No 31 Kailua Neighborhood Board Regular Meeting August 2026
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31 Kailua Neighborhood Board Meeting – August 7, 2026
Call to Order and Attendance
The regular hybrid meeting was called to order at 7:00 p.m. After attendance was verified for both in-person and remote participants, the board confirmed a quorum with ten members present—six in person and four online. Jennifer Barra joined remotely during roll call, and Evan Weber indicated he would later arrive in person. The board subsequently seated an additional member, bringing participation on later votes to as many as 16 members.
Primary Election Reminder
Residents were reminded that primary election ballots had to be received by 7:00 p.m. Saturday, making mailing them at that late stage unreliable. Voters were advised to use the yellow ballot drop box in the Kailua District Park parking lot near Kailua Road or vote in person. In-person voting was available Friday at Kāneʻohe District Park, while Saturday voting was limited to Honolulu Hale and Kapolei Hale, where long lines were anticipated.
Kailua Fall Festival
The fifth annual Kailua Fall Festival was announced for Saturday, September 26, from 5:00 to 10:00 p.m. on Hānaʻi Street. The free family event will feature award-winning musicians and entertainers, approximately 120 vendors, food, and beverages. Parking and trolley service will be available at Kainalu Elementary School for a presale price of $8 per vehicle or $3 per rider, with proceeds supporting Kainalu’s Junior Police Officer Program. Adults age 21 and older may purchase an event wristband covering participating venue charges and a beverage stein, with additional information available through kailuaevents.com.
Community Meetings and Events
Board committee meetings on the second and third Thursdays of each month will resume in the Kailua District Park meeting room. A Windward Wildfire Preparedness Town Hall was scheduled for Thursday, August 13, from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. at Kailua Intermediate School, with representatives from the Honolulu Fire and Police departments, Department of Emergency Management, State Fire Marshal, Hawaiʻi Wildfire Management Organization, Hawaiian Electric, and Kamehameha Schools. A land conservation workshop was also scheduled for Monday, August 17, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Windward Community College’s Hale Akoakoa, focusing on how nonprofit organizations and government agencies can collaborate to acquire land for conservation or agriculture. Kailua’s approximately 1,000-acre Maunawili conservation acquisition was cited as a successful example.
Youth Climate Grants, Chamber Event, and Beach Cleanup
The city Office of Climate Change, Sustainability and Resiliency and Honolulu Youth Commission announced a Youth Climate Action Fund offering grants for youth-led projects addressing climate change, community resilience, and city climate objectives. Applications were later reported as open from July 27 through September 7. The Kailua Chamber of Commerce scheduled a pau hana for Wednesday, August 19, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. at 146 Hekili Street, across from Paia Fish Market. A Kailua Beach cleanup was announced for Saturday, September 5, from 8:00 to 11:00 a.m. at Kailua Beach Park.
Exchange Student Welcome
The board welcomed Noah, a foreign-exchange student from Lithuania who had arrived in Honolulu two days earlier and had begun his sophomore year at Kailua High School that day. He attended to observe local participatory government. The chair also encouraged residents to consider becoming exchange-student host families and offered to connect interested households with the local program coordinator.
Kailua Beach Dune Restoration
Evan Weber reported that the Sea Grant-led dune restoration project at Kailua Beach Park is continuing with extensive community involvement. The project is reestablishing native vegetation to address erosion and replace problematic nonnative trees that have contributed to hazardous beach conditions. Approximately 50 volunteers were being sought for a native-tree planting event at 10:00 a.m. on August 29. Previous community participation included raising seedlings at home and planting them at the park.
Enchanted Lake Board Appointment
The board considered its vacancy for Sub-District 2, Enchanted Lake, for the term ending June 30, 2027. Emily Andrade nominated Annie Bird, an Enchanted Lake resident and mother of two children attending Kailua public schools. Bird said she had lived in Kailua for three years, purchased a home on Hele Street one year earlier, participates in an Enchanted Lake mothers’ group and her children’s school, and was preparing to work at the East-West Center. She described 20 years of experience in human rights and work across government, nonprofit, philanthropic, federal, international, and academic settings. Her interests include environmental protection, water quality, beach stewardship, transportation, and child safety. She opposed placing another landfill in Kailua, expressed a preference for stable long-term residential occupancy over vacation rentals, and committed to serving on at least one board committee. The board unanimously appointed her, and she was sworn into office during a brief recess.
