No 36 Nānākuli-Māʻili Neighborhood Board Regular Meeting October 2026
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36 Nanakuli-Maili Neighborhood Board Meeting – October 21, 2026
Meeting Opening and Procedures
Chair Malia Gaston called the regular meeting of Nānākuli-Māʻili Neighborhood Board No. 36 to order at 7 p.m. at the Nānākuli Public Library, with virtual participation available through WebEx. Although the meeting title identifies October 21, the chair stated during the meeting that it was Tuesday, October 20, 2026. Gaston described neighborhood board meetings as monthly public forums connecting residents with government agencies and elected officials and affirmed the public’s right to testify on every agenda item. Public comments were limited to two minutes, officials’ reports to three minutes, and presentations to ten minutes, with removal possible for speaking out of turn or misconduct. Board Member Tector opened with a pule. Members Tector, Cowles, De La Cruz, Myers, Weaver, Rosen Oates, Leduc, and Chair Gaston were present, while Ayo was absent, establishing quorum.
Honolulu Fire Department Report
The Nānākuli Fire Station reported September 2026 activity consisting of one structure fire, 12 nuisance incidents, five activated alarms, 98 medical calls, two motor vehicle collisions, and one ocean rescue. The department clarified that its review found no correlation between August’s medical-call volume and storm activity. Medical calls can encompass cardiac arrest, breathing difficulties, seizures, chest pain, trauma, and other emergencies. With the holiday season approaching, residents were advised to use electrical decorations and devices approved by nationally recognized testing laboratories, follow manufacturers’ instructions, remain present and alert while cooking, keep combustible materials away from heat and flames, and exercise greater caution while walking or driving between dusk and dawn. Fire personnel explained that firefighters work 24-hour shifts year-round through three rotating platoons. When asked how residents could support them, the department emphasized prevention, awareness, and looking out for neighbors.
Honolulu Police Department Crime, Traffic, and Enforcement Report
District 8 Community Policing Sergeant Fumi Moroka, joined by Sergeant Jordan Miguel and Officer Leonard Lee, reported that September produced 15 motor vehicle thefts districtwide but none in Nānākuli, 16 burglaries districtwide but none in Nānākuli, 85 thefts districtwide including 16 in Nānākuli, and 11 vehicle break-ins districtwide including three locally. Officers issued eight speeding citations, 144 moving-violation citations, and 385 parking citations, with 733 total citations in the area. District 8 received 7,255 calls for service, including 1,225 from Nānākuli. HPD had Hawaiian Electric and the advertiser remove signs attached to utility poles promoting diabetic equipment with objectionable wording; the advertiser was contacted and advised about the unlawful posting. HPD also relayed the board’s request for stronger traffic enforcement to its traffic and patrol divisions. For emergencies involving road closures, the city distributes text notices when possible, while police and emergency-management personnel direct motorists in the field when electricity or cell service is unavailable. Holiday traffic guidance included allowing extra travel time, avoiding rushing, and watching carefully for pedestrians.
Police Drones and Unresolved Home-Invasion Case
HPD said drones are increasingly being used in law-enforcement operations, including an e-bike operation in ʻEwa and fireworks enforcement on July 4 and New Year’s Eve. Officers said public awareness that cameras may be operating overhead could contribute to deterrence and that drone footage can support first-responder investigations. A board member also asked about a recent Kīli Drive home invasion in which two individuals allegedly entered a residence and stole two vehicles and personal property. HPD did not have a current update but confirmed the case remained under investigation and agreed to seek additional information for a future meeting.
Dog Bites and Loose-Dog Enforcement
Board Member Weaver raised concerns about recurring dog attacks, including a recent attack on her daughter, her own earlier attack by a pack of dogs in May, and neighbors who reportedly felt unsafe even retrieving rubbish carts. HPD explained that reported dog-bite cases are automatically referred to the Hawaiian Humane Society for investigation and possible impoundment, particularly when an animal bites a person or another animal. Local misdemeanor follow-up investigators may also handle the police portion of a case, while the Humane Society may hold the relevant animal-control status. HPD’s standard neighborhood board statistics focus on property crimes and recognized crime patterns, so dog bites are not routinely included; changing that reporting practice may require a systemwide adjustment. Residents awaiting updates were advised to contact the police station or assigned investigator.
