City and County of Honolulu News

You are here:  Main / Customer Services / Public Communications Division / 2012 / 08/08/12 Royal Hawaiian Band's August 12 Concert Moved

ROYAL HAWAIIAN BAND'S AUGUST 12 CONCERT MOVED     (Wed., August 8, 2012) − The Royal Hawaiian band concert on Sunday, August 12, will be held at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel Coconut Grove, the hotel's garden area.  The location of the Sunday performance was changed because of construction work at Kapiolani Park Bandstand.               For the monthly schedule of performances go to www.rhb-music.com/     - 30 -

City and County of Honolulu News

You are here:  Main / Customer Services / Public Communications Division / 2012 / 08/08/12 Mayor Carlisle Invites Teachers To 'Discover Recycling' Event

MAYOR CARLISLE INVITES TEACHERS TO 'DISCOVER RECYCLING' EVENT   (Wed., Aug. 8, 2012)—Mayor Peter Carlisle and his environmental services team encourage Oahu teachers to attend the 8th annual Discover Recycling event on Saturday, September 22 – a one-day showcase of recycling resources for schools and educators. The event includes a bus tour of Oahu's recycling and waste processing facilities and a visit to a "green" school, followed by a "Zero-Landfill" lunch and a presentation of resources offered by the City to help schools recycle and to teach recycling in the classroom.   "Education is key to the success of recycling, and our kids can play a significant role," said Carlisle. "Recent surveys have confirmed that household recycling levels are affected by the knowledge of the entire family. Students who learn about recycling at school are able to take that expertise home to help their family recycle more."   The Discover Recycling event is free for teachers, but registration is required. Teachers can register by calling 768-3200. More information is available at http://www.opala.org/ .   The City's Department of Environmental Services has much to offer teachers and schools: Tour de Trash field trips, student activity books, recycling education shows, campus recycling project assistance, and more. The http://www.opala.org/ website is the central tool for tapping into the City's resources, and attending Discover Recycling brings it all to life. Click on the site's Learning Center link for more information.   Another educational opportunity is the "Sort it Out" recycling show that tours Oahu's schools. Through a partnership with the Honolulu Theatre for Youth, "Sort It Out" will continue for a third season, from January through March 2013. The show features a 60-minute play filled with song, laughter and games – entertaining students while educating them about the City's curbside recycling program. The shows are free, but schools are advised to reserve early, as limited shows are available. For more information, contact HTY Schools Reservation Manager at 839-9885 or email schools@htyweb.org   The City has long emphasized the importance of effective public education to the success of recycling. This year, Honolulu was among the top three finalists for the national 2012 Green City Award, and Honolulu's recycling coordinator received national recognition as one the top women professionals in the recycling industry. On July 26th, the City's Curbside Recycling Public Education campaign was recognized by the Public Relations Society of America with a Koa Anvil Award.   The Anvil awards recognize comprehensive campaigns, and are judged on the effectiveness of the research, strategic planning, creative execution and results. The components of the City's campaign included The Green Channel on Oceanic Time Warner Cable 332, the www.opala.org website, the school recycling shows and student activity books, a partnership with Costco to provide in-store recycling education, and a comprehensive analysis presented in the Curbside Recycling Program Evaluation and Strategic Planning Report. Judges notes "excellent use of research both before and after the campaign launch" and "very thorough research and good results."   The City plans to sustain and expand upon these creative educational programs as we move forward to further increase recycling in the coming year.   -30-   Media contact: Louise Kim McCoy, Mayor's Office, 768-7798.

City and County of Honolulu News

You are here:  Main / Customer Services / Public Communications Division / 2012 / 08/07/12 Smoke Testing in Kaneohe Aug. 10-17

CITY SMOKE TESTING WASTEWATER PIPES IN KANEOHE   (Tue., Aug. 7, 2012) – The City's Department of Environmental Services (ENV) will smoke test a portion of the wastewater collection system in Kaneohe August 10-17.            The daytime testing, which may last up to a week, is part of ENV's preventative maintenance program to prevent rainwater from entering the sewer system. ENV crews pump smoke into sewer pipes, examine whether smoke escapes and record its location. The smoke used is non-toxic, harmless and minimal odor. The smoke is neither a fire hazard nor health hazard to humans and pets.            Tests locate broken pipes, illegal connections, open cleanouts and other paths for runoff to enter the sewer system. Runoff from heavy rain can overwhelm and surcharge the sewer system and treatment plants, causing sanitary sewer overflows.            Residents and affected businesses were notified by mail and door notices. In addition, ENV will contact Fire and Police communications centers at the beginning of each testing day. The attached map illustrates the streets that will be tested.                                                                                                                                                      -30-     Contact:  Markus Owens, ENV Public Communications Officer, 768-3454

City and County of Honolulu News

You are here:  Main / Customer Services / Public Communications Division / 2012 / 08/07/12 Construction Starts On Train Maintenance Facility, System Control Center In Waipahu

