ÌìÃÀÊÓƵ

Honolulu Mayor Peter Carlisle vetoed legislation for the first time this week, and his decision to nix the City Council’s budget for a new transit agency ratcheted up an already-tense situation.

The countdown is on before the transfer of city oversight of the $5.3 billion rail project moves into the hands of a semi-independent transit agency.

There’s always something interesting going on at Honolulu Hale. Civil Beat is reporting from the inside.

Mayor Deliberately Kept Quiet on Asia Trips

2:23 p.m.
Honolulu Mayor Peter Carlisle says he deliberately kept quiet about his recent trips to South Korea, China and Taiwan so that residents wouldn’t feel that he was neglecting his role at the helm of the city.

“The problem is that then you’re left with the impression that I’m abandoning my post here,” Carlisle told Civil Beat. “In fact, the work of the city continues no matter where I am because all you got to do is get on the phone with me. Or, two, you’ve got to email people. We were always in communication.”

Carlisle has made himself accessible for questions about the trip. He granted Civil Beat a phone interview from Taiwan, and he gave Civil Beat an unscheduled interview about the second leg of his trip when asked about it on Tuesday.

A spokeswoman said the trips were left off the mayor’s weekly schedules because they’re meant only to describe “public activities here in Honolulu.”

Council Re-Org Coming Sooner Than Expected

12:25 p.m.
At his press conference announcing the City Council shake-up, Chair Nestor Garcia said the resolution formalizing the new leadership could be heard in July.

But the special meeting called for Monday to override Mayor Peter Carlisle‘s vetoes will allow the council to take the matter up sooner.

[pdf], which was introduced by Garcia and would make Ernie Martin chair, Ikaika Anderson vice chair and Romy Cachola floor leader, is on the full council agenda for 10 a.m. Monday. It could be adopted at that time.

Veto Override Votes Set for Monday

12:13 p.m.
The City Council is wasting no time in responding Mayor Peter Carlisle‘s vetoes. Council members will gather for on Monday to discuss overriding them.

The meeting, scheduled for 10 a.m., will enter Carlisle’s veto messages into the council record, and then will consider Bills 33, 34, 35 and 36. Under each item, the agenda says the matter is being called to pass final reading, “THE MAYOR’S VETO TO THE CONTRARY NOTWITHSTANDING.”

An override of the mayor’s vetoes on the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation budget could lead to litigation.

A message left at the office of Council Chair Nestor Garcia was not immediately returned. Garcia — and much of the rest of the council — is on Maui for the Hawaii State Association of Counties conference that runs through Thursday.

Carlisle Mum on New Council Chairman’s Style

9:45 a.m.
Honolulu Mayor Peter Carlisle says he’s not surprised to hear about the leadership shake-up on the Honolulu City Council. As Civil Beat first reported last week, the council’s Budget Chairman, Ernie Martin, is poised to replace council Chairman Nestor Garcia next month.

“That kind of stuff goes on all the time on city councils,” Carlisle told Civil beat. “It doesn’t surprise me.”

Martin has been among the most outspoken on the City Council in the fight with the Carlisle administration over whether the council should be allowed to oversee a new rail agency’s budget. Asked whether he thought Martin would bring a more combative approach to the relationship between the council and the administration, Carlisle grinned.

“We’ll see,” he said. “We’ll see. I’m not going to speculate.”

Martin Breaks Silence on Council Shake-Up

9:13 a.m.
When City Council Chairman Nestor Garcia last week confirmed that he would likely turn over council chairmanship to Ernie Martin, Civil Beat noted with interest Martin’s silence on the matter. He didn’t attend a press conference Garcia held to discuss the matter, refused to answer reporters’ questions, and ultimately left City Hall early that day.

“Out of respect for him, I didn’t volunteer to attend,” Martin told Civil Beat earlier this week. “But if he had asked me to attend, I would have attended. It’s always been my style, whether it’s good news or bad news, to defer out of respect or loyalty.”

(As for his early departure, Martin explained: “It was my birthday, and I already had commitments for the day.”)

Garcia insisted the leadership change was his idea, but other City Council members indicated that a reorganization would have happened with or without his cooperation. Martin has stayed quiet on whether he initiated the shake-up.

“Nestor, he’s a good friend of mine,” Martin said. “I know it was a very difficult circumstance for him.”

No Problems With Property Acquisition Along Rail Route, Mayor Says

8:18 a.m.
Honolulu Mayor Peter Carlisle told Civil Beat that the city’s property-acquisition efforts along the proposed rail route are “very, very successful so far.”

“We’re at the point where everybody’s still talking,” Carlisle said in an exclusive interview Wednesday. “This is all acquisition and none of it’s been done by eminent domain, and hopefully that will continue.”

Carlisle, who returned from a trip to China and Taiwan on Monday, said he had rail on his mind after riding the high-speed bullet train in Taiwan. Of particular interest, he said, was the transit-oriented development along the route.

“Along their rail route, there were 8,000 convenience stores that were created due to the project,” Carlisle said. “Eight thousand, and those were all small business people! That’s increasing value all along there.”

Read Previous Editions of Inside Honolulu

June 21, 2011: Honolulu Mayor Peter Carlisle vetoes bills; City Council member Tulsi Gabbard writes from Indonesia; Hoopili fight heating up (again).

June 20, 2011: Ethics training could be required for all city workers; Stanley Chang, mayor, back from China; Ag property-tax tweak advances; Council Budget Committee advances bond float.

June 17, 2011: City Council member Tom Berg wants commercial activity at some parks; Baby warthogs at the zoo.

June 16, 2011: Perennial mayoral candidate Panos Prevedouros‘ poetry; Opinion on Garcia ethics investigation still two months out.

June 15, 2011:: Council Chairman Nestor Garcia steps down; City offers amnesty on turned-in fireworks.

June 14, 2011: Photos released from Peter Carlisle‘s Asia trip; Carpenters Union steps up rail advocacy; Water outage on windward side.

June 13, 2011: Read the complete HUD report; Tom Berg to hold town hall on rail; Still no rail report from fact-finding trip.

June 8, 2011: Acting Mayor Doug Chin signs historic homes bill; FAA issues Record of Decision on rail; Hillary Clinton to attend APEC; Stanley Chang posts messages to Twitter from Taiwan; Precedent in the dispute between Honolulu Mayor Peter Carlisle and City Council members.

June 7, 2011: Two-time candidate Panos Prevedouros fundraising for 2012 mayor’s race; Tom Berg weighs in on chief of staff’s role in hacking of lawmaker’s email; Rod Tam sentencing pushed back; Ship that buried Osama bin Laden stops in Honolulu.

June 6, 2011:Creator of city rail poll says it was unbiased; More details on Honolulu Mayor Peter Carlisle‘s China trip; Former City Council memeber Rod Tam charged with eight counts of campaign spending violations.

June 3, 2011: City Council approves rail bond float, slew of fee increases, property-tax rate hike, operating and capital budgets; Council members reverse decision on eliminating subsidy to scrap yards.

June 2, 2011: Complete script of questions from city rail poll; Rail supporters plan virtual sit-in.

June 1, 2011: City announced poll showing majority support for rail; Honolulu Mayor Peter Carlisle mum on veto plans; Hurricane season starts.