No 35 Mililani Mauka-Launani Valley Neighborhood Board Regular Meeting April 2026
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35 Mililani Mauka-Launani Valley Neighborhood Board Meeting – April 22, 2026
Meeting Opening and Procedures
Vice Chair Keith Tamashiro presided over the meeting in the absence of Chair Hazama and opened by setting expectations for public participation, emphasizing that the board welcomes comments, complaints, ideas, and recommendations from residents while asking speakers to raise their hands, use the microphone, and keep remarks to roughly three minutes so more people could be heard. The meeting began after a Scouting America Troop 664 presentation, which the vice chair praised. He noted that one scheduled board business item, a Neighborhood Commission Office presentation by Larry Varee, would be postponed to the following month because the presenter could not attend.
Honolulu Fire Department Report
Captain Ryan Bump from the Mililani Mauka Fire Station reported Honolulu Fire Department statistics for March 2026, stating that the station responded to 11 activated alarms with no fires and 38 medical incidents. He directed residents to the HFD website for incident details and maps and gave an emergency preparedness message focused on wildfire, environmental emergency, and natural disaster readiness. He advised residents to establish emergency plans with at least two escape routes from home, identify evacuation paths out of the neighborhood, leave early to avoid fire, smoke, or traffic delays, and select a predetermined meeting place such as a relative’s house, shelter, or other low-risk area. He also urged residents to stay informed through HNL Alert, official social media, and vetted sources, and to maintain a “go bag” for family members and pets as part of a larger 14-day disaster supply kit. In response to a board question about recent severe weather, he said he had not personally been involved in the Haleiwa-Waialua flooding response because it occurred during his days off, but he was aware of some downed trees in Mililani from strong winds and was not aware of flooding in Mililani on the scale seen on the North Shore.
Honolulu Police Department Report
Honolulu Police Department statistics covering March 19 through April 19 for the neighborhood board area showed one assault, zero burglaries, zero robberies, four vehicle break-ins, and approximately 378 calls for service. The HPD representative used the opportunity to share business security guidance, noting that while no measure is foolproof, businesses can reduce risk through alarms, security guards where feasible, pick-resistant door locks, adequate lighting, maintained fences and gates, and safes for cash and valuables, along with avoiding leaving cash in registers overnight. The low burglary and robbery count was notable, but the four car break-ins reflected an ongoing property crime issue that affects residents and visitors.
Board of Water Supply Report and Wikao Street Seepage Issue
Board of Water Supply representative Stephen Orr reported that there were no water main breaks in the Mililani Mauka neighborhood board district in March 2026. He also reminded residents that despite recent storms, water conservation remains important because rainfall alone does not offset regular household consumption, especially heading into the warmer summer months. He referred residents to the Board of Water Supply’s online conservation resources. In response to a public question about storm impacts on aquifers, he said the Board of Water Supply had not detected contamination in the Waialua aquifer systems and explained that the North Shore boil water notice had been precautionary; testing ultimately showed no contamination. Another resident, Teresa, raised a recurring infrastructure concern on Wikao Street in Mililani Tech Park near Spectrum and just before the hairpin turn descending into Launani Valley. She described chronic water seepage emerging through the middle of the asphalt, followed by recurring patch jobs and worsening potholes over the last decade. Orr said he would follow up on the problem and report back at the next meeting.
Military Community Report: Training, Job Fair, Prescribed Burn, and Command Change
Retired Colonel Mike Donnelly, serving as the military representative, delivered several updates affecting nearby communities. He announced a job fair at Helemano Military Reservation on May 18 from 8:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in the training room, with openings in golf operations, the Leilehua Golf Course, bowling, food service, and child and youth services, including some positions with commissary and PX privileges. He then described April training activity, including small unit tactics with blank fire on East Range on the first Thursday of the month, aviation training from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on East Range, and the most significant activity for residents: artillery, mortar, and demolition training on Schofield Barracks from April 24 through April 30, running 24 hours a day. He advised residents to expect associated noise and provided the Army community concern line, 808-787-1528, saying it is checked daily and concerns receive prompt responses.
Donnelly also reported that a previously planned prescribed burn was delayed from April to the week of May 11 through 15 because the two recent Kona low storms left vegetation unusually green and the ground saturated. He explained that prescribed burning is used to reduce invasive guinea grass, which he said was over his head in places and poses a serious fire hazard during summer because training-related ignitions such as tracer rounds can otherwise spread beyond the impact area. He described the operation as highly controlled, using drones that drop ignition devices called “dragon balls,” personnel monitoring the burn around the clock, UTVs, and a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter with a Bambi bucket on standby. He stressed that the fire is intentionally ignited and intentionally extinguished by the Army under controlled conditions. He also announced a July 23 garrison change of command in which Colonel Sullivan would be succeeded by Colonel Luce, who is arriving from Europe.