Maunawili–Olomana Board Vacancy
No nominations were received for the Sub-District 3 vacancy representing Maunawili and Olomana. The vacancy, also covering the term through June 30, 2027, will remain on the agenda for the following month. The chair emphasized the importance of restoring the board to full membership.
Police Report and School-Area Bicycle Enforcement
Honolulu Police Department representatives reported July crime statistics for the district. Motor-vehicle thefts declined from five in June to one in July, thefts fell from 20 to 11, the reported “UEMB” category declined from three to two, and robberies fell from one to zero. Burglaries rose from one in June to four in July. Total calls for service increased from 1,423 to 1,482. With schools returning to session and more children traveling by bicycle, HPD said its community policing personnel would increase attention to bicycle-law enforcement and safety.
Fire Department Activity and Emergency Alerts
The Honolulu Fire Department reported no structure fires, one wildland or brush fire, three nuisance or rubbish fires, 18 activated alarms, 86 medical calls, two motor-vehicle collisions, no collisions involving pedestrians, two mountain rescues, and one ocean rescue during the reporting period. HFD clarified that it does not charge patients for mountain rescues or other emergency responses. Residents were directed to the department’s online fire-response search tool for incident and mapping information. HFD also urged residents to register for HNL Alert and follow official government accounts, while recognizing that urgent warnings may also arrive through the Emergency Alert System, wireless emergency alerts, and outdoor sirens.
Oneawa Hills Wildfire Hazard
A resident raised an urgent concern about approximately 291 acres of wildfire-prone land along the Oneawa Hills bordering ʻIlīmāno Street and ʻIliwahi Loop. She said four-foot weeds, overhanging trees, and dead branches were immediately adjacent to wooden fences and homes, while the property’s new owner, identified as Tropical Kailua Telecom, and its agent were difficult to contact. The parcel reportedly sold for approximately $500,000 and is listed as high risk by the Hawaiʻi Wildfire Management Organization; the resident recalled two hillside fires within the past 20 years. HFD said the newly established State Fire Marshal may have more direct authority than HFD to address or cite the owner. The matter was referred for follow-up at the August 13 wildfire town hall, where the State Fire Marshal was scheduled to attend.
Ocean Safety Report and Facility Delay
Ocean Safety described July in Kailua as relatively quiet, with only a handful of rescues, typical jellyfish stings, and higher tides. More notable incidents occurred elsewhere along the coast, including foil users outside Allen Davis and swimmers in distress at Spitting Caves. Asked about delays in constructing or opening the Ocean Safety facility across from the Kailua boat ramp, the representative did not have a current explanation or opening date but agreed to return with an update the following month.
Pre-Disaster Planning and Community Resilience
The board unanimously approved a Public Safety, Public Health and Civil Defense Committee motion calling for stronger pre-disaster planning, mitigation, and community resilience throughout Hawaiʻi. The resolution urges improved evacuation planning, backup communications, flood mitigation, emergency supply staging, resilient infrastructure, and protection for vulnerable residents. It also seeks closer coordination among government, emergency responders, and communities; greater transparency regarding preparedness; and consideration of a dedicated mitigation working group operating with appropriate government agencies. Donna Wong proposed replacing language that could have implied a choice between a community working group and government participation, and the amendment was unanimously accepted. The final amended resolution passed with 16 affirmative votes.
Sunrise Shack Liquor License
The board debated Sunrise Shack’s application for a Category 2 liquor license at its small location near Island Snow and residential properties. The board’s concern was that the license could permit liquor service, recorded or live entertainment, and dancing between 6:00 a.m. and 2:00 a.m., despite the business’s limited indoor and patio space, smoothie-oriented operations, and current 7:00 p.m. closing time. Members worried that entertainment and patrons could spill into the parking lot and create noise for neighboring homes. Residents and members cited experiences with music traveling several blocks from other Kailua establishments, while others argued that the board had not heard the applicant’s plans and should not assume the business intended to use every privilege the license allows.
