Public Safety and Economic Committee Meeting - August 22, 2025
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Public Safety and Economic Committee Meeting - August 22, 2025
The meeting was called to order at 1:05 p.m. on August 22, 2025 (the council's specified date, though the transcript recorded a date of August 21). Chair Maho presided. The committee considered one resolution on flood monitoring, one resolution on the police chief selection process, and received an informational briefing from the Honolulu Police Department on media relations. Councilmembers present included Anjotopola (likely Tupola), Okimoto, Nishimoto, Kia Aina, Wire, and Kudero.
Discussion Items
Resolution 25-234: Flood Inundation Zone Monitoring Devices
- Deputy Director Jennifer Walter of the Department of Emergency Management expressed support for additional monitoring capability, noting the importance of broad language to allow use of traffic cameras with sensors or AI. She mentioned potential grant funding for AI hazard detection in the next year. Councilmember Wire, the sponsor, explained the resolution stemmed from the recent tsunami warning and the community's desire for real-time situational awareness. The resolution passed without objection.
Resolution 25-22: Police Chief Selection Process
- Lori Foster, Vice Chair of the Police Commission, reported on the commission's efforts to improve the selection process, including consulting five national search firms and deciding to hire a search firm. She outlined a timeline: RFP release within a week, contract by November, and a comprehensive discovery/engagement phase ending around March 2026. Foster noted the commission seeks a chief who combines strong leadership with collaboration and communication.
- Councilmember Tupola offered a verbal amendment to add "and civilian employees" to the title and throughout the resolution, seconded and adopted unanimously. The amended resolution (CD1) was reported out for adoption.
Informational Briefing: HPD Media Relations and Public Access
- Acting Chief Roddy Vadik presented HPD's digital initiatives, including a new unified media landing page (expected by end of August), a 24-hour incident log, and a CAD text alert system for media (modeled after HFD). He emphasized the department's commitment to transparency while balancing officer safety and privacy.
- Councilmembers discussed the need for written internal communications, the role of new Communications Director Claudette Springer, and ongoing coordination with media outlets. Chief Vadik noted a media roundtable scheduled for August 26, 2025.
Public Comments & Testimony
On Resolution 25-22:
- Nicholas Schaupak (SHOPO State Board Treasurer, 17-year HPD veteran) expressed strong support, saying the resolution gives frontline officers a real voice for the first time. He cited a member survey showing officers want to be heard.
- Jonathan Fry (SHOPO Honolulu Chapter Chair, 15-year HPD veteran) urged passage, criticizing the prior process for lacking transparency and meaningful input. He stated the resolution would define good leadership, require thorough vetting, and integrate the staffing and retention task force findings.
- Austin Salcido (remote) testified in support, emphasizing the need for collaboration between the chief, union, and community, and warning against misuse of authority.
Key Outcomes
- Resolution 25-234 was reported out for adoption unanimously.
- Resolution 25-22 was amended to include civilian employees (CD1) and reported out for adoption unanimously.
- Informational briefing was accepted; HPD committed to sharing the media roundtable outcomes and continuing to work with the council and media.
- Councilmember Kia Aina voiced disappointment that the DEM Director did not attend a requested briefing on tsunami evacuation lessons learned, urging better responsiveness.
Meeting Transcript
Aloha, good afternoon, everyone. It is 105 p.m. on a Thursday, August 21st, 2025, and I called a meeting on public safety and economic economy meeting to order. I want to welcome Councilmember Anjotopola, Councilmember Okimoto, Councilmember Nishimoto, Councilmember Kia Aina. Okay, pursuing to uh section 92-3.7 Hawaii revised statutes. This meeting will be conducted as a remote meeting by interactive conference technology with the following procedures in effect for the meeting. Members of the public will be allowed to provide all testimony on all items on the agenda in person in the council chamber and remotely on each agenda item taken up. As both English and Hawaiian are official languages of the state of Hawaii, pursuant to Article 15, Section 4 of the Hawaii State Constitution and Section 1-13 of the Hawaii revised statute members of the public may testify in either language. For our testimonies offered in Olela Hawaii, additional time as uh may be necessary will be allowed for the testifier to provide an English translation of their testimony. Before testifying, each person shall state the name, each speaker may not have anyone else read the statement and is limited to a one-minute presentation on each item. All persons who have registered to testify in person will be called upon first. When the timer goes off, please conclude your remarks promptly. Persons who have not registered will be given an opportunity to testify following the registered testifiers. Once in-person testimony has concluded, I will proceed uh to remote testimony. All persons who have registered to testify remotely by video conference or telephone will be then be called upon. When your name is called, please monitor your screen and activate your audio feed when prompt. For persons who are testifying by telephone only, I will identify you by the last three digits of your phone number. When numbers called, please listen for the prompt to unmute and press star six. When I call for anyone else standing by remotely, please utilize the zoom raise hand button to indicate your desire to speak. For those joining us by telephone only, please press star nine to indicate your desire to speak. So friendly reminders and tips, video conference from a quiet location if possible. If you're watching the proceedings on a lello, please mute your television and when you're called to testify. When the timer on the screen reaches zero, please conclude your remarks promptly. HRS section 92 37 um requires that all votes at remote meetings be conducted by roll call unless unanimous. Therefore, I will first call for objections. And if there are any, I will call a roll call vote. Written testimonies include the testifier's email address and phone number will be available to the public as described on the posted agenda. Members, resolution 25-200 has been canceled and not will not be considered as a courtesy. Please turn off all cell phones in the duration of this meeting. Also want to welcome Councilmember Wire. Okay, item number one, resolution 25-234, urging the city administration to install monitoring devices in flood inundation zones to improve public safety and emergency response during weather and climate-related disaster and events. Here from the administration is Jennifer Walter, Deputy Director, Department of Emergency Management. Good afternoon, committee chair, members of the council. We are supportive of additional monitoring capability. But the broad language is important to us because it allows us to look at a traffic camera with some kind of sensor or AI on it that could actually give some alert. And as noted in resolution, it is something that we identified as a priority looking at alerting systems in our hazard mitigation plan. So no concerns. Thank you. Okay, thank you. Members, do you have any questions? Okay, we proceed to uh in-person testimony. Is there anyone in the chamber that is here to testify? Chair, there are none. Okay, and we'll move on to remote testimony. Is anyone uh wanting to testify remotely? Chair, there are none. Okay. Uh see none. Um members, we are in discussion. Councilmember Wire.
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