No 23 ʻEwa Neighborhood Board Regular Meeting October 2026
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23 Ewa Neighborhood Board Meeting – October 9, 2026
Meeting Opening and Procedures
The meeting was called to order at 6:30 p.m., with the chair verbally identifying the date as October 8, despite the meeting title listing October 9. The chair explained that the prior month’s meeting had been canceled because of a power outage, so matters from the September agenda were carried forward. Public participation rules were reviewed, including directing comments through the chair, limiting speakers to one turn of no more than two minutes, keeping reports under two minutes and presentations under ten minutes, and muting devices and Webex connections when not speaking. The board reiterated that it is an advisory body intended to promote fairness, integrity, collaboration, and citizen participation. It also explained that unlisted matters generally cannot be voted upon unless added by a two-thirds vote, which for the 11-member board would require eight votes, and that major matters affecting many people may not be added during the meeting. The board unanimously corrected agenda items 5 and 6 to reflect the previously adopted two-minute speaking limit rather than one minute. Seven members were present in person or online, establishing quorum.
Fire Department Activity and Seasonal Safety
The Honolulu Fire Department reported September activity consisting of no structure fires, three brush fires, four nuisance fires involving rubbish or other materials outside structures or vehicles, 21 alarm activations with no fire, 152 medical emergencies, three motor vehicle collisions, one ocean rescue, and two hazardous-material incidents. With the holiday season approaching, firefighters encouraged residents to use electrical decorations and devices approved by nationally recognized testing laboratories, follow manufacturer instructions, remain present and alert while cooking, keep combustible materials away from heat and flame, and exercise added caution while walking or driving between dusk and dawn. A board member also thanked the station for visiting retired firefighter Captain Mike Phillips shortly before his death, saying the visit honored both Phillips and his family.
Brush Fires, Smoke, and Suspected Arson Near West Loch
The board raised concerns about a September brush fire behind West Loch Fairways near the bird sanctuary, where residents have previously reported smoke entering homes and causing illness. Although the responding firefighters said that location falls within Waipahu Station 12’s area and they could not describe that specific incident, they explained that brush fires near homeless encampments often involve mixed fuels such as propane cylinders, tires, household materials, and other potentially hazardous debris rather than vegetation alone. Fire personnel said police are often dispatched jointly or are already present, but HFD would generally request a police investigation only if circumstances appeared suspicious. HPD later said it did not believe an arson case had been generated for the September 21 incident but would check. Residents were told to call 911 whenever they see fire, smell smoke, or observe suspicious activity. HPD’s ATV units have also been directed to patrol the West Loch bike path and surrounding areas, although no figures were available on camps located, enforcement actions, or relocations.
Police Crime, Traffic, and Calls for Service
The Honolulu Police Department’s District 8 Community Policing Team reported September statistics for the district and Ewa Beach. Districtwide there were 15 motor vehicle thefts, 16 burglaries, 85 thefts, and 11 unauthorized entries into motor vehicles; Ewa Beach accounted for one vehicle theft, one burglary, 18 thefts, and three unauthorized vehicle entries. Traffic enforcement included 17 speeding citations, 279 moving violations, 359 parking violations, and 876 total citations. District 8 received 7,255 calls for service, including 2,095 in Ewa. HPD reminded residents that urgent incidents are handled before lower-priority nuisance calls, which can delay responses during busy shifts or shift changes.
Roosters, Feral Chickens, and Noise Enforcement
HPD followed up on complaints about noisy roosters and chickens. Homeowners associations may establish and enforce their own animal rules, while the Revised Ordinances of Honolulu provide a criminal noise-nuisance process under Section 7-2.2. A bird that makes noise continuously for ten minutes or intermittently for 30 minutes may be reported to police, who can warn or cite the owner. Officers must be able to establish that the animal belongs to the cited person rather than being feral. Feral chicken complaints may also be submitted through the Honolulu 311 application. In response to a resident’s earlier difficulty obtaining an officer during a shift change, HPD explained that animal nuisance complaints are lower-priority calls and may be delayed when officers are diverted to collisions, disputes, or other emergencies.
