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It’s a short week, but it includes a full Honolulu City Council meeting today, and there’s always something interesting going on at Honolulu Hale.

Civil Beat is reporting from the inside.

Oh Godbey, New City Lawyer in the House

1:12 p.m.
The council’s afternoon agenda gets started in less than an hour, and one of the key players is already milling around.

Bob Godbey, who was appointed by Mayor Peter Carlisle to take over as corporation counsel effective July 1, has been up and down the Honolulu Hale steps a couple of times in the last few minutes.

If confirmed by the council, he’ll officially be the replacement for Carrie Okinaga. The city’s former top lawyer is now chair of the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation.

Godbey appeared to be in good spirits, smiling and waving to Inside Honolulu. When Carlisle introduced him back in April, Godbey said he was excited to get started.

Derailed: Tom Berg Q&A

12:55 p.m.
It’s probably not worthy of the trippy cover art, but the has a rail-themed Q&A with Councilmember Tom Berg that’s good lunchtime reading.

Neither the cover nor the story are online yet as of this writing, but here’s one of the juicier Berg quotes, which came out when he was asked how he differs from his predecessor, Todd Apo, when it comes to rail:

“Well, Apo was driving that train! Yeah, he had the keys! He got this thing all fired up, ready to roll, and he did his job.”

Steinberger Slams ‘Anti-Synagro’ Resolution

11:21 a.m.
The City Council wants the administration to look at alternative technologies for sewage sludge at Sand Island, but the tenor of that request has angered Environmental Services Director Tim Steinberger.

Confronting the council on , Steinberger said it’s appropriate to consider different technologies, but said the resolution amounted to an attack on Synagro, the company that runs the bioconversion facility.

Council member Romy Cachola pointed to scandals in Detroit and Philadelphia that involved Synagro and landed two mayors in hot water. And while Steinberger said Synagro Hawaii is a good operator that provides the city with the “best bang for the buck,” Cachola said, “You have to understand that their tentacles is all over the place.”

The Steinberger-Cachola back-and-forth on the merits of the resolution is still going after more than 10 minutes.

Ag Land Property Tax Bill Heads Back to Committee

10:23 a.m.
A bill that would have eliminated one-year ag dedications for property tax purposes won’t pass third reading from the full council today and is instead headed back to committee for further work.

was recommitted to the Budget Committee without objections. The Oahu Farm Bureau had concerns about the bill and supported the move.

The concerns centered on the fact that landowners who lease property for agricultural use might not be willing to commit to five- or 10-year dedications because they have other long-term plans for their land, but might be willing to continue agricultural production on a year-by-year basis.

New Chair, New Seats

10:04 a.m.
With new Chair Ernie Martin at the podium for the first time, there’s a new seating arrangement.

Councilmembers Stanley Chang, Tulsi Gabbard, Ann Kobayashi and Romy Cachola are in the same spots, from right to left facing Martin. But now in the other center seat is Vice Chair Ikaika Anderson, replacing former Vice Chair Breene Harimoto. Former Chair Nestor Garcia is in the No. 6 seat, formerly occupied by Martin. Harimoto is next, followed by Tom Berg.

Council Gathers Early to Fete Honorees

9:23 a.m.
The real work doesn’t start until 10 a.m., but City Council members are all in the meeting room early to acknowledge community members. Here’s the list of honorary certificate recipients:

• T.T., June and Lanny Moore — Founders of “The Friends for Life” Animal Shelter
• Barbie Kihara — For her craftmaking contributions to the community
• Claire J. Tamamoto — For her positive and lifelong impacts on the Aiea community
• Sergeant Lawrence Santos Jr. — Honolulu Police Department 2011 Officer of the Year
• Andy South — For the launch of his first fashion line
• Junior Primacio and Ben Acohido — For their exemplary public service
• Maeda Timson and Michael Golojuch — For their service and commitment to the West Oahu communities

Martin, Anderson Ink Op-Ed

7:51 a.m.
It’s been a little more than a week since the Honolulu City Council overrode four of Mayor Peter Carlisle‘s vetoes, but new Council Chair Ernie Martin and Vice Chair Ikaika Anderson are out with an op-ed in this morning’s Honolulu Star-Advertiser to explain their rationale.

The new council leadership says the legislative body needed to assert its oversight role over the rail system, and that the council is the only entity responsible to voters and taxpayers that can make changes to the budget for the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation.

Since the override, both the mayor and HART declined to sue the council, and HART at its first meeting adopted a budget that mirrors the council’s appropriations.

Read the op-ed .

Read Previous Editions of Inside Honolulu

July 5: New State Law Protects County Firefighters, Lifeguards; Federal Highways Rep: City and State Need to Play Nice; Leeward Politicians Push for Bikeway; State Officials in the Hale for Transportation; Ernie Martin’s First Agenda as Chair; No Crime Stats for HPD.

July 1: City Parade to Cost $20K; Furloughs Are Over, Pay Is Up; No Laie Decision At Next Council Meeting; Housing Office Open For Business; HART Kicks Off New Era for Honolulu Rail; Happy New Year!; Martin Tabs Kobayashi as Budget Chair.