Military Flooding, Wilson Lake, Housing Pressure, and Aircraft Noise Discussion
Board members and residents used the military update to raise broader concerns about flooding, base housing, the rental market, and aircraft impacts. In response to a question about storm damage on Schofield and whether the Army would be involved in future Wilson Lake dam matters, Donnelly said Schofield and Wheeler experienced significant interior flooding, including water-damaged barracks and buildings with soaked carpeting that will need replacement. He said the Army closely coordinates with city and state emergency management agencies, including during Kona low events, and monitors dam and spillway conditions for situational awareness, but deferred decisions about Wilson Lake and Wahiawa Dam to state and city authorities.
A lengthy exchange followed on military housing and off-base rentals. Resident Teresa said she had seen many incoming military families searching for off-base rentals because they believed all base housing was unavailable, and she questioned whether the military was relying too heavily on the civilian housing market. Donnelly replied that Army housing occupancy is above 98 percent and that the Army, more than the other services, aims to house service members and their families on base, with more than 60 percent doing so. He said there is always about a 2 to 3 percent turnover for unit cleaning and repair, but acknowledged there is not enough housing for every service member. He explained that soldiers receive a fixed housing allowance and that landlords, not the military, set rents. Teresa argued that Hawaii’s Basic Allowance for Housing levels contribute to higher rents, especially when multiple service members combine allowances to rent homes off base, and suggested that any unused allowance should revert rather than be pocketed. Donnelly said he would research how rental agreements are reviewed when soldiers live off base and report back. He also noted that on-base housing is managed by Island Palm Communities, a privatized entity whose rates the Army does not directly control. The discussion highlighted tension between military housing demand and civilian housing affordability.
Another exchange focused on aviation noise and vibration. Donnelly explained that upcoming April aviation training would involve FRIES and SPIES operations, meaning fast-rope insertion and extraction by helicopter rather than large transport aircraft. Resident questions referenced prior experiences with large aircraft such as C-17s, C-130s, and even C-5s producing strong reverberations over Mililani Mauka and Launani Valley. Donnelly said larger aircraft would likely be part of a fall 2026 JPMRC exercise and noted that flight paths are governed by FAA rules and prevailing winds, though the Army tries to inform communities beforehand and use the most direct routes that minimize impacts on residential areas where possible. Teresa connected this to hillside instability, saying house vibration and repeated landslides raised concern about whether military or other aircraft activity might worsen already fragile slopes.
Resident Concern About Neighborhood Board Member Conduct and Sign Removal
Resident John Mathias delivered a sharply critical statement about the conduct of an unnamed neighborhood board member. He alleged that around February 14 and 15 the board member, assisted by her children, removed more than 30 signs from the public right-of-way along Meheula Parkway from Mauka to Safeway and possibly along Kamehameha Highway as well. He characterized the conduct as theft, arguing that no board member has authority to confiscate private property from public spaces based on personal views about sign blight. He said the board member later congratulated herself publicly at a February 17 board meeting and on February 18 presented a neighborhood board business card while declaring that all signs in public rights-of-way are illegal and subject to removal by her as a board member. Mathias argued that neighborhood board membership does not grant separate enforcement power, that using a board business card in this manner was improper, and that if the full board did not clearly repudiate such behavior it risked appearing complicit. He then raised a second concern about decorum and patriotism, criticizing a board member for refusing to stand when the U.S. and Hawaii flags entered the room, saying this communicated a lack of respect and undermined the courtesy, decency, and consensus-building expected of board members. His testimony placed questions of board ethics and personal conduct squarely into the public record.
Launani Valley Landslide and HOA Negligence Complaints
Several residents raised serious concerns about landslides and drainage failures in Launani Valley, particularly in Wood Creek Crossing. Joy, speaking remotely, said landslides have been a recurring problem in the valley for years and that she had personally experienced one in May 2024 and another during the recent Kona low storms. She said four homes had now been affected by mudslides and asserted that the hillside and drainage ditch above their properties, both owned by the Launani Valley Community Association, had not been properly maintained, resulting in major property damage. She described several large trees still overhanging precariously above her property and a roughly 40-foot hillside that could fail again in heavy rain. She also said HOA leadership and its management company had effectively closed off communication, citing emails from LVCA President Melanie Sato stating that the grievance had been addressed at the board level and was closed, and from Huaka‘i or management representatives saying no further discussion or direct contact would be entertained. Joy asked for help from the city and county to press for immediate hillside stabilization and property repair support and specifically thanked Representative Amy Peruso and members of her office for responsiveness and for conducting a site visit.