Weed and Seed Activities and Library-Area Encampments
District 8 Weed and Seed announced its eighth annual Legacy Luncheon, scheduled for November 6 from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Hawaii Okinawa Center. Honorees will include Senator Karl Rhoads, Kurihara Contracting, newly confirmed Assistant Chief Gail Beckley, Lisa Inanorio, Will Lackner, and Pāseco representatives for their support of the program. The board also discussed two people living in a tent near the Ewa Beach Public Library bus stop and school fence, with belongings obstructing a walking route used by students. Weed and Seed had previously addressed complaints about the pair’s belongings in the park, and some property was reportedly placed in storage, but they returned to the bus-stop area. Officers said another nighttime enforcement operation was planned and that outreach and assistance had repeatedly been offered. Because some encampments are on state property, enforcement and cleanups may require coordination with the Department of Transportation or Department of Land and Natural Resources. Board members and Representative Julie Reyes later noted that people also sleep near library doors after hours; although no damage has been reported, the obstruction and proximity to children, transit users, and library patrons remain concerns.
Student Poverty, School Meals, and Title I Eligibility
Campbell-Kapolei Complex Area Superintendent John Lee followed up on requested data concerning poverty, ALICE households, and school meal eligibility. Statewide, approximately 10 to 12 percent of students fall below the poverty line, while roughly one-third are within the ALICE threshold, meaning households that are asset-limited, income-constrained, and employed. The statewide share varies substantially, from about 20 percent in parts of East Honolulu to more than 60 percent in some rural Oahu communities. ALICE students now qualify for free lunch, although separate income thresholds continue to determine Title I services. A board member cited online Title I figures of approximately 88 to 89 percent at Iroquois Point Elementary, 82 percent at Barbers Point Elementary, 61 percent at Pohakea Elementary, 60 percent at Ilima Intermediate, and 48 percent at Makakilo Elementary, and asked whether high-poverty schools could move toward universal free and reduced-price meals. Lee said school percentages vary and offered to provide the complex-area ALICE report.
Preschool Capacity and Early Learning
The Department of Education reported that only two area schools currently have Executive Office on Early Learning preschool classrooms: Ewa Beach Elementary with 18 students and Iroquois Point Elementary with seven. Every elementary school in the complex has special-education preschool, with enrollment ranging from eight students to 22 at Ewa Elementary. The primary barrier to adding more general preschool classrooms is physical classroom capacity, because most area schools are already full or near capacity. The board sought clarification about whether any usable classrooms remain elsewhere in the complex.
Pohakea Elementary School Update
New permanent Pohakea Elementary Principal Tracy Dolan introduced herself and described more than 30 years in education, including roughly 20 years teaching in Waipahu and ten years in Campbell-Kapolei administration. She previously served at Ewa Elementary and Kapolei High School and was Pohakea’s temporary principal before being selected permanently. Pohakea held a family engagement night on September 30 that combined Title I information, social-emotional learning, and a presentation by kendama educator Joshua Grove about perseverance and grit. Dolan said the school plans additional events to help families understand and participate in their children’s learning. Current enrollment is approximately 480 with some room remaining, but she agreed to return with the official campus capacity and the number of homeschool students affiliated with the school.
Holomua Elementary Land Transfer
The DOE reported continued progress on transferring the Holomua Elementary property. Questions involving two easements caused the documentation to return to Gentry Homes. Once the easements are addressed, a title report will be triggered and incorporated into a warranty deed for signatures, a process expected to take several additional weeks. Gentry later confirmed that two easements are being dedicated to HSTA, after which the title report will be updated and sent to DOE so the warranty deed can be finalized.
Proposed Holomua Telecommunications Tower
Network Connect, representing Crown Castle and T-Mobile, presented a proposal to modify the existing telecommunications facility at Holomua Elementary. A 60-foot stealth telecommunications flagpole installed under a 2008 conditional use permit currently stands in the center of campus near the administration building and student drop-off area. The proposal would replace it with a 60-foot monopine designed to resemble a pine tree at the northwest edge of the property near the cafeteria dumpster area. The original location would receive a standard flagpole, while antennas, transceivers, cabinets, and other equipment would be relocated to a fenced area beneath the new tower. The project would require a modification to the conditional use permit and a building permit and would comply with building, electrical, OSHA, and federal telecommunications standards. The unmanned installation would allow infrastructure modernization and potential use by more than one carrier while moving equipment away from central campus activity.
