OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Budget Committee Reviews FY27 Budget and Passes CD2 Amendments - May 1, 2026

City CouncilFriday, May 1, 2026
BodyHonolulu, Hawaii
SessionCity Council
DateFriday, May 1, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 2:36:40
Transcript — Verbatim
6:13

Thank you.

6:14

Aloha, good afternoon.

6:15

It is one thirty-seven, and I call the committee on budget back to order.

6:20

Members, we will continue on page eight of our operating budget proposed amendments for CD2 worksheets.

6:29

And starting on page eight through page sixteen, we have with public safety the Honolulu Police Department.

6:34

Thank you so much for being here.

6:37

I do not see acting chief Raddy Vanick.

6:43

Oh, I'm sorry, Major Hironaka.

6:46

You're here.

6:46

Thank you so much for being here with us.

6:49

And I'm not sure if you heard earlier.

6:51

We're just asking the departments to give about a three-minute overview, and then the members can ask questions following that.

7:08

Aloha, good afternoon, Major Hiranaka.

7:11

Good afternoon, budget chair, Okimoto, Chair Waters, and the rest of the council.

7:16

Um I'm Ryan Hironaka, major of Honolulu Police Department's finance division.

7:22

So in review of the amendments proposed for CD2, the department believes it'll address the major concerns we had with the amendments that went into CD1.

7:32

And we will, if it goes in this form, the department will work with the budget that is outlined as is for the CD2.

7:42

And with that, I'm open for any questions.

7:45

Thank you, Major Hiran Akawa music to our ears.

7:47

Thank you very much.

7:48

Council Member Tupola.

7:49

Thank you so much.

7:50

I was just gonna say that.

7:54

And I did meet with Chief Bannock so that I resolved all of you guys' concerns.

7:58

We're here to help, we're here to support.

8:00

We want you guys to succeed.

8:01

We definitely have uh talked through a lot of needed changes, and the department is not against those changes.

8:07

It's just how we work through it.

8:09

So he did agree that come July we'll have a resolution so that you guys can regularly update the council on how the funds were expended to execute the different initiatives from the vacancy task force.

8:21

So I just thank you guys very much for you know being forthright with me and hearing my thoughts as well and working with me to move forward because I think all of us uh want the same goal.

8:31

So thank you very much.

8:32

Thank you, Chair.

8:33

Thank you, Councilmember Tupola, Councilmember DeSantis Tam.

8:36

Thank you, Chair.

8:36

Um, with regard to the structure of uh the various bonus programs that are here, it's structured as one thousand upon the recruit successful completion of the academy and one thousand upon completion of one year of service.

8:50

Uh, given that the budget is uh for one year, would that second thousand dollars need to be encumbered by July thirtieth of twenty twenty-seven?

8:58

Or are we now expecting us to have to fund the second installment in the FY28 budget?

9:07

It will likely have to be funded in the future years when the benchmark is hit.

9:12

Okay, got it.

9:14

Thank you, Councilmember DeSantis Tam, Council Member Cordero.

9:17

Thank you, Caro Kimoto.

9:18

Hi, Major Hiranaka.

9:20

Um, unfortunately, I don't agree uh with uh the uh proposed budget and CD two for HPD.

9:27

I do think that uh we can look to make further uh appropriations in supporting our community policing.

9:33

I know that we've had many discussions, um, including uh with your other majors uh in your division to discuss um how we can continue to support community policing.

9:43

Um I know it's not um in the accepted amendments, but I do uh note that our community policing, they're used beyond community policing.

