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It’s a busy week for the City and County of Honolulu with a ceremonial groundbreaking for rail, Mayor Peter Carlisle’s first State of the City address and a full City Council meeting. All that, and just one week until Carlisle has to submit his first budget. Civil Beat is reporting from the inside.

Yoshioka Reappointed as DTS Director

4:22 p.m.
Rail critic Cliff Slater stood up and walked out of the room as people in the City Council chamber applauded Wayne Yoshioka‘s reappointment as director of the Department of Transportation Services. It’s a controversial appointment, and Yoshioka didn’t get the full council’s support.

Tom Berg, Ann Kobayashi and Romy Cachola objected to the appointment.

Ikaika Anderson expressed reservations.

Breene Harimoto and Ernie Martin both spoke highly of Yoshioka, while Tulsi Gabbard Tamayo, Nestor Garcia and Stanley Chang refrained from objecting.

“I believe I’m the best person for this job right now,” Yoshioka told them hours ago. “I feel I have the skills and the practical knowledge.”

Chairman’s Patience Thin as Council Covers Same Ground

3:56 p.m.
City Council Chairman Nestor Garcia is losing his temper, nearly three hours since the City Council took up the agenda item to consider reappointing Wayne Yoshioka as director of the city’s Department of Transportation Services.

Cachola called for City Council members to enter discussion, but City Council member Romy Coachola tried to call rail critic Cliff Slater up to the podium.

“We are now in discussion!” Cachola shouted. “Discussion among the members. Discussion among the members only!”

When Slater tried to speak up, Garcia stopped him.

“Mr. Slater, you are out of order!” Garcia said. “Discussion among the members, Mr. Slater.”

Cachola then requested a recess.

“There is no recess that I will call!” Garcia said. “Discussion among the members, Council member Cachola.”

Moments later, Garcia called a recess, and spoke privately with Cachola before giving him the floor in the start of discussion.

Public Turns Out to Testify For and Against Yoshioka

2:04 p.m.
A long line of members of the public have turned out to testify about Mayor Peter Carlisle’s request for the City Council to reconfirm Wayne Yoshioka as director of the Department of Transportation Services.

Those who testify in support of the nomination say Yoshioka is “honest,” and “the best of the best.” They say he spends time addressing community concerns, plays an active role in the larger community, and has helped improve pedestrian safety.

Opponents are almost exclusively focused on his handling of the city’s rail project, and accuse him of being “evasive,” “defensive” and “incompetent.”

“It’s hard to separate Mr. Yoshioka from rail,” one member of the public said in his testimony against Yoshioka.

“Wayne Yoshioka is hard-working, competent, cheerful and dedicated,” said vocal rail critic Cliff Slater. “Our problem is not that he’s dedicated but that he’s overly dedicated.”

But when City Council member Tom Berg began to ask a member of the public about the rail project, City Council Chairman Nestor Garcia interjected.

“This is about the person,” Garcia said sternly. “Not the project.”

Council Chairman Still Worried Over Federal Funds for Community Services

12:40 p.m.
City Council Chairman Nestor Garcia said he’s still very worried about whether the federal government will continue funding key city programs through . U.S. House Republicans proposed axing more than 60 percent of the monies for such programs, he said.

Garcia said he’s asking a group of four City Council members traveling to Washington in early March to meet with Hawaii’s congressional delegation to address this concern, and asked newly appointed Community Services Director Sam Moku to weigh in before the full City Council.

“The administration is fully aware of what’s going on in the nation’s capitol,” Moku said of the budget battle. “Particularly the potential 62 percent cut in the House budget of CDBG funds. I have asked my staff to look at how that will afffect the overall picture within the Department of Community Services.”

Romy Cachola Ready to Go After Wayne Yoshioka

12:12 p.m.
If it’s political drama you want, stick around for the end of this Honolulu City Council meeting. Council member Romy Cachola sent a scathing about Wayne Yoshioka, acting director of the Department of Transportation Services, to his colleagues on the City Council, the mayor and others. Cachola argues that Yoshioka knew about problems with a portion of the rail route that ultimately had to be altered well before it cost the city millions of dollars to fix it.

“As a result of the gross negligence, if not intentional neglect, by Mr. Yoshioka and the prior administration, the taxpayers of this City face additional costs in excess of $200million,” Cachola wrote. “Displacement of businesses and possible loss of jobs and additional payments of millions of dollars that likely will be required to condemn properties, relocate business and/or pay for damages.”

Cachola attached a number of documents to , including a copy of a 2006 letter to rail planner Toru Hamayasu that shows the state warned the city about height restrictions in the runway area.

Yoshioka has repeatedly said Cachola is cobbling together facts to present an inaccurate account of what happened. Cachola dismisses suggestions that his criticism of Yoshioka stems from bitterness over the rail route leaving his district.

Stay tuned.