Telecommunications Benefits, Lease Revenue, and Health Questions
Board and community members asked whether the fenced equipment area would adequately prevent student access, whether DOE and the school had approved the relocation, and what direct benefit the school would receive. The presenter said Crown Castle had been communicating with the school, that the school was believed to have agreed to the move, and that lease payments for use of school land generally return to the local school, although he did not know whether the state retains a share. Members requested documentation of financial benefits because the original 2008 approval was understood to include funding for Holomua, which is the area’s multitrack school. When asked about electromagnetic-field and radiation concerns, including 5G, the presenter said the installation would support 5G and offered to provide studies from the Federal Communications Commission and Department of Health. He characterized current findings as not conclusively establishing harm while acknowledging that research remains ongoing. The board asked the project team to return before construction rather than treating the presentation as a final “hit-and-run” notice.
Navy Ammunition and Missile Storage Projects at West Loch
Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam Public Works Officer Captain Travis Brinkman presented two West Loch Annex projects. Project PN080133 is an Army-funded ammunition magazine and issue-point facility that began construction in March 2026 and is expected to be completed in summer 2028. It is located well inside the military fence line, is not expected to require unusual work hours, and should have limited community impacts beyond ordinary daytime construction noise and traffic. Project P034 will construct new missile storage magazines, a modern antiterrorism and force-protection entry control facility, and a public bypass road. That contract was awarded in 2026, construction began in August, and overall completion is also planned for summer 2028. Because P034 is nearer the property boundary, its construction will be more visible to nearby residents, although regular daytime hours are anticipated.
West Loch Bypass Road and Access Changes
The proposed bypass will begin near Iroquois Road, run near the solar farm, and create a new public route around an area where West Loch Drive will move inside the secured military perimeter. Existing public access will remain during construction, although temporary single-lane closures may occur with traffic controls, signs, and cones. Work on the bypass is beginning in fall 2026, and the road is expected to be substantially complete and open by summer 2027. A new entry control point will be built farther inside the installation, and fencing will be extended along areas that currently lack a boundary fence. Residents of Kapilina Beach Homes will not be required to pass through the new military control facility; the public bypass is intended to preserve civilian access. The Navy agreed to determine whether the new road will have one or two lanes in each direction and to provide information on traffic impacts to homes close to the route.
Munitions Safety, Buffer Zones, and Community Disclosure
Board members questioned why munitions would be moved from Lualualei to West Loch, how much additional explosive storage the projects would create, whether homes near the fence would face greater risk, and whether nuclear materials could be stored there. Captain Brinkman said the facilities underwent rigorous explosives-safety review addressing the type and quantity of material, building resistance, geography, and required safety arcs. He stated that the homes would not be placed at greater risk and that a buffer zone is included, but he could not provide an exact distance or discuss nuclear materials, storage quantities, or the strategic rationale for relocating munitions. He emphasized that modern magazine construction offers better blast resistance and risk mitigation than infrastructure built in the 1930s through 1950s. Members said the maps were unclear and appeared not to show nearby homes accurately. They requested better graphics and written answers addressing any changes from the preferred environmental assessment alternative, explosive safety quantity-distance boundaries, road realignment, detours, noise mitigation, traffic calming, taxpayer cost, public comments, community outreach, and the percentage increase in storage capacity. The Navy agreed to improve future materials and research unresolved questions.
Road Condition Between Iroquois Point and Campbell High School
During the Navy discussion, the board renewed a request to repair the badly potholed route between Iroquois Point and the Ewa Villages Golf Course area used by students traveling toward Campbell High School. Responsibility has reportedly been disputed among the city, golf course, and Iroquois Point entities. The Navy agreed to examine whether the road falls within its authority or whether it could help identify the responsible agency.
Mobility, Access, and Transportation Security Project
Hawaii Appleseed Center for Law and Economic Justice, the Hawaii Public Health Institute, the City Department of Transportation Services, and community partners presented the federally funded Mobility, Access, and Transportation Security project, known as MATI. The project is intended to make walking and transit safer and more convenient for women and families in Ewa and Waipahu. Six community health workers collected 191 travel surveys, and more than 50 people participated in two listening sessions and design charrettes. Residents identified poor lighting, speeding near Ewa Elementary, Holomua Elementary, and Campbell High School, missing or damaged sidewalks, and pedestrian safety as key concerns. The implementation phase will add real-time bus arrival and departure signs with solar-lighting features at heavily used bus stops and painted curb extensions along Papipi Road. Installation is targeted for early 2027, with community painting events planned.