CONSTRUCTION STARTS ON TRAIN MAINTENANCE FACILITY, SYSTEM CONTROL CENTER IN WAIPAHU   (Tue., August 7, 2012) − Construction begins this week on the Honolulu rail transit system's train Maintenance and Storage Facility (MSF) in Waipahu, the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation (HART) announced today.   The train maintenance facility will be located on a 43-acre site off Farrington Highway between Leeward Community College and Waipahu High School. The site will also house the train control center that will operate the 20-mile elevated rail system from East Kapolei to Ala Moana. A short blessing was held yesterday.   "This facility will house the 'brains and trains' of the rail system in which the driverless trains and other rail operations will be controlled from this location," HART CEO and Executive Director Dan Grabauskas said. "This latest construction underway shows the rail project continues moving forward and is on the right track."   Along with the train system control center, the facility will house a maintenance building for track inspection and repairs; a train vehicle wash facility; and train wheel repair center.   Contractor Kiewit/Kobayashi, a Joint Venture will conduct grading work on weekdays between the hours of 7 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Lane closures are not required for this portion of the work, but drivers and pedestrians using Ala Ike Street connecting to Leeward Community College should watch for construction vehicles entering and exiting the construction site. The public is advised to proceed with caution around the designated work zones and to not cross any barricades fencing off the work areas.   The facility will be environmentally-friendly and meet Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver Certification, with sustainable features including natural lighting and ventilation in buildings; use of recycled construction materials wherever possible; and water-efficient landscaping.   Kiewit/Kobayashi, a Joint Venture, was awarded the $195 million contract in 2010 to design and build the facility.   - 30 -   Media Contact: Scott Ishikawa cell: (808) 227-2350, office (808) 768-6172.

City and County of Honolulu News

You are here:  Main / Customer Services / Public Communications Division / 2012 / 08/07/2012 Classes offered to improve permit process

CLASSES OFFERED TO IMPROVE PERMIT PROCESS   (Tuesday, August 7, 2012)— The Department of Planning and Permitting (DPP) and the Building Industry Association (BIA) will hold a series of seminars in August and September to improve the quality of permit applications. The goal of this program is to reduce the delays in reviewing and approving permits for construction and development projects.               "It's crucial to shorten the time it takes to approve a permit application in order to provide significant savings to both businesses and residents," Mayor Peter Carlisle said. "This is a great example of the public and private sectors working together to improve government services."               The "how-to" classes are being offered as an educational opportunity for planning, design and construction professionals, as well as the public, to learn more about the City's planning and permitting process. DPP processed nearly 22,000 building permit applications last fiscal year, and many of these permits required multiple reviews before they were finally approved. In a joint effort to streamline and speed up the issuing of permits, the DPP and BIA are collaborating to ensure applications and construction drawings are as accurate and complete as possible to maximize the efficiency of the review process.                The topics will include general planning, land use permits, engineering and subdivision permits, building permits, and general permitting. The first session will be held August 28-30 and the same set of classes will be repeated September 17-20, 2012.  All classes will be conducted at the Building Industry Association-Hawaii center at 94-487 Akoki St. in Waipahu.               For more information and a list of classes, visit www.biahawaii.org, or www.honoluludpp.org.   -30-   Media contact: Curtis Lum, Public Information Officer, Department of Planning and Permitting, 768-8284.

City and County of Honolulu News

You are here:  Main / Customer Services / Public Communications Division / 2012 / 08/06/12 Mayor Dedicates New Transit Center and Buses

MAYOR DEDICATES NEW TRANSIT CENTER AND BUSES   (Mon., Aug. 6, 2012)—Mayor Peter Carlisle joined transportation officials today to dedicate the new Alapai Transit Center and 48 new fuel-efficient buses.   "The Alapai Transit Center is a great addition to our award-winning bus system," Carlisle said. "The center provides a safe, clean, efficient terminal for passengers served by some of our busiest bus routes."   The transit center serves afternoon peak-period Commuter Express routes and all-day routes 11, 15, 43, 52, 53, 54 and 62.   The center includes four bus shelters with a total of 140 seats, informational boards, a landscaped bicycle and pedestrian path, and a bus layover area under the parking garage for the new Joint Traffic Management Center now under design.   The new Gillig Bus Manufacturing buses feature the most current EPA-certified clean diesel ISL Cummins engine, the latest fuel efficient Voith 5-speed transmission, and an "all electric" ThermoKing air conditioning system that provides for quieter operation and a more stable passenger compartment temperature.   The City is acquiring forty 40-foot buses and eight 35-foot buses. All 48 buses are equipped with an ADA access ramp, front kneeling capability, and bike racks.   -30-   Media contact: Louise Kim McCoy, Mayor's Office, 768-7798.

City and County of Honolulu News

You are here:  Main / Customer Services / Public Communications Division / 2012 / 08/06/12 Makakilo/Kapolei/Honokai Hale Neighborhood Board Cancels Committee Meeting

MAKAKILO/KAPOLEI/HONOKAI HALE NEIGHBORHOOD BOARD NO. 34 CANCELS COMMITTEE MEETING   (Mon., August 6, 2012) − The Makakilo/Kapolei/Honokai Hale Neighborhood Board No. 34 has cancelled its Planning and Zoning Committee meeting scheduled for tomorrow night (August 7, 2012).  The meeting will be rescheduled at a later date.   - 30 -   Contact:  Bryan Mick, Neighborhood Commission Office, 768-3717.