City and County of Honolulu News Releases

You are here:  Main / Customer Services / Public Communications Division / 2011 / 09/16/11 Mayor Carlisle To Attend Defense Conference

MAYOR CARLISLE TO ATTEND DEFENSE CONFERENCE (Fri., Sept 16, 2011)—Mayor Peter Carlisle will travel to Washington, D.C. tonight to attend the annual Joint Civilian Orientation Conference, at the invitation of the U.S. Department of Defense. City Managing Director Douglas Chin will serve as Acting Mayor until Carlisle's return on Saturday, September 24.   -30- Media contact: Louise Kim McCoy, Mayor's Office, 768-7798.

City and County of Honolulu News Releases

You are here:  Main / Customer Services / Public Communications Division / 2011 / 09/16/11 Carlisle Thanks Chinese Visitors for New Dragon Boats

CARLISLE THANKS CHINESE VISITORS FOR NEW DRAGON BOATS   (Fri., Sept. 16, 2011)—Mayor Peter Carlisle today thanked representatives from Zhongshan, China for three colorful new Dragon Boats donated to the City and County of Honolulu.   "Honolulu's annual Dragon Boat races have become an exciting tradition, and this generous gift will help ensure the fun continues," said Carlisle. "We're very grateful to our friends from Zhongshan."   Zhongshan Vice-Mayor Yin Zhaoju joined Carlisle for a ceremony outside Honolulu Hale today to present the beautiful new boats, which include carved dragon heads mounted on the bows. Each boat can carry a crew of 16 paddlers, a drummer, flag catcher and steersman.   Zhongshan is among Honolulu's 27 sister-cities throughout the world. A delegation from The People's Municipal Government of Zhongshan attended the Inaugural Counties of Hawaii Sister-Cities Summit in Honolulu this week, which welcomed more than 150 delegates from 14 international cities.   Annual Dragon Boat races have been held in Honolulu for the past 15 years. The most recent races were held in July as part of a two-day Dragon Boat Festival at Ala Moana Beach Park.   The three new boats meet International Dragon Boat Federation standards and are together valued at approximately $10,000.     -30-   Media contact: Louise Kim McCoy, Mayor's Office, 768-7798.

City and County of Honolulu News Releases

You are here:  Main / Customer Services / Public Communications Division / 2011 / 09/16/11 Robert Bunda Selected as HART Board Member

ROBERT BUNDA SELECTED AS TENTH BOARD MEMBER     (Fri., Sept. 16, 2011)— The Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation (HART) Board of Directors today selected Robert Bunda as the final member of the 10-member board.   The board voted unanimously in appointing Bunda, who previously served in the Hawaii State Legislature in both the House and Senate. Bunda represented the Wahiawa, Haleiwa, Mokuleia and North Shore area for more than 25 years and served as state senate president from 2001 to 2006.   Bunda, a Wahiawa resident, is an insurance broker and serves on the board of directors of the State Public Land Development Corporation under the state Department of Land and Natural Resources.   "I am honored to join the HART board and I understand the enormous responsibility involved in ensuring the successful construction and operation of Hawaii's first urban rail system," Bunda said. "This rail system will serve Oahu well into the future. It will provide a transportation alternative to our congested roads and highways so our residents don't have to spend hours in traffic each day. This is a project I firmly believe in and support."   "Bunda's expertise will bring an important perspective to the board," said HART Board Vice-Chairman Ivan Lui-Kwan. "Mr. Bunda is a strong addition to the board. Hisunderstanding of the budgetary and legislative process andhis work in shaping public land use policy will be extremely helpful as we collectively work to bring the rail transit project online," Lui-Kwan said.   Along with Bunda, the other volunteer board members include William "Buzz" Hong; Don Horner; Keslie Hui; Damien Kim; Lui-Kwan; andCarrie Okinaga, who all serve with no compensation. Ex-Officio board members are State Department of Transportation Director Glenn Okimoto; City Department of Transportation Services Director Wayne Yoshioka; and City Department of Planning and Permitting Director David Tanoue, who serves as a non-voting member.   ###   Media Contact: Scott Ishikawa, (808) 768-6172, cell: (808) 227-2350

City and County of Honolulu News Releases

You are here:  Main / Customer Services / Public Communications Division / 2011 / 09/16/11 City Launches Housing Preservation Initiative