Pedestrian Murals and Accessibility
Ewa-born artist Zach Angeles presented a mural concept based on a moʻolelo in which Hiʻiaka chants about women of the Kapolei-Ewa area and maʻo blossoms as symbols of collective resilience. A painted lei would visually embrace the intersection near Ewa Elementary, with bee imagery connecting the design to the school mascot. Angeles would outline the design before volunteers fill it in during a weekend event, similar to a large coloring project. The team will also refresh the older limu-themed curb extension near Papipi Road and Kapolei Parkway, where traffic posts have been repeatedly struck and the installation has deteriorated. The improvements will eventually be transferred to the city for maintenance. In response to a blind resident, the presenters supported adding QR codes, audio descriptions, web content, or other technology so people with visual impairments can understand the artwork and its story. Board members also discussed connecting Angeles with a separate “Love You Forever” project to place artwork on utility boxes around Ewa.
Proposed Food Security Charter Amendment
The Food Security Coalition, whose members include the Hawaii Farm Bureau, Hawaii Appleseed, Ag Stewardship Hawaii, Hawaii Foodbank, and other organizations, advocated for proposed Charter Amendment 1. The amendment would dedicate 0.5 percent of existing annual real property tax revenue to a new food security special fund, without creating a new tax. Campbell High School junior Leila O’Connor testified that Hawaii imports approximately 80 to 90 percent of its goods and could have only five to 14 days of food if port operations were disrupted. She described Ewa’s easy access to processed fast food compared with nutritious options and shared her family’s experience of relying on takeout or skipping a meal when her mother is too exhausted to cook. If approved, the council would select the administering agency and establish budget and operating details, with the fund estimated at about $8 million per year. It would become the charter’s sixth special fund, joining grant-in-aid, Honolulu Zoo, climate resiliency, affordable housing, and Clean Water and Natural Lands funds.
Kaimalie and Kaikua Pedestrian Crossing Request
Ocean Pointe resident Sean McClanahan asked the city to survey, design, install, and maintain a flashing pedestrian crossing at Kaimalie Street and Kaikua Street during the current fiscal year, preferably before winter school break. The intersection borders Kaimalie Park, where children, teenagers, families, and kūpuna use playground and green-space amenities. Kaimalie Street is a major connection between Fort Weaver Road and Kapolei Parkway, and vehicles often travel quickly through an area with limited sight distance. Although both corners already have wheelchair-accessible ramps, the crossing is unmarked and about half a mile from the major intersections at either end. McClanahan suggested solar-powered flashing equipment to control installation and maintenance costs. The concern was referred for city follow-up.
Bus Advertising and Electric-Bus Fire Safety
Resident David Aki urged the City Council to revisit commercial advertising on city buses through a five-year pilot program, noting that a similar proposal considered about a decade ago did not pass. He asserted that advertising could generate substantial revenue, potentially hundreds of millions of dollars. Aki also raised concerns about the city’s anticipated acquisition of 480 electric buses over the next three years and the hazards posed by lithium-ion battery fires. He provided firefighters with photographs and older documentation concerning chemical, battery, and wind-turbine fires and urged advance planning for incidents involving difficult-to-extinguish batteries and toxic smoke.
Red Hill Health Registry
An Ewa Beach community engagement specialist announced that the University of Hawaii-facilitated Red Hill Registry has enrolled approximately 3,000 people affected by the 2021 jet-fuel contamination of the Navy water system. About 93,000 people are estimated to have been exposed, including residents of Kapilina Beach Homes, and November will mark five years since the spill. The registry operates independently of the Department of Defense, although it receives government funding because DOD was held responsible. Its purpose is to track long-term health outcomes among people who lived, worked, attended school, or visited affected areas and may have ingested contaminated water, inhaled vapors or steam, or experienced skin contact. Existing occupational research, largely involving adult men, may not adequately represent impacts on women and children or household exposure routes. Residents were encouraged to check eligibility and enroll through the registry’s website.