Liquor License Amendments and Final Vote
The board corrected the proposed operating limit from midnight to 2:00 a.m. and removed a recommendation that Sunrise Shack instead obtain a “Class C” license after members determined the terminology may have been inaccurate or misleading under Honolulu’s liquor rules. A proposal to recommend ending liquor sales at 5:00 p.m. failed by a vote of one in favor, 11 opposed, and four abstentions. The final motion did not oppose all alcohol service; it submitted concerns to the Liquor Commission that the intended operations must remain compatible with a very small site surrounded by residences. The motion passed 12–2, with two abstentions. The Liquor Commission hearing was identified as occurring on August 20.
320 Opo O Place Environmental Assessment
The board approved comments on the draft environmental assessment for a new concrete driveway, turnaround area, and landscaping at 320 Opo O Place in Lanikai. Portions of the proposed work would lie on residential land and portions on limited conservation land, triggering environmental review. The Planning, Zoning and Environment Committee prepared 19 specific comments addressing the project’s setting on a steep hillside and conservation property. Because comments had to be postmarked the next day, the board acted immediately and approved their submission by a vote of 12 in favor, none opposed, and four abstentions.
Board of Water Supply
No Board of Water Supply representative attended. The board announced that BWS would present at the September meeting on its policy for property-damage claims. Later discussion also raised concern over repeated water-main breaks around Oʻahu. The chair noted that water mains generally have a projected 100-year life and that BWS’s planned replacement rate is approximately 1 percent per year, while acknowledging that some pipes fail sooner and require emergency repairs.
Marine Corps Base Hawaiʻi
Marine Corps Base Hawaiʻi reported that 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment personnel were conducting an overnight hike on the installation, with a segment expected along the boundary between Nuʻupia and the ʻAikahi neighborhood around 10:30 to 11:00 p.m. The unit had been instructed not to chant or otherwise create noise, and the hike was scheduled to end by 1:00 a.m. Residents were encouraged to use the base’s sound-reporting website for noise complaints, which are shared with the air station and relevant units. The base will host a public triathlon on September 12, with registration requested by August 30. July events included a canoe regatta involving approximately 3,000 participants, including RIMPAC partner nations in the first race, and a junior lifeguard program held for the first time in many years. Regarding a prior complaint about a C-130 flying at low altitude over Keolu Hills for approximately three hours, the base said the aircraft was conducting regular RIMPAC training and appeared to be following authorized routes and altitudes.
Adventist Health Castle Modernization
Adventist Health Castle announced that it will transition its electronic medical-record system to Epic at 9:00 p.m. on August 29, alongside 27 other Adventist Health hospitals. The hospital expects the platform to improve physician tools, patient access to records, scheduling, communications, response times, and data security without delaying legal or patient requests for records. The hospital also introduced a fifth-generation Da Vinci robotic surgery system, reportedly the only one of its kind on Oʻahu at the time. Five physicians are trained to use it, and one surgeon was approaching a milestone of 1,000 robotic procedures. New patients were being accepted in primary care, obstetrics and gynecology, rheumatology, urology, cardiology, and cardiac electrophysiology.
Castle Solar Project and Hawaiʻi Loa Campus
Castle’s solar project is moving toward final design review, with panels planned for the hospital rooftop and former hilltop helipad parking area. The visible employee parking lot along the road was removed from the project because concentrating improvements on the main hospital campus simplifies permitting. The revised placement is expected to generate the same solar capacity as the earlier design. The state, led by the Department of Land and Natural Resources, continues due diligence for the purchase of the former Hawaiʻi Pacific University Hawaiʻi Loa campus, with closing hoped for in early 2027. DLNR intends to use the property for conservation, preservation, and educational services. Castle has no current backup plan if the state declines to complete the acquisition.
