ˉ

Neighborhood

Commission

Office OCTOBER-DECEMBER 2016 www.honolulu.gov/nco

HO‘IKE LONO (to communicate)

Message from the

Message from the

Executive Secretary

Aloha,

The Neighborhood Commission

Office encourages you to apply

as a candidate for the 2017

Neighborhood Board elections.

Candidate registration starts on

Thursday, December 1, 2016.

You may visit the NCO website

to register or pick up a candi-

date registration form in person

at our new location in Kapala-

ma Hale.

We look forward to a spirited

Neighborhood Board election

cycle in 2017!

Shawn Hamamoto, Executive Secretary

Page 1

PC: ODEELO DAYONDON

Moving Out and Moving Forward

A new office and the 2017 board elections

PC: Wayne Yoshioka

Kapalama Hale

The Neighborhood Commission Office will be relocating to Kapala-

ma Hale by the end of 2016. The new office will be located at 925 Dil-

lingham Boulevard, adjacent to the Honolulu Community College and

will allow the public greater accessibility to the NCO.

Other departments moving into Kapalama Hale are the Depart-

ment of Community Services, the Ethics Commission, the Equal Oppor-

tunity Office, the Honolulu Emergency Services Health Services Branch,

and a section of the Honolulu Police Department.

2017 Neighborhood Board Elections

The 2017 Neighborhood Board elections is fast approaching. Any

Oahu resident who will be at least 18 years of age by February 17, 2017

is eligible to be a candidate. Residents may find out what neighbor-

hood board serves their area by searching through the street index

posted on www.honolulu.gov/nco or by calling 768-3710.

If you have voted in the 2016 primary or general election, you are

automatically eligible to vote in the 2017 Neighborhood Board elec-

tions. Otherwise, you can register for the Neighborhood Board elections

by submitting a NB voter registration form to the NCO. The NB voter reg-

istration form, along with the candidate register form, will be available

at www.honolulu.gov/nco beginning Thursday, December 1, 2016.

The Neighborhood Commission Office is scheduled to move to Kapalama Hale this year.

What do you enjoy most about the work that

you do?

That would be the opportunity to listen to the board

and community members express some of the most

concerning issues in their community as well as the

opportunity to deliberate what should be done

about it. One interesting issue would have to be the

noise pollution originating from mopeds. I was fortu-

nate enough to be the Neighborhood Assistant for

the McCully-Moilili Neighborhood Board No. 08 when

they formed their permitted interaction group (PIG)

to investigate the issue. Their efforts brought about

involvement from other neighborhood boards which

ultimately helped introduced House Bill 1753 which is

a start to better enforcing the issue.

After assisting numerous Neighborhood Board

meetings, is there one meeting that stands out to

you?

It would probably have to be my first meeting at the

Wahiawa-Whitmore Village Neighborhood Board No.

26. My grandfather lives in Wahiawa so I invited him

to attend my first meeting. That day I learned that

several board members at that time were neighbors,

friends, and colleagues of either my grandfather or

my father.

Tell us something about yourself that not many

people would be able to guess?

I love dogs. This was probably brought about by my

mother’s influence and her love of dogs. My mother

would always be “that neighbor” that people would

ask to watch their dogs whenever they went on a

trip. My family also had a dog named Tracy, a Rott-

weiler mix, who we adopted as a puppy.

NCO Spotlight – Stephen Saito, Neighborhood Assistant

Page 2

Neighborhood Board Rules and

Procedures Quiz

How well do you know the Neighborhood Plan,

Sunshine Law, and Robert’s Rules of Order?

http://www2.honolulu.gov/cchsurvey/

Take the quiz to see if you can score 100%!

What did you do for work before joining the

NCO?

Off-and-on during high school and college, I would

work part-time doing data entry at Pali Momi Medi-

cal Center. Much of my work experience actually

came from participating in a variety of community

organizations in college. In college, I was the web-

master for Japanese Culture Club at the University of

Manoa and President of Sustainable UH. Among all

the things those two organizations taught me, the

most important thing I learned was the importance

of working as a team and getting others involved.

Tell us about yourself growing up. Where were

you born, what schools did you go to, what did

you study in college?

I was born and raised in Hawaii as a fourth genera-

tion Japanese-American in my hometown of Mililani.

I went to Kipapa Elementary School, Mililani Middle

School, and Mililani High School. In college I studied

Political Science at the University of Hawaii at

Manoa.

What led you to the NCO?

The opportunity to expand my knowledge about

Oahu’s geography, history and local cultures by at-

tending neighborhood board meetings and the op-

portunity to learn more about the local government.

What I found most interesting about the Neighbor-

hood Commission Office is how diverse its role in lo-

cal government is. For the office to be effective, it

really needs a core understanding of what each fed-

eral, state, city duties, functions, and responsibilities

are.

ˉ

You have been a part of the Aiea Neighborhood

Board for nearly 20 years. What do you enjoy

most about the work the Board does?

The best part is helping people, assisting the commu-

nity in solving community problems or issues, helping

individuals with concerns they have, informing the

community of upcoming or ongoing activities, con-

struction, community meetings, etc. I’m also encour-

aged by the opportunity for our elected and ap-

pointed officials to inform the community of the work

they have done or will be doing and having them

hear the concerns of the community.