10:00

I know that we've had many discussions including uh with your other majors uh in your division to discuss um how we can continue to support community policing um I know it's not um in the accepted amendments but I do uh note that our community policing they're used beyond community policing they're used for enforcement traffic special events and wherever you need them but um especially where the focus should be uh on enforcement and special events and all those materials they they also are focused on direct contact with our community so that's why I uh would make that recommend that recommendation every single year and whether it makes it in this year I will still continue continue to support it because um that direct connection to uh the community is uh what continues a strong uh strong partnership that HPD has and the perspective of HPD that HPD has um to the greater community and especially in place like Kalihi has continued to uh grow and get better um year after year decade after decade and even with the 2800 for all the uh eight patrol districts would go to just bettering so I just wanted to make that note thank you chair thank you councilmember cordero major did you have any response uh regarding the CPT or in general in general um no not in general at this time but we do appreciate the consideration that this council puts into um our input regarding the changes that are proposed when they are proposed I thank you very much I do want to thank you the department as well as Councilmember Tupola and her office I know you guys worked really closely and and um you met with my office as well I tried really hard to hear everybody's um points of view and take that into consideration so I'm thankful for the collaboration that the department gave us and thankful again it was music to my ears to have a department come up and say thank you we were we worked with you guys and we're willing to work with what you guys have presented to us.

11:39

With regards to the CPT I know we had we had talked about this and I do appreciate Councilmember Cordero putting that in that's also a very um special part of the district in my area as well but I wanted to make sure that we didn't cut the funding for that although in talking with you guys we wanted to make sure that we kept the funding in place but also be mindful so I I did not accept the extended um or the amendments to increase the amount but I I do concur with Councilmember Cordero that that is a very important part of our committees.

12:06

Thank you again for working with us um any follow-up councilmember Tupola?

12:11

Yeah briefly um I do think that as we push through and a new chief is chosen or whatever happens admin-wise that I've started discussions but again when new administration comes we can solidify this about deciding whether or not some of the portions of what CPT does should be 89 day contract hires should be contracted as opposed to having full-time patrol officers be in that role so that there is a good use of money but that we're leaving our patrol officers for actually responding to cases I would agree CPT is a huge part of our community but how we expend those funds is something that I hope we can look into next year for the budget.

12:49

I do support them and thank them for all that they do but thank you thank you chair thank you council member Tupola any further discussion members thank you major hiranaka thank you.

12:59

The chair will be accepting the amendments to HPD as listed on pages eight through 16 chair I just have discussion item on that part.

13:07

Oh I'm sorry okay go ahead council oh sorry discussion on just the acceptance um I do want to note I know and I do recognize Major Hiranaka mentioned in CD1 um that they are looking to hopefully lapse not even close to 20 million dollars but um in but we do I do have to note that HD did lapse 20 million two hundred eighty three thousand fifty five dollars seventy eight cents in fiscal year 2025 and in fiscal year 2024 uh 44 million four hundred thousand dollars six hundred twenty five dollars and thirty nine cents and I think that 20 uh 80 238 dollars uh 238000 dedicated to our community policing wouldn't take away from such a such big lapses whether they lapse a million or 500 thousand dollars or even a hundred thousand dollars so um I just wanted to note that um and also uh we'll continue to keep watching how much they lapse but we keep allowing HPD to be egregious with their lapses compared in comparison like 20 of our city agencies can fit within though those lapses so I just want to note that thank you thank you council member cordero any further discussion before you move on past HPD no okay thank you major hiranaka and again the chair will be accepting the amendments to HPD as listed on pages eight through 16 moving on to the top of page 17 from the Department of Emergency Management I believe I do see with us director ran Randall Collins aloha and good afternoon Director Collins Aloha thank you for having me Council Chair uh Okamoto and uh council members thank you for having me today um I know that in this particular uh amendment that uh we've added 3000 for the uh uh flood mitigation monitoring activities or system and that is uh I think you all know I'm very supportive of that particular initiative and want to see that come to fruition that being said I would uh ask you to consider that uh knowing that I've already allocated uh million dollars to that particular

15:00

Council Chair Okamoto and Council members, thank you for having me today.

15:06

That uh we've added 300,000 for the uh flood mitigation monitoring activities or system.

15:14

And that is uh I think you all know I'm very supportive of that particular initiative and want to see that come to fruition.

15:21

That being said, I would uh ask you to consider that uh knowing that I've already allocated uh million dollars to that particular project through the Urban Area Security Initiative, and also knowing that that kind of change has impacts on the other city agencies, uh, with also a focus on understanding that our uh disaster provisional fund, uh, which is very critical for us to conduct emergency operations, especially in the immediate aftermath of uh any type of uh emergency that we may have, which if we reinstitute that has no impact on all the other departments.