Forget Limbaugh, Berg Outraged by SNL

11:40 a.m.
Honolulu City Council member Tom Berg says if the City Council is going to go after Rush Limbaugh for mocking the Chinese language, it would be remiss not to condemn Saturday Night Live. His comments came in discussion of a that urges Limbaugh to apologize.

Limbaugh likened himself to a comic genius, and said his impersonation was “a service.” Berg, who has repeatedly emphasized Limbaugh is an “entertainer” called Saturday Night Live more offensive than Limbaugh.

“I was so offended that I wanted to take this resolution and make it much broader in scope,” Berg said. “Had you seen this, it makes the comment of a entertainer, Rush Limbaugh, seem very miniscule in comparison. I just want to call out the City Council that I find no action being taken against Saturday Night Live and I find that very troubling.”

City Council Member: Don’t Blame Us, “Ask the Mayor”

10:33 a.m.
With the City Council voting to approve a slew of familiar city leaders Mayor Peter Carlisle has nominated for reappointment, one member of the public asked the City Council why it wouldn’t consider bringing in some fresh faces.

“Why are there always so many reappointments?” asked real estate broker Choon James in testimony before the full City Council. “Maybe we need to spread the blessings around and let other people have a chance to participate.”

City Council member Romy Cachola was quick to point a finger at the administration.

“You’re barking up the wrong tree,” Cachola told James. “Please direct your questions to the mayor. What we do is either to confirm or not to confirm whatever is sent to us from the executive branch.”

Controversial Appointee Moved to End of Agenda

10:21 a.m.
The City Council meeting is just getting started, and members have opted to move discussion of Wayne Yoshioka‘s nomination as director of the Department of Transportation Services to the end of the agenda. Because Yoshioka is one of the leaders of the city’s rail project, his appointment has drawn much criticism. Discussion of Yoshioka’s nomination in a Feb. 9 committee meeting went on for hours before the council members ultimately advanced the measure for a full council vote.

Long List of Appointments on City Council Agenda

The Honolulu City Council has a packed for today’s 10 a.m. meeting. There’s a long list of mayoral appointees seeking confirmation, including:

Wayne Yoshioka, director of the Department of Transportation Services
Carrie Okinaga, Corporation Counsel
Sam Moku, director of the Community Services Department
Gary Cabato, director of the Parks and Recreation Department
Michael Hansen, director of the Budget and Fiscal Services Department

Catch Up on Inside Honolulu

Feb. 22, 2011: Hawaii’s political stars came out for a Kapolei groundbreaking, including Sen. Dan Inouye, Sen. Dan Akaka, Congresswoman Colleen Hanabusa and a slew of city and state leaders.

Feb. 21, 2011: Transportation consultant warns clients about dwindling federal funds; Rush of candidates in Neighborhood Board elections; State bill to raid city rail funds still alive; Short but busy week for City and County; Mayor’s trip to the gulch.

Feb. 18, 2011: Rail critics plan to picket groundbreaking; Big Island County Council advances plastic bag ban; Oahu Neighborhood Board elections survive in “surprise” turn.

Feb. 17, 2011: Two-time mayoral candidate Panos Prevedouros at City Hall; Ann Kobayashi to skip rail groundbreaking; Mayor mum on budget; State fines city for air violation.

Feb. 16, 2011: Mayor Peter Carlisle taps three new deputy directors; Florida rejects federal funds for rail.

Feb. 15, 2011: City Council members turn out in force for Haleiwa planning meeting; Landfill hits key federal deadline.

Feb. 14, 2011: Power outage at Honolulu court; Duke Kahanamoku statue to undergo maintenance; Still “no telling” what Congress will do about rail.

Feb. 11, 2011: Honolulu Mayor Peter Carlisle sends out invitation to rail groundbreaking.

Feb. 9, 2011: Rail critics turn out for Wayne Yoshioka nomination hearing; Mayor Peter Carlisle pushes back his inaugural ball to April.

Feb. 8, 2011: Council committee moves forward Gary Cabato and Sam Moku nominations; Bill to ban Segways from city parks put on hold; Oahu residents could see water bills spike.

Feb. 7, 2011: Council clashes over response to Rush Limbaugh comment; Bryan Mick withdraws nomination to Neighborhood Commission; Carrie Okinaga says mayor has “phenomenal” pick for city’s next top lawyer.

Feb. 4, 2011: City zoo could get giant bats; State wants city’s rail funds; Homeless assistance programs get a boost from the feds.

Feb. 3, 2011: Congresswoman Colleen Hanabusa ratchets up fight against landfill; FTA to announce New Starts funding any day.

Feb. 2, 2011: Landfill hearing gets heated; Tom Berg wants to meet fellow tea partier Michele Bachmann; City Council asks Rush Limbaugh to apologize; Rail lawsuits start trickling in.

Feb. 1, 2011: Bulky item pick-up to start again; Sen. Donovan Dela Cruz introduces bill that would create development exceptions for rail; Tom Berg invites anti-rail groups into his office to discuss next steps in rail opposition.