Kapaa Quarry Landfill Opposition
Several residents strongly opposed renewed consideration of Kapaa Quarry as Honolulu’s next landfill location. Speakers said the mayor had discussed Kailua and the Ameron quarry as a possible future location in 2024, then stated at a May 2025 Windward town hall that Kailua was not under consideration, before again identifying Kapaa as a possibility in July 2026. Residents objected to the apparent reversal and lack of consultation. They cited Kailua and the Windward side’s history of hosting multiple former landfills, prisons, the Hawaiʻi State Hospital, other public institutions, and the active military disposal site at Marine Corps Base Hawaiʻi. Additional concerns included heavy truck traffic on Kapaa Quarry Road, effects on Kawainui Marsh and nearby waterways, increased leachate in a high-rainfall area, the transport of H-POWER ash approximately 32 miles rather than six miles, and the incompatibility of a landfill with existing state buffer requirements.
Triangle Park Delays
Residents again raised concerns about the prolonged restoration of Triangle Park. Although the project was previously expected to be completed by November, residents said relatively little visible progress had occurred more than halfway through the stated nine-month timeline. Councilmember Esther Kiaʻāina criticized the continued effort to grow grass from seed rather than install sod, arguing that the community had already endured years of disruption and should demand a faster, more reliable solution. The mayor’s representative agreed to seek a specific schedule and explain any anticipated delay beyond November.
Wrongful Evictions and Tenant Protections
Resident Celeste Gonsalves described five years of legal proceedings arising from two allegedly wrongful evictions entered only minutes apart. She argued that Hawaiʻi district courts are not consistently following Hawaiʻi Revised Statutes Chapter 521, the Residential Landlord-Tenant Code, and that improper eviction records can prevent people from securing future housing, disrupt children and extended families, and contribute to homelessness. She said she previously proposed legislation to Senator Chris Lee, which became a resolution but did not advance, and that she has pursued relief as far as a petition for review by the United States Supreme Court. She also alleged that her former landlord forged a Section 8 lease and that the prosecutor’s office declined to pursue evidence forwarded by HPD. Board members thanked her for documenting the issue and speaking for tenants who lack the education, time, or resources to navigate the courts. Another participant suggested contacting the Hawaiʻi Civil Rights Commission or a fair-housing organization.
Faded Oneawa and Keolu Crosswalks
A resident reported that at least 25 crosswalks along Oneawa Street were so faded that 50 percent or more of their markings were difficult to see, creating a danger for pedestrians. She had initially failed to recognize that two people were crossing at a marked location because the paint was nearly invisible. A Honolulu 311 report covering Oneawa’s crosswalks had already been filed in January but appeared unresolved by August, and a similar report had been submitted for Keolu Drive. The board agreed that routine maintenance and the city’s Complete Streets approach should identify and address related deficiencies along an entire corridor rather than requiring citizens to report every intersection individually. The chair and mayor’s representative committed to follow up with city agencies and Councilmember Kiaʻāina.
Enchanted Lake Lot and Tax Discrepancies
Longtime Enchanted Lake resident Randall Hugh reported that a 2021 survey found his lakefront parcel to be approximately 1,500 square feet smaller than stated in its deed, even though property taxes continue to be based on the recorded area. He said similar discrepancies affect both neighboring parcels and as many as 57 of the 137 lots around the lake, while Kukilakila’s lakeside boundaries also do not match the original filed plan. The city’s real-property assessment process reportedly told him it could not change the taxable land area until the state Land Court amended the deed. Hugh argued that the original developer and Bishop Estate, rather than individual homeowners, should bear responsibility for subdivision or survey errors. Participants discussed Land Court proceedings, mediation, hoʻoponopono, possible collective legal action, and seeking counsel. Councilmember Kiaʻāina said the claim appeared meritorious but that city and state administrative processes were failing to provide a remedy.