15:59

Um we can still use the UASI money for the flood mitigation project, and then I would still ask that you consider um council member uh Kia Aina's uh proposal to add uh five positions uh on top of the eight that's already coming.

16:14

Those positions are incredibly vital as we learned in the CONALO storms.

16:19

Um my staff is so limited in what we can do, especially in back-to-back operations that go on for in this case uh almost two months or more.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Miscellaneous██████████████████18%
Public Safety██████████████14%
Budget Equity Analysis██████████10%
Procedural████████8%
Waste Management████████8%
Disaster Response Planning███████7%
Funds Management█████5%
Animal Welfare████4%
Fiscal Sustainability████4%
Summary of Proceedings

Honolulu City Council Budget Committee Meeting – May 1, 2026

The Budget Committee, chaired by Councilmember Okimoto, convened at 1:37 PM on May 1, 2026, to continue review of proposed amendments to the Fiscal Year 2027 operating and capital budgets. Departments presented overviews, council members debated funding priorities, and numerous amendments were adopted, culminating in the passage of multiple bills and resolutions.

Consent Calendar

  • No separate consent calendar was listed; all items were discussed individually.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Matt Cares (James Campbell Company) testified in strong support of Bill 23 CD1 and the proposed CD2 amendment that deletes $30 million for land acquisition (Mākāewa Hills) and expansion of Waimānalo Gulch. He stated the company opposes any attempt to condemn the land for a landfill and noted the property is zoned for 4,200 homes.
  • Sweetie Nelson (Ko Olina Resort Operators Association) opposed the landfill expansion, highlighting that Ko Olina generated $2.5 billion in annual economic impact and supports 5,300 jobs. Extending the landfill threatens future development and tourism.
  • Boyd Reedy (Haleʻiwa Oʻahu Historical Society) urged inclusion in the capital budget of funds to adaptively reuse the Hongwanji temple site as a historic community center.
  • Nadine Takai Day, Kevin Nakamura, and Peter Andrew all testified in strong support of funding for improvements to the K. Mark Takai Veterans Memorial Aquatic Center (VMAC), citing drowning prevention, community health, and economic benefits.

Discussion Items

Honolulu Police Department (HPD)

  • Major Ryan Hiranaka reported that CD2 amendments address the department’s concerns and HPD will work with that budget. Councilmember Tupola noted agreement with Chief Bannock to provide quarterly updates via resolution starting July. Councilmember DeSantis Tam clarified the $1,000 bonus at 1-year service would need future-year funding. Councilmember Cordero opposed CD2, advocating for more community policing funding, and cited HPD’s $20.3 million lapse in FY2025 and $44.4 million in FY2024. Chair Okimoto accepted amendments on pages 8–16.

Department of Emergency Management (DEM)

  • Director Randall Collins supported the $300,000 for flood mitigation but asked to prioritize five new positions (proposed by Councilmember Kia Aina) over that funding, noting he already allocated $1 million from UASI. The positions (critical infrastructure coordinator, planner, logistics specialist, etc.) cost $328,776 and would take ~4 months to hire. Councilmember Kia Aina emphasized the need due to climate change and increasing frequency of storms. Councilmember Tupola encouraged using contingency contracts instead of full-time hires. Councilmember DeSantis Tam noted five civil service vacancies already exist. Chair Waters and Cordero discussed salary savings and 90-day contracts. Chair Okimoto accepted the DEM amendment.

Department of Transportation Services (DTS)

  • Director Roger Morton accepted a $10,000 reduction, declined $150,000 for school speed enforcement (citing alternative state funds), and requested restoration of $116,000 for WTMA dues. Councilmember Kia Aina asked about status of prior $500,000 for speed humps; Morton said design is underway. Amendments on pages 18 and 25 accepted.

Department of Housing and Land Management (DHLM)

  • Deputy Director Kat Tashner requested deferral of $200,000 for planning at the Pearl Ridge site, citing a federal procurement risk for DTS’s mobility hub. DTS Deputy Director Hongli explained that additional planning could jeopardize federal environmental clearance. Councilmembers Tupola, Cordero, and Waters debated if a feasibility study could be done concurrently. Chair Okimoto accepted the amendment deferring the funds.