Ocean Safety Department
The Honolulu Ocean Safety Department did not submit a report for the meeting.
Mayor’s Office: Food-Waste Recycling
The mayor’s representative announced that Oʻahu households using the city’s three-cart curbside collection system may now place food scraps in green-waste carts under the “Grow Goes Islandwide” expansion. Residents were advised to mix food scraps with yard waste to reduce odors while awaiting collection. The program is intended to divert organic material from disposal and direct it toward composting.
Mayor’s Office: Behavioral Health Crisis Response
The city’s MH-3/CORE behavioral-health response initiative has become permanent after beginning as a collaboration among HPD, behavioral-health professionals, and homeless-outreach providers. The program connects people experiencing serious behavioral-health crises with emergency care and services and has assisted approximately 150 individuals since launch. Act 219, signed the previous year, allows people in behavioral-health crises to be transported for emergency psychiatric evaluation. The multidisciplinary response team includes paramedics, emergency medical technicians, nurses, nurse practitioners, community health workers, and physicians, with a physician or registered nurse available during MH-3 responses.
Homeless Encampments, Private Property, and City Enforcement
Responding to prior questions about an encampment behind Sack N Save, the mayor’s office explained that the area is private property and that the city requires the owner’s permission before entering the private portion. Enforcement under the Stored Property Ordinance is identified approximately 24 hours in advance, and the city posts its enforcement schedule online. Where people store belongings on private land with an owner’s consent, HPD must coordinate with that owner. Board members questioned how city, state, council, and private-property responsibilities differ, particularly when encampments are removed to facilitate private development while other groups remain on state land. The representative offered to invite the city official who oversees homelessness programs to a future board or committee meeting and agreed to seek clarification about interagency authority and coordination.
Storm Debris, Camping Closures, and Park Hours
The city said debris and heavy equipment remaining at Māʻili Beach Park after the storms fall under the Department of Parks and Recreation rather than the department initially contacted, so a further response was promised. City administrative rules authorize the parks director or an authorized representative to close campgrounds before hurricanes or major storms, though the timing and frequency of closures may need review. The city was asked whether people whose camping permits are canceled during a declared emergency receive refunds of fees that may total about $52, and the representative agreed to investigate. The process for changing park closure hours begins with the neighborhood board placing the proposal on its agenda, accepting public testimony, and adopting a formal resolution. Parks and Recreation then works with city attorneys on enforceable rules and installs signs. Zablan Beach was reported as currently closed from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.
Requests for Storm Data and Nānākuli Park Lease Information
The Department of Emergency Management requested a more specific description of the data sought regarding Hurricanes Lala and Lowell because the universe of available storm records is extensive. The mayor’s representative suggested narrowing the request by ZIP code or region and invited the board to identify particular categories of information. Board Member Tector also requested the status and expiration date of the city’s lease with the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands for Nānākuli park facilities and asked whether the city intends to renew the lease and continue managing the property. The mayor’s office agreed to report back.
Cesspool Waste and Political Concerns
A resident objected to the reported discharge of untreated cesspool waste at Ulehawa Beach Park in Māʻili and questioned why it could not be transported to the Waiʻanae wastewater treatment system rather than discharged near the ocean. The same resident criticized the mayor for publicly advocating how people should vote, arguing that ballot choices should remain with individual voters. These comments were presented as public concerns without a substantive agency response during the meeting.
Councilmember Andrea Tupola’s Office: Charter Questions and Community Events
Councilmember Andrea Tupola’s representative, Stephanie Nojima, distributed explanatory booklets addressing 20 questions expected on the ballot and intended to help voters understand the proposed Honolulu Charter amendments. Chair Gaston directed members to page 19, concerning quorum requirements for neighborhood board action, and noted that Board No. 36 had submitted proposals that did not survive the Charter Commission’s review process. The office also announced a community cleanup near the Māʻili 76 Station and guardrails for Saturday, November 14, from 7:30 a.m. to noon, correcting a flyer that incorrectly listed Wednesday. HPD and other organizations were helping plan for safe work near the roadway, and volunteers capable of heavy lifting were encouraged to participate. The office’s “Priced into Paradise” event was scheduled for November 10 and 11 at the new Hyatt Place in Hoʻopili, with information about home buying, down-payment assistance, wealth building, upsizing, and downsizing, particularly for West Oʻahu residents.