Every board chair has a unique way of running

their boards. How would you describe your

leadership style? To what do you attribute this?

My leadership style is a mix of parliamentarian and

facilitator. For me, running a board meeting means

using Robert’s Rules of Order to conduct the business

parts (such as reviewing minutes, following the pub-

lished agenda, etc.) But I also believe my job is to be

a moderator, encouraging participation and making

sure that all sides of an issue have an opportunity to

express their views.

Are you currently retired or still working? What

did you do for work?

After 34 years as a police officer with the Honolulu

Police Department I retired in 1999 as its Deputy

Chief. I also worked for a total of 32 years (part-time)

as an adjunct professor at Chaminade University of

Honolulu, the University of Hawaii at West Oahu, and

at Leeward Community College teaching business

courses.

What do you enjoy to do when you are not

dealing with board business?

Doing volunteer work, delivering food to clients for

Meals on Wheels, serving on the Board of Directors

for the Honolulu Police Relief Association, volunteer-

ing at the Urban Garden site behind Home Depot in

Pearl City, and helping where and when I can for

other worthy causes.

Board Member Spotlight – Chair Bill Clark, Aiea NB

Page 3

Do you have any special memories or issues

from your time serving the Aiea board?

Each meeting of the Aiea Neighborhood Board has

issues and unique memories, especially for the peo-

ple who request assistance for a problem in our

neighborhoods. Some memorable issues include dis-

cussions (a) with Hawaiian Electric about the new

Aiea Library photovoltaic system, (b) about the Live,

Work and Play Aiea plan for development of the old

Kamehameha Drive-In, (c) of the zip line at New-

town, (d) about the proposed development in the

Aiea Heights area, and (e) regarding the homeless

situation ewa of the old Kamehameha Drive-In.

I would be remiss if I did not include the memories

and issues that occur outside of the monthly meet-

ing. When I take my beagles for their daily one-mile

walk, I talk with the people I meet and listen to their

concerns, issues and suggestions. These residents

raise smaller, but important issues, such as broken

sidewalks, speeding vehicles, road repairs, etc.

These smaller issues really matter to our residents as

the resolution of these concerns improves the quality

of their lives.

Where were you raised, where did you go to

college, what did you study, what brought you

to Hawaii?

I was raised in New Jersey close to New York City and

lived there until I joined the Army. I was eventually

stationed in Hawaii at the Schofield Barracks in Wa-

hiawa. I fell in love with Hawaii and decided to

make this my home.

ˉ

Message from the

Executive Secretary

Neighborhood Plan & Charter Commission Updates

Neighborhood Commission Spotlight: Chair Russell Yamanoha

What has your professional career been like and

what led you to where you are today?

My professional career has kind of been all over the

map. While at UH, I began working in the television

industry as an entry-level technician. From there, I

moved into many different positions behind the cam-

era before becoming a sports reporter, then sports

anchor. I even managed a couple of stints as a fill-in

news anchor. After 20 years in TV, I moved into resi-

dential real estate sales for about decade. I then

went back into more communication-based work.

Being on the Neighborhood Commission you

have had to see many different issues that the

neighborhood boards deal with, what is one is-

sue that has stood out to you?

I know this will sound lame, but really, I don’t think

I’ve had any one issue stand out, as we treat them all

as important. What does stand out to me is how pas-

sionate and involved the NB members are to serving

their communities. I think that bodes well for the City

overall.

How do you feel the Neighborhood Board sys-

tem could be improved?

I don’t think the NB system has much to improve oth-

er than the fact that we see a few instances in which

NB’s have issues or concerns about how their individ-

ual meetings are structured and/or conducted. I

think if we as a commission and as a NB system were

able to tidy up those issues, it would let the boards

focus more on the community issues at hand and

allow each NB, and the system as a whole, to focus

on more pressing matters.

On a board consisting of many civic-minded

individuals, how would you characterize your

leadership style and how that works with the

other commission members?

I definitely rely heavily on the other members of the

Commission. It’s a group made up of several bright,

intelligent, and insightful individuals. I may have the

title of “chair”, but it really is a group effort. Former

chair Sylvia Young was a mentor for me when I was

first appointed to the Commission and now vice-

chair Bob Finley is a huge help not only to me, but for

the rest of the Commission as well.

Page 4

What initially got you involved with the neigh-

borhood boards and what do you enjoy about

it?

I was never part of a local neighborhood board, but I

think that’s a bit of an advantage for the commission

and the boards as well. As an entity, the primary job

of the Neighborhood Commission is to ensure that

the individual neighborhood boards follow the

Neighborhood Plan. Having never been on a neigh-

borhood board, I am free of any pre-conceived no-

tions or ideas of how a board should be run or how it

should follow the Neighborhood Plan. Of course, the

Commission does have commissioners who currently

serve on a NB or have previously served and they

contribute their expertise accordingly when it comes

to commission business. But there are others, like me,

who do not or have not served and I think that range

of perspective allows for the Commission to serve its

duties more effectively.

