No 30 Kāneʻohe Neighborhood Board Regular Meeting September 2026
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30 Kaneohe Neighborhood Board Meeting – September 18, 2026
Quorum and Board Vacancies
The Kāneʻohe Neighborhood Board called its September meeting to order without a quorum, limiting its ability to vote on official business. Four board seats remained vacant in the Crown Terrace, Keapuka, Kokokahi, and Yacht Club Terrace subdistricts. The chair asked whether anyone present or online wished to serve, but no candidates came forward. The Honolulu Fire Department was not present when called, and no Office of Hawaiian Affairs report was delivered.
Marine Corps Base Hawaiʻi
Marine Corps Base Hawaiʻi reported that visits by elected officials and senior military leaders, including the Secretary of the Navy, have helped draw attention to long-delayed infrastructure needs and advance projects involving the base’s canine facility and an initiative referred to as “R2.” On September 11 and 12, the base hosted Kalaheo High School ROTC cadets for leadership and career exposure at the airfield, including displays and conversations with pilots and Marines from MAG-24 and VM-22. The base invited Castle High School to arrange a similar visit if it has an ROTC group. A Nuʻupia workday was scheduled for September 26 with Senator Jarrett Keohokalole and community members. Participants planned to clear California grass from an area where oral histories indicate a possible freshwater source and to hold a storytelling session in which kūpuna would share the Native Hawaiian cultural history of Mokapu and the ponds with local families. The commanding officer’s quarterly newsletter had also been sent to board members for community distribution.
Seabirds and Civilian Employee Representation at MCBH
A board member asked whether Marine Corps Base Hawaiʻi had recorded any incidents involving shearwaters during the current season. The base representative said the environmental department performs seasonal counts and maintains data but would need to report the current numbers at the next meeting. Another member raised concerns that the union formerly representing certain nonappropriated-fund employees was reportedly no longer present. Drawing on a past case in which union intervention protected a military spouse’s employment and prevented consequences affecting the service member’s privileges and rank, he asked who would now represent civilian employees or military spouses in disputes with management. The base representative agreed to seek clarification from Marine Corps Community Services’ human resources office regarding grievance representation and whether another union or advocacy arrangement exists.
Honolulu Police Department Crime Report
Honolulu Police Department District 4 presented August crime statistics. Motor-vehicle thefts rose from zero in the previous month to three, burglaries increased from zero to two, and thefts climbed from five to 20. Motor-vehicle break-ins declined from five to four, and no robberies were reported. Officers handled 1,421 calls for service during the month. HPD is actively recruiting and directed prospective applicants to the department’s website. The police academy lasts approximately six and a half months, while HPD is attempting to shorten the pre-academy application, background-check, and hiring process from what historically could take 18 months to as little as three months. The board was also told that the police chief was expected to attend the next neighborhood board meeting.
Windward Community College Paniolo Barbecue
Windward Community College announced its Paniolo Barbecue on the Great Lawn from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday. Barbecue plates cost $15, with some available for walk-up purchase after the college doubled production because the previous year’s event sold out early. Chili bowls were available for $5, along with beverages. Entertainment was to include two hula hālau, a bluegrass band featuring college business instructor Deacon Hanson, Herb Lee and Hawaiʻi Loa, and Kamāwila Kimokeo and his sons. Activities included horse rides, a pāʻū unit demonstration showing how riders are draped, children’s photo opportunities, a shootout booth, and other family activities.
Castle High School Events and Student Programs
Castle High School students announced a community blood drive on September 29 from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the school library, open to students and the public. Homecoming Week was scheduled from September 28 through October 2, with daily dress-up themes, a golf-cart decorating competition, relay activities, an assembly, and an on-campus parade. Because the school missed the 90-day deadline required for a street parade, the parade was moved onto campus. Alumni were invited to help set up and break down events, serve as judges, join spectator sections during Wednesday’s parade and Friday’s assembly, and sit in a designated alumni section at the Friday night football game against Kaiser. Alumni musicians with their own instruments were also invited to play alongside the pep band. A dance was planned for Saturday from 6 to 9 p.m. Castle’s ICC and career fair was scheduled for September 25; the first three blocks were reserved for Castle students, while the final block, beginning at approximately 10:50 a.m., was open to feeder schools and the wider community.