Māʻili Cleanup, Outreach, and Housing Services
The November 14 cleanup would focus on the beach-side section beginning near the trees and guardrails and extending toward the Board of Water Supply station, rather than the entire Māʻili Point area or federally controlled land beneath the bridge. The council office said outreach teams had been visiting the area every Monday and Wednesday to notify unhoused residents about the coming cleanup and connect them with housing or mental-health services. Providers, including Catholic Charities, were reportedly working with each person through a case manager. The stated objective was not to push residents to another beach but to help them enter housing in a manner they could sustain. The office agreed to provide figures on the number of unhoused people in the target area and to report on when a broader Māʻili Point cleanup might be scheduled, likely after the holiday season.
Affordable Housing, Adaptive Reuse, and Boat Harbor Concerns
Board members asked whether the city and Councilmember Tupola support converting vacant or obsolete downtown office buildings into affordable studios with private bathrooms and kitchens rather than allowing them to become high-end hotels. One member argued that small-kauhale models are not suitable for every unhoused resident and called for self-contained units. Concerns were also raised about differing government responses to unhoused people behind Sack N Save and at Waiʻanae Boat Harbor, including allegations that private development receives stronger enforcement assistance while some people on state land are allowed to remain longer. The representative agreed to determine the councilmember’s position and what actions, if any, her office was taking. Public testimony also challenged a charter amendment’s description of a tax proposal as involving “no increase,” criticized a project reportedly containing 69 units but more than 1,000 parking spaces, and argued that planning decisions were favoring developers over hotel workers and affordable housing.
Board of Water Supply: Outages, Conservation, and Generators
The Board of Water Supply reported no recent water-main breaks but warned that Hawaiian Electric public-safety power shutoffs and other outages limit the ability to pump well water into elevated reservoirs. Reservoirs generally hold about 24 hours of supply, depending on demand and outage duration. Residents were asked to conserve during and immediately after outages by using water primarily for health, cooking, and food needs and postponing lawn irrigation and car washing until reservoirs refill. BWS deployed generators in the Waiʻanae area during Tropical Storm Lala and worked multiple shifts to address low pressure at some properties. It has an islandwide generator deployment plan based on outage location and duration and is coordinating with Hawaiian Electric on greater electrical resilience and future generator capacity. Exact generator locations are generally not disclosed, but BWS identified West Oʻahu as a priority area because of its vulnerability.
Water-Main Improvements and Fire Protection
BWS supplied the board with its Kaukamana Road correspondence and said it was fast-tracking a priority water project already in design. Normal BWS projects can take five to seven years, while this one may reach construction within approximately one to two years, subject to design and easement acquisition. Letters sent to nearby property owners concerned required easements, not charges to residents, and BWS may ask the board to help locate owners it cannot reach. A resident’s water meter is to be relocated when the project reaches that area. The board strongly supported the project because previous Māʻili fires exposed gaps in water-main access and fire-hydrant availability. BWS also provided maps for water-main replacement work in the OʻKelly Street vicinity.
Road Undermining and Construction Water Access
Responding to concerns about possible undermining near Black Rock and Farrington Highway, BWS said it had no reports linking road damage there to a water-main break. The mains are installed in solid coral trenches rather than loose soil or sand, reducing the likelihood of washout. If a BWS main break were found responsible for undermining, the agency would accept responsibility and arrange repairs. During future main replacements, the existing system will generally remain active while new infrastructure is installed. Water may be shut off for approximately eight hours when laterals connecting individual properties are replaced. BWS agreed to consider requiring the contractor to provide a water wagon during those temporary interruptions.