A second resident, Diana Hayden, who lives next door, expanded on the damage in detail. She said her family invested around $60,000 to renovate 600 square feet of the downstairs portion of their 1,200-square-foot home and now faces severe damage. She described black mold, moisture rising through floors, walls being torn open, children confined upstairs, and floodwaters carrying mud, dirt, and dog waste into the house. She said her husband had warned the HOA on March 14 that the drainage canal was not being maintained properly and that this would become a problem during heavy rain. She argued the resulting failure showed negligence, not merely natural flooding. Her husband Raul later added that he had spoken with insurance agent Sue Savio for both Launani Valley Community Association and Wood Creek Crossing and that the insurer was attempting to characterize the event as excluded flood damage rather than as the failure of a man-made drainage structure due to negligent maintenance. He noted neighboring homes on either side were not damaged because they were not located below the blocked canal section. The residents asked for legal referrals, technical help, and government support. Board members suggested reviewing the HOA’s insurance obligations, governing documents, and any Professional and Vocational Licensing oversight for management conduct. Teresa said she had personally visited the damaged homes shortly after the event and confirmed the severity of the damage, adding that insurance companies often use technical wording to deny claims and urging state and county representatives to help identify remedies.
Governor’s Office Update: Disaster Relief and Legislative Session
Melanie Yuan from the Office of Governor Josh Green gave a brief update focused on storm-related relief and the legislative calendar. She noted that the Department of Taxation extended the deadline for certain flood victims to file state taxes until July 20, 2026, with a specific L-115 form required. She also confirmed that the President had approved a major disaster declaration, which opened the door to federal assistance through FEMA, including individual assistance, business and farm relief, and public assistance for debris removal, emergency work, and infrastructure repair. She said the state legislature had entered conference committee and was scheduled to adjourn on May 7. In response to questions arising from the Launani Valley testimony, she said she would try to determine the proper state contact for residents seeking claims or assistance and was also asked to identify the current leadership connected to Professional and Vocational Licensing oversight.
Mayor’s Office Update: Disaster Recovery Website, Tax Relief, and Prior Board Follow-Up
Carrie Castle from Mayor Rick Blangiardi’s office highlighted the city’s storm recovery website, oneoahu.org, which consolidates information on federal, state, and city assistance. She described upcoming support opportunities such as a community assistance resource event at Waianae Mall on Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., where residents could access disaster recovery support, housing and rental resources, health and social service referrals, and other community-based programs. She also emphasized real property tax relief for storm-damaged structures and land improvements, with applications due by June 30, 2026. During questioning, board members pressed for a simpler help contact for residents trying to navigate the site’s many links. Castle identified 808-768-4141, the mayor’s office number, as one contact point, though she initially encouraged residents to browse the site directly and later said she would continue looking for more specific guidance before the meeting ended.
Castle also responded to issues raised at prior board meetings. On the memorandum of understanding between the Department of Parks and Recreation and the Department of Education for community use of the Mililani Middle School parking lot, she reported that the city had received an edited MOU from DOE by email on April 16 and that the document was now under review by the city’s Corporation Counsel, with hope for final resolution by the next board meeting. She further reported that the Department of Planning and Permitting does not have authority to authorize homeowner associations to remove and dispose of unpermitted business signs located on private property. On another prior issue, she explained that a SERVPAC data center in Mililani Tech Park did not require a conditional use permit because it is classified as general office use, which is already permitted in that zoning district, and that this is why DPP had not formally notified the board.
Councilmember Val Okimoto’s Office: Flood, Hazard Pay, and Soil Testing Measures
Pua from Councilmember Val Okimoto’s office focused on current city legislative items. She highlighted Bill 34, which would amend the city’s flood hazard area ordinance in Chapter 21A to align with updated FEMA requirements, a step needed for Honolulu to remain in the National Flood Insurance Program and Community Rating System and thus preserve insurance availability and affordability. She also discussed Resolution 26-074, authorizing $16,777,253 in COVID hazard pay for members of the Teamsters and Allied Workers Union in recognition of essential service during the pandemic, and Resolution 26-075, urging the city administration to immediately conduct weekly soil testing at Patsy T. Mink Central Oahu Regional Park and release results within 24 hours. The latter resolution relates to the use of the park as a debris staging site after the recent storms. When asked whether hazard pay funding was already available, she said she would verify details with the office and report back, noting that some funding had been budgeted.
