������Ƶ

Editor’s note: For Hawaii’s Aug. 10 Primary Election, Civil Beat asked candidates to answer some questions about where they stand on various issues and what their priorities will be if elected.

The following came from Rick Blangiardi, candidate for Honolulu mayor. His opponents include Duke Bourgoin, Karl Dicks and Choon James.

Go to Civil Beat’s Election Guide for general information, and check out other candidates on the Primary Election Ballot.

1. What’s the biggest issue facing the City and County of Honolulu and what will you do about it?

Housing/affordable housing (AH). Oahu has been in a housing crisis for decades with current demand exceeding 22,000 housing units — three-quarters of which are for households earning less than 80% of the area median income, or $93,300 for a family of four. Demand is split — 53.5% rentals and 46.5% for-sale units. 

Since January 2021, our administration has prioritized AH by establishing a functional Office of Housing led by housing-experienced leaders, publishing an Oahu Housing Plan in 2023 with a production goal of 18,000 units by 2029.  

To drive AH construction, we:

Launched the city’s first Private Activity Bond (PAB) program in 23 years for low-cost financing of AH projects.

Issued $135,000,000 in PABs for AH projects.

Purchased Waikiki Vista with 108 AH units.

Broke ground on Halewaiolu (150 senior units), Kapolei Parkway (405 units) and Aiea Sugar Mill (140 senior units).

Acquired over 4 acres in Iwilei next to the future rail station for the construction of a transit-oriented community (over 2,000 AH units).

Passed Bill 1 to incentivize the construction of low rise AH, with three projects completed.

Formed an AH working group to expedite construction and break down barriers to the construction of AH.

2. Year after year, we talk about the need to diversify the economy away from a reliance on tourism. Do you think that is even possible and if so why would you do?

Since 2021, we have grown the Office of Economic Revitalization into a broad-based economic growth organization, focusing on regenerative tourism (Oahu’s primary industry for the foreseeable future) and greater economic diversification through:

Supporting regenerative tourism with a focus on natural resource capacity  constraints, cultural and historical accuracy and sustainable tourism practices that protect O’ahu’s way of life.

Strengthening and growing small businesses through grants and grant opportunities. 63% of small businesses receiving grants are owned by a minority or underrepresented community. 58% of grants went to businesses with less than $1 million in annual revenue.

Providing small businesses access to resources and helping new start-ups.

Supporting local agriculture through grants and encouraging food producers to buy more locally grown fruits, vegetable, and proteins and use sustainable farm practices that create local jobs.

Working with the University of Hawaii to provide no-cost job training to residents, including training for jobs with career pathways in education, health care, clean energy, skilled trades, technology and government.

Getting residents on-line and trained for jobs and businesses in the digital sector.

Working with high school students to share job opportunities in government and trade school programs.

3. In Hawaii, the term affordable housing has lost its meaning. What would you do to help people buy homes or move into rental units?

It has become increasingly difficult to make affordable housing projects pencil out for builders and developers on Oahu. Our administration understands this reality and is focusing on what the city can do to remove barriers to construction and lower the cost of new construction through: 

Systemic improvements in the Department of Planning and Permitting (people,  processes and technology), changes that incorporate the latest software and  technologies, establish standard operating procedures/workflows and train, support and pay staff competitive salaries to significantly reduce permitting times (time is money).

Provide low-cost financing options to construction projects on Oahu through the City’s new PAB program.

Establish a Department of Housing and Land Management to acquire land for housing and expedite AH projects on existing city lands.

City investment in infrastructure on AH projects, infrastructure being the single greatest expense driving up the cost of AH projects.

Reduce the regulatory structure that delays and drives up the cost of housing.

Provide financial incentives to AH projects.

Advocate for increased federal government vouchers to subsidize rental costs.

Prioritize mixed use development of AH along the rail line to reduce fixed costs for local residents — live, work, play.

4. The city wanted to eliminate short-term rentals from neighborhoods because they brought overcrowding. On the other hand a new state law sought to allow for higher density and more construction of homes on the same property which could bring more congestion to some neighborhoods. How do you balance the need for additional housing and private property rights while preserving the character of neighborhoods?

There are many reasons, in addition to overcrowding, for supporting the limitation on short-term vacation rentals in residential neighborhoods, including investor-owned properties with little regard for local residents, inadequate infrastructure, enforcement challenges and flagrant violation of city ordinances.

While I would have preferred the state law (SB 3202) permitting increased density had a provision restricting the law to owner-occupied lots to discourage speculation, the reality is the city’s Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) law, passed in 2015, did not result in a significant number of ADUs, so it remains to be seen what effect the state law will have on our communities. The state law does not go into effect until 2027 and in the meantime, the city is rewriting our Land Use Ordinance to reflect changes that will allow increased density with a focus on keeping locals in Hawaii.

