Tag Archives: Ko’olauloa Neighborhood Board #28

Ko’olauloa Neighborhood Board #28 (Part 1 of 3)

Frank_Fasi

Mayor Frank Fasi established one of the nation’s largest elected neighborhood board systems for Honolulu in the 1970s. Its purpose was to encourage civic participation.

Fasi certainly helped create the ideal environment for a robust and healthy interaction between grassroots constituents and their elected officials:

The Neighborhood Board is full citizen participation in government so that the powers of the City can properly serve and advance the aspirations of its citizens. Through the Neighborhood Board system, every resident has the opportunity to participate in government decision making which affects his or her community. The system applies the concept of participatory democracy, involving communities in the decisions affecting them. It establishes an island wide network of elected neighborhood boards as communication channels, expanding and facilitating opportunities for community and government interaction.

In 1984, Oahu’s voters approved a City Charter a City Charter amendment expanding the role of the neighborhood boards to include all levels of government. Every resident has the opportunity to participate in government decision making which affects his or her community. You can play a significant part in making government more responsive to community needs. The decision is up to you.

Because I live in the Ko’olauloa area, I’ll conveniently focus on the  Ko’olauloa  Neighborhood Board #28.

KNB5-8-14 Board meeting at Hauula Elementary School – May 8, 2014

The members of the Koolauloa Board #28 was voted into office with a overall vote of 8.61% in the last election. This lack of participation is unequivocally an issue that needs discussion.

The most recent Ko’olauloa Neighborhood Board meeting was sparsely attended.

DSC08368

Perhaps, it was the May 8, 2014 agenda content that did not garner much attention:

VII.NEW BUSINESS (10 Minute Limit per Speaker)

A. Board Action: Member Hans Ta’ala’s Three (3) Absences for the Year

B. Bus Stop Volunteer Program – Department of Transportation, Public Transit Division          Representative

The  above Laie board member had missed three meetings during the year and his absence that night was an additional absence.  Laie representatives Kela Miller and Gaylene Nikora Lolofie defended Ta’ala with the premise that Ta’ala was not present to explain the reasons for his absences and to allow Ta’ala the opportunity to explain at the following meeting before any action is taken.

The Bus Stop Volunteer Program had a bureaucrat encouraging constituents to assist in building and bus-stops maintenance for free labor.

Other issues like the controversial Honolulu City Council  Bill 47 that amends the 1999 Ko’olauloa Sustainable Communities Plan to include  the proposed new subdivision ” Enviision Laie” at Gunstock, located at Maleakahana, Kahuku and the expansion of the Turtle Bay Resort certainly garnered attention.

1503920_554678301282350_578903585_n

June 8, 2014 may turn up to be a sleeper meeting again. The agenda for new business is as follows:

VIII.      NEW BUSINESS (10 Minute Limit per Speaker)

  1. Board Action: Member Norman Thompson, III Three (3) Absences for the Year

  2. Board Action: Member Hans Ta’ala’s Three (3) Absences for the Year

The Ko’olauloa Neighborhood Board #28 meetings are aired on`Olelo Broadcasting Television –  the 4th Friday at 9:00 p.m. on Channel 49, and on the 2nd and 4th Sunday at 12:00 noon on Channel 54.  Citizens can watch these board meetings any time on http://www.Olelo.org and click “On Demand”.

 

Ko’olauloa Neighborhood Board #28 Faces Another Controversy

The Ko’olauloa Neighborhood Board #28 is facing yet another controversy today. Residents are questioning the format of today’s agenda. The Ko’olauloa Neighborhood Board #28 has 11 seats with 7 members having close ties to the Envision Laie Team.  Mayor Mufi Hannemann and Acting-Mayor Kirk Caldwell inserted “Envision Laie” into the Ko’olauloa Sustainable Communities Plan (KSCP) amidst protests from members of the KSCP Advisory Committee.

There are talks of forming a new independent organization as many feel the Ko’olauloa Neighborhood Board #28 does not represent the overall public interest of the region.

For today’s meeting, one standard agenda is deletedPUBLIC INPUT/COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS (2 Minute Limit per Speaker). This deletion of PUBLIC INPUT has raised past infractions of this board.

Wai2

Koolauloa Neighborhood Board No. 28

Printable Version (copy and paste into browser)

  http://www1.honolulu.gov/nco/nb28/13/28201311Ag.pdf

REGULAR MEETING AGENDA

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2013

HAU’ULA COMMUNITY CENTER

54-010 KUKUNA ROAD

 6:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M.

ANYONE WISHING TO SPEAK MUST FIRST BE RECOGNIZED BY THE CHAIR. EACH SPEAKER WILL BE ALLOWED TWO (2) MINUTES – THE TIME LIMIT WILL BE ENFORCED. IN ACCORDANCE WITH SUNSHINE LAW AND ROBERT’S RULES OF ORDER, THE CHAIR, IN THE INTEREST OF MEETING EFFICIENCY, MAY LIMIT THE NUMBER OF TIMES A PERSON MAY SPEAK ON ANY ONE AGENDA ITEM. THE BOARD ALSO PRACTICES CIVIL DISCOURSE AND SPEAKERS WHO STRAY FROM CIVILITY WILL BE CALLED OUT OF ORDER.

 

I.              CALL TO ORDER – Chair Verla Moore

II.         HONOLULU FIRE DEPARTMENT (HFD)

III.        HONOLULU POLICE DEPARTMENT (HPD)

IV.        APPROVAL OF OCTOBER 10, 2013 REGULAR MEETING MINUTES

V.         TREASURER’S REPORT – Larry Nihipali

VI.        GOVERNMENT REPORTS Three (3) Minute Limit per Speaker

A.    Mayor Kirk Caldwell’s Representative – Justin Gruenstein

B.    Council Chair Ernie Martin and/or Representative – Chair Martin or Mike Sakata

C.    State Legislators

VII.       NEW BUSINESS 10 Minute Limit per Speaker

A.    Presentation by La`ie Community Association (LCA) Seeking Board Support for Envision La`ie and Ko`olauloa Sustainable Communities Plan – Pane Meatoga, Jr., LCA President

VIII.      BOARD ANNOUNCEMENTS

A.    Board Recess in December 2013

B.    Next Meeting scheduled for Thursday, January 9, 2014, 6:00 p.m. at the Hau`ula Civic Center, 54-010 Kukuna Road.

C.    `Olelo Broadcasting – The regular Board meetings air on the 4th Friday at 9:00 p.m. on Channel 49, and on the 2nd and 4th Sunday at 12:00 noon on Channel 54.  

 

IX.        ADJOURNMENT 

cp3 Many feel it’s presumptuous for Pane Meatoga, President of the Laie Community Association to speak for the whole region of Ko’olauloa.

It’s Laie versus the whole region at this point. The surrounding communities and neighborhood boards want “Envision Ko’olauloa“,  not myopic “Envision Laie”.

IMG_2565