Free Student Science Classes
Campbell High School senior Joshua Tom announced the resumption of free monthly science classes at the Ewa Beach Public Library for elementary and middle school students. The October session was scheduled for October 17 from noon to 4 p.m. and would use Halloween-themed activities involving health care, bones, blood, and “vampire” laboratory concepts. Tom and other Campbell students had previously presented the program in June, but the September board meeting cancellation prevented an earlier update.
Airspace Modernization and Aircraft Noise
A board member reported on the Hawaii Airspace Modernization Project following an August kickoff briefing. Ewa, Makakilo, Pearl City, and possibly Makiki neighborhood boards adopted resolutions urging noise abatement as a priority. Project officials reportedly committed to giving aircraft-noise reduction significant consideration and moving as much traffic as practicable over the ocean. Recent temporary work shortening Runway 8 Left has caused heavy aircraft to use Runway 4 and, at times, the Reef Runway, resulting in noticeably quieter conditions over Ewa. Fighter aircraft were also observed approaching and turning over water. The member said these temporary operations demonstrate that over-water routing is feasible. Some changes may occur earlier, but full modernization and new procedures could take up to five years.
Handi-Van Accessibility and Safety
Disability advocate Donald Sakamoto raised concerns about newer Handi-Van vehicles. He said 58 rear-lift, side-stairway vehicles in the 2400 series were acquired in 2024 and can require riders to exit into the roadway, creating danger in traffic. Seventeen 2500-series vehicles acquired in 2025 have side lifts and passenger-side stairs but are even more cramped inside. He compared their approximately seven-foot width with older eight-foot cutaway vans and asked the city to purchase more accessible vehicles that better accommodate people with disabilities and kūpuna. The mayor’s representative agreed to refer the concern to the Department of Transportation Services.
Water Demand Context
In response to a question about the significance of one million gallons per day, a city representative said the island’s average prioritized pumping is approximately 145 million gallons daily, with higher use during summer and lower demand during wetter periods. One million gallons therefore represents slightly under one percent of average daily pumping.
H-1 Kunia Interchange Environmental Study
The State Department of Transportation and HDR, Inc. are preparing an environmental study for improvements to the H-1 Kunia Interchange. An in-person public scoping meeting was announced for November 18, 2026, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Kaleiopuʻu Elementary School. A virtual meeting offering the same presentation and commenting opportunities was planned for November 19 from 6 to 7:30 p.m., with final access information still to be confirmed. The meetings will present project-development work and gather public feedback before designs move forward.
Gentry Projects and Geiger Road Signal
Gentry reported that the traffic signal planned for Geiger Road remains scheduled for installation by August 2028. Progress was slowed by negotiations over the interconnection infrastructure needed to link the camera-controlled signal from Geiger Road to Fort Weaver Road. Plans are awaiting Department of Planning and Permitting approval. Once that approval is received, Gentry intends to pursue procurement and dedication of another easement concurrently in an effort to accelerate the schedule. The board urged Gentry to complete the signal sooner if possible, while the representative said remaining timing is largely outside the company’s control.
Constitutional Amendment 2 and Infrastructure Financing
Gentry encouraged voters to research and support Constitutional Amendment 2 concerning RISE bonds and tax-increment financing. The representative said the mechanism would finance infrastructure needed for development, costs that otherwise fall on developers and may be passed to homebuyers. Voters were warned that leaving the question blank would count effectively against passage and that approval requires 50 percent plus one vote. A resident questioned whether such financing would adequately support genuinely affordable housing, citing another development proposal with only 69 affordable units. The Gentry representative noted that the cited Ala Moana project involved a different developer, while the resident argued that the same affordability laws affect projects broadly.
Royal Kunia II Environmental Remediation
Haseko responded to prior questions about warning signs and dioxin contamination at Royal Kunia II. Before Haseko acquired the property, dioxin-affected soil was remediated under Department of Health oversight, resulting in a no-further-action letter in 2011. More recently, elevated dioxin levels were found in a limited area near the former Kunia staging area. Haseko said it secured the area, notified DOH, completed remediation in coordination with the agency, and is awaiting final confirmation closing the regulatory process. Road and utility work continues elsewhere in the Royal Kunia II project area, including connecting infrastructure, but Haseko said that work is separate from the remediated area.