Teacher Credentials and Financial Literacy at Castle
A community member asked about reports that public schools are relying on unlicensed or uncertified teachers. The Castle representative said students and staff are not generally provided a complete breakdown of teacher licensing status, although the teachers known to her were certified and held degrees in their subject areas. The board also asked about implementation of the state’s financial-literacy graduation requirement, including instruction on balancing accounts, managing money, and understanding retirement plans. Castle is beginning to incorporate a half-credit financial-literacy or financial-fluency course into its schedule. Staff are working through how to align it with existing half-credit offerings such as health and how to rearrange teaching assignments after course schedules have already been established.
Keaʻahala and Keoneʻula Road Work and Noise
The board briefly revisited a Department of Transportation project near the H-3 on-ramp, referred to in the discussion as Keoneʻula or Keona Ole Road. The chair reported seeing crews laying pavement or asphalt on the H-3 on-ramp side that day, although no completion or reopening date was available. A nearby resident had complained to a design engineer about elevated roadway noise next to the ramp and was expected to attend a future board meeting. The board requested that transportation officials provide a project update and answer questions at the next meeting.
Hawaiʻi Youth Prevention Initiative
The Hawaiʻi National Guard Counter Drug Program and the federal High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area program presented a statewide youth substance-misuse prevention strategy developed with the Hawaiʻi Departments of Health and Education. The program combines law-enforcement collaboration against drug trafficking with community-based prevention intended to delay or prevent youth substance misuse. Its approach emphasizes the “science of prevention,” protective factors, healthy development, and recognition of positive youth behavior rather than focusing exclusively on problems. Presenters noted that 86% of Hawaiʻi high school students do not use marijuana and encouraged adults to reinforce that most young people make healthy choices, while ensuring youth feel heard, understood, and included in decisions.
Three-Tier Youth Prevention Strategy
The prevention initiative’s first tier builds community understanding and support through workshops that explain effective prevention practices and the role of adults who interact with youth. The second tier is a statewide youth summit intended to include five students from every Hawaiʻi high school, accompanied by two adults: a school administrator with decision-making authority and a trusted adult who has a strong relationship with students. The summit had originally been scheduled for October 26 but was postponed because of memorandum-of-agreement issues. Its design places students in leadership roles, helping them identify local issues, advocate for themselves, and understand community resources. The third tier would bring summit participants and community workshop attendees together to organize sustained local action based on existing community strengths. The initiative is seeking hosts for a Kāneʻohe-area workshop, and its website is intended to become a hub for workgroup minutes, neighborhood cleanups, and other local activities. The University of Hawaiʻi psychology department will evaluate the initiative, and information is also available through the Hawaiʻi Youth Prevention social-media account and online surveys.
Youth Participation in the Candidate Forum
The board asked Castle High School students to develop a “bonus question” for candidates seeking local elected office. Students were invited to consult with their peers and submit a question reflecting youth priorities before the board’s candidate forum, scheduled for Saturday, September 26, from 4 to 7 p.m. at Windward Community College. The prevention presenter welcomed the request as an example of giving youth direct experience in civic participation and decision-making.
Hawaiʻi Job Corps Programs and Reopening
Hawaiʻi Job Corps reported that it remains open and is rebuilding enrollment after receiving notice the previous summer that the program might close. Staff had prepared for layoffs and closure, and although most students were not sent home, some departed amid the uncertainty. The federally funded program operates campuses in Waimānalo and Makawao, Maui, and recruits from all Hawaiʻi islands as well as the Federated States of Micronesia, Republic of the Marshall Islands, American Samoa, and Guam. Students may attend on their home island or transfer between campuses. Waimānalo has an onboard strength of approximately 211, residential capacity of about 186, and the ability to accommodate as many as 216 in its dormitories; the Maui campus serves approximately 128. Dorm rooms generally house four students.
Job Corps Education, Career Training, and Eligibility
Job Corps serves income-qualified youth ages 16 through 24, subject to restrictions involving certain felony convictions and active court cases. It provides a fully accredited high school diploma through Penn Foster, career training, meals, activities, housing when needed, and a stipend paid every two weeks—initially $45, increasing to $70 after 190 days. Waimānalo programs include automotive work, culinary arts, facility maintenance, health care, landscaping, office administration, painting, pharmacy technology, security and protective services, and building construction. The health-care pathway partners with Windward Community College’s certified nursing assistant program and another private provider in Kalihi. The campus has supported mental-health technician certification, partners with CVS for pharmacy-technician training, and has generated strong interest in a challenging veterinary-technician pathway. Maui offers hotel and lodging, office administration, and other training. Instruction runs Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. with full-time teachers. Nonresidential students can receive bus passes or fuel assistance and may remain after class to use the gym and recreational facilities.
