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As city officials assess their response to last week’s tsunami, Honolulu City Council members are diving into budget briefings. They’ll also gather for a full council meeting on Wednesday. Civil Beat is reporting from the inside.

CORRECTION 3/16/11 10:37 a.m. A previous version of this post incorrectly identified Cliff Slater as the writer of an e-mail about the bond issue being a potential “sleeper moment.” Inside Honolulu regrets the error.

Kobayashi Tips Off Rail Opponents to Target Anderson

4:47 p.m.

Rail opponents are asking likeminded skeptics to turn out in force for a district meeting that City Council member Ikaika Anderson is hosting tonight in Kaneohe. Pearl Johnson of the League of Women Voters says rail critics will use the meeting to try to convince Anderson not to support the rail project.

“We got this idea from Ann Kobayashi,” Johnson told Civil Beat. “She said in order to pass a bond (sale to pay for the rail project), you have to have a two-thirds majority. If we could get just one more person to vote against it, we could kill the bonds.”

Kobayashi told Civil Beat the bond appropriations passed in previous budgets, but the City Council would still have to approve the sale of bonds to be used for rail while the city waits for more federal money.

“It was about $2 billion of bonds,” Kobayashi said. “In order to actually go to the market and sell those bonds, the administration needs council approval. And for council approval, they need six votes on a bond vote. I’m not sure about Tom Berg, but it seems like he would be (against selling bonds for rail), and Romy Cachola has been saying that he’s against the sale of the bonds, and I’ve been saying that, but we would need four members to stop it.”

Rail critic Tom Coffman ¹ said in an e-mail to other opponents that the bond issue could be a “sleeper moment” for those who are trying to halt the rail project.

Anderson said late Tuesday afternoon he did not know that rail critics planned to attend his meeting, but acknowledged he has deep concerns about the project.

“I am absolutely, totally concerned about finances,” Anderson told Civil Beat. “I don’t think this is a done deal at this point. We still need a very important component of the federal funding before we can move forward, and that’s the Full Funding Grant Agreement.”

But Anderson said it’s also important to remember he has long supported the rail project.

“If I’m going to reverse that decision,” Anderson said. “I’ve got to have a darn good reason as to why.”

Arguments on Rail to Continue Next Week

2:37 p.m.
A First Circuit judge on Oahu will listen to further arguments next week on the city’s motion to dismiss a lawsuit alleging officials broke laws as part of its $5.5 billion rail project.

Arguments resume before Judge Gary Chang on Wednesday, March 23, at 8:30 a.m.

Court Mulls Dismissal Request for Rail Lawsuit

2:10 p.m.
City Council Chairman Nestor Garcia says a court will today decide whether to dismiss a lawsuit against the City and County of Honolulu. The suit alleges the city and other officials didn’t follow the law on surveying Hawaiian burial grounds along the proposed rail route.

Behind-the-Scenes Look at City’s Radiation Detectors

1:59 p.m.
Inside Honolulu took a field trip from Honolulu Hale to a large airport near the warehouse where the city keeps radiation detectors.

Read the full story.

Council Gets Another Week to Pick HART Nominees

11:58 a.m.
City Council members are not due to give their nominees for HART today after all. A council aide told Civil Beat the City Council is extending the deadline by about a week, to make up for the time many council members spent out of town last week.

HART Nominees Due from City Council

9:31 a.m.
Most Honolulu City Council members are gathered this morning for continued budget briefings, but they’re also tasked with recommending possible board members for the new transit agency.

The Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transit will have a board with 10 members, and the City Council will select three of them. HART is requesting $21.1 million in operating monies in its first year.

Trip to D.C. “Very Productive” For Rookie Council Members

Budget briefings are in full swing this week, on the heels of most Honolulu City Council members trip to Washington D.C. Most of those who traveled there — most of those who are on the City Council, in fact — are new to their leadership roles.

Tulsi Gabbard Tamayo called the trip “very productive,” and said there was much discussion of how Honolulu can best fulfill hosting duties for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation in November. Council member Stanley Chang also said the trip was worthwhile.

Gabbard Tamayo said she’d provide more details on the trip after completing her notes about it.

Catch Up on This Month’s Inside Honolulu

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.