Palolo Neighborhood Board AUGUST 2026 Minutes

Video Recording of Meeting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0SNZxlcYdQc

Google Drive Link: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1mRIiZ-kR00PVW8z-q2zHi9L60YE1mXmR

1. CALL TO ORDER -- [0:00:30]: Chair Ranell Asuega-Fualaau called the Pālolo Neighborhood Board No. 6 meeting to order at 7:04 p.m. Quorum was established with seven (7) members present. Note: This 13-member Board requires seven (7) members to establish a quorum and to take official Board action.

Board Members Present Sean Aronson, Randolph Hack, Catalina Hanamura, Kaleolani Leo, Darlene Nakayama, Earl Shiraki, Ranell Asuega-Fualaau, and Elizabeth Weitz (Appointed).

Board Member(s) Absent: Andrew Phomsouvanh.

Guests: Captain R. Miyamoto (Honolulu Fire Department); Lieutenant T. Nakamura, Sergeant Fujita (Honolulu Police Department); Rhea Quezon (Board of Water Supply); Aloha McGuffie (Kāhala Initiative for Sustainability, Culture, and the Arts); Representative Jackson Sayama (State House District 21); Robbie Snyder (Oʻahu Invasive Species Committee); William Malina, Baoping Zhao, Reuben Asuega, Dahlia Asuega (Residents); Camilia Epa Gomes (Neighborhood Commission Office (NCO). Note: Name was not included if not legible. There were 19 total participants.

2. MONTHLY REPORTS -- [0:00:41]

Honolulu Fire Department (HFD) -- [0:00:41]: Captain R. Miyamoto from the Pālolo Fire Station highlighted the following:
• July 2026 Statistics: 1 structure fire, 27 medical emergencies, and 1 motor vehicle crash/collision.
• Safety Tip -- Emergency Notifications and Resources: Residents were encouraged to understand alert options ahead of urgent emergencies and to sign up for HNL Alert at https://hnlalert.gov; more information at https://www.honolulu.gov/dem/stay-informed/.

Honolulu Police Department (HPD) -- [0:03:00]: Lieutenant T. Nakamura highlighted the following:
• Crime Statistics for July 2026 Compared to June 2026: 3 motor vehicle thefts (down from 7); 2 burglaries (unchanged); 17 thefts (up from 10); 17 unauthorized entries into motor vehicles (up from 7); 5,475 total calls for service for the district.
• Safety Tips -- Active Shooter Response: Lt. Nakamura reviewed the "Avoid, Deny, Defend" framework: stay alert to surroundings and know exits; move away from danger and create distance; barricade and silence phones if unable to leave; be prepared to defend as a last resort; and comply with officer instructions on arrival. Average police response time to an active-shooter incident is approximately three (3) minutes.

Questions, comments, and concerns followed -- [0:07:57]
1. New HPD Chief's Availability for Board Meetings: Member Aronson asked whether HPD's new police chief would be available to attend neighborhood board meetings. Lt. Nakamura confirmed the chief has been active in community engagement and offered to relay the Board's interest through his after-action report.

Honolulu Board of Water Supply (BWS) -- [0:10:05]: Rhea Quezon highlighted the following:
• Main Breaks: Two main breaks in July 2026, both on 10th Avenue.
• Waiomao Homestead Road: An 8-inch waterline has been installed; paving of the road is pending.
• Pālolo Water System Improvement Project, Part 3: Approximately 20% complete; an 8-inch main has been installed between two streets in the project area (Orichid Street to Carlos Long Street. The line is currently being chlorinated and tested before being placed into service.
• Low Visbility/Safety Follow-up: No-parking signage is being placed along Pālolo Avenue and near the Kauhana Street/Pālolo Avenue intersection during construction to improve visibility, in response to a resident concern raised at a prior meeting.
• Imagine a Day Without Water Event: Annual event scheduled for Saturday, September 26, 2026, with exhibits, giveaways, and a rain barrel workshop; from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Ark of Safety, Waiʻanae Mall (86-120 Kamehameha Hwy). More information: https://www.boardofwatersupply.com/onewaterhawaii.
• Event Flyer: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Is5i8dmJ-l1FrBoYpMz70DMPuqvRCz32/view?usp=drive_link
• Report: https://drive.google.com/file/d/115BrtUH_Y35w4Z3BO5mVET2pd6ZXlQDW/view?usp=drive_link

Questions, comments, and concerns followed -- [0:12:30]
1. Water Service During Storms/Power Outages: Member Hack asked whether BWS pump stations rely on the electrical grid and whether Pālolo could lose running water during the approaching storm. Ms. Quezon explained BWS maintains permanent and mobile emergency generators to keep pumps running during outages, though some past storms caused localized outages at a few pump stations.
2. Pālolo-Specific Water Resilience: Member Hack followed up asking for area-specific detail. Ms. Quezon explained Pālolo receives water imported from Central Oʻahu via transmission boosters, which is pumped to reservoirs and then gravity-fed to homes; pressure disturbances are possible if pumps lose power, but Pālolo has historically fared better than areas such as the West side during past storms.
3. Jarrett Intermediate School Lead Testing: Member Leo asked for an update on elevated lead levels reported at Jarrett Intermediate School in November and how frequently district water quality reports are updated. Ms. Quezon said BWS is complying with federal Lead and Copper Rule testing requirements at schools and childcare facilities, did not have the specific Jarrett results on hand, and agreed to follow up on both the test results and the reporting frequency.