Job Corps Facilities, Partnerships, and Outcomes
The Waimānalo campus has operated at its current location since approximately 1996. Roof and dormitory maintenance is underway, with students in facility maintenance, construction, and painting gaining practical experience by completing some campus repairs. These programs can also assist nonprofit organizations with eligible renovation projects, while larger work must be contracted. Job Corps is funded entirely by the U.S. Department of Labor and cannot freely seek outside funding or donations. The program highlighted former student Charles Akau, a culinary graduate from Kauaʻi who pursued advanced training on the mainland, worked as a private chef and at Disney, and established Mila’s Kitchen at La Brea Mall in California. Another graduate, Waimānalo resident Malia Sam, became executive director of Hui Mālama O Ke Kai. Job Corps invited schools, community organizations, and board members to arrange campus tours or outreach presentations and emphasized that the program is not limited to youth with disciplinary histories.
Kona Low Business-Recovery Grants
The chair shared information from the Chamber of Commerce Hawaiʻi about a state grant program offering $3.35 million to businesses affected by the Kona low. Grants are intended to support recovery and rebuilding for eligible storm-related damage. Job Corps reported that its Maui campus had experienced some impacts and agreed to review the information. The board planned to post the grant details on its community blog. A scheduled presentation on automated external defibrillators did not occur, and the grant announcement was used to fill that agenda period.
Aquarium-Fish Collection Rules
A resident reported on a lengthy Board of Land and Natural Resources hearing concerning whether commercial aquarium-fish collection should resume. More than 110 people reportedly testified in favor of keeping the fishery closed, compared with 28 aquarium fishers supporting reopening. Councilmembers Matt Weyer and Esther Kiaʻāina testified in person, and Senator Jarrett Keohokalole remained through the hearing. Cultural testimony included discussion by Kapaikapuokalani Hewett and a Cultural Impact Statement addressing the fishery’s effects on Native Hawaiian practices and reef relationships. The Land Board ultimately declined to lift the closure and remanded the proposed rules to the Division of Aquatic Resources for further work on alternatives, public-trust duties, and cultural considerations. The decision did not permanently settle the matter because the closure is not yet established in statute and the department may return with revised rules.
Kāneʻohe Bay Regional Council and Reef Protection
The Kāneʻohe Bay Regional Council’s September 8 meeting was canceled when state and county buildings closed because of the hurricane and was expected to be rescheduled in October. Council representatives said both aquarium collection and enforcement at Ahu o Laka remain active agenda items. They expressed concern that the Division of Aquatic Resources is seeking conservation funding and coral-restoration support while also proposing to reopen an extractive aquarium fishery. The council will continue monitoring the rulemaking process and notifying the board about opportunities for public comment. The board also asked the council to examine whether DLNR and its divisions are properly recruiting and screening enforcement applicants, noting that several apparently qualified candidates referred by a board member were not interviewed despite repeated claims of staffing shortages.
Ahu o Laka Sandbar Conduct and Enforcement
Residents described alleged commercial activity, lewd entertainment, liquor sales, and possible pornography at Ahu o Laka in Kāneʻohe Bay. One planned Memorial Day weekend event involving boats and pole dancers was reportedly moved to the prior weekend, while a related strip-show gathering allegedly occurred at a city beach park during Memorial Day weekend, where a resident later complained about discarded condoms. Another advertised Labor Day weekend sandbar party was canceled because of the storm, but large crowds reportedly returned the following weekend. A resident also described a local family being displaced from a fishing area so a commercial production could film explicit material, after which the family sold its boat and moved to Nānākuli. The discussion framed Ahu o Laka as a sacred cultural place being used for unregulated commercial activity incompatible with family use and Native Hawaiian cultural values.
Sandbar Safety, Staffing, and Legal Action
Participants reported that Coast Guard personnel had rescued at least three people who were dropped at the sandbar and then left behind by their transportation, with similar incidents said to be increasing. DLNR enforcement was described as having only three officers available for a broad area, while the Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation was said to lack adequate personnel. The board discussed whether enforcement mechanisms comparable to those used to keep trespassers off Haʻikū Stairs could be developed for Ahu o Laka and whether another neighborhood board resolution would be appropriate. A board member also asked the Governor’s Office to involve the Department of Law Enforcement, given allegations involving narcotics, fights, and lewd conduct. Office of Hawaiian Affairs staff have assigned Alohi Nakachi, formerly associated with The Nature Conservancy or NOAA, to the Kāneʻohe Bay Regional Council.
