The Honolulu City Council convened on August 7, 2025, to address a range of issues including appointments to city boards and commissions, the first reading of several bills, and a contentious third reading of a land use boundary amendment for Haleiwa (Bill 37). The meeting featured extensive public testimony, particularly on Bill 37 (over 800 written testimonies and 1,300 petition signatures in opposition) and Bill 46 (police information release). The council also debated the confirmation of a new police commissioner and heard updates on the Fire Commission and Ocean Safety Commission.
Aloha and good morning, everyone. Thank you all for being here. Councilmember Toba, can you please lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance? The United States of America. One nation under God and the world, liberty and justice for all. Also, Councilmember Toboe kindly introduce our guest giving the message of aloha. Thank you, Chair. Please join me in welcoming Pastor Mike Guy, founder of Inspired Church, who's here to share the message of aloha. Since starting Inspired Church in 2001, his wife Lisa have grown the small church into a thriving multi-site community. I asked him to speak to us today because Inspired Church does a tremendous amount of community outreach in District 9, serving homeless, underprivileged, and working in partnership with our district 9 team to improve our community. Ma'alo, Pastor Mike, for joining us today. Good morning. Thank you, everybody. It's a privilege and an honor to be here. Good morning, Council Chair Waters. Thank you, Council members, everyone in the chamber, and people who are online. My name is Mike Kai. I am, as you said, the pastor of Inspire Church. I'm very, very thankful, in particular for Council members Tupola and Tolbah, who have done a great job on our side of the island, where mainly our congregation comes from the west side, where a lot of their constituents are. Very grateful to be here. Originally I'm from the big island, so um I'm born and raised in Honokaa. Um my family comes from Hilo. I'm very, very interested in what God is doing in these islands. The first thing I want to say, I never ran my talk or my message of aloha through Augie. I did not do that. I said, You're gonna trust me, he said, I trust you. So of course, I pray and I ask the Lord, what do you want me to speak on? I really felt impressed that God wanted me to speak about the aloha spirit or the spirit of aloha. When we talk about the spirit of aloha, when I begin to talk about what does it mean to have the aloha spirit? It's it's it's it's interesting to try to talk about something that you feel actually comes naturally. It comes naturally to us, but to be able to explain what it means, I had to do a little bit of research on where that came from. First of all, we live in a beautiful place. These islands are some of the most beautiful islands in the world. We are blessed to live here. Not only are these islands beautiful, but it's the people. The people are amazing here. It's like when you move somewhere, you go somewhere, and people hear your accent, they know that you must be from Hawaii. It's the way that you carry yourself, it's the way that you love people, it's the way that you care for other people. There's something special about people from Hawaii. When I began to look at this, I recall that in statehood in August 21st in 1959, when Hawaii became the 50th state, Reverend Abraham Akaka, who was the Kahu just across the street, gave an impromptu service and a message and a sermon that would live forever. And this is where he coined us the aloha state or the people of the aloha spirit. I want to tell you that it's more than the food. We have the best potlucks anywhere. Uh it's more than the people, and it's more than the beaches. It is something that's innate, it's something in our DNA. I want to talk about for what Reverend Akaka said. He said at Kawaii Ha'O Church, he said, but when the aloha spirit, the spirit of aloha, is perpetuated, cultivated, and adopted, that's what makes Hawaii so different and special. He said, Ah, yes, the creator God, Akua, protected these islands, the most isolated land group in the world from foreign discovery for 1,78 years after the birth of the carpenter in Bethlehem. It would take another 42 years before the missionaries arrived at Kawaii High on Hawaii Island to bring the gospel. He goes on to say that this meaning of aloha feels especially grateful that the discovery and development of our islands long ago was not couched in the context of imperialistic and exploitative national power, but in this context of aloha.