The truth is, even for our short-term vacation rentals ordinance, the goal is to find the sweet spot that balances the needs of our local residents against investment and speculation in our residential neighborhoods that drives up prices and displaces locals. We are working on a carve-out to the short-term vacation rentals ordinance that will give greater rights to local families. 

5. What should be the future of the Honolulu rail project? How do you resolve this seemingly endless drain on public money and continuing delays? Should the line continue to Ala Moana as originally planned and how will you keep operating costs under control?

When I ran for mayor in 2020, I supported rail and committed to a project within the fiscal capacity of the city. In 2021, with construction costs estimated to increase $3.5 billion, I proposed and succeeded in shortening the rail line through an amended Full Funding Grant Agreement (FFGA) with the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) that allowed the city to live within its financial means. The FTA agreed and in 2023 amended the FFGA, restoring critical federal funding ($744 million) to the project.

Rail, done right, will be transformative for future generations, moving public transit riders for less per mile than TheBus, and it must be completed. At the same time, we must live within our budget. Currently, rail is open to Aloha Stadium and energized to Middle Street. The Civic Center Guideway and Stations procurement is about to be awarded, getting rail to Kakaako (past the downtown major employment center) with savings that may get us to Ala Moana Center.  

As for operations, the nation’s first driverless rail system will move passengers cleanly and efficiently compared to the rest of our multi-modal public transit system. We must continue driving down operating costs, including through renewable energy projects for rail.

6. Homelessness remains a problem on Oahu. What should the city be doing differently?

Homelessness is a major challenge for the city and state and, working together, we are committed to provide mental health and drug counseling, financial assistance and supportive services necessary to transition the homeless to transitional shelters and permanent supportive housing.

In 2021, the City stood up C.O.R.E. (Crisis Outreach Response and Engagement), first-step intervention to the homeless with serious medical and behavioral conditions requiring assistance.

In 2022, with the election of Gov. Josh Green, the city started intense collaboration with the State Department of Health, resulting in the city’s Iwilei Resource Center being operated by the state for those with behavioral issues and a wing at Leahi hospital being operated by the city for those with medical issues.

The city is also establishing new resources in Iwilei to provide medical assessment and counseling to the homeless and, working with the state, is converting the First Hawaiian Bank premises into 30 outdoor Kauhale and 30 interior medical beds overseen by physician-led medical teams.

In 2024, I traveled to Washington, D.C., to seek additional federal vouchers to provide housing for our homeless. Understanding homelessness is key to solving homelessness and the alliance between the city and state has never been stronger.  

7. What should be done to improve policing and police accountability in Honolulu? Should oversight of the police department be strengthened or reformed?

Public safety is No. 1 among all priorities of this administration. Our residents and visitors have a right to expect public safety and good order in their day-to-day lives.

To improve policing, our administration is prioritizing the recruiting of officers to fill approximately 400 vacancies through signing bonuses and increased training academies.

Police accountability is non-negotiable and the Office of the Mayor on down strictly enforces accountability, improved training and a commitment to earned public trust in our police officers. No one is above the law and those who enforce the laws must uphold the laws.

Although the police chief is appointed by the Police Commission and the commission maintains oversight of the police department, the police chiefs are members of our cabinet and, as mayor, I meet with the police department leadership regularly and provide active oversight of day-to-day operations.

Improved communications with the public, including a new data dashboard, proactive presence on the streets and in our communities, public engagement in crime prevention programs and a commitment to curbing criminal behavior through aggressive patrolling, enforcement and prosecution are keys. As mayor, I am committed to public safety and accountability in our police department.     

8. Honolulu has some of the worst traffic congestion in the nation. What should the city do to alleviate congestion?

According to the 2023 Urban Mobility Report (INRIX/Texas A&M), post pandemic traffic congestion has returned and Honolulu leads in medium average urban areas with commuter delays from traveling in traffic congestion at 67 hours in 2022. Although teleworking and work from home reduced some traffic volumes at peak times, mid-day and non-transit traffic have increased and car sales are expected to continue increasing. The best solution to alleviate congestion is to provide more options for more Oahu residents:

More telework options and 4/10 work schedules.

More safe pedestrian and bicycle options (protected bike lanes, bike lanes and paths).

More multi-modes of travel, including rail through Honolulu’s major employment centers, the airport, university campuses and shopping/health service locations.

More multi-use development where residents can live, work and play within their communities.

Better street designs with improved connectivity.

Improved advance coordination of in-street activity, including construction and repaving.

Reduced in-street activities that close major roadways, including a limit on festivals and parades that disrupt traffic.

