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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.

Carlisle Reports Congressional Support for Honolulu Rail

4:21 p.m.
Honolulu Mayor Peter Carlisle reported a positive meeting today with U.S. Rep. John Mica, who chairs the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. Carlisle and chief rail planner Toru Hamayasu met with the Florida Republican to discuss Honolulu’s rail project. U.S. Rep. Mazie Hirono, of Hawaii’s second Congressional district, also attended the meeting.

“I support this project, especially with Honolulu’s local commitment,” Mica wrote in a statement, according to Carlisle’s office. “I will continue to work with Rep. Hirono and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to make sure the project does not get bogged down in bureaucratic red tape.”

Neither Mica nor Carlisle returned Civil Beat’s requests for interviews.

The mayor’s office reports Carlisle also heard support from U.S. Rep. John Duncan, who chairs the House Highways and Transit Subcommittee, and from other congressmen who play key roles in federal transit planning.

Rail Job Opening

12:31 p.m.
City officials have repeatedly promised the rail plan will mean thousands of local jobs. With the news that the rail plan is moving forward — federal officials this week issued a Record of Decision on the project — comes at least one new rail job: Parsons Brinckerhoff is looking for a Honolulu rail planner.

The calls for someone with a broad range of transportation planning skills, including “experience conducting transportation impact analysis for environmental documents that follow the FTA New Starts process.”

After a Week of Reaction, Managing Director Thanks Task Force for Proactivity

10:03 a.m.
The city’s managing director, Doug Chin, welcomed members of an advisory committee tasked with recommending a new landfill site for the City and County of Honolulu.

Chin, who is serving as acting mayor while Mayor Peter Carlisle is in Washington D.C., acknowledged the recent landfill flooding would likely inform much of the task force discussion.

“I can tell you, as managing director, one of the things I’m always trying to do is be proactive,” Chin said. “But in the last seven days, all I’ve done is react. React react react. Your task is completely proactive. You’re here to look at something and be able to give us input that we desperately need, that the entire island needs, and we really appreciate you guys for being able to do this.”

This is the volunteer task force’s first of seven planned meetings. Some of the questions that are arising thus far involve how to get information about sites’ proximity to agricultural lands, groundwater and cultural sites. Task force members are also asking how big the landfill will be, how much trash it will hold, and whether they can study rain patterns over potential sites.

Chin excused himself from the meeting before it began, saying he didn’t want the task force to feel any “political pressure.”

City Eyes Bellows, Waimanalo North for Landfill Sites

9:31 a.m.
City officials are eyeing the area near Bellows Beach as the site for a new landfill. City officials sent letters to Marine Corps Base Hawaii, asking about the possibility of using the site. Clean-up of a one-acre site that served as a World War II-era landfill at Bellows was completed in 2009.

City officials also sent a letter to the Department of Land and Natural Resources, with interest in state-owned land known as Waimanalo North. That site has been explored for possible landfill in the past.

Members of a task force assembled to make recommendations on the new landfill site received copies of those letter this morning. Over the course of seven meetings, the task force is being asked to rank sites in a recommendation to the mayor.

A consultant told the group the city sent the letters to DLNR and Marine Corps Base Hawaii “recently,” and has yet to receive letters back from either agency regarding the request.

Landfill Advisory Committee Meets at City Hall

7:53 a.m.
Officials have created a three-hour window for the first meeting of the mayor’s advisory committee on landfill site selection. Members of the committee plan to gather at city hall at 9 a.m.

The purpose of the task force is to explore ways for Honolulu to manage waste disposal in the future. The meeting comes on the heels of heavy rains that sent a flood of medical waste — including vials of urine and blood, IV bags and syringes — from the Waimanalo Gulch landfill into the ocean. Swimmers on the leeward coast have been cautioned after that waste began washing ashore late last week.

Clean-up crews continue to scour the beaches. At the gulch, officials are assessing whether it’s safe to re-open the site.

Carlisle Meets with House Transit Leaders in D.C.

Mayor Peter Carlisle is today meeting with U.S. Rep. John Mica, the new GOP chair of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

The mayor is also attending the U.S. Conference of Mayors’ winter meeting but making time to talk to federal officials about Honolulu’s rail aspirations, and the necessary funding aide.

The shift to the balance of power in the House has increased worries over securing the federal help.

Read Previous Editions of Inside Honolulu

Jan. 19, 2011: Advisory committee to meet on landfill site selection; Tom Berg is officially a City Council member; Sen. Dan Inouye reiterates his support for rail; Read the Record of Decision.

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.