������Ƶ

There’s always something interesting going on at Honolulu Hale.

Civil Beat is reporting from the inside.

2:21 Low Sewer Bond Interest

From a city press release:

The City and County of Honolulu today successfully sold $169.19 million of Wastewater System Revenue Bonds, securing the bonds at 4.29 percent, the lowest of any tax-exempt wastewater financing ever sold by the City.

The attractive interest rate is attributed to the wastewater system’s strong financial position and affirmed credit ratings, saving ratepayers millions of dollars over the life of the bonds. The lowest previous interest rate secured by the City was 4.554 percent in 2005.

Proceeds will help pay for a variety of important repairs and upgrades to wastewater pump stations, pipes and facilities in Ala Moana, Chinatown, Kailua, Kalihi, Kaneohe, Manoa, Nuuanu, Palolo, Sand Island, Honouliuli, Wahiawa, Waimalu and other neighborhoods.

Moody’s and Fitch rated the bonds “Aa2/AA,” respectively. Fitch views “the adoption of three multiyear rate packages and subsequent implementation of the series of rate increases during an economic downturn, as an indication of Honolulu’s high level of commitment in addressing its mandated capital improvements and available rate flexibility.” The Fitch rating “primarily reflects the very strong financial position of the system and the proactive steps taken by the political leadership and management team to address many years of delayed spending on system capital infrastructure.”

Moody’s noted that the City “has worked diligently to comply with evolving state and local federal regulations” including the 2010 Consent Decree that “provides certainty on outstanding litigation and the Department’s long-term CIP (Capital Improvement Projects).” Moody’s also noted that the rating and outlook was based on the “expectation that the wastewater system will continue to benefit from approved rate increases and maintain favorable financial performance consistent with the City’s conservative financial and debt policies.”

Bank of America Merrill Lynch served as the lead underwriter for the offering with Piper Jaffray & Co. as the co-manager. A one-day retail order period for the bonds on Wednesday generated more than $37.8 million of orders from retail customers, both in Hawaii and on the Mainland. Local financial institutions also participated actively in selling and purchasing many of the bonds.

And ‘s more about the Fitch report.

2:14 p.m. Full Steam Ahead

Just published to Civil Beat: our story about this morning’s Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation Board of Directors meeting.

Read it here: HART: Full Steam Ahead For Ansaldo Rail Contract

8:49 a.m. HART: Ansaldo Still Capable

Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation Interim Executive Director Toru Hamayasu has just told the Board of Directors that HART has completed its due diligence review of Ansaldo‘s finances, determined it remains a “responsible offeror” and will extend a formal contract offer shortly.

More coming soon.

Police Gifts: A History

The main story up on Civil Beat this morning: a history of the gifts given to the Honolulu Police Department since 2006, particularly the very large ones from Waikiki businesses.

It turns out that the debate over the ethics of allowing a constituency to purchase extra police protection has come up before.

Read the full story here.

There’s No Crying In Rail Contractor Disputes!

Honolulu City Council member Tom Berg is so upset about Bombardier‘s disqualification from the design-build-operate-maintain rail contract that he needs a tissue.

Berg’s emotional rant in the Budget Committee Wednesday centered on the $234 million difference between Bombardier’s offer and the one accepted by the city from Ansaldo, according to from Hawaii News Now. In the video, which is certainly worth watching, Berg said Bombardier was treated unfairly. The company’s vice president reiterated his argument that the bid was disqualified on a technicality.

Civil Beat covered the story most recently here: Contract Dispute Moves From Court Room To City Council Chambers

Meanwhile, in less theatrical settings, progress on the Honolulu rail project continues. The Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation Board of Directors will include discussion of the core systems contract.

Last week, HART laid out the sequence of events that needs to happen for the Ansaldo contract to be executed.

Drug Summit Coming To Hawaii

Prosecutors and law enforcement officials will gather in Waikiki at the end of this month to discuss drug trafficking, according to the Associated Press.

Honolulu Prosecuting Attorney Keith Kaneshiro is running the show, and his spokesman said the summit is the first of its kind.

Read the full story .

Where’s Carlisle?

Mayor Peter Carlisle has no local public events today or at all this week, according to the public schedule put out by his staff Friday. He’ll be in Incheon, Korea the rest of this week.

Read Previous Editions of Inside Honolulu

October 12: Money For Buses; Ewa Development Plan Up For Review; Second Crack At Homeless on Sidewalk; Where’s Carlisle?

October 11: Rail On PBS; Sidewalk Property Bill Advances; Noise Bill Deferred; Merits of Rail-Volution; Carlisle’s Blood; Targeting Homeless?; Rod Tam’s Friends; Today’s Meetings; Where’s Carlisle?

October 10: Transportation Committee Canceled; Hilton Hawaiian Village On The Agenda; Rail = Jobs; Honolulu’s Global Mayor; Zoning and Planning; Where’s Carlisle?

October 7: Gabbard: End The War; Real Property Tax Commission Meeting Monday; The Holidays Are Coming; Carlisle’s Public Schedule; New Rail Financial Plan; More Committee Agendas; Where’s Carlisle?

October 6: Second Committee Posted; Ansaldo Contract Not Signed Yet; Zoning and Planning Meeting Monday, Not Thursday; Rail Opponents To Speak at Rotary Club; Today’s HART Meetings; Where’s Carlisle?

October 5: Police For Sale?; Cameras Coming for APEC; Sidewalk Property, Noise Control Bills Advance; Private Possessions, Public Property; Today’s Honorees; Today’s Council Meeting; Where’s Carlisle?

October 4: Fifty Years Of Friendship With The French; ACLU Scolds HPD; FACE Rail Rally Today; Station to Station; Public Hearing, No Public; Where’s Carlisle?

October 3: Carlisle Responds, Others Attending; Carlisle Attending “Upscale” Condo Groundbreaking; Former DLNR Chair Thielen New City Ag Liaison; HART On Rail Costs; Archaeological Work Begins; Overcharging at Landfill; Carlisle Eats Local; HART Meetings Thursday; Where’s Carlisle?