Legislative Follow-Up on Ahu o Laka
Representatives Lisa Kitagawa and Scot Matayoshi reported that they had contacted DLNR divisions and planned a meeting and site visit at the sandbar with DLNR and the Attorney General’s Office. Representative Matayoshi said meaningful enforcement would require the Attorney General’s willingness to pursue existing violations. He also proposed developing a lower-level, ticket-based enforcement mechanism that could be used more readily and lead to actual consequences. Representative Kitagawa advised that a board resolution might not yet be necessary because legislators were already meeting with the responsible agencies, but she invited residents to submit additional questions or issues for that discussion.
U.S. Representative Jill Tokuda
Representative Jill Tokuda’s office reported that she voted for a short-term continuing resolution to keep the federal government open through December while budget negotiations continued. She introduced the Rural Emergency Hospital Designation Improvement Act to help prevent hospital closures and protect access to specialized care. Her office also convened a virtual discussion with stakeholders and industry leaders on grocery and consumer costs, relief for farmers and families, recent cuts to nutrition assistance, and tariffs said to be increasing prices. During the August district work period, she hosted a bipartisan House Agriculture subcommittee delegation for a multiday statewide tour focused on agricultural production, biosecurity, research, biotechnology, and aquaculture. For Hawaiian History Month, she planned to reintroduce a resolution recognizing Native Hawaiian history, culture, and contributions. A board member again asked her office to prioritize the projected Social Security and Medicare funding shortfalls expected around 2032 and 2033 and urged bipartisan action before the deadlines approach.
Governor’s Health-Care Initiatives
The Governor’s Office announced that the latest issue of Governor Josh Green’s newsletter, Ke Ala Hou: A Path Forward, was available online. In response to concerns about Hawaiʻi’s physician shortage, the office highlighted the Healthcare Education Loan Repayment Program, funded by the Legislature in 2023, which repays qualified educational debt for licensed or certified health professionals who practice in Hawaiʻi. The administration also announced $58 million in federal Rural Health Transformation Program funding. Of that amount, $45 million is associated with the Hawaiʻi Outreach Medical Education in Rural Under-Resourced Neighborhoods initiative, or HOMERUN, supporting high school health-care exploration, expanded nursing and medical residency tracks, mentoring, workforce development, and provider wellness. Governor Green also signed Senate Bill 3025 to create a medical-debt acquisition and forgiveness program for Hawaiʻi residents. Residents emphasized that high housing and living costs continue to push physicians and teachers out of the state and that many patients cannot find doctors accepting new patients.
H-3 Graffiti and Public Prekindergarten
The State Department of Transportation is aware of graffiti on H-3 support pillars. Cleanup was delayed by storm preparation and recovery work and other scheduled projects but was expected to occur in November or December. The Governor’s Office also reported that the Executive Office on Early Learning opened 18 new public prekindergarten classrooms on 15 public school campuses, including Kāneʻohe Elementary. Community comments nevertheless raised concerns about the loss of other preschool capacity and the continuing shortage of credentialed public-school teachers.
Hawaiian Electric Rate Proposal
The Public Utilities Commission planned statewide hearings beginning September 22 on Hawaiian Electric’s rebasing proposal. The utility companies are seeking approximately $170 million in additional annual revenue, equal to about 5.3% of current operating revenues. The proposed increase would occur in two phases: approximately $125 million beginning January 1, 2027, and another $45 million beginning January 1, 2028. Oʻahu’s hybrid hearing was scheduled for October 2 and was to be livestreamed on the commission’s YouTube channel. Residents may testify orally or submit written comments referencing docket number 2026-0162.
Electrical Grid Resilience and Storm Outages
Board members questioned Hawaiʻi’s preparedness after the indirect effects of Hurricane Lala caused prolonged outages across the islands, including one of the longest outages some Kāneʻohe residents had experienced. Representative Matayoshi said Kāneʻohe contains a major electrical hub near Hoʻomaluhia, the church, and the golf course that supplies much of the Windward Coast from Waimānalo to Kahuku. That central role also leaves the region vulnerable when transmission lines across the Koʻolau fail. He had met with Hawaiian Electric and planned a legislative informational briefing on grid hardening once utility personnel were no longer occupied with immediate restoration on Hawaiʻi Island and Kauaʻi. Possible resilience measures include local charging or power hubs capable of providing limited electricity for refrigeration, cooking, and other essential needs when the main connection is down. Matayoshi said the pending rate case is primarily associated with fuel and general infrastructure costs rather than Windward grid hardening, although he may seek to expand wildfire-related securitization legislation to cover broader resilience projects.