3. PRESENTATIONS -- [0:18:00]

Neighborhood Commission Report on Pālolo Neighborhood Board Quorum Issue Options -- [0:18:00]: Neighborhood Commission Chair Patrick Smith, presented options to address the board's recurring quorum challenges, noting that boards with higher community engagement (often due to active development or pressing local issues) tend to have less difficulty, while more settled communities like Pālolo often see lower turnout. He outlined two options: (1) reduce the Board to nine members, or (2) retain thirteen seats but convert them entirely to at-large positions, eliminating subdistrict divisions. Mr. Smith also noted a possible future boundary discussion between the Pālolo/Kaimukī/Diamond Head area boards, pending mutual agreement.

Questions, comments, and concerns followed -- [0:23:30]
1. Partcipation: Member Nakayama urged residents and current board members to attend and show up to the board meetings to prevent the board from downsizing.
2. Alternatives to Reducing Board Size: Several members (Hack, Leo, and Hanamura), and Commissioner Patrick Smith, discussed ways to boost board and community participation instead of shrinking the board, including encouraging elected officials to promote meetings, refreshing training on Robert's Rules of Order, advertising at community events, and posting meeting announcements online. Member Leo volunteered to help post meeting notices online, and multiple members voiced support for converting to an all at-large composition while keeping the board at thirteen seats.

Climate & Resiliency Mandate Part 2 -- [0:29:10]: Aloha McGuffie, Executive Vice President of Ulumau, provided an update on the ʻEo Oʻahu Community Action Network (ʻEO-CAN) framework, now moving from planning into implementation across six East Oʻahu neighborhood boards (Kaimukī, Pālolo, Waiʻalae-Kāhala, Kuliʻouʻou-Kalani Iki, Hawaʻi Kai, and Waimānalo):
• Framework: The framework is coordinated by KISKA (Kāhala Initiative for Sustainability, Culture and the Arts), sponsored by the Kāhala Hotel, with roughly 170 members. Three working groups are forming -- disaster readiness, a resilience hub, and a youth sustainability coalition -- with additional groups (coastal resilience, renewable energy, affordable/workforce housing, local food and agriculture, reforestation/watershed and invasive species, and policy/advocacy) planned to launch around January 2027. Three regional resilience hubs are envisioned (Waimānalo; Hawaiʻi Kai/Kuliʻouʻou; and Kāhala/Kaimukī/Pālolo), with Pālolo falling under the Kāhala hub.
• Survey: A community survey (paper and QR code) is underway to gauge resident priorities, with results expected to be shared with the board around September--October 2026 in coordination with Hawaiʻi Green Growth. Link to survey: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Np4KZlQPSYEv4JSc0nUkfpnQVog5Zs8r/view?usp=drive_link
• Next Steps: Ms. McGuffie will return on August 12, 2026, to present Part Three and answer questions; a community survey is available via the posted presentation.
• Presentation: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1nPEJPfmS7ed1XcnpR2HA5e9AhXiOHBdP/view?usp=sharing

4. RESIDENT/COMMUNITY CONCERNS -- [0:47:44]

Coqui Frog Control Update -- [0:48:00]: Robbie Snyder (Oʻahu Invasive Species Committee) updated the board on coqui frog control efforts in Pālolo, including monthly citric-acid spraying (400 gallons/month, increasing to twice monthly beginning August 2026), sound-monitor deployment to track population trends, and coordination with the Hawaiʻi Department of Agriculture and State Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR's) Division of Forestry and Wildlife (spraying twice monthly, 1,200 gallons total) to prevent frog spread into the forest reserve. He encouraged residents to join community hand-capture nights on the second and third Thursdays or contact the local Pālolo coqui group directly at palolocoqui@gmail.com.

Pālolo Park Maintenance -- [0:53:37]: Member Leo, who volunteers with Trees for Pālolo, asked about the maintenance schedule for Pālolo Park, noting overgrown grounds despite the group's regular tree-watering. Chair Asuega-Fualaau said she would look into whether a maintenance agreement was in place with the Department of Parks and Recreation and follow up.

5. BOARD BUSINESS -- [0:55:05]

Filling of Vacancies -- [0:55:05]: Chair Asuega-Fualaau announced vacancies for one (1) At-Large seat, one (1) Subdistrict One seat, two (2) Subdistrict Two seats, and one (1) Subdistrict Three seat. Resident Elizabeth Weitz, a Pālolo Avenue resident and Ph.D. student studying collective decision-making, came forward to fill the Subdistrict Three vacancy; her residency was verified during the meeting. (Discussion continued following the Elected Officials' Reports below.)

