʻi Health & Harm Reduction Center (HHHRC) -- [0:41:37]: Heather Lusk (Executive Director) provided updates on homeless services that are offered through the non-profit organization. Heather has been the clinical lead for 7 years for the crisis intervention team training with HPD. The organization has trained over 200 HPD officers in crisis intervention and currently has 21 officers trained in region 1 (Stadium to Piʻikoi Street). The syringe and overdose program has seen a decline in rates for overdoses in the area particularly with Fentanyl, partly due to the opioid settlement funds are paying for Naloxone for anyone who wants it. There are various vending machines with Narcan and the Department of Health is working on Naloxone boxes. Heather has been working with the City to relocate the syringe and overdose program.

Questions, comments and concerns followed -- [0:46:57]

"Exceptional Tree" tour for the Downtown-Chinatown community to coincide with the 50th Anniversary of the Exceptional Tree Law -- [1:09:25]: Joshlyn Sand (City Director of the City Honolulu Botanical Gardens Division) shared what the department does and offers to the public. The five botanical gardens across Oʻahu contain a vast documented plant collection used for research, education, conservation, and public enjoyment. In addition to connecting people with nature, the Botanical Gardens Division offers a variety of classes, workshops, special events, and recreational opportunities for everyone. Joshlyn Sand introduced two guests -- Myles Ritchie (The Outdoor Circle Organization) and Dan Dinell (Member of the Exceptional Tree Committee) that are involved with the Exceptional Tree Program and shared details on how the program started. The program has seen a decline in nominations and the program needs more public participation.

Questions, comments and concerns followed -- [1:20:58]

IV. PUBLIC CONCERNS -- [1:28:43]

Kamaliʻi Mini Park -- [1:09:40]: A Kukui Plaza resident shared his concern in regards to Kamaliʻi Mini Park. He would like the City to continue to preserve the park because the area has a lot of buildings and lacks green spaces available for residents. He also shared a noise complaint from the loud trash trucks that operate at the break of dawn to collect trash in the district.

Loud Commercial Trash Trucks -- [1:31:40]: A Honolulu Park Place resident expressed her frustration with the noise disturbance from the trash trucks waking her up between 3:00 a.m. to 4:00 a.m. with their caution beepers while they are operating.

V. ELECTED OFFICIALS -- [1:32:14]

[1:32:16] -- Chair Caravalho announced priority will be given to elected officials/representatives that are present in-person at the meeting. Chair Caravalho will take note of who is here in-person and will call the official/representative up to the microphone in the order he noted when they arrived. He will then call up the remaining elected officials/representatives who may be online. In the interest of saving time, Chair Caravalho shared he will upload reports that provides responses to questions raised from a previous month if they were electronically sent to him in advance of the meeting. The representative does not need to read follow-up responses out loud at this time.

Governor Josh Green's Representative -- [1:32:58]: Steven Downes provided the report and highlighted that the State Department of Transportation (DOT) has activated safety cameras systems that track speed on Saturday, March 1, 2025. The speed camera detections are at the same 10 Downtown Honolulu intersections that have red light cameras. From this point forward until Tuesday, April 29, 2025, DOT will be issuing warnings to speeders and after, they will issue citations.

• Newsletter: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wuU8yROsrxRHlKR6OqW2GWC2YNu8uIpY/view?usp=drive_link

• Report: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1q4NcR5mED54ux23iMIvYK9Uh8TxxRrVx/view?usp=drive_link

Questions, comments and concerns followed -- [1:33:50]

Congressman Ed Case's Representative -- [1:39:00]: No representative present.

Mayor Rick Blangiardi's Representative -- [1:39:05]: Ian Santee (Deputy Director of City Department of Emergency Services) shared highlights from the newsletter for March 2025 and provided follow-up responses to questions raised at last month's Board meeting.

• Newsletter: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jVhAhWxM_wZhIFSc_QlN8vOys86GCj8D/view?usp=drive_link

Questions, comments and concerns followed -- [1:43:12]

Member Isokane left the meeting at 7:53 p.m.; 8 members present.

City Council (District 6) -- Tyler Dos Santos-Tam -- [1:55:41]: No representative present.

State Senate (District 13) -- Karl Rhoads -- [1:56:00]: Payton Haygood provided the report and highlighted the following: updates on 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccines; and the public can now test for Little Fire Ants for free by going to www.soptheant.org to request an Ant Identification Collection Kit.

• For questions and concerns, please call Senator Rhoads office at (808) 586-6130 or email: senrhoads@capitol.hawaii.gov

• Report: https://docs.google.com/document/d/16WczqGGAlUl9Dcy79rzz-b2jHSqlN5Tu/edit?usp=drive_link&ouid=111917663458444584436&rtpof=true&sd=true

Questions, comments and concerns followed -- [1:57:19]

State House (District 25) -- Kim Coco Iwamoto -- [2:03:56]: A office representative provided the report. She highlighted the following: the office is keeping track on the feedback received from the public on condo ownership, Kakaako Makai proposal, ethics reforms, vaccinations, crosswalks, homelessness, gun control, etc.; Representative Iwamoto's companion bill HB1189 (related to law enforcement) and its companion Senate Bill SB601 has passed first reading at the State Legislature as well as companion bills HB886 and SB971 (relating to traffic); and five resolutions will be introduced.

