PINE. City Report. A Personal Message. Honolulu City Councilmember Kymberly Marcos. Aloha, Mahalo,

Transcription

1 Honolulu City Councilmember Kymberly Marcos PINE 530 South King Street, Room 202, Honolulu, Hawai i Ewa, Ewa Beach, Kapolei, Makakilo, Kalaeloa, Honokai Hale, Ko Olina, Nānākuli, Mā ili, Wai anae, Mākaha, Kea au, Makua A Personal Message 2015 City Report Aloha, As your elected member of the Honolulu City Council, I am proud to deliver this progress report to you. The past 30 months have flown by, and each day, my team and I continue to work toward improving the quality of life for our Leeward residents and creating opportunities on our beautiful coast. Our Hire Leeward mission of Connecting Leeward Residents with Leeward Jobs continues to grow, as we recently hosted our 3rd Annual Hire Leeward Job and Career Fair which featured over 70 employers and saw thousands of attendees seeking employment right here in West O ahu. In addition to the fair, residents can visit to access a list of weekly job openings in our Leeward community. The City of Kapolei is growing fast and my staff and I are focused on opening new public spaces for our families to enjoy. As part of my commitment to improve parks in our district, I added over $400,000 for the construction of community-identified Park Improvements for Makakilo and Kapolei. I am also working to improve the City s Adopt-a- Park program. My goal is to make the process easier for organizations and the City to partner together to revitalize the parks in our district that need our kokua. This past year has been rewarding and filled with many blessings. I invite you to review this report to learn more about our progress to date and the future plans for our growing community. Mahalo, In February, Mayor Caldwell and Councilmember Pine welcomed Kapolei Elementary School's teachers, volunteers and keiki to our City's Zoo. Repaving Kapolei s Roads I am proud to announce that I have secured funding to pave the roads in the Villages of Kapolei. Residents expressed their frustrations to me about the decades of inaction due to the City and the State disagreeing about who should fix these roads. This was unacceptable to me. This is why I introduced Resolution 15-11, which asked the City to expedite the transfer of ownership of roads in the Villages of Kapolei, and why I added numerous Kapolei roads to the Capital Improvement Budget to repave streets within the Villages of Kapolei, Kamokila Boulevard, and Kapolei Parkway. These specific streets include: Kamokila Boulevard, between Manawai Street and Roosevelt Avenue; Kapolei Parkway, between Renton Road and Keoneula Boulevard; and streets within the Villages of Kapolei, including streets within Kumuiki, Aeloa, Aeloa Terrace, Villas at Aeloa, Senior Residence at Kapolei, Senior Residence at Kapolei 2, Malanai, Malanai Iki, Kekuilani Palms, Kekuilani Villas, Kekuilani Courts, Kekuilani Gardens, Makalii II, Iwalani, Makalii, Kulalani Village, Nohona at Kapolei, Pae Ko Gardens, Kealakai at Kapolei, Malu Ohai, Villas at Maluohai, Kapolei Ho Olimalima, Kapolei Kai, Kaupe a, Nohona II at Kapolei, and Nohona III at Kapolei subdivisions between Farrington Highway and Kapolei Parkway.