Three years ago, I was appointed and approved by

the Honolulu City Council to serve on the Neighbor-

hood Commission, a year later I was approved as the

commission chair. It has been a great experience in

terms of being part of the process but what stands

out to me the most, and what I always tell people

about, is seeing first hand how dedicated and hard-

working the people “behind-the-scenes” are in City

government. We hear about the top people (Mayor,

Councilmembers, top-level City staff) in City govern-

ment all the time, but until you get actually involved

in the process, you don’t realize how much effort

and dedication by the rest of the city staff goes into

helping the City & County run smoothly.

ˉ

Pue’o Habitat Preservation on the Ewa Plain

Waianae Modular Housing Development

Pokai Bay Usage

BWS Water Master Plan

Hawaii Memorial Reefs

Waikiki War Memorial Rehabilitation

Transient Oriented Development

Kolekole Pass Update

Hamakua Marsh Master Plan

Hawaii State Master Plan Update

Ko’olaupoko Sustainable Communities Plan

Honolulu Century Ride

Paniolo Equestrian Center

Farrington Highway Contraflow Improvements

Na Pueo Park Status Update

Rail Transit Project: Aloha Stadium to Middle Street

Neighborhood Plan & Charter Commission Updates

Neighborhood Board News

What’s on the Agenda? What’s Been Getting Done?

Farrington Highway Contraflow Community Forums

Support for Consolidated Amusement Theatre in

Kamakana Ali’i

Resolution Supporting Aina Haina Shopping

Center’s ADA Compliance

Koko Head Master Plan Petition

Resolution Urging a Long Range Development Plan

for the University of Hawaii

Resolutions Regarding the Hassinger Street Project

Supporting the Kahumana Farms Community

Training Facility

Resolution Urging Central Oahu Regional Park to

Allow Pickleball Time

Supporting Po’ohala Farm

Support of Camp Palehua

Disapproval of Holokai Tours in Kaneohe Bay

Resolution Supporting Industrial Hemp Growth

NCO HELPFUL TIPS

Page 5

Social Media

The NCO supports the boards in increasing com-

munity involvement and island-wide awareness of

the Neighborhood Board system.

Board-specific social media accounts should dis-

play a disclaimer that the board maintains the site,

not the NCO. Boards are encouraged to post about

general NB and community-related issues while

keeping in mind that discussion on issues that may

come up before the board is prohibited under Sun-

shine Law. In addition, boards should not be solicit-

ing, advertising, or endorsing specific organizations,

businesses, or candidates for political office.

Board Resolutions

Resolutions adopted by the boards are official

written statements of support or opposition on a par-

ticular matter. Topics vary across different neighbor-

hood boards.

As a reminder, resolutions should be directed to-

ward a government agency and be of public mat-

ters.

The NCO encourages the boards to work with

their Neighborhood Assistants in finalizing the resolu-

tion and sending it to the appropriate agencies.

@HNLNCO

@HNLNCO

NeighborhoodCommission

nco@honolulu.gov

Website: www.honolulu.gov/nco Email: nco@honolulu.gov Mainline: 768-3710

The Neighborhood Board

system was established in

1973, but the first six boards

weren’t formed until 1975.

Name the six boards.

Send your answer to:

nco@honolulu.gov

Subject line: NCO Trivia

The first person to send in the

correct answer will receive a

mystery prize!

NCO Trivia

“Aloha! I was honored to serve on both the

Kaimukī and Mānoa Neighborhood Boards,

and have seen the positive role the boards

can play in the community. They exemplify

participatory democracy at its finest!”

-Mayor Kirk Caldwell @MayorKirkHNL

Tuesday, October 25, 2016

to November 5, 2016

Early walk-in voting & late voter

registration at Honolulu Hale and

Kapolei Hale

Tuesday, November 8, 2016 General Election Day

Thursday, December 1,

2016

Neighborhood Board Voter Reg-

istration and Candidate Declara-

Friday, February 17, 2017 Any Oahu resident 18 years and

older on this date can vote, in-

cluding military personnel, mili-

tary family members, and legal

resident aliens.

Page 6

Downtown-Chinatown

Its official! The Neighborhood

Commission has approved the

Downtown-Chinatown Neighbor-

hood Board No. 13 name

change. The board felt the addi-

tion of “Chinatown” was essential

to fully reflect the neighborhood’s

cultural significance as well as the

concerns and issues often

brought up by the board.

Brittany is a proud graduate of

W. R. Farrington High School and

recently obtained her bachelor’s

degree in English from UH Manoa.

While attending UHM she spent

time working at Ka Leo, the

school newspaper as well as the

UH Foundation where she gained

valuable skills to apply towards

her new position with the NCO.

Changed a Name! Welcomed Brittany Yadao

as our new NA!

Encourage You To...

As We Say Farewell to 2016, We...

2016 General Elections

The general elections will be

held on Tuesday, November 8,

2016. Early walk-in locations and

late voter registration will open on

Tuesday, October 25. Registered

voters can request a mail ballot

before the November 1st dead-

line. For more information about

the general election, visit

elections.hawaii.gov .