Navy Community Programs and Red Hill Updates
The Navy announced that a recent summer food drive collected more than 400 pounds of donations for Hawaii Foodbank and distributed publications covering the USS Shiloh’s decommissioning and Red Hill activities. A community “white boat” tour of Pearl Harbor and the Arizona Memorial was scheduled for October 30, and Saturday shipboard tours are available to civic, community, and school groups, including STEM-focused tours tailored to student interests. The Navy’s La Lima volunteer program planned to send more than 25 sailors to clean the bike path adjacent to Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam and invited schools, nonprofits, and community organizations to request volunteer labor. Regarding the Aiea-Halawa Shaft, the Navy said that after conditional Department of Health approval, the Navy Closure Task Force transferred operation and maintenance to Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, but representatives needed to confirm whether the shaft had actually resumed drinking-water service. The Closure Task Force also promoted its website, mobile application, recent Kapilina-area open house, and participation in an October 18 UH Mānoa STEM event.
Navy Base Scooter and Bicycle Safety
A resident reported nearly being struck by a scooter or moped traveling on the sidewalk near the Navy Exchange before the rider parked at a bicycle rack. He asked whether base regulations require people to dismount bicycles, scooters, or similar devices near pedestrian areas, the exchange, and commissary. The Navy representative did not want to give an uncertain answer and agreed to research the applicable rules for the next meeting.
Marine Corps Training-Range Speaker Noise
Residents reported that loudspeaker noise from the Marine Corps Puʻuloa Range Training Facility has gradually returned to levels heard before a 2024 acoustical adjustment. A March 22, 2024, letter from the Deputy Commandant for Installations stated that Naval Sea Systems Command engineers assessed the intercom from February 13 through 15, 2024, and adjusted amplifiers, software, and control boxes to reduce volume, focus sound within the range, and limit reverberation into nearby neighborhoods. Residents said the improvements were initially noticeable but that speaker announcements can again be heard prominently about half a mile away. The Marine Corps representative asked for the letter and offered to compare recent sound-study data and request an equipment review.
Mayor’s Office, Elections, and City Updates
The mayor’s representative announced that the 2026 general election is November 3 and that all active registered Oahu voters will automatically receive mail ballots beginning October 16. Other city updates included the selection of two new HPD deputy chiefs, city assistance to Kauai after Hurricane Lala, and improvements to Honolulu Zoo penguin and hippopotamus exhibits. The representative also addressed recurring homeless encampments at Kalaeloa Regional Park, noting that city Stored Property Ordinance operations occur approximately four to six times per month across the entire Leeward district from Waipahu through Ewa to Keaʻau Beach Park. Parks personnel coordinate with the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Homelessness, CORE outreach, HPD, and HFD, but acknowledged that enforcement alone does not resolve chronic encampments.
Brush Management, Oneʻula Facilities, and Coconut Rhinoceros Beetles
The Department of Parks and Recreation said brush clearing at Kapapapuhi State Park remains a priority but currently lacks funding. Prior clearing was funded as a special budget initiative rather than as recurring maintenance, and the department intends to seek money in its fiscal year 2028 budget request and through grants. The board suggested that Navy volunteer teams might assist where legally and operationally possible. DPR also said the planned Oneʻula Beach Park comfort station is moving forward and promised an updated contracting or bidding timeline. No current mitigation program is planned for coconut rhinoceros beetle threats to isolated palms in Ewa parks. The department will again consider whether vulnerable or damaged palms should be removed, although its urban forestry crews are heavily occupied with storm-damaged trees from Hurricanes Lala and Lowell.
Automated License Plate Reader Cameras
State Department of Law Enforcement automated license plate reader cameras were discussed repeatedly. Two of three units on Papipi Road have reportedly been removed. Up to 400 cameras may be installed statewide through coordination between the Department of Law Enforcement and State DOT. Council staff said the cameras are designed to read license plates, not recognize faces or identify drivers, and that access to stored information requires approvals related to investigations such as fires, fireworks violations, or searches for specific vehicles or suspects. A board member asked who authorized the system and whether legislative approval had been obtained; no definitive answer was available. Officials also denied knowledge of an alleged DLE data center in Wahiawa.
Waipahu Wastewater Pump Station Environmental Review
A consultant announced that the draft environmental assessment and anticipated finding of no significant impact for a proposed new Waipahu wastewater pump station and related rehabilitation project are available online. The public has 30 days to review the document and submit comments by email or postal mail. Although the facility is on the Waipahu side, information was provided because of potential regional interest in wastewater infrastructure and environmental impacts.
