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The City Council is completing a busy three-day run of committee meetings on Wednesday, and capping it off with what’s expected to be a heated meeting on rail. Civil Beat is reporting from the inside.

Why Bombardier Got Disqualified

5:08 p.m.
The city’s purchasing and contracts administrator, Wendy Imamura, is shedding some light on why Bombardier was disqualified from bidding on the city’s “core systems” rail contract.

“One of the proposals were deemed unresponsive,” Imamura said. “It was deemed nonresponsive because the proposal was conditioned. The letter to Bombardier (explaining why) stated that they conditioned their proposal on a change in the indemnification process.”

Imamura says the company scheduled a debriefing with the city next week — a signal that Bombardier may follow up with a formal protest of the city’s decision.

Read Civil Beat’s full story about why another company is protesting its rejected bid for “core systems.”

Council Members Still At It; Council Chair MIA

4:57 p.m.
The City Council has been peppering the administration with questions on rail for going on four hours.

Notably absent is City Council Chairman Nestor Garcia, who told Civil Beat earlier today he would try to make the meeting but wasn’t sure he could. Last week KITV revealed that Garcia has been working for a rail proponent as a consultant since 2009.

The eight other members of the City Council are here, and all of them have been asking questions.

Kobayashi Challenges Administration on HART Budget

2:41 p.m.
City Council member Ann Kobayashi slammed rail chief Toru Hamayasu and the Carlisle administration for what she says demonstrates a mixed message about lean government by growing a new transit agency.

“So only your budget did not have to have cuts?” Kobayashi said. “Everyone else did. What about police and fire? They’re trying to fill their positions, too. I just don’t understand the focus of this administration. They say one thing and then they’re doing another.”

Managing Director Doug Chin stepped up to respond, and said Kobayashi’s concerns are “valid.” Chin is demonstrating his usual kind, calm demeanor, but he is also offering a rare public glimpse of his prosecutorial experience with slight terseness at times.

“The most important thing was to make sure that whatever they were running was as lean as possible, and it was responsible use of the taxpyaers money,” Chin said. “To just cut is not necessarily what all the departments are being asked to do.”

Kobayashi shot back: “You look at all those subcontracts. You call that lean and efficient?”

To that, Chin only said “thank you.”

Chin Brings Several Cabinet Leaders to Meeting

1:26 p.m.
Managing Director Doug Chin kicked off the Transportation Committee by telling City Council members he asked leaders from several city departments to be available to help answer their questions.

Sitting among more than a dozen attendees are Department of Planning and Permitting Director David Tanoue, rail chief Toru Hamayasu, Transportation Services Director Wayne Yoshioka and Budget and Fiscal Services Director Mike Hansen. Chin says Human Resources leaders are also available.

“We’re here to answer any and all questions and we want to make ourselves available to you,” Chin said.

Transportation Committee Expected to be Long, Heated

1:12 p.m.
City Council members Tom Berg, Tulsi Gabbard Tamayo, Ernie Martin, Breene Harimoto, Ann Kobayashi, Ikaika Anderson, Stanley Chang and Romy Cachola are on hand for what’s expected to be a tense Transportation and Transit Planning Committee meeting.

It marks the first time council members will have the opportunity to ask questions about two new rail contracts the city announced last week.

Harimoto, who chairs the committee, says he expects City Council members to air a slew of new concerns about the city’s $5.5. billion rail proposal.

Ernie Martin Holds it Down for Aloha Wear

9:53 a.m.
City Council Budget Chairman Ernie Martin often cracks jokes as his meetings get going. Today, he jokingly picked on fellow council members Tom Berg, Stanley Chang and Breene Harimoto.

All three are wearing jackets, while Martin is wearing an aloha shirt.

“We do have a dress code in here, and for men it’s aloha shirts,” Martin said. “You guys are making me look bad.”

