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City officials are working on a spending compromise, and the City Council will advance several budget-related measures this week. Officials are also moving forward with the creation of a transit agency called the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transit. Nominees to the HART board, as well as the HART budget, will come up this week. Civil Beat is reporting from the inside.

Mayor Picks Horner, Okinaga, Hong for HART

Honolulu Mayor Peter Carlisle announced Don Horner, Buzzy Hong and the city’s top lawyer, Carrie Okinaga, as his picks for the new Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transit. He said in a press conference Monday afternoon that he thinks of all three as people with “gravitas,” who will help keep “politics out of the rail project.”

Okinaga had already decided to leave her post as Corporation Counsel this summer. Horner recently accepted an appointment by Gov. Neil Abercrombie as chairman of the state Board of Education.

City Transportation Committee Chairman Breene Harimoto announced the nominees that he and City Council Chairman Nestor Garcia picked: Ivan Lui-Kwan, Damien Kim and Keslie Hui, the development manager of Forest City Enterprises. The mayor’s appointees are final but the three nominees presented by Harimoto will still need to be approved by the full City Council.

The board members will serve as volunteers, along with four other members.

• State Department of Transportation Director Glenn Okimoto
• City Department of Transportation Services Director Wayne Yoshioka
• City Department of Planning and Permitting Director David Tanoue (non-voting member)
• A tenth board member will be appointed by the eight voting board members already in place

Mayor, Council to Announce HART Picks Today

11:02 a.m.
Honolulu Mayor Peter Carlisle and City Council Transportation Chairman Breene Harimoto will introduce their picks for the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transit this afternoon.

The council’s three picks could include council members’ nominees like Ivan Lui-Kwan, a former city budget director, and Damien Kim, the business manager for the local chapter of the IBEW union.

Names that have surfaced as Carlisle’s possible picks include former City Council Chairman Todd Apo, First Hawaiian Bank CEO Don Horner and Buzzy Hong, a longtime fixture in local law enforcement.

Carlisle’s office has refused repeated requests to confirm those possible nominees. We’ll find out from Carlisle who he picked during a 2 p.m. press conference.

City Council Nominates Financial, Union Leaders to Transit Board

Honolulu City Council members are expected this week to announce their nominees to the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transit. Council Chairman Nestor Garcia said the council would likely make a joint announcement about its nominees with Honolulu Mayor Peter Carlisle, who gets to appoint three HART board members.

Though each City Council member nominated someone, only three of the council’s picks will be on the 10-member board.

The council’s Transportation Committee chairman, Breene Harimoto, nominated retired Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Magaldi, Jr.

“Joe brings several unique qualities to the table,” Harimoto wrote in an email to Inside Honolulu. “First, Joe has a wealth of Hawaii-based transportation-related experience and expertise. He served as Director and Deputy Director of the City’s Department of Transportation Services and is thoroughly familiar with the City and bus operations. He currently serves as chairman of the City’s Transportation Commission and is Deputy Chair of the Oahu Metropolitan Planning Organization (OMPO) Citizen Advisory Committee.”

Other council members’ picks:

• Ernie Martin nominated International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers’ local business manager Damien Kim.

• Ikaika Anderson nominated Arnold Wong of the Iron Workers union for his union background and legal expertise.

• Tulsi Gabbard Tamayo nominated Ivan Lui-Kwan, who was the city’s budget director under former Mayor Jeremy Harris.

• City Council member Ann Kobayashi nominated Donald Takaki, whom she calls a long-time local transportation leader.

City Council member Tom Berg nominated Panos Prevedouros, a two-time mayoral candidate and well-known rail critic.

A minority of City Council members — Nestor Garcia, Stanley Chang and Romy Cachola — have thus far declined to make public their nominees.

Previous Editions of Inside Honolulu

April 15, 2011: City Council member Tom Berg to kick off Tea Party rally; City plans to spend $248 million to acquire property for rail; Shootout in East Oahu ends in suspect death, traffic gridlock.

April 14, 2011: City Council member Stanley Chang turns to Charles Djou on “unfinished business;” City says Waimanalo Gulch back to “normal;” City Council member Tulsi Gabbard Tamayo defends possible cuts to the arts.

April 13, 2011: City Council Budget Chairman Ernie Martin calls mayor’s take on fuel tax “inaccurate;” Zoo considers sending rhino to hospice; Free parking for some city workers could end; City Council rejects move to reclaim some rail money.

April 12, 2011: City Council member Stanley Chang passionate about funds for roads; Council advances real property tax measure; Council on a roll with disclosures.

April 11, 2011: Two rail protests filed against city; Tom Berg speaks out against state money grab; U.S. Senate race could have ripple effect on City Hall.

April 8, 2011: City Council member Ernie Martin taps IBEW business manager for HART; Peter Carlisle distant from Big Island, Kauai mayors; Government leaders attend prayer breakfast.

April 7, 2011: Hawaii mayors issue joint response on tentative HGEA deal; Was Honolulu Mayor Peter Carlisle cut out of labor bargaining? U.S. Transportation Sec. Ray LaHood chats about Honolulu’s “light rail.”

April 6, 2011: City, state and other Hawaii counties agree to deal with HGEA; Council grows capital spending; City Council member asks for legal fees to fight administration.

April 5, 2011: Council member Tulsi Gabbard Tamayo says her deployment to Afghanistan is unlikely; HART nominees still not official; City cites $1.4 billion for Ansaldo contract.

April 4, 2011: Todd Apo and Don Horner surface as mayor’s possible picks for transit authority; Tom Berg nominates Panos Prevedouros for transit authority; State awaits results on more dengue cases; Losing rail bidders set for debriefs.

April 1, 2011: Gov. Neil Abercrombie taps former City Council candidate; GOP wants Nestor Garcia ethics investigation; Budget Chairman Ernie Martin schedules two special budget meetings.