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It’s a new year, and Honolulu Hale is welcoming five new City Council members. The city’s new mayor has seven weeks to go before he has to present his first budget, and a new round of rail hearings start this week. Civil Beat is reporting from the inside.

Carlisle: Props to Kauai on Furlough Progress

3:55 p.m.
After news broke that Kauai County canceled this Friday’s furlough day, Honolulu Mayor Peter Carlisle told Civil Beat Honolulu isn’t yet in position to cancel one of its own furlough days.

“Kauai County has done a terrific job of doing the necessary things to get their financial house in order,” Carlisle wrote in an e-mail. “The City and County of Honolulu is looking at every available option to get our own fiscal house in order, and has already implemented practically all of the cost-saving measures utilized by Kauai. In addition, the 5 percent pay cut is still in effect for the mayor, the cabinet and all managerial positions of Honolulu County.”

Carlisle said it’s “premature” for him to comment on whether any Honolulu furlough days might be canceled. About 5,000 Honolulu city workers are required to stay home on this Friday’s furlough day.

Strong Support for Lam in Committee Meeting

11:06 a.m.
The mayor’s nominee to lead the Department of Design and Construction earned high praise before the City Council’s Public Works and Sustainability Committee. Colleagues and private sector leaders complimented nominee Collins Lam as “energetic,” “curious,” “hard working,” “knowledgeable” and a “dedicated servant of the people of Honolulu.”

“My department works very closely with the Department of Design and Construction on many things,” said Wayne Yoshioka, who is nominated to remain in his position as head of the Transportation Services department. “Collins has been instrumental … I strongly support his nomination.”

Lam also spoke on his own behalf, citing his many years of experience in the public and private sectors, and his work on “waste water and roads,” as priorities in his department.

“I do realize there’s a lot of work to be done still,” Lam told the committee. “We are committed to do that. Bridges, city parks, all of these need our attention.”

Lam also said he wants to continue to make his department more efficient. The committee advanced his nomination so that the full City Council can vote on it later this month.

Statewide Fireworks Ban Unlikely, Officials Fear Fireworks Hoarders

9:48 a.m.
Representatives of the state’s Illegal Fireworks Task Force told City Council members they did not discuss the possibility of a statewide ban on fireworks, similar to the ban that went into effect on Oahu earlier this month.

“That actually was not discussed at all during the task force meetings, regarding a statewide band,” Maj. Michael Moses of the Honolulu Police Department told City Council member Ikaika Anderson.

Honolulu Fire Department Battalion Chief Socrates Bratakos described the task force’s area of focus: “Regulation, enforcement, education, awareness … We need to keep letting the community know what is legal, what is illegal and step up those efforts.”

Bratakos said emergency services personnel are looking ahead to Chinese New Year, for which cultural exemptions will allow permitted firecrackers in some cases.

“Permits have to be applied for 10 days before the activity,” Bratakos said. “We have processed several permits already.”

Looking back to New Year’s Eve, emergency officials say fireworks incidents weren’t as bad as some people feared.

“I’ve seen worse, but there was still quite a bit of smoke,” Emergency Services acting Director James Ireland said. “Our call volume tripled, but that was mostly related to alcohol … We had two individuals with partial amputations due to fireworks.”

City Council Chairman Nestor Garcia said he is “afraid that people are hoarding” fireworks to use in future years.

“That is a tough question and we don’t have any statistics on that,” Bratakos said. “We don’t know how may people are keeping fireworks for other years.”

Garcia said he wants to launch an education campaign, so that people understand the dangers of keeping explosives stored on their properties.

Packed Morning of Committee Meetings Gets Under Way

9:13 a.m.
It’s mostly newcomers on the Committee on Safety, Economic Development and Government this morning. The committee’s new chair is Tulsi Tamayo, who is joined by Stanley Chang, Ernie Martin and Breene Harimoto, who is not a formal member of the committee.

The veteran City Council member of the committee, Ikaika Anderson, is also present, along with City Council Chairman Nestor Garcia. Incoming District 1 representative Tom Berg will join the committee after he’s sworn in later this month.

In her first order of business, Tamayo reported out , which would conform Honolulu’s leash laws for service dogs to federal standards. The bill passed second reading on Dec. 8, and could be passed by the council after third reading.

The Committee is now taking testimony from colleagues of the acting director of the Emergency Services Department, James Ireland, who is the mayor’s nominee to stay permanently in that job.

“Our interaction has always been very positive, very professional,” said Ken Silva, Honolulu’s fire chief. “He adds a lot to the city and to the department he’s serving. I wholeheartedly recommend his appointment.”

The committee advanced his nomination for consideration by the full City Council.

New Committee Leadership in Action Today

Today marks the start of City Council committee meetings under new leadership. New council members Tulsi Tamayo and Stanley Chang will both take the gavel in meetings today.

The morning begins with a 9 a.m. meeting, led by Tamayo. Items on the agenda include a measure that would exempt service dogs from a leash requirement, and Mayor Peter Carlisle‘s nomination of James Ireland as Emergency Services director.

At 10:30 a.m., Chang will lead his first meeting. The committee will discuss the nomination of as director of the Department of Design and Construction. Both Lam and Ireland are leaders from the Mufi Hannemann era.

The agenda for the 1 p.m. Executive Matters and Legal Affairs Committee meeting is sparse, with most business — like the discussion of attorney fees in the global consent decree on Honolulu sewer upgrades — set to take place in executive session. That committee’s chairman, City Council member Romy Cachola, said there is more news on the horizon.

“There may be something exciting from the council soon, on historic homes,” City Council member Romy Cachola told Civil Beat. “Some people only pay $300 (in property taxes) and a lot of people are really mad.” The Honolulu Star-Advertiser exposed this practice late last year.

Read Previous Editions of Inside Honolulu

Jan. 7, 2011: City transportation director preps to take up IMG report in Transportation Committee meeting next week; Mayor Peter Carlisle stays quiet on illegal rental to Obama; Carlisle plans business trip to Hollywood, jokes about wanting a cameo in Hawaii 5-0.

Jan. 6, 2011: Emergency official cites threat of “huge mudslide” in Kaneohe highway closure; City eyes user fees, but in what form? Mayor tells Pacific Club crowd about inevitable cuts during “financial crisis,” calls city challenges “exciting.”

Jan. 5, 2011: Council vice chair to host hearing on IMG report; Rail division moves down permitting check list; A new year means a new website for Honolulu.

Jan. 4, 2011: Carlisle’s drinking buddies may be lonely this month; Honolulu’s first mayor inaugurated 102 years ago today; Tom Berg isn’t happy with his Council committee assignments.

Jan. 3, 2011: City Council to explore user fees as revenue generator; Nestor Garcia talks rail, APEC, city values in celebratory inaugural address.