Wilson and Pali Tunnel Safety
The prolonged lighting failure in the Wilson Tunnel was described as extremely dangerous because drivers abruptly entered darkness while navigating a curve. Representative Matayoshi is working with Hawaiian Electric and the Department of Transportation to create a direct charging connection or generator hookup for tunnel lights, similar to the backup arrangement used at the Pali tunnels. Temporary string lights and exterior lighting had proved ineffective. A resident suggested adding reflective markings along tunnel curbs to preserve some lane guidance during future outages. Another resident warned that a large denuded brown slope above the first Pali tunnel appeared unstable and asked state officials to inspect it for a possible landslide threat.
Emergency Shelters, Generators, and City Staffing
A board member asked whether city employees who are not normally emergency personnel remain available during disasters. The Mayor’s Office said all employees continue working unless the mayor issues a stay-home directive, and non-emergency employees may be assigned to support duties such as staffing evacuation centers. Discussion also addressed residents with disabilities who may be trapped in high-rise buildings when elevators lose power. Representative Matayoshi said private condominium associations would generally need to fund their own generators because taxpayer money cannot be used for a private benefit, although a loan program might be considered. State-owned housing would be a state responsibility. He noted that elevator generators are highly power-intensive and argued that immediate public priorities include generators and communications for shelters and food pantries. Kāneʻohe District Park’s emergency shelter was reported to lack both a generator and a satellite telephone; during a recent opening, the gym had no lights and communication failed once cellphones lost power. He is working with the Community Emergency Response Team to address those gaps.
Storm-Related Food Security
Representative Matayoshi reported participating in a food distribution with Giving Hope Hawaiʻi near Kahuhipa Street and City Mill. Extended outages spoiled food in residents’ refrigerators and also forced a Kāneʻohe food pantry to discard refrigerated and frozen inventory. He donated food and encouraged residents with available resources to help Giving Hope Hawaiʻi replenish its pantry. The high turnout at the distribution reflected the combined pressures of storm losses and Hawaiʻi’s high cost of living.
Kahana-Area Boat Ramp and Heʻeia Facilities
The Governor’s Office announced a phased DOBOR project, identified in the report as the “Kohanabe” boat ramp, to replace a damaged loading dock and ramp. C-Engineering began work on the loading dock on September 8, with completion expected October 16. Construction would then pause for seasonal weather and resume in February, with the in-water boat-ramp work scheduled for completion in May 2027. The board separately asked about plumbing, restrooms, showers, and canoe-rinsing facilities at Heʻeia State Park. A resident said sewer work had been completed, but the bathrooms and other facilities still require substantial repair. A shower was reportedly available near the restroom, although no dedicated canoe-club shower had been installed.
Mayor’s Office and City Budget
The Mayor’s representative said city agencies remain in hurricane-response mode through the end of the season in November following Lala, Lowell, and the weakening of Norbert. The city has also begun developing its fiscal year 2028 budget, reviewing capital-improvement proposals from roughly three-quarters of its departments and beginning to receive operating-budget submissions. Departmental meetings were expected to begin in November. The city’s Department of Climate Change, Sustainability and Resiliency is preparing a report on renewable-energy issues in Koʻolaupoko that was delayed by hurricane work and is expected at the board’s next meeting.
Roadside Vegetation, Erosion, and Street Conditions
The Department of Facility Maintenance’s Kāneʻohe road crew was expected to clear overgrown vegetation along Keoneʻula Road near the Koʻolau Ballrooms entrance within several weeks, with work targeted for completion by the end of October. A resident asked crews to also examine road erosion and an undermined roadside ditch on the uphill approach from the golf course, where vehicles have little or no shoulder or easement, as well as nearby streetlights. Another resident reported a large and growing road opening or pothole near the intersection of Mehana Road and Kawa Street by Windward Mall and the former Beachside Bar area. The hazard had reportedly existed for about three months and was especially difficult to see at night or in rain. The board was asked to have the city or its sidewalk contractor repair it before it causes a crash.