2 Grants in Aid (District 1) City Report Organizations Serving Kapolei and Makakilo Receive Funds for Community and Economic Development Grants This fiscal year, the Grants in Aid Advisory Commission and the Honolulu City Council recommended funding for non-profit service organizations for a total of $1.28 million designated to our district. Voters of Honolulu approved the City s giving to non-profits, which can save taxpayers up to 30% when a private entity does work that government cannot afford to do. Projects are submitted to an advisory commission that independently scores and ranks the projects according to community need and project feasibility. Mahalo to all the organizations that applied for these competitive grants. See the table below for a list of some of the grants given to organizations that will be servicing the Leeward Coast: Housing and Homeless $304,584 Hale Kipa, Inc. $10,000 Hawaii Appleseed Center for Law & Economic Justice $5,789 Hawaiian Community Assets, Inc. $129,295 Project Vision Hawaii $21,000 The Salvation Army $28,000 United States Veterans Initiative $110,500 At-Risk Youth Outreach $200,502 Boy Scouts of America Aloha Council $65,887 Girl Scouts of Hawaii $22,115 Surfrider Spirit Sessions $12,500 Young Men s Christian Association of Honolulu $100,000 Education & Job Training $373,516 Assets School (Armed Services Special education & Training Society) $12,500 Boys & Girls Club of Hawaii $150,000 Hawaii Agricultural Foundation $35,601 Hawaii Public Television Foundation $27,500 Helping Hands Hawaii $1,528 Kupu (Expanding Community Work Readiness Training for At-risk Youth) $125,000 Legal Aid Society of Hawaii $13,053 Pacific & Asian Affairs Council $8,334 Seniors & Disabled Care $282,264 Easter Seals Hawaii $20,797 Kokua Care Foundation $30,000 Lanakila Pacific $186,590 National Kidney Foundation of Hawaii $15,356 Special Olympics Hawaii $29,521 Community and Family Development $339,746 Aloha Harvest $26,000 American National Red Cross $16,666 Domestic Violence Action Center $54,139 Hawaii Foodbank $43,334 Poi dogs & Popoki $12,444 Read Aloud Hawaii $48,222 Wahiawa Community Based Development Organization $138,941 Photo: Kapolei Community Park

3 2015 City Report 3 Stopping Illegal Dumping and Closing the City Landfill C ombatting illegal dumping and expediting the closure of the Waimanalo Gulch Sanitary Landfill, while supporting the implementation of sustainable waste management practices are three ways Councilmember Pine is committed to restoring environmental justice in our Leeward communities and throughout O ahu. Bills 35, 36 and 37 were drafted with input from our community leaders, West O ahu farmers and public policy advocates, and developed in response to the rampant illegal dumping and grading occurring along the Leeward Coast. These bills brought stiff penalties, including 1,000% increases in civil fines and criminal prosecutions for the most egregious cases of careless illegal dumping. Councilmember Pine was proud that the Council unanimously passed all three bills, and on October 23, 2014, Mayor Caldwell signed them into law. A recent Honolulu Star-Advertiser article about the passage of Councilmember Pine s resolution to expedite the closure of the Waimanalo Gulch Sanitary Landfill. Councilmember Pine also introduced Resolution , which established a City policy to expedite the closure of the Waimanalo Gulch Sanitary Landfill, and implementation of sustainable waste management practices. Prior to the resolution s passage, Councilmember Pine and the City made efforts to reduce the need to rely on city landfills for the disposal of solid waste. In the current year s fiscal budget, Councilmember Pine and the Council appropriated $4,000,000 to fund the construction of a waste-to-energy facility. The facility opened in April, and is estimated to divert 40,000 tons of sludge and bulky waste from the Waimanalo Gulch Sanitary Landfill annually, while generating clean, renewable energy, reducing greenhouse gasses and generating no odor. Councilmember Pine and community leaders watch as Mayor Kirk Caldwell signs Bill 35, 36, and 37 into law. Prioritizing new waste-reducing technologies and combatting illegal dumping will ensure that less trash is dumped in our communities and less waste will end up going into the landfill. With Councilmember Pine s plans, the City is on a course to eliminate the need for a landfill. Mahalo to the many residents and community-based organizations who took time out of their busy schedules to testify in support of these important legislative proposals. These important developments could not have happened without the support of the Leeward Coast communities, and a growing coalition of environmental, agricultural and civicminded organizations. Councilmember Pine supported the construction of a waste-to-energy facility. She inspected improvements made at the H-Power plant that now allows 90% of our waste to be converted to energy and less waste placed into our landfill.