Water Rates, Conservation, and Reuse
BWS explained that water rates rise each July under a five-year schedule and that the current increases are higher than in the previous cycle, in part because of electricity costs. Sewer customers also face separate increases under a six-year sewer-rate schedule, while Hawaiian Electric is independently seeking Public Utilities Commission approval for what was described as “rebasing.” BWS said conservation expectations also apply to developers, hotels, condominiums, and large property managers. The agency meets quarterly with developers, encourages hotels to replace inefficient toilets through rebates, and supports projects using recycled gray water from washing machines and baths for toilet flushing and other non-potable purposes. Kobayashi was cited as developing an on-site gray-water reuse system. BWS also supports rain barrels and catchment systems and offers a $40 rebate for qualifying purchases, though untreated captured rainwater is recommended for irrigation, car washing, and other non-drinking uses.
Drinking-Water Quality and Public Access to Information
BWS conducts approximately 35,000 to 40,000 water-quality tests annually, many on a quarterly basis, and issues federally required consumer reports twice each year, around June and December. If testing identifies a previously unseen chemical, mineral, E. coli contamination, or another meaningful change, BWS must immediately notify the Department of Health and the public and may issue boil-water or other health advisories. The twice-yearly report generally confirms that no material change has occurred. More frequent mailed reports would be costly and often repeat that conditions remain unchanged. Residents without internet access, including kūpuna, may call BWS at its 808-748 service number and request that water-quality information be mailed to their address. BWS also agreed to investigate construction and heavy equipment observed at its Nānākuli Avenue station near the elementary school, which may involve pump refurbishment.
Hawaiʻi Emergency Management Agency Absence
The Hawaiʻi Emergency Management Agency was scheduled to present on preparations for and response to Hurricane Lowell in West Oʻahu but did not appear. The board deferred the item until the agency provides an immediate response and indicated that the presentation should not simply be rescheduled without prior confirmation. Members emphasized the need for community participation in post-disaster review, especially concerning road closures, sirens, prolonged loss of electricity and cellular service, and alternative ways to communicate with residents.
Proposed Liquefied Natural Gas Infrastructure
Sierra Club of Hawaiʻi Director Wayne Tanaka presented concerns about a proposal advanced by the Hawaiʻi State Energy Office and JERA, a Japanese energy corporation, to import liquefied natural gas. The concept reportedly includes permanently mooring a roughly 300-meter floating storage and regasification unit two or three miles offshore from Campbell Industrial Park. Imported LNG would be stored at extremely low temperatures, reheated—likely with seawater—converted back into gas, and sent through offshore and onshore pipelines to a power plant. The infrastructure and generation facilities were estimated to cost about $2 billion, while the source of the imported LNG, the pipeline route, and the precise power-plant location remained uncertain. Tanaka said West Oʻahu would likely host much of the infrastructure and bear the associated risks.
LNG Costs and Ratepayer Exposure
JERA and LNG supporters have promoted the project as potentially saving households about $500 annually, but Tanaka cited an independent Hawaiʻi Natural Energy Institute analysis estimating savings closer to $8 per month under ideal assumptions involving no delays, cost overruns, or major fuel-price changes. Under a more realistic scenario with modest overruns, delays, and market volatility, households could instead pay approximately $5 more each month, with larger overruns potentially increasing costs further. The presentation questioned projected benefits assigned to reusing LNG infrastructure for an unidentified future fuel around 2045, noting that existing technology may not allow a simple conversion to hydrogen. Tanaka argued that upgrading Hawaiʻi’s aging oil-fired plants with modern multifuel combustion turbines could achieve major efficiency and emissions improvements without committing the state to LNG infrastructure.
LNG Safety, Reliability, Health, and Environmental Risks
The Sierra Club presentation cited risks of methane leakage, venting, fires, pipeline explosions, and long shutdowns caused by accidents, weather, or maintenance. Three major gas-pipeline explosions had reportedly occurred on the continental United States during 2026, while JERA’s Freeport, Texas LNG facility experienced a major 2022 explosion with losses estimated at $751 million, and JERA facilities in Japan had experienced recurring fires since 2022. Tanaka questioned whether Hawaiʻi currently has the specialized capacity to extinguish a major LNG fire without worsening a gas release. LNG facilities can also emit benzene, toluene, hydrogen sulfide, and heavy metals associated with cancer, organ damage, and respiratory illness. Regasification may discharge unusually cold seawater, producing thermal shock, affecting coral and seagrass, or creating low-temperature zones near the seafloor. Methane was described as approximately 80 times more powerful than carbon dioxide as a warming pollutant over relevant near-term periods.