Councilmember Matt Weyer’s Office: CORP, Budget Amendments, Disaster Aid, and Economic Revitalization Concerns
Councilmember Matt Weyer attended in person and provided extensive updates. He reminded residents that youth could apply for city bus fare assistance or passes through May 12 using the public school website. He also elaborated on COVID hazard pay, explaining that while some of the money originated in federal pandemic funds, later changes allowed certain amounts to be used as revenue replacement and mixed with city resources, meaning some portion now intersects with the city budget process. He encouraged residents to treat his office as a help line and provided direct contact information.
Weyer highlighted district and citywide budget issues, including support for the Central Oahu Regional Park aquatic center and cleanup work associated with the storm debris operations at CORP. He underscored resource links already included in his office’s newsletter, including oneoahu.org, FEMA, the Small Business Administration, property tax remission, Board of Water Supply discounts, and a matching website that pairs disaster-affected households with donated labor, materials, and contractor support. He noted that this could help households such as those in Launani Valley find assistance for unfinished repairs.
A major focus of his report was concern over proposed cuts to the city’s Office of Economic Revitalization. He said the current budget would eliminate 20 positions, 19 of them filled, leaving only seven people in the office: one director, three staff in the film office, and three community equity liaisons. He argued this would sharply reduce the city’s ability to administer small business recovery funds, seek agricultural grants, support digital equity, and respond to future economic disruptions. He compared staffing levels with neighbor island counties, noting that Honolulu, despite being the urban center, would be left with fewer economic development staff than counties with much smaller populations. He said OER staff are currently active in disaster outreach across the island, including in Kahuku, Laie, Kahaluu, Wailua, and other storm-affected areas. Weyer also highlighted a proposed $1 million appropriation for Kupuna feeding, citing data from a January food insecurity briefing showing that 168,000 individuals on Oahu were very food insecure as of last July, meaning they lived in households where meals are skipped or whole days pass without eating because of financial hardship.
Senator Donovan Dela Cruz’s Office: Education and Community Highlights
Charles Noah from Senator Donovan Dela Cruz’s office gave a short update centered on education and community events. He reported that the senator had recently filmed an HNN segment with Principal Murphy and MTSI highlighting the agriculture career and technical education program at Mililani High School, and that this aired on HINow Daily the day of the meeting. He also noted the groundbreaking on March 11 for the new high school program tied to the alternative learning program and said the senator attended the Leilehua-Mililani-Waialua complex Milk and Teacher Promise celebration, which honored a counselor from Mililani Middle School. He reiterated that the legislature is now in conference committee ahead of final deadlines.
Representative Lauren Matsumoto’s Office: Mid-Session Survey and Budget Uncertainty
Representative Lauren Matsumoto urged residents to participate in her district’s mid-session survey, which had been mailed to District 38 households and was also available online through repmatsumoto.com. She said about 350 responses had been received so far and that surveys would be accepted through May 5. She explained that this survey differs from pre-session outreach because it asks for constituent views on controversial bills still alive at this stage of the session, allowing her to consider public opinion before final votes. She said one of the most important unresolved issues at the Capitol is what will happen with the historic income tax cuts passed in 2024, since the House and Senate were approaching the issue differently and budget constraints were significant. Her remarks reflected the uncertainty surrounding the final state budget and tax policy negotiations.
Representative Amy Peruso’s Office: Conference Committee and Storm Recovery Appreciation
Representative Amy Peruso reported that roughly 420 bills had passed both the House and Senate and were moving into conference committee, with about 287 already assigned House conferees. She expected the assignment process to finish soon and said the pace of action would accelerate toward the end of the week as conference meetings intensify. She encouraged residents following specific bills to subscribe to those measures on the state Capitol website in order to receive notifications when conference hearings are scheduled. Peruso also used her time to thank the Mililani community for helping Waialua after the Kona low flooding, specifically mentioning community efforts led by Danielle Bass to organize donations and supplies. She said the material support was important, but that the morale boost and strengthening of ties between communities was equally meaningful.