• Newsletter: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CtNX-st4D1Cq6_VjYTlfphG95zbFmPHF/view?usp=drive_link

Questions, comments and concerns followed -- [2:07:00]

State House (District 28) -- Daniel Holt -- [2:08:33]: No representative present.

• Newsletter: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dr9fW9PBwei2tOKef6322nxfa-MlB9Cc/view?usp=drive_link

VI. QUARTERLY REPORTS -- [2:09:13]

Maunakea Villages -- [2:09:18]: Greg Payton (CEO of MHK Hawaii) provided the report and highlighted the following: Mauankea Villages (1165 Maunakea St., Honolulu, HI 96817) has housed a total of 38 individuals with serious mental illnesses since January 2025; a new kauhale center (414 Kuwili St., Honolulu, HI 96817) that will serve 50 homeless adults, will be opening up in the Iwilei area in partnership with the Mayor's office and the State by May 2025.

• Report: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1maERQCGXlNpo8_MzVjLEmFm6KU8Vjx2v/view?usp=drive_link

Questions, comments and concerns followed -- [2:10:39]

VII. APPROVAL OF MINUTES -- [2:11:56]

Thursday, February 6, 2025, Regular Meeting Written Summaries for Video Record -- [2:12:03]: Chair Caravalho shared that the approval of the minutes will be deferred to next month's regular Board meeting.

Questions, comments and concerns followed -- [2:12:31]

VIII. BOARD BUSINESS -- [2:13:18]

Discussion on current status of Honolulu City & County's preliminary Request for Qualifications on four (4) City-owned properties (including Kamali‘i Mini Park) -- [2:13:18]: Chair Caravalho shared that this topic will be brought up for discussion at the next Board meeting since the Mayor may potentially be present at the next regular Board meeting. Residents have shared their own suggestions of the use of the park.

Member Isokane returned to the meeting at 8:20 p.m.; 9 members present.

Discussion on Saint Patrick's Day block party for 2025 -- [2:21:15]: Chair Caravalho was informed by Rick Schneider (Events International) the event will not take place due to not being able to come to an agreement with a private third-party on usage of the adjacent parking lot. The organizers decided that it was not feasible to move forward with their plans. There were various points brought up such as: the district's need to support small businesses by inviting more events to the district; public notification on the Board's agenda needs to be improved to notify residents of events that are organized in Downtown-Chinatown; and disappointment of the cancellation of festivals in the district; and consideration for elderly who live in the area.

Board vote on whether to put Bob Armstrong's draft Resolution "Calling for a complete and permanent ban on all personal fireworks on Oahu on next month's agenda -- [2:32:41]: Board member Armstrong presented a draft resolution that he created for the Board to consider discussing at the next Board meeting.

• Draft Resolution: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1SUsDhUnLk8reD_x70fh37mLV-rAYtFbx/edit?usp=drive_link&ouid=111917663458444584436&rtpof=true&sd=true

Questions, comments and concerns followed -- [2:35:47]

[2:43:35] -- McDonald MOVED and Lye SECONDED to put Member Armstrong's draft resolution on next month's agenda. A roll-call was conducted. The motion was NOT ADOPTED; 3-5-0 (Aye: Armstrong, Lye, McDonald; Nay: Fitzsimmons, Isokane, Shubert-Kwock, Sturges, Caravalho; Abstain: None) -- [2:45:04]

IX. CHAIR'S REPORT -- [2:45:10]: Chair Caravalho shared that the next Downtown-Chinatown Neighborhood Board meeting is tentatively scheduled to meet at Hocking Building (1010 Nuʻuanu Ave., Honolulu, HI 96817) meeting room next month.

X. ANNOUNCEMENTS -- [2:45:14]

The next Downtown--Chinatown Neighborhood Board No.13 regular meeting is scheduled for Thursday, April 3, 2025, at 6:00 p.m. at a location to be determined and virtually via Webex.

YouTube -- An archive of video recordings of Neighborhood Board meetings can be found at: http://www.youtube.com/@NeighborhoodCommissionOffice

Rebroadcasts of Downtown--Chinatown Neighborhood Board No.13 meetings are scheduled on ʻŌlelo channel 49 for every third Thursday at 9:00 p.m., as well as 9:00 a.m. on the fourth Saturday of each month. An archive of past meetings may be found on http://olelo.org/olelonet/ by searching on <Downtown Chinatown>.

XI. ADJOURNMENT -- [2:46:40]: The meeting was adjourned at 8:46 p.m.

Submitted by: Camilia Epa Gomes, Neighborhood Assistant, NCO

Reviewed by: Dylan Buck, Community Relations Specialist, NCO

Finalized by: Ross Isokane, Secretary

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