LNG Contracts, Energy Independence, and Permitting
Tanaka said LNG contracts could require Hawaiʻi to purchase or pay for approximately 700,000 to one million tons of gas annually, creating long-term “take-or-pay” obligations that could crowd out local renewable-energy development and make it difficult to reduce fossil-fuel use before the statutory 2045 clean-energy deadline. Because no suitable Jones Act-compliant vessels reportedly exist to carry continental U.S. LNG through the Panama Canal to Hawaiʻi, the gas may have to come from foreign sources, raising supply and energy-security concerns. The project was in a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission pre-application scoping process, with formal federal environmental review anticipated around December 2026 or January 2027. JERA had also sought a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity from the Hawaiʻi Public Utilities Commission to operate as a utility. No formal environmental impact review had yet been completed, and the project’s need for zoning, conservation-district, agricultural-land, or other approvals remained unresolved.
Board Resolution Opposing LNG
The board advanced and considered a resolution opposing LNG imports and infrastructure unless independent, peer-reviewed analysis and enforceable safeguards address financial, contractual, safety, reliability, public-health, environmental, cultural, climate, and stranded-asset risks. The resolution also called for a credible transition plan identifying how Hawaiʻi would move away from imported fossil fuels by 2045, disclosure of underlying communications and economic models, greater public and neighborhood-board participation, and continued prioritization of reliable, local, low-cost renewable energy. Members debated whether support for renewable-energy development should be separated into a second resolution, but others warned that delay could allow permitting to proceed without a formal West Oʻahu position. The final roll-call vote recorded seven votes in favor, no votes against, and one abstention, so the resolution passed. Copies were to be transmitted to the governor, Hawaiʻi State Energy Office, Public Utilities Commission and other agencies, local legislators and officials, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, energy organizations, and neighborhood boards.
PVT Landfill Annual Report
PVT Landfill representatives reported that the facility has an estimated five to seven years of remaining capacity under its existing permit and is awaiting a Department of Health decision on renewal. Consultants are being assembled to assess the timing and method of closure, remaining capacity, and PVT’s future operations, but no formal closure plan was ready for presentation. After closure, PVT must monitor and maintain the landfill for 30 years under permit requirements. Because buried waste makes the landfill unsuitable for ordinary building construction, future use remains uncertain. PVT continues to consider agricultural uses on adjacent land, including Native Hawaiian plants and flowers that students could pick for lei-making while learning about agriculture. The company invited new and returning board members to tour the facility and offered to continue supporting schools and community events, including Christmas on the Avenue, backpacks, and prior improvements such as a school guard shack.
OHA Leadership and Kakaʻako Land Concerns
During resident concerns, Johnny Mae Perry congratulated the board for adopting the LNG resolution and commented on the Office of Hawaiian Affairs chief executive selection process. She recalled the late Colleen Hanabusa’s role in securing OHA lands and expressed concern that one candidate’s background with Howard Hughes and discussion of a possible land swap could jeopardize OHA’s long-term presence in Kakaʻako. She suggested that nearby private interests might not want OHA or Department of Hawaiian Home Lands beneficiaries as permanent neighbors and said the issue would influence her voting decisions because five trustees were seeking reelection.
Special-Education Safety and Services at Nānākuli High School
Parent Alika Kaiheomoe Tarakina reported that his seventh-grade daughter, a special-education student at Nānākuli High and Intermediate School, was found walking alone on Nānākuli Avenue during the school day on August 11. He disputed the teacher’s explanation of how she left the campus after inspecting the location described. His daughter remained out of school until August 18, when she entered a different class. On August 28, the new teacher located a 2020 functional behavioral assessment stating that the student should have a registered behavior technician, even though subsequent individualized education programs reportedly documented worsening behavior without providing that support. The district denied an immediate request for an RBT while new assessments were arranged. The family asked on October 1 for privately conducted assessments because it no longer trusted the Department of Education after six years without the identified services. Following an advocate’s October 5 letter to district leadership, the district reportedly agreed on October 9 to pay for assessments, but paperwork was still pending. The parent alleged that school and district officials had failed to disclose, address, or renew the behavioral assessment despite meetings and written notice.
