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

Civil Beat is reporting from the inside.

7:18 p.m. Carlisle’s Weekend Sked

Here’s where you can find Mayor Peter Carlisle this weekend. We’ll be sharing his full APEC week schedule Monday.

On Saturday, Carlisle Saturday delivers remarks at the Faith Action for Community Equity Annual Equity Summit at the University of Hawaii Campus Center at 8:45 a.m. At 6 p.m. Sunday, Carlisle participates in a Military Key Spouse Recognition Program presentation at the UH football game at Aloha Stadium.

There are no public events scheduled for Sunday.

3:12 p.m. News Before Breakfast

Monday starts what can only be described as APEC week here in Honolulu, and Mayor Peter Carlisle is wasting no time getting the activities started.

He’s called a press conference for 6:15 a.m. Monday morning at the Honolulu Hale courtyard. He’ll be flanked by Managing Director Doug Chin, Department of Transportation Services Director Wayne Yoshioka and Department of Environmental Services Director Tim Steinberger.

The city is describing the event as a “Briefing and update regarding City services during APEC week.”

These particular city leaders held a joint press conference just two weeks ago at which they announced changes to the city’s trash pickup routine and bus routes during APEC.

We’ll be there bright and early Monday to learn more about the new update.

2:46 p.m. Honolulu a Digital City

From a city :

… Honolulu is a first-place winner in the 10th anniversary Digital Cities Survey conducted by the Center for Digital Government and its Digital Communities Program.

The annual survey spotlights municipalities that best show how information and communication technology are used to enhance public service. Honolulu was ranked first among cities with populations of 250,000 or more.

12:21 p.m. City’s Energy Consumption

The Carlisle administration sent a memo over to the Honolulu City Council this week detailing the city’s energy consumption.

, mandated by ordinance, shows that the city consumed 168,988,378 kilowatt-hours during Fiscal Year 2011 at a cost of $41.8 million. The agency with by far the largest footprint was, ironically, the Department of Environmental Services. “ENV” alone was responsible for nearly half of the city’s electricity use.

“ENV continues to implement the following measures at our wastewater treatment plants and pump stations,” the report states. “Replacing old lighting with energy efficient lighting, replacing constant speed drives with variable speed drives, automatic flows pacing of energy intensive equipment such as the UV facility, and running equipment during off peak hours.”

The city also burned about 8 million gallons of diesel fuel and 2 million gallons of unleaded fuel at a combined cost of $34.2 million. The Department of Transportation Services accounted more more than three-fourths of the diesel use, and the Honolulu Police Department was responsible for more than three-fourths of the unleaded fuel consumption.

Interested in government energy consumption? Read Sophie Cocke‘s undercover investigation into the state’s use of air conditioning in government buildings.

11:53 a.m. Occupy Honolulu Saturday

Occupy Honolulu has big plans for tomorrow — something organizers are calling a “day of action.”

There’s a rally at Thomas Square at 11 a.m., a march to the Hawaii Capitol at noon for a potluck lunch. There will be a general assembly around 2 p.m. and then a “soap box” from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Check out details at the .

9:25 a.m. City’s Final ORI Plan

The city has presented its final plan to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, a last-ditch effort to avoid losing $7.9 million due to grant agreement noncompliance at an elderly care facility in Central Oahu.

Adrienne LaFrance reports today that the city submitted its letter to HUD just before the final deadline, and has outlined the most detailed proposal to date on how to improve utilization of ORI Anuenue Hale in Wahiawa.

Read the full story here: Honolulu Presents Final Plan to Prevent $7.9M Grant Repayment

From $2,500 To $560 Million

Something needs to be clarified about the Ansaldo case, before we put its lack of a contractor’s license behind us.

In its press release announcing the $150,000 deal with Ansaldo to settle a pair of complaints that the rail car builder wasn’t a licensed contractor when it first offered a bid on the project, the state Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs justified the amount by claiming that “The fine for unlicensed contracting activity ranges from $2,500 and can run as high as 40% of the total contract price.”

That’s false.

for unlicensed contracting doesn’t specify a range. Instead, it says first-time offenders “shall be fined … $2,500 or forty per cent of the total contract price, whichever is greater.”

The contract in question, under which Ansaldo would design, build, operate and maintain the Honolulu rail project for the next decade and a half, is valued at $1.4 billion. Forty percent of that total is $560 million. That’s (far) greater than $2,500, and is the fine that would appear to be required by state law for those who fail to obtain a contractor’s license before bidding on a construction project.

But in this case, it’s important to note that Ansaldo did not admit guilt in the settlement agreement. Rather, it promised to comply with the law going forward. So the penalty statute cited above does not apply.

Still, the press release is misleading.

While we’re pointing fingers, we should point one at ourselves.

We, too, implied that there was a range of possible fines.

When we broke the story about the licensing issue, we wrote: “If the Italian firm is found to be in violation of state law, it could have to pay as much as $560 million — yes, you read that right, million — as a penalty.”

We should have written “would” instead of “could,” and left out the words “as much as.”

The law is clear — 40 percent or $2,500, whichever is greater.

In the end, the issue is moot because the settlement wipes the slate clean.

Alternate Sludge Technologies: The Response

In July, when the Honolulu City Council and Mayor Peter Carlisle were playing political hot potato with the issue of sewage sludge, Romy Cachola hammered at one point. He didn’t want a second Synagro digester and instead wanted the administration to look at alternative sludge technologies.

The Council passed to that effect. And anytime Sand Island has come on the agenda for any reason, Cachola’s reminded the administration of the outstanding request, and asked about progress.

Well, the results are in.

The city’s engineering consultant, AECOM, produced a 166-page report that was sent over to the Council with last week. Inside Honolulu hasn’t read it in its entirety yet, but we share it with you now:

More coming at some point soon, we’re sure. Meantime, catch up on the sludge issue with our previous coverage:

• Budget Battle Left Few Sewage Sludge Options
• Sewage Sludge Heading Ewa Only, for Now
• From May to July, Carlisle Changed Tune on Sludge

Where’s Carlisle?

At 8:30 a.m. today, Mayor Peter Carlisle delivers remarks at the West Oahu Development Association’s 8th Annual West Oahu Conference. Aulani Disney Resort and Spa.

Read Previous Editions of Inside Honolulu

November 3: Laulani Village Shopping Center Breaks Ground; Two In, Two Out; City Meets HUD Deadline; ‘I Wouldn’t Be Surprised’; Rematch: Caldwell Running For Mayor; ZBA, Finally; HART Meetings This Morning; Where’s Carlisle?

November 2: Homeless Possessions Bill Advances; APEC Reimbursement Reso Adopted; Airport Sheriffs Get Pepperball, Too; Berg’s Rail Charter Amendment Dies; Sign Bill Deferred; ‘An Unsuccessful Third Generation Real Estate Developer’; Lecture From A Freethinker; $37 Million, Please; Missed Deadline?; Berg: Split Up Ewa Beach; Two Days; Kauai Hiking Water Rates, Too; On The Agenda; Today’s Council Honorees; Where’s Carlisle?

November 1: Rod Tam Sentencing Today; Where’s Carlisle?