Department of Community Services (DCS)

  • Deputy Director Elber Las Pinas stated most amendments are restorative but recommended declining $2 million in grants-in-aid to balance other priorities. He corrected technical errors: $1 million for Kupuna feeding not in general fund (only $120,000 exists), and noted $2.3 million in federal/state funds already programmed. He asked to restore $16,000 for a home rehab loan program and restore $1 million reduction to community-based development. Councilmember Tupola sought assurance for Kupuna feeding funding. Councilmember Kia Aina added $2 million in GIAs plus a planner position ($66,324). Councilmember Wire criticized insufficient funding for food access. Amendments on pages 21–23 accepted; a new proviso for a planner position also added.

Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR)

  • Director Laura Thielen requested restoration of cuts, noting that 71% of current expenses are fixed costs (water, electricity, sewer). She warned that moving money to a provisional account adds process layers, leading to more lapses. Chair Waters argued it is a reserve, not a cut, and noted DPR lapsed $12.3 million in FY2025. Thielen countered that salary cuts and additional processes hinder operations. Amendments on pages 23–24 accepted.

Department of Enterprise Services (DES)

  • Director Tita Hollyfield requested $614,000 for Honolulu Zoo repairs (exhibits, electricity) to meet AZA accreditation. She noted pandas would cost $1 million per panda per year but is not requesting that now. Councilmember Kia Aina expressed concern over panda costs and welfare. Chair Waters questioned diversion of funds. Amendments on page 25 accepted.

Miscellaneous & Providends

  • Director Andy Kawano expressed concern about reducing the energy cost provision by $4.1 million given geopolitical uncertainties. Councilmember DeSantis Tam asked for updated revenue projections. The chair accepted the balancing amendments on pages 26–27 and provisos on pages 32–37.

Capital Budget (Bill 23) – Key Items

  • Landfill: Director Babcock (ENV) pleaded for restoring $30 million to purchase Mākāewa Hills and expansion of Waimānalo Gulch, citing an impending closure date (March 2028) and running out of space by 2031. Councilmember Tupola strongly opposed, noting no recent technical report, lack of consultation with the legislature on amending Act 73, and community chaos. She urged alternative strategies. The committee accepted the deletion of the landfill acquisition and expansion funds.
  • VMAC: Several testifiers supported $1.5 million for the aquatic center’s improvements. The funding remained in the capital budget.
  • Other Capital Departments: DDC, DHLM, DTS, DFM amendments accepted with minimal discussion.

Key Outcomes

  • Bill 22 (Operating Budget) : Amended to CD2 incorporating all departmental adjustments discussed; reported out for third reading with a reservation from Councilmember Tupola.
  • Bill 23 (Capital Budget) : Amended to CD2 with removal of landfill acquisition and expansion funds; reported out for third reading.
  • Bill 26 & 27 (HART Operating & Capital Budgets) : Approved without amendment, reported out for third reading.
  • Bill 24 (Bond Authorization) : Approved and reported out for third reading.
  • Bill 28 (Legislative Budget – CD1) : Approved without amendment, reported out for third reading.
  • Resolution 26-62 (Real Property Tax Rates) : Approved and ordered adopted.
  • Next Steps: The CD2 versions of Bills 22 and 23 will proceed to full council for third reading. The council will also work on final FD1 amendments before floor action.

