Honolulu Government Efficiency and Customer Services Committee Meeting - May 1, 2026

Note on Date Discrepancy: The transcript indicates the meeting occurred on Thursday, April 30, 2026, at 2:38 p.m., but the official metadata provided states the meeting took place on 2026-05-01 00:35:56+00:00. This summary uses the provided exact date.

The Committee on Government Efficiency and Customer Services, chaired by Chair Dos Santos Taman, convened remotely to discuss Bill 8 (2025) CD1 regarding animal nuisance civil penalties and to receive an informational briefing from the city’s Chief Data Officer on data initiatives. Councilmembers Cordero, Nishimoto, and Okimoto were present; Vice Chair Wire was excused. Public testimony was limited to one minute per speaker.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Kim Hashiro (Director, Department of Customer Services) expressed support for Bill 8, noting appreciation for consideration of their comments and revised language.
• Stephanie Kendrick (Hawaiian Humane Society) expressed strong support for the measure and highlighted concerns about Section 7, which appeared to assume all enforcement of the animal nuisance statute (Chapter 12, Article 2) falls under the county animal control contractor. She noted different agencies have distinct roles and suggested amendments, as detailed in written testimony.

Discussion Items

• Bill 8 (2025) CD1 – Animal Nuisance Civil Penalties: Introduced by Councilmember Okimoto to improve enforcement of civil penalties for animal nuisance. The measure was collaboratively developed with the Department of Customer Services and the Humane Society. The chair recommended amendments to create a CD2 version:
  • Incorporate amendments from Departmental Communication 292 (2026) recommended by the Department of Customer Services.
  • Insert language in Section 7 (Chapter 12-2 enforcement): Subpoint A: “Require the animal control contractor to enforce the provisions of this article as it pertains to the animals identified within the executed contract.” Subpoint B: “Animal control contractor to determine compliance with the provisions of this article as it pertains to the animals identified within the executed contract.”
  • Additional technical, non-substantive amendments. No objections were raised; the bill was amended to CD2 and reported out for third reading.
• Informational Briefing – Mayor’s Message 63 (2026) – Key Data Initiatives: Chief Data Officer Kira Chucham presented updates on the city’s data strategy since April 2025. Highlights included:
  • Delivery of the City Data Plan (published April 2025) with a biennial refinement cycle.
  • Data governance framework nearly complete; rollout of data governance and stewardship programs in progress.
  • Development of a citywide AI policy with a working group of 20+ individuals from multiple departments; expected to be issued as a mayor’s directive before the end of the fiscal year.
  • Team expansion: two new positions (data governance analyst and data scientist) approved by council; the data scientist position is vacant after the hire departed.
  • A data integration platform procured and operational, enabling cross-departmental data integration.
  • Open data portal administration transferred from DIT to her team; active enhancement and governance underway.
  • Data Community of Practice established (January 2025) with ~50 members meeting biweekly; training on data management, AI, and best practices.
  • Innovative applications deployed or in development:
    • KOCO Command Center (homeless bed availability for HPD, CORE, nonprofits) – active since June 2025.
    • MH3 Tracking (for individuals taken into custody as a danger to self or public) – tracks from street to mental health facility.
    • CORE (Crisis Outreach Response) engagement tracking application – in prototype.
    • City Property Data Inventory – expected to launch by end of May 2026, published on open data portal.
  • Councilmember Okimoto asked about office size (3 staff, 1 vacancy) and praised collaboration with DIT.
  • Chair Dos Santos Taman asked about progress on data standards (identified as “severely lacking” in the data plan). Chucham responded that standards will be set collaboratively through the data governance program, socialized at upcoming cabinet meeting and shared with council.
  • Chair asked about review of open data policies by end of FY26 (two months remaining). Chucham confirmed target date of July, with active administration transferred to her team.
  • Chair asked about department goals for posting data; Chucham noted some departments are ahead, and data community of practice is working to enable regular uploads.
  • Chair questioned prioritization of AI use across departments (e.g., DTS for traffic). Chucham stated engagement with HPD, Fire, DTS among others, but solutions listed are those already delivered.

Key Outcomes

• Bill 8 (2025) CD1 was amended to CD2 with unanimous approval and reported out for third reading (no objections).
• The informational briefing on data initiatives was received; no formal action was taken.
• The committee adjourned at 3:10 p.m. (per transcript).