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Mayor Peter Carlisle is in Washington, D.C., meeting with rail officials and mayors from around the country. He has six weeks until he presents his first budget. Back at Honolulu Hale, new City Council members are busy mapping out priorities. Civil Beat is reporting from the inside.

It’s Official: Honolulu Has Five New Council Members

3:46 p.m.
Honolulu City Clerk Bernice Mau today performed the swearing-in for District 1 City Council member Tom Berg. Berg will take part in the next full council meeting on Jan. 26, but he’s also been a regular presence at Honolulu Hale since he won a special election late last month.

Berg told Civil Beat he is no longer concerned about his leadership assignments — the council organized before Berg was elected, and designated the District 1 representative as chairman of the Parks & Human Services Committee, and vice chair of the Planning Committee.

Earlier this month, Berg said he would campaign to reorganize so he could chair the Transportation Committee. Berg said City Council Chairman Nestor Garcia reassured him that he’ll be able to participate in all committee discussions, even if he isn’t chair.

Trash Clean-Up Continues on Leeward Beaches

10:24 a.m.
Waste Management crews are returning to leeward beaches today to continue cleaning up after a landfill flood sent medical waste into the ocean. The company is sending workers to Kahe, Nimitz and White Plains beaches.

Officials are asking people to report any garbage they find on the beaches by calling (808) 668-2985.

Tomorrow, the mayor’s advisory committee on landfill site selection will hold its first meeting at City Hall to talk about how the city should manage garbage disposal in the future. Read the committee’s .

Read the Record of Decision

9:02 a.m.
In its letter accompanying a (ROD) on the city’s rail plan yesterday, the Federal Transit Administration urged the city to post the ROD to its website as soon as possible. Doing so enables the FTA to “start the 180-day clock” for a period of time in which people can legally challenge the federal decision.

While rail opponents finalize their strategy to attempt to stop the project, supporters like U.S. Sen. Dan Inouye continue to praise the FTA for its decision.

“I remain committed to the Honolulu Rail Transit project and I am appreciative that the Federal Transit Administration agrees that it is good for Oahu,” Inouye wrote in a statement. “I will do all I can to secure federal funds to ensure the project’s timely completion. Republicans in both chambers, despite their desire to reduce government spending, have indicated that they consider transportation projects critical to job creation and economic recovery.”

Inouye visited Honolulu Hale yesterday morning, and reassured City Council members that he would find ways to secure funding for essential programs even if his ability to use earmarks is drastically reduced.

City Officials Call For Hearings On Landfill Overflow

When City officials first learned that syringes and vials of blood and urine had flooded from the Waimanalo Gulch landfill into the ocean, work crews were removing the debris from leeward shores by the “truckful,” according to Markus Owens, spokesman for the city’s Environmental Services Department.

“It had decreased to probably one bag (of garbage collected from the beach) on Monday,” Owens told Civil Beat.”The volume is definitely decreasing. They’re still in the process of working on it.”

As of Tuesday afternoon, the city had ordered twice-daily combings of a long stretch of beaches where debris washed ashore. City workers are also scrambling to alter the landfill itself, so that heavy rains in the forecast don’t lead to another contaminated flood.

At the same time, City Council members are planning hearings to better understand why the overflow happened, and how to prevent it. City Council Chairman Nestor Garcia told Civil Beat that both Tulsi Gabbard Tamayo and Stanley Chang are planning related hearings next week.

Read Previous Editions of Inside Honolulu

Jan. 18, 2011: City officials celebrate after FTA issues Record of Decision on rail; Sen. Dan Inouye wants an office at Honolulu Hale; City still working to clean up medical waste from landfill flood.

Jan. 14, 2011: Deputy prosecutor sworn in; City confronts myriad trash issues; Ikaika Anderson creating task force to consider sweeping overhaul to property tax structure; City workers hit the Furlough Friday halfway point.

Jan. 13, 2011: City opens emergency shelter on Leeward Coast; Heavy rains continue to hamper city business; City Council Chairman Nestor Garcia is in Washington, D.C., to discuss APEC.

Jan. 12, 2011: City Transportation hearing a one-sided affair; Council members concerned about camping fees; Customer Services director nominee Gail Haraguchi breezes through committee; Hawaii could get a preseason NFL game; Former Mayor Mufi Hannemann says air travel is key for economic recovery.

Jan. 11, 2011: First Zoning Committee of the new year gets updates on pending amendments to Honolulu’s Land Use Ordinance.

Jan. 10, 2011: Mayor Peter Carlisle gives kudos to Kauai; Committees move forward with two director nominations; Statewide fireworks ban unlikely; City officials worry about fireworks hoarders.

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 President Barack 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.