Education Committee Follow-Up
Vice Chair and Education Committee Chair Jermaine Myers said the matter would be placed on the Education Committee’s November 5 agenda, with the required seven-day public notice, and she would contact the family beforehand to develop an accurate agenda description. State Senator Samantha DeCorte later said she had been working with the family and the Department of Education and believed the case reflected a broader statewide problem. She urged parents with similar experiences to come forward and called for direct questions to the complex-area superintendent about leadership, transparency, and decision-making. Board members stressed that a student attending a secondary campus may still function at an elementary level and require close supervision, regardless of chronological grade.
U.S. Army Hiring and Training Advisories
Lieutenant Colonel Ricky MacArthur announced a public U.S. Army Garrison Hawaiʻi hiring fair on November 17 at the Aliamanu Military Reservation gym from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., with job opportunities and possible provisional hiring on site. October training included Ranger and jungle tactics with small-arms blank fire from October 19 through 23, aviation training from October 16 through 30 between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m., and artillery, mortar, and demolition activity at Schofield Barracks on October 22 through 27 and October 28 through 30, including day, night, late-evening, and early-morning live fire. Community concerns may be reported at 808-766-7778. The 25th Infantry Division’s annual Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center exercise was scheduled for November 7 through 16, bringing increased military vehicle traffic, helicopters, and cargo aircraft around Kahuku Training Area, Dillingham Airfield, Barber’s Point, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Wheeler Army Airfield, and Schofield Barracks during both daytime and nighttime hours.
Army Community Participation and Storm Assistance
Board members invited soldiers, veterans, and off-duty Army personnel to attend Christmas on the Avenue, especially service members who may be away from family during the holidays. MacArthur agreed to circulate the event invitation through his unit and the garrison. Members also asked whether the Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation had requested Army assistance in removing storm-deposited sand along Farrington Highway between Ulehawa Canal and Haleakalā. MacArthur did not know whether such a request had been made and agreed to ask the garrison and provide a response through the chair.
Governor’s Office Follow-Up
Governor Josh Green’s representative, Riley, reported that counties are responsible for staffing and establishing emergency shelters during disasters. The Department of Health stated that student vaccination requirements vary by age and grade and that state law permits documented medical and religious exemptions; postsecondary students should confirm requirements directly with their institution. Healthcare employers set many employment policies, while some facility requirements come from Department of Health licensing and professional licensing is overseen by the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs. FEMA public-assistance information would be provided to the chair, although it had not yet been determined whether remaining sand and roadway debris qualify for assistance or whether funding had been requested or approved.
State Housing Policies and DHHL Home Prices
The governor’s office highlighted the kauhale initiative, which combines housing with wraparound services for chronically homeless people, along with the governor’s continuing emergency proclamation addressing Hawaiʻi’s housing shortage and enacted tax-relief measures intended to reduce living costs. In response to reports that self-help homes behind Sack N Save had risen from approximately $350,000 to $500,000, the office said Department of Hawaiian Home Lands homes remain subject to income-based price restrictions and suggested asking the developer how prices are being communicated. No explanation for the reported increase had yet been provided. Questions also remained about why federal homelessness funds associated with West Oʻahu need were perceived as supporting housing projects elsewhere rather than additional facilities on the Waiʻanae Coast.
Emergency Communications, Sirens, and Storm Response
Board members thanked Department of Transportation Director Ed Sniffen and road crews for quickly clearing Farrington Highway after Hurricane Lowell but asked the governor to require better communication from HI-EMA when it commits to attend community meetings. Members questioned how residents should receive instructions during multiday power and cellular outages, particularly when few households maintain battery-powered radios. They suggested that sirens might be used when road closures or other conditions create immediate danger, not only for tsunami warnings, and asked how residents without internet, electricity, or mobile service are expected to learn about closures and evacuation instructions. The board requested notice of future post-disaster meetings and direct community involvement in reviewing preparedness and response.