4 City Report Investing in Our Parks As part of her commitment to improve parks throughout our District, Councilmember Pine secured $150,000 from the Mayor to help defray the costs of the Summer Fun Program for Kapolei and Makakilo keiki and parents. This was requested by Neighborhood Boards to assist low-income families. Councilmember Pine also placed $1,350,000 into the City s Capital Improvement Program for the improvement of parks throughout the Leeward Coast. These funds are intended to provide District One with additional parks funding, since our district is the only place on O ahu with a municipal landfill. Councilmember Pine continues to work with the Department of Parks and Recreation on improving the recreation facilities in Makakilo and Kapolei, and welcomes your input on projects and priorities that need attention. Councilmember Pine and her daughter visited the new playground equipment at Kahiwelo Neighborhood Park, a beautiful gift to the City by D.R. Horton Hawai i. The large playfield, basketball courts and playground provide a place for Kapolei and Makakilo residents to enjoy. We Need Your Help to Improve Our Parks I s there a park in your neighborhood that needs a little extra help? Get involved through Councilmember Pine s Leeward Adopt-aPark Initiative and help us make our parks exceptional. With the involvement and stewardship of the community, each of us can make a difference to ensure that our parks, keiki playgrounds, beaches or natural areas are clean, safe and well-maintained. Together with a local non-profit Active Hawaii, Leeward companies, and the Laborers Union, Councilmember Pine organized the first park adoption of the initiative at Makaha Community Park in April. Volunteers and Parks Department staff renovated the bathroom, brought new play equipment and freshly planted native plants on the grounds of the heavily-used Makaha Community Park. Volunteers also assisted in refurbishing the park s comfort station with fresh paint and the Microguard protective coating that resists graffiti and staining, and participated in a park clean-up and graffiti removal. There are 18 current and future parks in Kapolei and Makakilo, and each is ready for the community to take stewardship of and improve. Councilmember Pine invites your community organization, business or `ohana to consider participating in this initiative. Learn more at

5 2015 City Report 5 Making Government Work I n our growing community, new homes, roads and infrastructure are coming online and providing places to live for our Leeward families. For years, members of our District suffered because when these roads and infrastructure were built, the City did not accept them in a timely manner, causing them to deteriorate without maintenance or repair. Councilmember Pine and Greg Peterson of Leeward communities have waited too long for these basic city services, and Villages of Kapolei, who shared his testimony in because the City did not streamline its road acceptance process earlier, that wait turned from months to years, and was unacceptable. the Zoning and Planning Meeting, helping to get Resolution and passed. Responding to the community s concerns, Councilmember Pine introduced Resolution and which shined light on long-delayed road safety and maintenance improvements in the Villages of Kapolei, the Mehana Subdivision and the Kahiwelo Subdivision in Makakilo. Her Resolutions forced the City to streamline its process for accepting road improvements. This has already brought about change to our communities that have waited for years for the city to take ownership Portions of Kapolei Parkway and Kamokila Boulevard of its roads. (pictured above) have been repaved. Councilmember Pine added the remaining portions of both streets to the Capital Budget for repaving. C ouncilmember Pine is available to help community members when they need assistance with city services. Pastor James Reid of Friendship Bible Church in Ewa Beach recently reached out because he was having difficulty securing the final signatures needed for the church s building permit. Everything seemed in order, but for some unknown reason the permit was being held up and Pastor Reid was having difficulty connecting with the right office to find out where the problem was. Since adopting the two resolutions in February, the City has streamlined the acceptance of roads and infrastructure on the Leeward coast, and is planning on dedicating another 73 subdivision improvements in District One, in the near future. Reaching out to Community Concerns A recent Honolulu Star-Advertiser article about Councilmember Pine s resolution to streamline the addition of parking spaces at After a few phone calls on his behalf, Councilmember Pine was able to directly Kapolei Regional Park. connect Pastor Reid with the right department. The last signature was received for the building permit and Councilmember Pine is happy to report that Friendship Bible Church was able to begin construction in May. Pastor Reid praying with the contractor and architect before starting construction. If you ever need help with a city service, visit and fill in our Request Help with City Services form and we will work with you to address your concerns.