Mayor’s Report and September Landfill Presentation
The mayor’s representative, Shane Enright, agreed that the board and community deserve a fuller explanation of why Kapaa Quarry has returned as a potential landfill location. The board requested that the appropriate city environmental officials attend the September 3 meeting to address the absence of prior consultation, relevant landfill laws, traffic, H-POWER ash transport, leachate, aquifer and underground-injection-control boundaries, and Kailua’s history of hosting disposal facilities. The representative and chair agreed to coordinate on who should attend and what information should be presented. The mayor’s office also said parking spaces near the North Kalaheo Avenue bridge project should return upon completion of the relevant work and reported that school-zone speed limits are being reduced from 25 to 20 mph while school is in session, with signage improvements planned at approximately 200 schools.
State Domestic-Violence Survey and Fire Marshal
The governor’s representative announced a Commission on the Status of Women survey examining how effectively the state protects people experiencing abuse and how those services could improve. Responses were requested by October 1, 2026, and the survey information was posted with the meeting materials. The representative confirmed that State Fire Marshal Doreen Booth would participate in the August 13 wildfire town hall and could be invited to a future board meeting if significant questions remained afterward.
State Highway Construction
The Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation introduced Ryan Nakata, Oʻahu District Engineer, as the board’s new point of contact. Traffic signals at Kailua Road and Ululoa Street/Uluwana Drive were described as essentially complete and operational. Resurfacing of Kalanianaʻole Highway from Kailua Road to Old Kalanianaʻole Highway was expected to begin in September after utility-pole bracing, with completion projected for October. Resurfacing of Kailua Road from Kalanianaʻole Highway near Adventist Health Castle to Hamakua Drive was scheduled to begin in November, last approximately two months, and finish in January 2027. DOT will reassess timing in coordination with city bridge work to avoid overlapping major disruptions. The board clarified that work at the Kailua Beach Park stream bridge was distinct from the still-active North Kalaheo Avenue bridge project, where alternating traffic controls were expected to resume.
State Highway Landscape Maintenance
Gary Weller criticized the state’s system for monitoring roadside landscape contractors, noting that contracts may require grass to remain below three inches while some areas become severely overgrown before a complaint triggers inspection. He suggested requiring contractors to submit time-stamped photographic proof through mobile software before payment. Nakata acknowledged persistent maintenance problems and said inspectors may reduce payment when contractors fail to meet requirements, with repeated nonperformance potentially leading to termination. He also recognized that withholding payment does not solve the immediate problem of leaving communities with poorly maintained roads.
Maunawili–Olomana Traffic Signal Request
The Transportation Committee renewed its request for a traffic signal on Kalanianaʻole Highway to provide safer ingress and egress for residents on the mauka side of Maunawili and Olomana. Members contrasted the unresolved request with the installation of two signals serving the Hokulani side. Nakata confirmed that DOT had received the board’s formal resolution and forwarded it to traffic engineers for evaluation. He committed to monitoring the request and informing the board whether additional community observations or data would assist the review.
Councilmember Kiaʻāina’s Conservation Initiatives
Councilmember Esther Kiaʻāina emphasized the August 17 land conservation workshop and described ongoing efforts to combine city, state, and federal resources for land acquisition. Nearly 200 acres in Maunawili involving Hoʻokuaʻāina and Kāuluakalana were nearing completion for loʻi cultivation and food-security purposes. The city is also pursuing a restrictive appraisal of the approximately 19-acre Kaupō Basin/Paul’s Electric property. Such an arrangement could allow the city to acquire conservation rights for roughly 10 to 15 percent of the property’s appraised value. The company had been contacted and was reportedly open to selling at an acceptable price.
Kalaheo Hillside Zoning
The Department of Hawaiian Home Lands concluded that the Kalaheo Hillside property is unsuitable for homesteading, primarily because of expansive soil conditions. Councilmember Kiaʻāina prepared a resolution to rezone the city property from R-7.5 residential to P-2 preservation, which could allow uses such as agriculture, forestry, limited animal raising, minor composting, aquaculture, parks, or public facilities. The proposal must proceed through the City Council, Planning Commission, and city administration. The Planning, Zoning and Environment Committee agreed to place the matter on its agenda. Kiaʻāina said other city, state, and potentially private properties could still provide future DHHL housing opportunities in Kailua.