State Land, Floodwater, and Homelessness Questions
Board Member Tector asked the governor’s office to clarify the state’s legal authority and responsibility when stormwater, streams, or rivers cross private and public land, citing instances in Waiʻanae and Mākaha where the state reportedly placed dirt on privately controlled properties. Board Member De La Cruz also described a cycle in which city sweeps move unhoused people onto state land and state enforcement then moves them toward federal land, while government funding does not necessarily produce housing in the same community where the need is documented. The governor’s representative agreed to seek clarification and return with responses.
Senior Housing Planning
Public testimony concerning the new ʻŌhiki senior housing development on School Street argued that senior projects should include nearby grocery access and emergency generators. The resident said a lack of supermarkets would increase reliance on the city’s Handi-Van service and warned that extended power outages could threaten residents dependent on respiratory equipment. The comment called for future senior housing to incorporate both daily-living access and emergency electrical resilience.
State Senator Samantha DeCorte’s Report
Senator Samantha DeCorte said her office was preparing for the 2027 legislative session and thanked the board for supporting the special-education family that had testified. In response to a question about stopping LNG imports legislatively, she expressed support for the community’s concerns and agreed to communicate the board’s position, while suggesting that Congresswoman Jill Tokuda’s office should also participate directly. DeCorte was praised for helping restore power to affected residents after Hurricane Lowell, including a senior home and Mākaha Towers, and for using social media to circulate emergency updates. She also joined board members in criticizing the continued absence of OHA and DHHL representatives, noting that Nānākuli is the state’s largest Hawaiian homestead and should have a meaningful presence from agencies established to serve Native Hawaiians.
Absent Elected Officials and Agencies
No reports were presented by Congresswoman Jill Tokuda’s office, State Representative Darius Kila, the Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation, or the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. The board again emphasized that regular in-person or virtual attendance by these agencies is necessary for residents to receive answers and participate in decisions affecting the community.
Meeting Minutes and Board Records
The board approved the September 15, 2026 regular meeting minutes and the September 21, 2026 special meeting minutes without recorded opposition. Members were instructed to email Neighborhood Commission Office staff member Braxton with information about community meetings and public hearings they attended during September so those activities could be included in the October record.
Kapolei City Lights Participation
The board voted to participate in decorating a paniolo-themed holiday tree for Kapolei City Lights between November 17 and 20, during the available hours of 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Members discussed coordinating a specific weekday by email and gathering suitable ornaments and decorations. Weaver, De La Cruz, Tector, Gaston, and other participating members indicated they would contribute time or materials.
Lā Kūʻokoʻa Parade Participation
The board approved participation in the Kawailehua Lā Kūʻokoʻa parade scheduled for Saturday, November 21, from 2 to 4 p.m., traveling from Nānākuli High and Intermediate School to the Kalanihoʻokahā Community Learning Center. Four members indicated they could participate. Members also thanked those who joined Nānākuli High School’s earlier homecoming parade and the Six Road ʻOhana for providing a golf cart that helped board members travel the uphill route.
Committee Schedules and Environmental Updates
The joint Transportation and Housing Committee was scheduled for Thursday, November 5, from 5:30 to 7 p.m., followed by the Education Committee from 7:30 to 9 p.m. at the Nānākuli Public Library. The Hawaiian Affairs and Water and Land committees normally meet on the third Wednesday but canceled their next sessions. The Water and Land Committee distributed an update from Kuleana Coral describing storm impacts on coral reefs and was encouraged to invite HI-EMA to a future meeting. Parks and Recreation had no meeting scheduled, while Public Health and Safety generally meets on the final Tuesday of the month at Kalanihoʻokahā Beach Park when a properly noticed agenda is posted.
Upcoming Community Dates
Announcements included Representative Kila’s 3R School Recycling Drive at Nānākuli High and Intermediate School, the school alumni reunion at the Orleans Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Election Day on November 3 with mail voting and a ballot drop box at the Nānākuli Public Library, “Priced into Paradise” at the Hoʻopili Hyatt Place on November 10 and 11, and Councilmember Tupola’s Nānākai/Māʻili 76 Station beach cleanup on November 14 from 7:30 a.m. to noon. The next regular board meeting was scheduled for Tuesday, November 17, at 7 p.m. at the Nānākuli Public Library and through WebEx. Chair Gaston closed by wishing the community safety as the holiday season approached and adjourned the meeting.