6 City Report Completed Leeward Capital Improvement Projects and Plans to Improve Residents Quality of Life C ouncilmember Pine s top priority is to deliver capital improvement projects which improve and enhance public safety, achieve sustainability, enhance livability, and expand economic development. To support the current and anticipated growth on West O ahu, she believes the City must continue to design and construct new infrastructure improvements. Please see the map below. The City conducts public meetings on the City's annual Capital Improvement Plan every year from March to June during the annual budget bill hearings. You can participate in the Capital Improvement Plan process by contributing comments and suggestions about needed services and improvements. The public meeting schedule is usually posted in early March of each year. Councilmember Pine encourages you to participate in this process to be a part of planning your own community. For more information, feel free to kmpine@honolulu.gov or call her office at (808) Makakilo Community Park Renovations to be Completed Summer 2015 Makakilo Neighborhood Park Erosion Improvements and Landscaping Project In Progress Farrington Highway Plan, Design, Construct and inspect Improvements on the City Portions of Farrington Highway Kahiwelo Park New 3 Acre Park Completed 2015 Asing Park Recreation Building Stabilization and Improvements Completed Kamokila Community Park Renovate Community Park Building Makakilo Fire Station Inspect and Provide to Renovate Makakilo s Fire Station Kapolei Regional Park Construction of Playground Kapolei Transit Center Bus Stop Site Improvements Road repaving of Kapolei Parkway between Renton Road and Keoneula Blvd. Geiger Community Park Court Lighting for Play Courts Ewa-Puuloa District Park New 18 Acre Park Map Key Leeward Coast Animal Control Facility Plan and Design an Animal Control Facility on the Leeward Coast of Oahu Project Completed Project In Progress Project In Planning Kalaeloa Regional Park Master Plan for Park Improvements One ula Beach Park Construction of Two New Comfort Stations Map of past, current and ongoing projects in the Kapolei/Makakilo area.

7 2015 City Report 7 Connecting Leeward Residents with Leeward Jobs Councilmember Pine s Hire Leeward Initiative is a five-year plan with the following goals: Encourage Leeward residents to seek Leeward jobs Develop better coordination with Leeward employers and job seekers Encourage Leeward residents to buy from Leeward companies Hold job training events Reduce traffic congestion to Honolulu The 3rd Annual Hire Leeward Job and Career Fair drew over 2,000 Leeward O ahu residents who had the opportunity to take advantage of hundreds of job openings close to home. Leeward residents in attendance were able to take advantage of the hundreds of jobs available offered by over 70 Leeward employers. Residents also took part in the numerous business and personal development seminars. Check out Councilmember Pine s new job search engine, updated weekly with job opportunities. Find a Leeward Job or post a job opening for free.

8 8 Councilmember Pine worked with Queen s Medical Center to expedite the opening of the West Oahu Medical Center. At the Kapolei Koʻoloaʻula Affordable Rental Housing Groundbreaking. This project will provide affordable rental units for the Leeward Coast community. Councilmember Pine celebrating the grand opening of Wakea Garden Apartments, which has over 100 affordable rental units, at Kalaeloa with Steve Colón and Jose Bustamante of Hunt Companies Hawaii Governor David Ige, Kala Holden and Councilmember Pine at the Forest City Hawaii Kapolei Lofts Groundbreaking. This project will offer state-of-the-art and affordable rentals for those living in this new community. A long awaited segment of Kapolei Parkway between Fort Barrette Road and Kalaeloa Boulevard opened in Fall Residents now have a direct thoroughfare to businesses and government. This segment less than a mile long will also give drivers a more direct connection to the H-1. Councilmember Pine with Raymond Maar, Isaiah Rojos and Kanani Wond, who offered their testimonies to support the addition of parking at Kapolei District Park. Councilmember Pine celebrating the grand opening of Hawaii Tokai International College s West Oahu Campus. Councilmember Pine with Sean Balag and Erika Hauschel, who are waiting eagerly for the opportunity to apply at the Kapolei Lofts Pre-Leasing Event. Councilmember Pine with Jesus Rosario, the first person in line at the Kapolei Lofts Pre-leasing Event. For more information and to stay informed, visit Councilmember Pine thanks Frank and the Makakilo/ Kapolei/Honokai Hale Neighborhood Board for their dedication and service to the Oahu MPO citizen advisory committee. to sign up for weekly updates. facebook.com/ Kymberly.Marcos.Pine youtube.com/ KymberlyMarcosPine Honolulu City Council 530 South King Street Honolulu, Hawai i Phone: Fax: