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Honolulu has a new mayor, and four — soon to be five — incoming city council members. The transition is underway and Civil Beat is reporting from the inside.

2:12 p.m. Committees to take up nominations

It’s not easy for members of the public to miss work in order to testify before the City Council. But those with concerns about Mayor Peter Carlisle‘s nominations will have to return to Honolulu Hale tomorrow if they want their voices heard throughout the process. Here’s where to go to track nominations for permanent city leadership positions.

Zoning Committee: 9 a.m., Tuesday
* David Tanoue, director of the Department of Planning and Permitting

Public Infrastructure Committee: 1 p.m., Tuesday
* Tim Steinberger, director of the Department of Environmental Services

Executive Matters and Legal Affairs Committee: 1 p.m., Wednesday
Douglas Chin, managing director
Noel Ono, director of the Department of Human Resources

Public Safety and Service Committee: 1 p.m., Thursday
* Gordon Bruce, director of the Department of Information Technology

Those department heads who Carlisle nominated to temporary positions are also assigned to committees, but it’s likely committee leaders will just leave them off the agenda until their January 2011 terms expire.

Newly appointed City Council Chair Nestor Garcia says he expects a lot of interesting testimony to emerge in committee meetings throughout the week. Civil Beat will be there every step of the way.

1:41 Who ordered pizza?
It appears staffers in the Budget and Fiscal Services Department worked during the City Council’s lunch party. Either that, or they’re hungry again. A Papa John’s delivery man heads toward their office with “the vegetarian.” On whether the department tips well, he’s mum.

12:58 p.m. The glamor of beat reporting
Incoming District 8 City Council member Breene Harimoto walks by Civil Beat for the third or fourth time in the past hour.

We’re used to getting jokes about how the bench outside the mayor’s office is our “office,” but this was a first.

“You’re still here?” Harimoto asked, smiling. “You’re like a homeless person.”

Nobody said covering city hall was glamorous, but we’ll be sure to ask Harimoto what his plans are for helping the city and county’s houseless population.

12:23 p.m. Transparency about transparency
Mayor Peter Carlisle ran heavily on a platform of transparency. He promised to make city government more open. But we have yet to find a department director who admits her or his department could be made more transparent.

A recent example is David Tanoue, who the public chided for a lack of transparency in testimony this morning. He said afterward he doesn’t see any issues with transparency in his department, but is open to suggestions.

Department of Transportation Services Director Wayne Yoshioka told us something similar about his department a few weeks ago. So far, the only specific idea we’ve heard from the mayor about increasing transparency has been his hope to make more documents available online.

So when we saw Carlisle at Honolulu Hale, we had to ask him again. If no one can say they see any room for improvement, how will he take tangible steps forward — as he promised to do — to make city government more transparent?

“I’m on my way to something and the second you turn that recorder on, I’m going to stop talking,” Carlisle joked before answering seriously. “It’s a fair question.”

But he didn’t have time to elaborate before his next meeting, and asked us to set up a time with his scheduler to discuss it further.

12:10 p.m. Carlisle busy with briefings
Mayor Peter Carlisle is busy with a variety of departmental briefings this week. His press secretary, Louise Kim McCoy, says the Department of Information Technology will today give the mayor an update on what its staffers are up to.

One major project: A redesign of the of the City and County of Honolulu. The department’s director, Gordon Bruce — who Carlisle tapped to stay permanently in his job — tells Civil Beat he expects the new site to go live by the end of 2010.

12:03 p.m. Hi Romy!
Police Chief Kealoha can’t keep a straight face as he says it, but he tells Civil Beat he stopped by “just to say hi” to Romy Cachola. Asked why he couldn’t have done so over the phone, he shrugs. “It’s my job to come here and say hi.”

11:54 a.m. To Carlisle, development means “money, money, money”
David Tanoue said he’s trying not to take this morning’s testimony against him personally. Mostly, he’s glad he has the Mayor Peter Carlisle‘s support.

Tanoue is one of few department directors the mayor nominated for a permanent position as director of the Department of Planning and Permitting. He said he believes the mayor recognizes the department’s projects as major money-makers for the city and county.

“He always mentioned his main priorities: money, money, money,” Tanoue said of Mayor Carlisle. “We got to make sure that we’re not spending it foolishly, and looking at ways to have more come in.”

Tanoue said Carlisle supports the way the department is handling even some of its most controversial projects like Envision Laie and the expansion at Turtle Bay.

“We’re all on board,” Tanoue said. “And can move forward in the same direction.”

11:44 a.m. Top cop visits Cachola
Police Chief Louis Kealoha is walking toward the entryway to the City Council office. He’s not here to bid farewell to former City Council Chair Todd Apo, though.

“I’m here for a meeting,” Kealoha said.

The chief says he’s meeting with Council member Romy Cachola, but won’t stick around to tell Civil Beat why. A younger Honolulu Police Department officer waiting for Kealoha in the hallway says he doesn’t know what the meeting is about. 

”I’m just the driver,” the officer says. “I get him here so he doesn’t have to deal with parking.”

11:30 a.m. Aloha means potluck
City Council members and other city staffers, along with friends and family, are gathering in the City Council office for a potluck lunch. It’s a farewell party for former City Council Chair Todd Apo.

“His staff is all around him,” an administrative assistant said. “They all want to give him their aloha.”

10:45 a.m. A new era begins
Chair Garcia takes the podium and leads council members with remaining city business. First up: Giving the city clerk the go-ahead to plan the special election to fill Apo’s council seat. Seeing no members of the public to give testimony, Garcia jokes:

“Would citizen Todd Apo like to testify at all?”

City Council members adjourn until Monday, Nov. 22 at 10 a.m. On his way out of the Council Chamber, Apo acknowledges that he will make more money in his new job than he did as a city councilor but says his salary “is not for the public” to know.

10:35 a.m. City Council or Mickey Mouse Club?
Newly appointed City Council Chair Nestor Garcia thanks outgoing Chair Todd Apo with much humor and Disney imagery, appropriate given Apo’s next job for the new Aulani Disney resort.

Garcia compares Apo to “prince charming,” Council Member Ann Kobayashi to Snow White, and the rest of the council members to the seven dwarves.

“Todd has shown that when you wish upon a star,” Garcia said. “Your dreams really do come true.”

Many other council members express their gratitude, calling Apo’s leadership “admirable.”

Apo thanks his fellow council members over the past six years, specifically naming the two council members who died during his time with the city: Duke Bainum and Barbara Marshall.

In thanking former mayoral leadership, Apo slips: He thanks “Mayor Hannemann and Mayor Bainum” — before correcting the latter to “Mayor Carlisle.” Bainum had run for mayor against Hannemann in 2004, and died of an aneurysm in June 2009.

Apo calls for a “short recess” to officially sign his resignation papers.

“Then you all can move on without me,” Apo said. City Council members and those few left in the audience give him a standing ovation.

10:31 a.m. Congratulations City Council Chair Garcia
City Council member Nestor Garcia is named the new chair of City Council, and City Council member Ikaika Anderson is the new vice chair. With the City Council’s passage of , the new leadership is official.

10:21 a.m. Democracy in action
City Council Chair Todd Apo has to interrupt City Council member Romy Cachola as he delves into discussion about projects Envision Laie and Turtle Bay expansion. Cachola is beginning to explain why he hasn’t taken “any position for or against those projects,” but redirects his comments to commend those who took the time to testify.

“This is democracy in action,” Cachola said. “They want something done, it so happens that there stand is against the project Envision Laie and the Turtle Bay expansion.”

The City Council takes a short recess.

**10:07 a.m. “I am here to support Mr. Tanoue.”
A Waianae Neighborhood Board member who is also a city staffer said she has had great experiences dealing with Department of Planning and Permitting nominee David Tanoue.

