Honolulu City Council Committee on Public Safety and Economy Meeting - March 5, 2026
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Honolulu City Council Committee on Public Safety and Economy Meeting - March 5, 2026
The Committee on Public Safety and Economy, chaired by Councilmember Tulba, met on March 5, 2026, at 1 p.m. via remote conference technology. The meeting addressed multiple resolutions accepting gifts for city departments and an informational briefing from the Economic Revitalization Commission (ERC) on its 2025 annual report and 2026 priorities. All resolutions were adopted unanimously without objection. No public testimony was offered.
Gifts for Honolulu Police Department (Resolutions 26-28, 26-31, 26-40)
- Resolution 26-28 accepted $18,500 from the Deputies to fund training, scholarships, uniforms, and equipment for the HPD Law Enforcement Explorer (LEAP) program. Councilmember Tupola expressed support for the program and suggested adding a checkbox on HPD applications for explorer program participants to improve recruitment. Major Town agreed to raise the idea with HR.
- Resolution 26-31 accepted travel and related expenses valued at $1,972.79 from the Washington State Narcotics Investigators Association for an HPD representative to attend the WSNIA 2026 Training Summit in Idaho.
- Resolution 26-40 accepted a gift valued at $11,360 from the 200 Club of 120 Seats for HPD personnel and dignitaries to attend the 200 Club breakfast and award ceremony honoring HPD’s outstanding officer, reserve officer, civilian supervisor, employee of the year, and citizenship award for National Police Week 2026.
Gifts for Honolulu Fire Department (Resolutions 26-30, 26-35)
- Resolution 26-30 accepted a passenger van valued at $60,000 from the Kevin Wojcik Explorers for Life Association and the HFD Explorers for community outreach, education, fire safety, and recruitment. The resolution was amended via a hand-carried CD1 (OCS2026-0118, 227, 2026 at 204 p.m.) before adoption.
- Resolution 26-35 accepted a monetary gift of $17,300 from the Honolulu Firefighters Foundation for HFD events.
Gifts for Honolulu Zoo (Resolutions 26-41, 26-48, 26-49)
- Resolution 26-41 accepted a gift of registration and travel expenses valued at $3,500 from the Honolulu Zoological Society for a zoo staff member to participate in the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Species Survival Plan program in Indonesia (April 3–15, 2026).
- Resolution 26-48 accepted a pre-owned classic mini express trackless train valued at $8,300 from the Honolulu Zoological Society.
- Resolution 26-49 accepted installation of pumps, filters, and UV water sterilization system for the gharial (alligator) exhibit pool valued at $52,000 from the Honolulu Zoological Society.
Informational Briefing: Economic Revitalization Commission 2025 Annual Report and 2026 Priorities
- ERC Chair Eliza Talbot and Vice Chair Olin Lagan presented the commission’s work. In 2025, the commission focused on agriculture and food systems, including site visits to Metro Grow and Kako‘o ‘Ōiwi, highlighting how lo‘i (taro patches) help with flood control.
- The commission advocated for local procurement preferences, citing a San Antonio example where contracts to small/minority/women-owned businesses rose from 12% to 46% after implementing a 10% premium.
- They launched an “Idea to Business” pilot on the West Side, graduating entrepreneurs who secured over $300,000 in loans from local financial institutions.
- For 2026, priorities include developing a five-year strategic plan based on the O‘ahu Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS), focusing on AI for local businesses, and supporting workforce development, regenerative tourism, and small business finance.
- Commissioners requested council support for OER’s budget, legislation to allow below-market-rate leases on vacant city lands for economic development (Bill 35 and Bill 10), and a loan fund for entrepreneurs.
- Councilmembers discussed the need for coordination with the Department of Housing and Land Management (DHLM) and asked for a list of vacant city properties. Councilmember Tupola urged the commission to work directly with council districts on specific parcels. Director Asobi noted that OER is exploring a pilot project in Chinatown using existing concession authority while awaiting legislative changes.
Key Outcomes
- All nine resolutions (26-28, 26-31, 26-40, 26-30 CD1, 26-35, 26-41, 26-48, 26-49) were reported out for adoption without objection.
- Resolution 26-30 was amended to a CD1 before adoption.
- The ERC’s presentation was received as information; no formal action was taken. The commission will continue to advocate for vacant land leasing authority and coordinate with council members on district-specific economic development opportunities.
Meeting Transcript
Aloy, good afternoon everyone. It's 1 p.m., a Thursday, March 5th, and I call the committee on public safety and economy meeting to order. I'd like to welcome Committee Vice Chair Ki Aina, Council Members Okimoto, Tupola, and Nishimoto. Okay, pursued to 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 oral testimony on all items on the agenda in person in the council chamber and remotely when each agenda item is 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 Statutes. Members of the public may testify in either language. For our testimonies offered in Olelo, Hawaii, additional time as may be uh 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 their 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 is concluded, I will proceed to remote testimony. All persons who have registered to testify remotely by video conference or telephone will be then called 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 the number is called, please listen for your 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. Some friendly reminders and tips. Video conference from a quiet location if possible. If you are also watching the proceedings on Olelo, please mute your television when you're called to testify. When the time on the screen reaches zero, please conclude your remarks properly. HRS section 92-3.7 requires all votes and remote meetings be conducted by roll call unless unanimous. Written testimonies, including the testifiers email address and phone number, will be available to the public as described on the posted agenda. As a courtesy, please turn off all cell phones during the duration of this meeting. Okay, members, I would like to take up the agenda items one, three, and six together. Agenda item number one, resolution 26-28. This resolution accepts a monetary gift valued at $18,500 to the city from the deputies to fund the training scholarship uniforms and equipment for the Honolulu Police Department Law Enforcement Explorer program. Agenda item number three, resolution 26-31. This resolution accept the gift of travel and related expenses valued at 1,972.79 cents to the city from the Washington State Narcotics Investigators Association for representative of the Honolulu Police Department to attend the WSNIA 2026 training summit and vendor show in uh care. I can't say you want to try this one someplace in Idaho. From April 19th to 23 uh 2026. Agenda item number six, resolution 26-40 for the resolution accept the gift valued at 11,360 to the city from the 200 club of 120 seats for the Honolulu Police Department, personnel and dignitaries to attend the 200 club breakfast and award ceremony of May 15, 2026, and to honor the award, uh the Honolulu Police Department's outstanding officer, parent reserve officer, civilian supervisor, and employee of the year and citizenship award for National Police Week 2026. And here from the administration is uh Major Robert Town. Major, if you'd like to uh say a few words and um and I don't see uh officer Jerome Pacaro. Um Chair, Vice Chair the the button on button. Good morning, Chair and good morning, Vice Chair and Council members. Um Bobby Town, uh Holy Peace Department. I'm currently the major in charge of the community affairs division. Uh the first item that we were talking about is for our law enforcement um explorer program. We refer to it as LEAP. This is an annual um money that the deputies gives us. That program we do is not budgeted in our um budget, so everything we operate is off of this donation. Um I have a breakdown if you folks are interested in it. But basically, it's to provide them with shirts that um identify them as LEAP uh for their training, their equipment. We do coordinations now with um fire department and EMS also has a leap program. We do joint exercises with them. Uh our goal is to eventually get these um young students to go from leap to our cadet program and then into our recruit school thing.
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