Honolulu City Council Budget Committee Meeting - August 25, 2026
Honolulu City Council Budget Committee Meeting - August 25, 2026
The Honolulu City Council Budget Committee met on Tuesday, August 25, 2026, at 9:06 a.m. in the council chamber. The committee considered six agenda items including collective bargaining cost approvals, fund transfers for community policing equipment and transportation safety, a bill creating special park funds, and an informational briefing on Community Facilities District (CFD) financing. Public testimony was heard on the CFD briefing only.
Consent Calendar
- Resolution 26-166 (BU 15 water safety officers collective bargaining): Approved without objection. Covers four-year contract costs totaling $9,102,959 for 299 officers, including retroactive raises and step movements.
- Resolution 26-170 (DCS local match grants): Approved without objection. Transfers $692,800 from general fund to meet grant requirements, including $33,514 for salaries and $659,286 for current expenses.
- Bill 50 (2026) (repeal of Land Conservation Fund): Approved without objection. The fund had a minimal balance of ~$200; administration supports transferring it to the Clean Water Natural Lands Fund.
Public Comments & Testimony
- On the Community Facilities District (CFD) briefing, seven testifiers spoke in support. Matt Delaney (CFO, La Lima) urged the city to establish resources to evaluate multiple qualified CFDs concurrently to accelerate housing and infrastructure. Brennan Brown (La Lima) highlighted the $10 billion annual U.S. market for special district bonds. Pani Miyatova (Operating Engineers Local 3) described CFDs as another "play in the playbook" to advance infrastructure without public cost. Other supporters included representatives from Operating Engineers, IBEW 1186, Plumbers and Fitters Local 675, and a citizen. No remote or in-person testimony was given on other agenda items.
Discussion Items
- Resolution 26-173 (HPD ATV purchase): Proposed transfer of $280,000 for 18-20 ATVs for community policing teams islandwide. Councilmember Cordero questioned why the request wasn't in the FY27 budget and expressed concern about using all funds for ATVs rather than other CPT program needs. Councilmember Tupola and Chair Okimoto noted the need for further information. The chair recommended postponement to allow off-line discussions.
- Resolution 26-181 (DTS Safe Streets grant match): Proposed transfer of $338,000 for a Federal Highway Administration grant to fund quick-build safety improvements at ~50 crosswalks and intersections along high-injury corridors. Chair Okimoto proposed a verbal amendment to remove an Oxford comma to match ordinance 26-18. Councilmember Tupola asked about accelerating safety improvements; DTS Complete Streets Administrator Renee Espiau confirmed a master agreement allows faster implementation with funding. Councilmember Waters requested a list of specific locations. The resolution was amended to CD1 and approved.
- Bill 33 (2026) (parks special funds): Created two special funds: Parks Maintenance and Recreation Services, and Botanical Gardens and Urban Forestry. Revenues would come from existing park fees (camping, attendant fees) and potential new fees (e.g., commercial tennis lessons, non-resident entry fees for Ho'omaluhia). Director Laura Thielen noted the funds would prevent lapse of contract funds and allow community partners to contribute knowing money stays in parks. Councilmember Waters asked about non-resident parking fees; Director Thielen said technical challenges exist at open-access parks. Councilmember Tupola highlighted Ho'omaluhia's 729,000 visitors in 2025 as a revenue opportunity. The bill was amended to CD2 (adding Hanama Bay fund proviso, deleting camping fees section, fixing a revisor clause) and reported out for third reading.
Key Outcomes
- Resolution 26-166: Reported out for adoption (all ayes).
- Resolution 26-170: Reported out for adoption (all ayes).
- Resolution 26-173: Postponed to a date to be determined by the chair, pending further discussion with HPD.
- Resolution 26-181: Amended to CD1 (remove Oxford comma) and reported out for adoption (all ayes).
- Bill 33 (2026): Amended to CD2 (including proviso for Hanama Bay fund, removal of camping fees section, and other edits) and reported out for passage on third reading (all ayes).
- Bill 50 (2026): Reported out for passage on third reading (all ayes).
- Informational Briefing (CFDs): No action taken. Committee noted rules are in final draft; staff capacity issues were discussed. Councilmember Tupola suggested an executive session on the first CFD resolution of intent to clarify legal questions.
Meeting Transcript
Aloha and good morning, everyone. It is Tuesday, August 25, 2026, and the time is 9.06 a.m. Will the Committee on Budget please come to order. Welcome to the committee, members who are present in the chamber today, committee vice chair Nishimoto, Councilmember Cordero. Also joining us, I'd like to welcome Councilmember Tupola. Although remote oral testimony is being permitted. I do. Thank you for helping us to achieve quorum. Although remote oral testimony is being permitted, this is a regular in-person meeting and not a remote meeting by interactive conference technology under HRS Section 92-3.7. Therefore, this meeting will continue notwithstanding loss of audiovisual communication with remote testifiers or loss of the public broadcast of the meeting. Members of the public will be allowed to provide oral testimony on all items on the agenda in two ways in person in the council chamber and remotely via video conference or phone. Remote and in-person oral testimony will be allowed when each agenda item is taken up. Before testifying, each person shall state their name. When your name is called, please come up to the testifier podium. Persons who have not registered will be given an opportunity to testify following the registered testifiers. After in-person testimony has concluded, I will proceed to remote testimony via video conference or phone. As a courtesy, please turn off or silence all cell phones for the duration of this meeting. Thank you for this opportunity. Um Nola Miyasaki, Director of the Department of Human Resources. Um the administration respectfully requests your um positive consideration of the collective bargaining cost items for bargaining unit 15 water safety officers. And I'll just give a quick rundown of the cost items. Um the total costs for fiscal year 26 are 727,000 and 839. Um that consists of a 2.61% monthly across the board salary increase to the salary schedule, including um any step movements for those employees who are eligible that year, a one-time lump sum of $2,000 for all BU15 employees. That's retro to July 1, 2025. Um July 1, 2026, a 2.49% monthly across the board increase and continuation of the step movement plan for those eligible in that year for a total cost of 1,633,116. Um, effective July 1, 2027, a 2.47% monthly across the board increase to the salary schedule and continuation of the step movement plan for those eligible in that year. The total for fiscal year 28 is 2,768,390. And finally, in fiscal year 29, effective July 1, 2028, a 3.12% monthly across the board salary increase plus continuation of the step movement and the total cost for fiscal year 2029, 3,973,614 for a total four-year contract period cost $9,102,959. And there are a total of um I just wanted to show 299 water safety officers. Thank you, Director Miyasaki. Members, do we have any questions for the director? Councilmember Tupola. Aloha director, um good morning. My question about the retroactive 2025-2026 is the reason because the duration of the collective bargaining bargaining lasted so long that we're now doing the two retroactive years. Yes, we um we went to arbitration with the water safety officers, BU 15, and that arbitration did not take place till this calendar year. I believe it was um it might have been as late as March. So that's why by the time the arbitration award came out, and we've you know that's why it's taken so long, but we we reached impasse last year, and so by the time the arbitration was scheduled, we had another we had two other arbitrations that we had to go to Chopo and HFFA, and so this one was the last one. I see, and um off the top of your head. Do you know how many contracts we still have for ocean safety? I know there's a small handful that were still operating under contract that weren't necessarily of FT. I'm not sure how many contracts we have. Yeah, no, I'm not sure, but but you're you're right. Most of them are also service. Yeah, thank you. Thank you, Chair. Thank you, Councilmember Tupola. Members, any further questions for the director? Okay, seeing none to welcome to the chamber, council chair waters. Thank you. Seeing no further questions, members, we are in discussion.
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