“I am here to support Mr. Tanoue’s appointment,” the woman said. “We have had great relationships working with Mr. Tanoue. Yes, he comes from the Mufi administration but we have a new sheriff in town. We’re looking at new vision and changes.”

Shortly after her testimony, a Laie resident, and raises the question of whether city employees should have prominent positions on neighborhood boards. She says it presents possible conflicts of interest.

Through all of this testimony thus far, Cachola remains the only council member who has asked a question.

9:51 Members of the public fire back
“The process is what we have a problem with, and Mr. Tanoue has failed,” Co-Chair of the Defend Oahu Coalition Tim Vandeveer tells Council Member Cachola. “We’re not opposed to all development, but what this does, by meeting behind closed doors with development interests is subverts the process.”

Vandeveer is giving testimony in one of his group’s trademark green “Keep the Country Country” T-shirts.

“I’d like to express our profound disappointment in the mayor’s decision to appoint Tanoue after promising us that he was going to rid city government of corruption,” Vandeveer said.

More testimony from others opposing Tanoue’s nomination follows. Many members of the public refer to the opportunity to rid the city of corruption, raise deep concerns about transparency, and question the mayor’s judgement in picking a nominee from the previous administration.

“I have some very grave concerns about Mr. Tanoue,” Shannon Wood said. “Not just in Laie and not just in Turtle Bay but also in Hawaii Kai and also in Waikiki, there are significant issues all across the island of Oahu.”

Wood urges the City Council to wait until all new council members are sworn in before confirming nominations.

So far, no one has spoken in support of Tanoue.

9:40 a.m. Cachola asks for motives
City Council member Romy Cachola fires back at those who give testimony: “You’re accusing a person of corruption but your intention is to oppose Envision Laie and Turtle Bay Expansion… at least I understand where you folks stand and that’s a big signal.”

9:37 a.m. Testimony highlights
“Please, please, transparency, disclosure and listening to the voice of the people should be the voice of governance.”

“For the city to continue to give favorite attention to developers does not bode well for the public. We as the public do not have consultants. We do not have 24/7 PR guys. All we have is a willingness to participate in the process so that we have a say in the process.”

“Peter Carlisle is wrong and David Tanoue is the wrong man for this job. Your job as members of this council is to look beyond the blind recommendation made to you by an unthinking man, who has already apparently forgotten one of his key campaign promises to rid this county of corruption.”

9:22 a.m. Anyone but Tanoue
The City Council will still here testimony on permanent and temporary nominations to top-level city positions, but there will be no action taken. Instead, the nominations are being first referred to a slew of committees for consideration.

The City Council is accepting public testimony on the nominations, and four members of the public have already come forward to speak out against David Tanoue as a permanent nominee for the Department of Planning and Permitting.

“By his own admission, Mr. Tanoue met privately with developers and changed the sustainable communities plan to a development plan,” said Cathleen Mattoon, who said Tanoue ignored citizens’ request for information, minutes from meetings and other records about development plans for Turtle Bay and other areas. “Please do not permit Mr. Tanoue to continue as director of DPP.”

9:19 a.m. Congratulations Council Member Reed Matsuura
Bernice Mau administers the oath of office to Reed Matsuura, who the City Council minutes ago agreed should serve the remaining two months of Donovan Dela Cruz’s City Council term.

Now there are nine City Council members present.

9:14 a.m. “Youth does have its advantages.”
City Council member Nestor Garcia extends his “gratitude and best wishes” to newly elected Sen. Dela Cruz.

He also takes the opportunity to point out to incoming council member Stanley Chang, 28, that Dela Cruz was once the youngest council member on the council: “Mr. Chang should take heart because Donovan was the youngest member of the council when he began,” Garcia said. “Youth does have its advantages.”

9:06 a.m. Welcome to the City Council
City Council Chairman Todd Apo — wearing nearly one dozen lei on his last day in the City Council — strikes the gavel and gets things going.