Council District 1 Homeless Outreach and Beach Restoration
Councilmember Andria Tupola’s office described its ninth homeless-outreach and cleanup cohort, part of a six-year effort across the district. The current project focuses on the “guardrails” area in Māʻili, where staff are speaking with encamped residents from August through November, helping them seek housing, medical care, mental-health support, identification documents, and bus passes. A final cleanup is intended to return the beach to general public use. Because the work will involve heavy lifting, the office planned to request assistance from the Navy’s volunteer program. The representative acknowledged that encampments often shift between locations, requiring continued outreach rather than a single enforcement event.
Transit-Oriented Development and Possible Rail Extension
Council District 1 reported that Bills 37, 38, and 39, involving land-use or zoning changes around the East Kapolei, UH West Oahu, and Honouliuli rail stations, had passed the council and were awaiting action by the mayor. The changes are intended to support additional housing near rail, including opportunities for first-time buyers. In response to a question about Bill 66 and extending Skyline farther into Kapolei, the representative said officials are actively studying an additional station near Ka Makana Aliʻi and California Pizza Kitchen, where surrounding land could support future growth and park-and-ride facilities. The office also agreed to investigate whether the mayor has pursued funding for a West Oahu motorsports or racetrack facility intended to reduce illegal street racing.
Council District 9, Geiger Road, and Bike-Path Damage
Councilmember Augie Tulba’s office announced a new District 9 website intended to streamline information and responses to constituent concerns. The office also reported that poor pavement on Geiger Road from the Ferguson building toward Fort Weaver Road is associated with a Hawaii Gas project rather than city construction. Crews were removing asphalt defects, and repaving was expected to begin by the end of October. A board member also asked about damage and closure of the regional bike path near the ABC junkyard after a fire and prior utility work displaced asphalt. Council staff said several environmental and pipeline projects are involved and agreed to seek a repair and reopening timeline.
Representative Julie Reyes: Family Services and Community Programs
Representative Julie Reyes highlighted the Child and Family Service campus on Fort Weaver Road near Zippy’s. The Ewa campus serves much of Leeward Oahu, including the Waiʻanae Coast, and offers preschool and youth programs, domestic-violence shelter services, food distribution, and assistance for individuals and families. Reyes emphasized the organization’s policy of not turning away people seeking help. She also reported continued constituent complaints involving speeding, speed humps, curbs, and localized road conditions, which she plans to address individually.
Kalaeloa Living Breakwater Pilot
Representative Reyes attended the blessing for the Kalaeloa Reef Pilot Project in the Campbell Industrial Park coastal area. The Department of Transportation, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, University of Hawaii, and other partners are installing large concrete structures that function as living breakwaters. The structures are intended to reduce wave energy and shoreline erosion while providing surfaces on which coral can attach and grow. Project supporters hope the approach can become a model for coastal protection that also restores reef habitat and reduces the force of future storm surge or tsunami waves.
Area Teachers of the Year
The Campbell-Kapolei Complex Area Teacher of the Year was K. L. Cockett of Ewa Makai Middle School, a 21-year Leeward educator who has spent five years at Ewa Makai and teaches a new pathway involving fixed-wing aviation and small unmanned aircraft systems. Charter School Teacher of the Year Fari Nash Arik was recognized for 16 years of work teaching STEM, computer science, visual arts, and multiple grade levels. The statewide Teacher of the Year was Chu Hong of Kaimuki High School, who teaches agriculture and entrepreneurship.
Community Events and Announcements
The Aloha Spirit Foundation announced its support for Project 222’s Día de los Muertos celebration at Bishop Museum on October 31 from 4 to 9 p.m. The event will include art, music, cultural activities, and a costume contest. Residents were invited to attend and encouraged to celebrate Halloween safely.
Board Business and Next Meeting
The board entertained a motion to approve the August regular meeting minutes, and no corrections or amendments were raised before it proceeded. Committees reported no additional business. The next regular meeting was scheduled for Thursday, November 12 at 6:30 p.m., both in person at the Ewa Beach Public Library and virtually through Webex. Meeting broadcasts were announced for the first Sunday of each month at 6 p.m. and the second and fourth Fridays at 10 a.m. on ʻŌlelo Digital Channel 49, after which the meeting adjourned.