Urging the administration to improve City-owned land in Haleiwa.

I am asking for the administration to remove City-owned land parcels from its list of surplus lands. The land can be better used to serve the public by adding improvements such as adding a canoe halau.

Credit: Hawaii News Now

Information Technology Can Streamline the Cost of Government

This year begins with high hopes in all of us engaged in government service. We carry with us the legacy of those that have contributed much to the welfare of our state. Since the retirement of Senator Daniel Akaka and the passing of Senator Daniel Inouye, we are moving forward without the benefit of their presence in Washington but we will continue to hold them dear in our hearts. While some changes may be difficult to accept at times, our ability to adjust, compensate and compromise is the key to success at every level of government. From avoiding the fiscal cliff in Washington to holding the line on property taxes on Oahu, we are all faced with difficult decisions as lawmakers and must have the fortitude to follow through on our actions. We also need a shared vision of a 21st century city and a plan to unfold the future that we anticipate. Collectively, we need to be receptive to new ideas.

Newsweek recently published its first issue of 2013. But you couldn’t buy the January 4th issue on the news stand. After 79 years as a print magazine, the print publication ended with the December 31st issue and transitioned to an all-digital format. Many people have already cancelled subscriptions for home delivery of magazines and even the daily newspaper in exchange for the on-line versions. I think it would be difficult to find many people who used a pay phone in the last year. More difficult still is to imagine our daily lives without cell phones and tablets connected to the internet. I mention all of this because I want to emphasis the need for our government to be receptive to new ideas. Not only must we accept changes, we need to anticipate them to better serve the needs of a society that is evolving rapidly and irretrievably.

Technology is fundamentally transforming our lives. With the Internet at our fingertips, information of every sort has become readily accessible and this access has become indispensable. President Obama has called for the federal government to harness the power of technology to help create a 21st century digital government that is focused on improving the delivery of services to the American people. At the City level too, we need to strive for a more mobile workforce that can provide government information, data and services for the asking, inviting citizens to become partners in making government more productive and efficient. Growing astronomically, mobile broadband subscriptions are expected to grow from nearly 1 billion in 2011 to over 5 billion globally in 2016. By 2015, more Americans will access the Internet through mobile devices than desktop computers. My own staff can tell you that I communicate with them more frequently through my iPhone and iPad than the computer on my desk.

Clearly, applications of information technology or IT can streamline government services. It can reduce the amount of time it takes to move a building through the construction regulatory process and make construction safer, timely and less costly. The total assessed value of real property on Oahu for 2013 increased by more than 4 billion dollars. This is due, for the most part, to the construction of new buildings and the renovations of existing ones. There is no doubt that our community needs the jobs and the revenues from taxes and fees that new construction and building renovations can generate. Just to be clear; I am not talking about abdicating the regulatory responsibility of the City. I am suggesting that information technology can reduce the regulatory cost of construction as it increases the effectiveness and efficiency of land use and construction regulations. We need to search for ways to do all things better in City government and it must include the use of technology to our fullest advantage.

 

 

 

KEY Project “Going Green”

 

This past weekend, KEY Project held its annual recycling event, “Going Green.” The drive helps raise money for the non-profit as well as gives the community an outlet to get rid of their trash responsibly. At the event, residents drop off metal, cooking oil, computers, televisions, cardboard and phonebooks, among other things.

For the first time, KEY also fundraised with their popular kalua pig. Overall, it was a great event. Thank you to all the volunteers and the residents who participated in the drive. Hope to see you next year!

 

Wahiawa Ryusenji Soto Mission Bon Dance

 

The Wahiawa Ryusenji Soto Mission hosted its annual Bon dance this last week. As always, it was well attended and the fried saimin continues to be one of the most popular food items. I am honored that my staff and I were able to volunteer at the popular food booth. I am already looking forward to next year’s festivities! 

Hau’ula Kuleana Community Awareness Day

On August 20th, the Hau’ula community held its first annual Kuleana Community Awareness Day. The event was held at Hau’ula Beach Park and included a beach cleanup of the shoreline. Various groups, including the Honolulu Police Department, Hau’ula Community Association and Ko’olauloa Health and Wellness Center set up booths to help increase awareness of various health and safety issues in the community. It was great to see everyone take part in this event and I hope to see everyone out next year!

City Council Honors Kahuku’s Junior Primacio and Laie Elementary!

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At last week’s City Council meeting, councilmember’s had the priveledge to recognize Junior Primacio and students from Laie Elementary.

A longtime member of the Ko’olauloa Neighborhood Board, Kahuku’s Junior Primacio was honored for his years of community service within the Ko’olauloa area. A product of the Kahuku Sugar Plantation, Junior has been a part of over 15 community organizations and has participated in the neighborhood board system since 1977.

Junior has become a household name at the board meetings and I do not expect him to slow down anytime soon with this community activism.

Laie Elementary sixth graders Kamaile Aluli, Kaylee Alana Miller and Truman Spring took home the top prize in the Best Website category at the 2011 National History Day contest held at the University of Maryland.

The student’s submission, titled “Between a Rock and a Hard Place: the Battle Over Hetch Hetchy,” represented the group’s thesis that building the dam at Hetch Hetchy Valley in Yosemite Park led to greater protection of national forests with an array of videos and pictures tied into a well built site.

Mahalo to you all for showing what special people come out of Ko’olauloa!

KEY Project Ho’ike 2011

Every summer, KEY Project holds an end of summer program displaying what they learned at the facility’s extensive Hawaiian immersion program. I am honored to have been invited to attend and definitely look forward to coming back next year!