There’s an empty seat where former City Council member Donovan Dela Cruz used to sit. He’s now a senator, and the council will today discuss how to fill his seat before incoming District 2 representative Ernie Martin takes his post.

Martin’s here today, sitting with reporters and members of the public. Nestor Garcia starts things out by introducing Martin and other incoming leaders who are present: District 4 representative Stanley Chang, District 6 representative Tulsi Tamayo — Garcia introduces her using her maiden name, Tulsi Gabbard — and District 8 representative Breene Harimoto.

8:54 a.m. Two if by bus
While the City Council’s confirmation hearing gets underway, Mayor Peter Carlisle will be en route to Honolulu Hale on one of the city’s 24 new diesel buses.

Carlisle is expected to arrive in front of Honolulu Hale at 10 a.m., in a media appearance the Carlisle team has been playing up with multiple press releases. The bus event also means the city’s transportation director, Wayne Yoshioka, will arrive late to his confirmation hearing, as he’s scheduled to ride the new bus with the mayor. Any questions for the mayor about his nominations will have to wait until after his arrival.

8:42 a.m. Chairman Apo’s last day
It’s Todd Apo’s last day at Honolulu Hale. He’s resigning to take a job at Disney’s Aulani resort.

The city will schedule a special election to find the person who will serve out the remaining two years of Apo’s term. City Clerk Bernice Mau told Civil Beat in August she hopes it will cost less than $170,000. In the Council Chamber Monday morning, Mau said it’s still too soon to tell how much this special election will cost.

8:36 a.m. Notably absent from the agenda
One of the glaring omissions from today’s City Council agenda is the absence of a nominee to head up the .

Mayor Peter Carlisle said at his inauguration Oct. 22 that he didn’t expect to have found the right person for the job by now. But he didn’t put the call out for résumés until the end of last month, 41 days after he was elected.

In contrast, Governor-elect Neil Abercrombie announced he was seeking job applicants almost immediately, two days after he was elected.

8:01 a.m. Just another day as managing director
He’s already served as acting mayor — when Mayor Peter Carlisle left Oahu for meetings in Washington, D.C. — but today’s the day incoming Managing Director Doug Chin will likely officially get the job.

Chin stopped for a quick hello on his way into the mayor’s office Monday morning, and shrugged at the idea that today was a “big day.” After all, Chin has been serving as managing director “subject to confirmation” since late September.

He stands out among the 12 others to be confirmed today. Carlisle handpicked Chin from outside Honolulu Hale — the two worked together for more than a decade at the prosecutor’s office — whereas the majority of nominees first arrived at City Hall under the previous administration.

7:37 a.m. City Council considers 13 appointments
A confirmation hearing is set to take place during a special City Council meeting at Honolulu Hale this morning. If early testimony is any indication, it will be a lively morning in the council chamber.

Testimony opposing some appointees circulated among residents over the weekend, amid a range of concerns about land use, transit and permitting on Oahu. Members of the public will likely voice those worries during this morning’s hearing.

Mayor Peter Carlisle nominated five people — most of them appointees by his predecessor, former Mayor Mufi Hannemann— for permanent high-level city positions:

• Douglas Chin, managing director
• Tim Steinberger, director of the Department of Environmental Services
• Noel Ono, director of the Department of Human Resources
• Gordon Bruce, director of the Department of Information Technology
• David Tanoue, director of the Department of Planning and Permitting

Carlisle also named eight city workers for temporary commissions, meaning the following city workers may be able to stay in their jobs through January:

• Carrie Okinaga, Department of the Corporation Counsel
• Gail Haraguchi, Department of Customer Services
• Collins Lam, director of the Department of Design and Construction
• James Ireland, director of the Department of Emergency Services
• Sid Quintal, director of the Department of Enterprise Services
• Les Chang, director of the Department of Parks and Recreation
• Wayne Yoshioka, director of the Department of Transportation Service
• Baybee Hufana-Ablan, executive secretary of the Neighborhood Board Commission Office

Review the meeting .