Rod Tam Sentencing Pushed Back Again

5:44 a.m.
Former City Council member Rod Tam won’t be sentenced until June 7, a staffer at the Department of the Attorney General told Inside Honolulu. Tam had a sentencing date in January that was pushed back to March before being delayed again. Josh Wisch at the Attorney General’s office said he didn’t know why the sentencing was delayed.

In November, Tam pleaded guilty to 26 counts of theft. It came after the city Ethics Commission found he had billed the city for thousands of dollars in meals.

Here’s the statement Tam issued on November 24, 2010:

“At this time, I am responding to petty misdemeanors and misdemeanors charges against me by the State of Hawaii’s Attorney General Office out of embarrassment.
So that there is no misinterpretation:
“Pursuant to compromise, I have pleaded guilty to a variety of petty misdemeanors and misdemeanors. I submitted vouchers that exceeded actual bill amounts. I also submitted vouchers that were below actual billing amounts. I should have practiced better bookkeeping methods. I take full responsibility and deeply apologize for my mistakes.”

June will mark one year since the Attorney General opened a criminal investigation into Tam’s spending.

Catch Up on This Month’s Inside Honolulu

March 29, 2011: Laie hotel deferred, the real cost of the city’s contract rail with Ansaldo; A letter from Ann Kobayashi to Ray LaHood.

March 28, 2011: City Council advances bill to end recycling subsidy; City “getting robbed” by state; Tsunami plan “needs improvement.”

March 23, 2011: Gov. Neil Abercrombie makes a quick exit; Federal, state, city officials cheer rail project.

March 22, 2011: TAT grab deferred; Third boiler one year from completion; Furloughs still possible.

March 21, 2011: Honolulu awards two new rail contracts; All four mayors talk labor; Firefighters get boisterous at City Hall; City Council continues budget briefings.

March 17, 2011: City Council questions necessity of long-planned bond float for rail; Lengthy executive sessions moves rail talks behind closed doors; Aging bus fleet, city workers.

March 16, 2011: City Council tables transit resolution; City Council members slam administration’s proposed fuel hike.

March 15, 2011: City Council member Ann Kobayashi tips off rail opponents to try to change City Council member Ikaika Anderson‘s mind; Rail arguments to continue in court next week; City Council members get an extension on HART nominations.

March 15, 2011: Honolulu spends $900 million on booze; Santa Claus moves to Pearl City; Mayor Peter Carlisle takes a 15 percent pay cut.

March 10, 2011: Landfill site-selection committee meets for third time, loses two members; HECO provides generators to family center; Like Honolulu, other cities and state grapple with spending on rail.

March 9, 2011: City’s rail groundbreaking ceremony costs about $30,000, consistent with Honolulu Mayor Peter Carlisle‘s estimate.

March 8, 2011: HART seeks $21 million in first budgetl; City IT Director Gordon Bruce works out kinks on new budget website; City gives HPD 9,000 hours in legal defense in two years; City moves forward with compost facility in Waialua; Could Honolulu ask residents to pay-to-play?

March 7, 2011: Honolulu Mayor Peter Carlisle says he doesn’t want a raise; Salary Commission recommends bump in pay for vacant medical examiner job; Tom Berg‘s chief of staff blasts HECO.

March 4, 2011: Landfill channel not designed to handle rainfall equivalent to storm that caused near-catastrophe; Six City Council members out of town.

March 3, 2011: Line-by-line budget to go online in about a week; Five City Council members are D.C.-bound.

March 2, 2011: Mayor Peter Carlisle raises taxes, fees in first budget; More money for autopsies; Liquor commish nominee Wesley Fong talks commission image issues; TheBus turns 40; Ides of March deadline for City Council’s HART nominees.

March 1, 2011: City Council member Breene Harimoto worries about bandaid approach to homelessness; Planning Committee advances North Shore communities plan; Parks and Rec eyes new dog park; Tom Berg pitches Matson containers as possible living space.