Representative Trish La Chica’s Office: Bills, Capital Projects, and Community Events
Telsa Lobendino spoke for Representative Trish La Chica and reported that only about 21 percent of introduced bills were still moving through the legislature. She thanked residents who had responded to the office’s own mid-session survey, saying it helped shape the representative’s third-reading votes. She said five of La Chica’s bills and four resolutions remained alive. One highlighted bill was HB 1782, an artificial intelligence regulation measure focused on protecting minors. She also identified capital improvement items still surviving in the latest budget draft, including funding for the Mililani Public Library and planning funds for a potential Kolekole or Coal Ridge Elementary School, along with continued funding support tied to Mililani educational housing and kitchen upgrades across the Leilehua, Mililani, and Waialua complex areas. On the community side, she mentioned an alcohol awareness rally held ahead of graduation and summer, an Earth Day art contest won by Mililani Middle eighth-grader Naomi Koga, and participation in the Mililani YMCA Fun Run. She also praised a Mililani High School intern helping with office events.
State Department of Transportation: H-2 Ramp Safety, ADA Deficiencies, and H-1 Shoulder Lane Policy
Casey Abe from the State Department of Transportation Highways Division gave one of the most technical reports of the evening. Following prior requests from the board, he said additional signs had now been installed at the H-2 northbound and southbound on-ramps in the area where the department had not installed speed humps or rectangular rapid flashing beacons. During an April 14 field inspection, he confirmed that new signs had been placed at the northbound ramp and that the existing advanced pedestrian crossing sign at the southbound ramp had been relocated to a more useful position after the H-2 overpass, along with installation of a new pedestrian crossing sign. He said a damaged light standard at the southbound location was still awaiting replacement by the lighting crew. He also observed that contractors were trimming vegetation along the H-2 and that graffiti and stickers in the area would be addressed by maintenance staff.
Abe then identified ADA compliance problems at the pedestrian push buttons near the H-2 northbound on-ramp. He said the existing push buttons are more than 10 inches from the curb ramp and that the wheelchair ramp near the overpass does not provide the required 30-inch by 48-inch clear floor space with a maximum 2 percent cross slope. Fixing the issue will require installing two separate push-button posts within ADA standards, reconstructing the ramp, and relocating signal posts, but he cautioned that this would take time because design and construction money would need to be programmed in the next legislative session.
He also answered a previous board question regarding the H-1 eastbound morning shoulder lane and the meaning of “no trucks or buses.” Referring to Hawaii Revised Statutes section 291-14(e), he explained that a pickup truck is defined as a vehicle with a front cab and open bed, designed to transport cargo, with a gross vehicle weight of 11,000 pounds or less. DOT’s practical rule of thumb is that light trucks and buses with four wheels can generally use the AM shoulder lane, while larger vehicles with six or more tires are typically prohibited due to weight and width concerns. He noted that the Pearl City Neighborhood Board and state legislators had successfully pressed DOT to convert one AM shoulder lane segment into a full 24/7 travel lane by summer 2026, but he cautioned that the tradeoff is the loss of any usable emergency shoulder. Asked whether there are federal requirements for pull-off space, he said the department generally seeks design exceptions from the Federal Highway Administration when needed and that such an exception appears to have been granted for the Pearl City project. He added that DOT has no current plan to similarly convert the shoulder lane from the Pearl City on-ramp to the Aiea-Honolulu off-ramp, but invited the board to coordinate with neighboring boards and legislators if it wants to advocate for that change.
Approval of Minutes and Committee Reports
The board approved the minutes of the February 17, 2026 meeting without changes. During committee reports, the Education Committee presentation focused on Mililani Middle School. Board member Steve Melendez highlighted school calendar events including a combined Mililani Middle-Mililani Ike concert on April 22 at 6:00 p.m., track meets, girls’ soccer, a McTeacher’s Night on April 30 supporting the Japan Study Tour, a district track meet on May 1, and Interact Field Club activities. He emphasized the school’s “Blazer School Tours” summer transition program for incoming students, describing it as a two-day July event that familiarizes students with the campus, learning centers, procedures, and expectations to help ease the transition from elementary school to middle school. He also reminded the public that school community meetings are open and held on the second Tuesday of each month, with a PTSO meeting at 5:00 p.m. and School Community Council meeting at 6:00 p.m. Other committees reported no updates.
Closing and Next Meeting
The next Mililani Mauka-Launani Valley Neighborhood Board meeting was announced for Tuesday, May 19 at 7:00 p.m. Vice Chair Tamashiro closed by thanking residents, board members, elected officials, staff, Neighborhood Assistant Camelia, and the meeting production staff member handling recording and streaming. He then adjourned the meeting.