Meeting Transcript

Thank you. Aloha, good afternoon. It is one thirty-seven, and I call the committee on budget back to order. Members, we will continue on page eight of our operating budget proposed amendments for CD2 worksheets. And starting on page eight through page sixteen, we have with public safety the Honolulu Police Department. Thank you so much for being here. I do not see acting chief Raddy Vanick. Oh, I'm sorry, Major Hironaka. You're here. Thank you so much for being here with us. And I'm not sure if you heard earlier. We're just asking the departments to give about a three-minute overview, and then the members can ask questions following that. Aloha, good afternoon, Major Hiranaka. Good afternoon, budget chair, Okimoto, Chair Waters, and the rest of the council. Um I'm Ryan Hironaka, major of Honolulu Police Department's finance division. So in review of the amendments proposed for CD2, the department believes it'll address the major concerns we had with the amendments that went into CD1. And we will, if it goes in this form, the department will work with the budget that is outlined as is for the CD2. And with that, I'm open for any questions. Thank you, Major Hiran Akawa music to our ears. Thank you very much. Council Member Tupola. Thank you so much. I was just gonna say that. And I did meet with Chief Bannock so that I resolved all of you guys' concerns. We're here to help, we're here to support. We want you guys to succeed. We definitely have uh talked through a lot of needed changes, and the department is not against those changes. It's just how we work through it. So he did agree that come July we'll have a resolution so that you guys can regularly update the council on how the funds were expended to execute the different initiatives from the vacancy task force. So I just thank you guys very much for you know being forthright with me and hearing my thoughts as well and working with me to move forward because I think all of us uh want the same goal. So thank you very much. Thank you, Chair. Thank you, Councilmember Tupola, Councilmember DeSantis Tam. Thank you, Chair. Um, with regard to the structure of uh the various bonus programs that are here, it's structured as one thousand upon the recruit successful completion of the academy and one thousand upon completion of one year of service. Uh, given that the budget is uh for one year, would that second thousand dollars need to be encumbered by July thirtieth of twenty twenty-seven? Or are we now expecting us to have to fund the second installment in the FY28 budget? It will likely have to be funded in the future years when the benchmark is hit. Okay, got it. Thank you, Councilmember DeSantis Tam, Council Member Cordero. Thank you, Caro Kimoto. Hi, Major Hiranaka. Um, unfortunately, I don't agree uh with uh the uh proposed budget and CD two for HPD. I do think that uh we can look to make further uh appropriations in supporting our community policing. I know that we've had many discussions, um, including uh with your other majors uh in your division to discuss um how we can continue to support community policing. Um I know it's not um in the accepted amendments, but I do uh note that our community policing, they're used beyond community policing. I know that we've had many discussions including uh with your other majors uh in your division to discuss um how we can continue to support community policing um I know it's not um in the accepted amendments but I do uh note that our community policing they're used beyond community policing they're used for enforcement traffic special events and wherever you need them but um especially where the focus should be uh on enforcement and special events and all those materials they they also are focused on direct contact with our community so that's why I uh would make that recommend that recommendation every single year and whether it makes it in this year I will still continue continue to support it because um that direct connection to uh the community is uh what continues a strong uh strong partnership that HPD has and the perspective of HPD that HPD has um to the greater community and especially in place like Kalihi has continued to uh grow and get better um year after year decade after decade and even with the 2800 for all the uh eight patrol districts would go to just bettering so I just wanted to make that note thank you chair thank you councilmember cordero major did you have any response uh regarding the CPT or in general in general um no not in general at this time but we do appreciate the consideration that this council puts into um our input regarding the changes that are proposed when they are proposed I thank you very much I do want to thank you the department as well as Councilmember Tupola and her office I know you guys worked really closely and and um you met with my office as well I tried really hard to hear everybody's um points of view and take that into consideration so I'm thankful for the collaboration that the department gave us and thankful again it was music to my ears to have a department come up and say thank you we were we worked with you guys and we're willing to work with what you guys have presented to us. With regards to the CPT I know we had we had talked about this and I do appreciate Councilmember Cordero putting that in that's also a very um special part of the district in my area as well but I wanted to make sure that we didn't cut the funding for that although in talking with you guys we wanted to make sure that we kept the funding in place but also be mindful so I I did not accept the extended um or the amendments to increase the amount but I I do concur with Councilmember Cordero that that is a very important part of our committees. Thank you again for working with us um any follow-up councilmember Tupola? Yeah briefly um I do think that as we push through and a new chief is chosen or whatever happens admin-wise that I've started discussions but again when new administration comes we can solidify this about deciding whether or not some of the portions of what CPT does should be 89 day contract hires should be contracted as opposed to having full-time patrol officers be in that role so that there is a good use of money but that we're leaving our patrol officers for actually responding to cases I would agree CPT is a huge part of our community but how we expend those funds is something that I hope we can look into next year for the budget.

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