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Editor’s Note: In June 2012, Civil Beat sent 10 questions to each of the candidates registered to run for Honolulu City Council District 3. Two of three responded, including retail consultant Chad Kaukani. The questions and answers are reproduced below in full, and will serve as a resource both to voters deciding whom to vote for at the Aug. 11 primary but also to constituents so they can hold Kaukani to his words should he be elected. To see how Kaukani’s responses compare to those from his competitor, click here. Click on each topic listed below to read Civil Beat’s question and Kaukani’s response.

• Rail
• Landfill
• Homelessness
• Property Taxes
• Relationship With Mayor
• Plastic Bag Ban
• Community Planning
• Biggest Challenge
• Council Legacy
• Bad Decision

Preferred Candidate Name: Chad Kaukani

Date of Birth (MM/DD/YYYY): 6/8/1983

Place of Birth/Hometown: Kaneohe

Current Profession/Employer: Sprint Wireless Retail Consultant

Education/Alma Mater(s): James B. Castle High School, Attended Hawaii Pacific University, and Completing my Psychology Degree at University of Phoenix

1. Do you believe that Honolulu should proceed with the 20-mile elevated rail project from East Kapolei to Ala Moana Shopping Center? Why or why not?

If rail can’t be stopped the need for this project should continue and as City Councilman I will ensure that the City will continue to receive that funding as promised by the federal government and that the money is not misspent or misused.

If rail can be stopped I do support Mass Transit and Jobs that Mass Transit can bring to the State. I would propose to look at other technologies for Mass Transit that is ignored today. The money allocated for Mass Transit brings up different questions as to what to can that money be used for if Steel on Steel Rail is stopped and I will see to it that those questions are answered and that money funded for this project is not wasted. ↩ back to top

2. Should the city continue to send municipal solid waste to Waimanalo Gulch Landfill until it reaches capacity, should it site a new landfill elsewhere as soon as possible, or should it pursue a different path? Why?

The city should continue to use Waimanalo Gulch until it reaches its capacity as per the agreement that was made. During this time the City should also explore other options that would allow the waste to be disposed of properly. Other options could include another H-Power to turn waste into energy or a new technology that is looked into where waste is turned into structural foundations for construction as it is mulched into fine soil. ↩ back to top

3. Has the sidewalk ban on stored property, in effect for six months, been a success? What should the city be doing to help Honolulu’s homeless population?

Over the last few months there has been a decrease of stored property on our Oahu Sidewalks, but I feel that more needs to be done. The problem is not just of the State to work on this issue, but the City as well. The City needs more involvement to helping the homeless in these situations. We should not just ignore something and leave it to the State; we need to work as a City as a community to helping those people. ↩ back to top

4. Should the city consider eliminating property tax exemptions for homeowners, nonprofits and other special interest groups if it means lowering rates? What other steps should the council take to improve Honolulu Hale’s financial picture?

If the property tax is lowered I think that a reevaluation of those tax exemptions should be made and looked into and determine from that information gathered.

There are different ways that the City can look to improve the financial picture and as City Councilman I will explore every possibility to find that solution. I will not stop because I am told no, I will continue to fight and find those solutions because we are not just building for our future, but for the future for our children. We need to work together for our tomorrow, today. ↩ back to top

5. Relations between the mayor and the City Council have been at times contentious. How would you work to improve those relations?

Working relations with the Mayor and Council is a must and there may be differences in which something is faced. We need to work together in finding a solution that the people will benefit from. To improve the future it can’t just be one mentality, but the working of all to create that better future together. ↩ back to top

6. Should the city wait until July 2015 for the recently approved plastic checkout bag ban to take effect, implement something sooner or go a different route? Why?

I believe that it is a good idea that the City waits until July 2015. This will allow companies to empty any stocks that are stored. With this decision this would allow businesses to save money and those businesses could look to use that money to help more people in the community. ↩ back to top

7. Do the Oahu General Plan and regional planning documents as currently written need to be overhauled to protect agricultural resources and manage growth or are they sufficient as is? What other steps should the city take to control or promote development?

Hawai’i is unique in many ways and the one thing that we can benefit from is agriculture. Protecting agriculture is important in the time to come because we the ability to grow something all year long and hopefully without the worry of depletion. I believe more should be done to protect agriculture in the time to come.

In any community there will always be growth and as we continue to grow as a community more should be looked into as what can be done. The city needs to look into what is yet to come and how to accommodate growth. With growth comes development and finding a solution that will allow growth while preserving the past and the beauty of Hawai’i is something that needs to be done. Hawai’i is unique with the beauty that we have around us and preserving that of history and present is something that I plan to make sure is preserved and will allow growth. Finding a solution that will benefit the people is a priority for me now and as City Council. ↩ back to top

8. What do you see as the largest long-term challenge facing the city — sewers, water, roads, traffic or something else? What immediate steps will you take to put Honolulu in a stronger position to deal with its largest long-term challenge?

The largest long-term challenge that Hawai’i faces would be traffic. With repairs of sewers and roads those projects could create more traffic problems. There is an immediate resolve that needs to be looked at preventing more traffic in the time to come. With alternative approaches to mass transit this situation could be eased and prevented in time. Other situations such as incentives to job makers to create staggering times to assist with traffic congestion could also be another alternative to look into. Incentives of bus users or carpools should also be greatly considered to help with easement of traffic. ↩ back to top

9. What would you want to be remembered for as a member of the City Council?

I will be honest self preservation is something that I am not looking at or interested in. I am here for the people to represent the people as the voice for the people. If there is something that I want to be remembered for is someone who stood up for everyone and who did his very best working hard for a better tomorrow. ↩ back to top

10. If you could change one city decision of the last two years, what would it be and why?

If there were one city decision that I could change it would be the rushing of the Fireworks Ban. I believe that more should have been looked into with this decision-making. One possibility could be control of how many a person could purchase or designating a certain place to utilize those firworks; looking at different alternatives could allow a compromise between the people. ↩ back to top