Improved coordination of deliveries and more off-street parking.

Improved communication of travel conditions — roadway closures, crashes.

Increased capacity in critical corridors.

9. What more should Honolulu be doing to prepare for the effects of climate change, including sea level rise and threats to the reefs?

When we came into office, we made the decision to increasingly shift our resources from policy to adaptation and the Office of Climate Change, Sustainability and Resiliency (CCSR) has been lead on executing the city’s first-ever Climate Action Plan. CCSR is working closely with the Department of Emergency Management (DEM) and our first responder agencies on climate change challenges, including wild land fires prevention and mitigation.  

The reality is we need more funds to implement our city’s climate change initiatives and CCSR has been working closely with DEM and other city departments on federal funding opportunities. Whether improved stream maintenance, raised city infrastructure, projects to reduce silt going into our nearshore waters, bays and reefs, flood mitigation projects in concert with the Army Corps of Engineers or the city’s “One Water” initiative, we simply need more funds and resources to get ahead of increasingly unpredictable climate scenarios.

Most recently, we designated CCSR as lead on the city’s electrification of transportation initiative to better coordinate and plan the city’s transition to electric vehicles. CCSR is also working closely with private, nonprofit and state agencies on sea-level rise, loss of beach sands (restoration) and shoreline protection initiatives.

10. It’s becoming increasingly difficult to fill vacancies on the police department, the parks department and in many other city agencies. The city is struggling to provide basic services. What would you do to solve this problem and attract qualified people to fill essential services?

The key to solving the city’s recruiting, hiring and vacancy challenges is understanding the problem. In 2021, we brought in a Bloomberg Harvard Fellow who spent three months aggregating data from all departments to understand the systemic challenges with filling city vacancies. We have implemented many successful changes, significantly reducing hiring times and human resource workflow processes. We have also innovated with new initiatives, including:

Same-day hiring sessions.

Increasing city pay to compete with the private sector.

Recruiting and hiring above minimum starting salaries.

Signing bonuses paid over years.

Increased flex-time and teleworking options.

Revising position descriptions to reflect current technologies and processes.

Increased recruiting in colleges and high schools.

Implementing a high school shadow program in city departments.

Increased job fairs for city departments.

Just this year we reached an agreement with HGEA to raise the salaries for all city engineers to compete with the private and federal sectors. Using the above initiatives, the Department of Parks and Recreation has made significant progress in filling vacancies this year and all departments are now focusing on succession management to ensure continuity of core city services.  

11. Oahu’s only municipal landfill is due to close in 2028, but the city still doesn’t know where to put the next one. What will you do to address this issue?

With the passage of Act 73 (1/2-mile buffer zone for landfill sites) and the events at Red Hill (no pass zone, no landfill above an aquifer), the siting of a landfill on Oahu has become increasingly challenging. The current deadline for closing Waimanalo Gulch (Kapolei) is 2028, although capacity exists beyond that date. 

First, as a matter of equity and environmental justice, we committed to no landfill on the west side. I will not go back on that promise. Second, we just completed a long feasibility study with the U.S. Navy about potentially using Navy lands outside the aquifer. Unfortunately, due to operational constraints, the federal lands are not available to the city. 

This leaves the city with no available sites unless the city amends Act 73 or proves to the Board of Water Supply that state-of-the-art landfill technologies will allow the city to site a landfill over an aquifer. We are wasting no time on the landfill siting process.

One piece of good news is that the city is significantly reducing the amount of waste that will go to a future landfill through diversion and recycling, including H-Power (incinerating), recycling and reuse and composting.  

12. What lessons have you learned from the Lahaina fire? What can be done to prevent devastating wildfires on Oahu?

The loss of lives and property in the Lahaina fire is devastating and will live on in the hearts and minds of Hawaii residents for eternity. Fortunately, there are many lessons to be learned from Lahaina and what was lost will bear well through improved practices across Hawaii.

On Oahu, droughts caused by climate change require increased communication, connectivity with our communities and preparedness, all of which is underway. Heightened awareness coupled with new initiatives on Oahu include:

Intense cross-sector collaboration between the Department of Emergency Management, first responders, city departments, the State of Hawaii and Oahu utilities (electricity, sewer, water, gas, etc.).

Great communication with the public and communities across Oahu on fire prevention best practices.

Assessing the most vulnerable communities and prepositioning fire-fighting assets in the most vulnerable communities.

Increased training and short-, mid- and long-term planning for wildfire scenarios on Oahu.

Coordination and planning with HECO on their Public Safety Power Shutoff program.

Lahaina taught us about the evolving nature of disaster preparedness in light of climate change, including the need to control invasive grasses and other fuel sources. Prepare for the unexpected … try to prepare for the unimaginable.