CITY LAUNCHES HOUSING PRESERVATION INITIATIVE     (Fri., Sept.16, 2011)—Mayor Peter Carlisle today announced the mission of the Honolulu Affordable Housing Preservation Initiative, which is to secure the future of City rental apartments.               HAHPI will transition ownership and management of 12 City apartment complexes to the private sector while keeping them affordable to lower-income residents, as Carlisle outlined in February during his first State of the City speech.               Officials began informing apartment residents on August 25, 2011 and the project team is currently holding informational briefings at each of the properties to discuss the plans and answer questions.               "Our number one goal is to preserve affordability," said Carlisle. "The rent restrictions, currently in place, will remain. We plan to harness the skills and resources of the private sector to create a better living environment for our residents."                 Conveyance of the properties will be on a leasehold basis, subject to City Council approval. The City will retain ownership of the underlying land. Affordable housing guidelines will remain and there will be no loss of affordable housing units. Existing tenant leases will be honored during the transition.               The 12 apartment complexes, with 1,250 units, are:   Chinatown Gateway Plaza Marin Tower Chinatown Manor Harbor Village Pauahi Hale Winston Hale West Loch Village Elderly Manoa Gardens Westlake Apartments Kulana Nani Kanoa Apartments Bachelor's Quarters               The City has retained CB Richard Ellis, one of Hawaii's leading real estate brokerage firms, to help solicit and review proposals from private entities interested in acquiring the City's rental housing complexes.               The purchaser, which will be selected through a Request for Proposals, must be a qualified entity with an established track record of successfully operating and maintaining affordable rental housing projects. Upon the conclusion of the sale of the properties, the purchaser will be responsible for the management and maintenance of the rental housing complexes.   -30-   Media contact: Louise Kim McCoy, Mayor's Office, 768-7798.   Fact Sheet Honolulu Affordable Housing Preservation Initiative   Program Objectives   To preserve the City's inventory of rental housing units by transitioning ownership to a private-sector entity which will assume the responsibility to manage, operate, and maintain the rental housing complexes.     v     Preservation of affordability is the first priority.  Existing affordable rental housing guidelines to remain in place.  There will be no conversion of affordable rental units to market-rate rentals or condominiums.   v     Create a new public-private partnership to harness the resources and management skills of the private sector to create a better living environment for apartment residents.   v     No displacement.  All tenants in good standing are encouraged to stay and be a part of the future of the rental housing complexes.   v     Sale to the private-sector partner will be on a leasehold basis.  The City will retain ownership of the underlying land.   Participating Agencies   Office of Housing Department of Community Services Department of Facility Maintenance Department of Budget and Fiscal Services – Project Management Office   Project Consultant   CB Richard Ellis   Rental Housing Complexes   Property Location Rental Units Low/ Moderate Gap Market Total Bachelor's Quarters 91-1216 Renton Rd., Ewa Villages 10     10 Chinatown Gateway Plaza 1031 Nuuanu Avenue, Chinatown 41 79 80 200 Chinatown Manor 175 N. Hotel Street, Chinatown 89     89 Harbor Village 901 River Street, Chinatown 30 30 30 90 Kanoa Apartments 846 Kanoa Street, Palama 14     14 Kulana Nani 46-229 Kahuhipa Street, Kaneohe 160     160 Manoa Gardens 2790 Kahaloa Drive, Manoa   8 33 41 Marin Tower 60 N. Nimitz Highway, Chinatown 89 72 75 236 Pauahi Hale 126 N. Pauahi Street, Chinatown 77     77 West Loch Elderly 91-1450 Renton Road, Ewa 150     150 Westlake Apartments 3139 Ala Ilima Street, Salt Lake 96     96 Winston Hale 1055 River Street, Chinatown 94     94 Total   850 189 218 1,257 Low/Moderate – 80% or less of the median family income Gap – 80% to 120% of the median family income Market – greater than 120% of the median family income

City and County of Honolulu News Releases

You are here:  Main / Customer Services / Public Communications Division / 2011 / 09/15/11 DEM Partners With Target For September National Disaster Preparedness Month

Honolulu Department of Emergency Management Partners with Target for September National Disaster Preparedness Month  (Thurs., September 15, 2011)---The City of Honolulu's Department of Emergency Management today announced that it will partner with Target to build awareness for community disaster preparedness.              "We were understandably pleased to receive the call and partnership offer from Target", said Melvin Kaku, director for the Department of Emergency.  "Government and private sector partnerships such as this one with Target not only help our community, they also assist our department in spreading the word about disaster awareness and preparedness".  "This is a vitally important message for our Oahu residents as we just commemorated the 10th anniversary of 9-11 and we are still in hurricane season", said Kaku.              Target has a long-standing commitment to helping communities prepare for disasters. As part of the company's commitment to the local community, Target will donate 700 emergency preparedness kits for distribution at two upcoming Oahu preparedness events. The kits are filled with a variety of travel-sized personal care items like soap, deodorant and toothpaste as well as non-perishable food items and bottled water.              "In honor of National Preparedness Month in September Target is pleased to partner with the City of Honolulu and cities across the U.S. to build awareness about the importance of disaster preparedness," said Tawny Porter, assets protection business partner for Target stores Hawaii". "At Target, we listen, we act and we give. Before and after a crisis, communities can count on Target."              Department of Emergency Management personnel and Target team members will provide disaster awareness information and preparedness kits at the following Oahu events in September:   Thursday, September 15, 2011 5:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. Kailua Community Disaster Fair at Kailua Town Center near Whole Foods   Saturday, September 24, 2011    8:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. "Get Ready Ewa Beach" Emergency Preparedness Fair at Ewa Makai Middle School at 91-6291 Kapolei Parkway           -30-  John M. Cummings III Public Information Officer Department of Emergency Management 808-723-8960 Office www.oahuDEM.org