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After a security guard asked me to leave City Hall last Furlough Friday, Dec. 17, I immediately began working with the mayor’s office to guarantee my permissible return for the furlough days to come.

The administration seemed to understand why. As a beat reporter covering Honolulu, I didn’t want to be shut out of the building just because many city workers were required to stay home.

When former Mayor Mufi Hannemann announced city furloughs last June, there was immediate worry about city workers’ lowered pay, and the reduction to city services. But the public’s reduced access to elected officials — even as they continue to work as usual — wasn’t immediately apparent.

Honolulu Hale is predictably quiet on furlough days. But it isn’t empty. Top city leaders like the mayor, his Cabinet and City Council members work as usual, meeting with other Honolulu leaders and conducting important city business.

Two weeks ago, the mayor’s spokesman assured me city officials weren’t actively trying to keep reporters out, and spoke with security staff about the issue. The city’s managing director later took me aside and apologized for the day I was forced out.

So today, when I walked through the Diamond Head side entrance to sign in and collect a visitor’s pass, the security guard was expecting me.

“I heard you’re allowed to be in here today,” she said with a smile.

I was allowed in. But it’s a temporary fix. The city’s policy is still to close Honolulu Hale to the public — except those who have arranged meetings — on furlough days.

“We’re working to change policy, and it will be official at some point,” said Jim Fulton, the mayor’s executive assistant. “But I can only tell you, any other person that would be coming in here would have to have an appointment. You are kind of an exception.”

Not ideal, but it’s a start.

Many of the people I saw at Honolulu Hale on Friday lightly ribbed me for my persistence. 

”It’s Friday!” one City Council staffer exclaimed with a laugh. “Nobody’s here!”

“You’re here,” I teased her back.

“We’re not furloughed,” she mock-complained. “We took the pay cut. We’ve still got to serve the constituents.”

But I’m not furloughed either, and a reporter’s duty is to hold public officials accountable on behalf of her readers. That often includes nights and weekends, holidays and furlough days. Most of the city leaders who end up in the stories I write aren’t furloughed either. Even with the mayor and City Council chairman out of town Friday morning, I ran into multiple newsmakers.

Budget and Fiscal Services workers passed me in the hallway. Corporation Counsel Carrie Okinaga flashed a quick smile as she carried an armful of papers to the third floor. Department of Information Technology Director Gordon Bruce walked briskly upstairs to a mid-morning appointment. Later, Reed Matsuura — the longtime City Council staffer — said said hello. City Council members Breene Harimoto and Ernie Martin each stopped to chat with me between meetings.

“Look at you!” laughed City Clerk Bernice Mau when she saw me in my usual spot. “You must have a lot to write about City Hall.”

Mau is right. With or without furloughs, there is a lot to write about City Hall.

After today, there are 11 more . Mayor Peter Carlisle has promised not to include furloughs in the budget he introduces in March. If he’s true to his word, it means the last city furlough day will be on June 24.

What happens on days like this Furlough Friday is hushed conversation between city contractors on a stairway landing, candor from those who are willing to talk when there are fewer people around and the intermittent clacking of a keyboard from the reporter recording what’s around her for those who aren’t there.