Coastal Resilience and Kamehameha Highway
Representative Lisa Kitagawa announced a Department of Transportation open house on long-range coastal-resilience planning for Kamehameha Highway between Kualoa and Hauʻula. The event was scheduled for September 24 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Hauʻula Elementary School. Residents connected the project to recurring shoreline erosion, traffic isolation, and the possibility that sections of Windward and North Shore highway may eventually need to be moved inland. One speaker contrasted those needs with proposals for a park over an urban freeway and urged the state to prioritize deteriorating transportation infrastructure in communities such as Kaʻaʻawa and Punaluʻu.
House Offices and Community Legal Clinic
Representative Kitagawa reported that most Hawaiʻi House of Representatives offices at the State Capitol would be closed for approximately two months during renovations, cubicle replacement, and office moves, with reopening anticipated around the end of November. Representatives Kitagawa and Matayoshi had also hosted a free legal clinic at Windward Mall. The first event attracted substantial participation, and organizers plan to improve the format and make it annual. The legal clinic is replacing the legislators’ pandemic-era flu-shot clinic now that residents are more comfortable obtaining vaccinations through normal health-care channels.
Kāhuluʻu “Giving Trees” Project
Senator Brenton Awa’s office reported that the Kāhuluʻu Food Tree Project, now called the “Giving Trees,” is producing fruit for community distribution. The project is intended to establish a lasting local food source, and its ʻulu trees are being propagated through air layering to create additional trees. Senator Awa personally performs much of the maintenance with help from community volunteers. Harvests have gone to kūpuna, low-income residents, nearby state-housing communities, community meetings, and organizations, depending on ripeness and requests. An ʻulu-tree distribution was rescheduled from the following morning to Tuesday, September 22, at 9:30 a.m. because many district schools had a waiver day. Trees were to be offered to residents, schools, organizations, and neighborhood boards while supplies lasted.
Voting and District 43 Election Concerns
Residents raised concerns about ballot delivery and election administration after family members failed to receive ballots or received letters saying their addresses could not be confirmed. Some affected voters went to Kāneʻohe District Park to vote in person, while others reportedly became discouraged and decided not to participate. The board also discussed a tied District 43 primary contest that had initially been resolved by lot and then challenged in court. Under a Hawaiʻi Supreme Court ruling, both Republican primary candidates were expected to appear in a specially labeled section on the general-election ballot. Members questioned how Republican participation could be limited or enforced in a state without party registration and asked that the Office of Elections be informed of the confusion.
Teacher Recruitment and Long-Term Substitutes
Community members repeatedly raised the use of substitute or unlicensed teachers to fill permanent classroom vacancies. Representative Matayoshi, a former seventh-grade science teacher, said substitutes provide valuable service but are generally not an adequate long-term replacement for licensed educators. He has been working with the University of Hawaiʻi College of Education, which has indicated a goal of doubling the number of teacher graduates within five years. He emphasized developing locally trained teachers, who are more likely to remain in Hawaiʻi and are familiar with local culture, while supporting pathways for capable long-term substitutes to become licensed.
Kāneʻohe Town Design and Development Review
A resident asked how the public can influence the scale, appearance, and character of new development in Kāneʻohe, citing the large storage facility next to Adon Plaza and fencing at the former Mojo site. The chair said some projects are presented to the neighborhood board, but the storage development was not, despite the board’s later questions to the city about its approval process. Members supported modernization and Complete Streets improvements but said new buildings should fit Kāneʻohe’s community character. The concern was entered into the record, along with a request for earlier neighborhood notification and input on major developments.
Public Transit and Skyline Travel Time
The chair reported attending the Oʻahu Metropolitan Planning Organization Citizen Advisory Committee with a board member who had tested a transit trip from Kāneʻohe to Mililani. The journey required a bus connection to Middle Street, transfer to Skyline, travel to Mililani, and the return trip, taking approximately four hours. The experience was raised with the Department of Transportation Services as an example of regional trips that remain significantly faster by car despite the rail system.
Heʻeia and Cultural Documentation
Residents noted that Kapaikapuokalani Hewett had prepared a filmed genealogy and cultural account of Ahu o Laka, tracing its traditional names and history. The board expressed interest in obtaining and reviewing the recording as part of its continuing work on cultural protection, management, and enforcement in Kāneʻohe Bay.
Announcements and Adjournment
The board reminded the public that its candidate forum would be held Saturday, September 26, from 4 to 7 p.m. at Windward Community College. The next regular Kāneʻohe Neighborhood Board meeting was scheduled for Thursday, October 15, at Windward Community College’s Hale ʻĀkoakoa. With no further business, the meeting was adjourned.