Resilience Hubs and Emergency Management Staffing
The city budget includes $16 million for resilience hubs across council districts, initially supporting planning and development. Councilmembers Kiaʻāina and Tyler Dos Santos-Tam introduced a resolution calling for minimum standards for those hubs. Kiaʻāina also reported that the Department of Emergency Management had only 16 staff members serving approximately one million Oʻahu residents. The new budget added 13 positions—eight proposed initially and five added later—bringing authorized staffing to 29. She cautioned that hiring and building the department’s capacity to conduct community-based pre-disaster planning will take time.
City Position on Kapaa Quarry
Councilmember Kiaʻāina characterized the mayor’s Kapaa Quarry announcement as premature because it was not accompanied by a formal study, site visit, or detailed supporting document. Her research identified 11 inactive disposal sites between Waimānalo and Kaʻaʻawa, in addition to an active federal facility at Marine Corps Base Hawaiʻi. She said she would oppose city funding and required public-infrastructure approvals for a Kapaa landfill and would seek a complete accounting of possible Department of Defense lands before accepting the city’s conclusions. State Representative Mike Lee added that Act 73 establishes landfill buffers from homes, hospitals, schools, and conservation districts and currently makes the Kapaa proposal illegal. He said there was no apparent legislative support for repealing the broadly supported law. Representative Scott Matayoshi likewise said lawmakers were not going to change it.
Mangrove Removal and Lanikai Parking
Hui o Koʻolaupoko received a city request-for-proposals award involving $750,000 in climate-resilience funding for mangrove removal on city-controlled portions of local waterways and will coordinate with the community. For Lanikai parking, Councilmember Kiaʻāina said signs must undergo a state historic-preservation review under Hawaiʻi Revised Statutes Section 6E but that the project remains active. Loading zones will also proceed, although their placement could be adjusted if they prevent traffic circulation.
Legal Information Clinic
Representative Scott Matayoshi announced a tentative free legal-information clinic for August 30 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Windward Mall, coinciding with the farmers market. Participating attorneys will provide general legal information and help residents identify appropriate next steps, though they will not offer formal legal advice or establish attorney-client representation.
Waterway Cleanup and Kawainui–Hamakua Transfer
Representative Lisa Marten announced a trash cleanup for Saturday from 8:00 to 11:00 a.m., organized with Healthy Climate Communities, DOFA, and Kailua Beach Adventures. Participants interested in entering the waterway by kayak were required to register in advance, while land-based volunteers could arrive without registration; bags and gloves would be provided. Marten also reported the start of engineering design and construction specifications for transferring water from Kawainui to Hamakua. Oceanit received the contract, and one project engineer lives along Enchanted Lake. The transfer is intended to become part of a broader effort to improve the health of Kailua’s waterways, with outcomes to be monitored after implementation.
Lanikai Emergency Evacuation Route
Representative Marten reported progress toward preserving a possible walking or bicycling evacuation route from Lanikai to Bellows during a wildfire or other emergency. A previously planned fence near the coastal boundary had raised concern that it would block that escape route. The fence proposal predated recent discussions and has now been abandoned following completion of related Marine Corps fencing, leaving the potential emergency route unobstructed.
Elections and Candidate Remarks
State Senate District 25 candidate Bobby Silva thanked residents for their support during his first campaign and encouraged everyone to return ballots before the election deadline. To preserve fairness, the chair invited any other candidates present to make comparable remarks. Elected officials also reiterated that residents should use the ballot drop box rather than risk mailing ballots too late.
Administrative Business and Adjournment
The board approved the July 2 meeting minutes without amendment, accepted committee reports as published, and approved the chair’s request to join the Government Engagement Committee without objection. Members were reminded that the Parks and Recreation Committee had only two members and needed additional participation. Committee agenda submissions for September were due by Sunday, August 23. The meeting adjourned at 10:05 p.m.