[0:58:30] -- Hearing no objections, Chair Asuega-Fualaau took the agenda out of order to hear Item 6 at this time.

6. ELECTED OFFICIALS -- [0:58:50]

Congressman Ed Case's Representative -- [0:58:40]: No representative present at this time.

Councilmember Scott Nishimoto -- [0:58:46]: Kylie Tokujo did not provide a report but was available for questions.
• To sign-up for Councilmember Nishimoto's e-blast please go to: http://eepurl.com/dl6xMz
• For questions or concerns please email: scott.nishimoto@honolulu.gov or call the office at 808-768-5005.

Mayor Rick Blangiardi's Representative -- [1:00:00]: Regina Malepeai, Second Deputy Director for Honolulu Department of Planning and Permitting, provided highlights from Mayor Blangiardi's August 2026 newsletter.
• Newsletter: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1UAJvhKQzujXDF5uVjKRT58u70s2NTYrn/view?usp=sharing

Questions, comments, and concerns followed -- [0:23:30]
1. New License/State ID Availability: Member Hack asked whether the new driver's licenses (noted in the recording at approximately $7) are available to all drivers, and whether the new state ID applies as well. Ms. Malepeai confirmed licenses are available and believed state IDs are included, and committed to confirming and following up.

Governor Josh Green's Representative -- [1:04:31]: Kiele Amundson, Communications Director for Hawaiʻi State Emergency Management Agency (HI-EMA), reported that Governor Green signed four measures strengthening Hawaiʻi's education system in mid-July 2026, along with Act 259 to modernize the state's transportation system toward a cleaner-energy economy. She noted Tropical Cyclone One-C was expected to strengthen into a tropical storm and track west-northwest toward the islands, bringing potential heavy rain, flash flooding, landslides, and gusty winds, and encouraged residents to sign up for alerts at https://dod.hawaii.gov/hiema/get-ready/, prepare an emergency plan and supplies, and monitor https://dod.hawaii.gov/hiema/ or https://www.weather.gov/hfo. She also noted the University of Hawaiʻi system begins classes Monday, August 24, 2026, with expected heavy traffic near campuses.

Representative Jackson Sayama -- [1:07:23]: Representative Sayama announced he will become State Senator effective Tuesday, November 3, 2026 remaining State Representative until then. He echoed storm-safety guidance, urging residents to avoid unnecessary travel and monitor official sources. He noted a recent sign-waving event near a local elementary school with Representative-Elect Derek Turbin discouraging texting-and-driving, and offered to help coordinate future community events or town halls with the board.

Senator Les Ihara, Jr. -- [1:09:43]: Senator Ihara was present earlier in the meeting but had departed by this point on the agenda; a written statement was left for attendees at the entrance.
• Statement: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FS-9VaDD29sGDOn1Xs0wNpipSFxmWqtF/view?usp=drive_link

[1:10:00] -- Hearing no objections, Chair Asuega-Fualaau allowed representative elect Derek Turbin to make an announcement.

Representative-Elect Derek Turbin -- [1:10:01]: Derek Turbin introduced himself as the incoming State Representative for the district, shared his contact information, and thanked outgoing Representative/Senator-Elect Sayama, outgoing Senator Les Ihara Jr., and fellow statehouse race candidates including Chair Asuega-Fualaau, Vice Chair Andrew Phomsouvanh, Angie Knight, and Jake Morrow. He noted his prior service on the board from 2021--2024 and said he looks forward to continuing to work with Pālolo.

[1:12:20] -- Hearing no objections, Chair Asuega-Fualaau returned to the regular order of business.

5. BOARD BUSINESS -- CONTINUED -- [1:12:21]

Filling of Vacancies (Continued) -- [1:12:20]:

[1:12:28] -- Aronson nominated Weitz to fill the sub-district 3 seat. Hearing no further nominations, the board conducted a roll-call vote. Elizabeth Weitz was elected to fill the sub-district 3 seat; 7-0-0 (Weitz: Aronson, Hack, Hanamura, Leo, Nakayama, Shiraki, Asuega-Fualaau; Nay: None; Abstain: None) -- [1:15:10].

[1:15:40] -- Newly Elected Member Weitz disclosed she is a member of a community volunteer group called Trees for Palolo and provided information on a public survey that records input on community priorities for Pālolo.

Member Weitz joined the meeting at 8:18 p.m.; 8 members present.

Discussion and Consideration to Amend the Boardʻs Composition to Nine (9) At-Large Seats- [1:18:15]: Multiple board members expressed a preference for retaining thirteen seats while eliminating subdistrict divisions.

[1:21:25] -- Aronson MOVED and Hack SECONDED to recommend to the Neighborhood Commission that the Pālolo Neighborhood Board retain thirteen (13) seats, with all seats converted to at-large positions. Hearing no objections, the motion was ADOPTED by unanimous vote; 7-0-0 (Aye: Aronson, Hack, Hanamura, Leo, Nakayama, Weitz, Asuega-Fualaau; Nay: None; Abstain: None) -- [1:22:32].

Approval of Regular Meeting Written Summary for Video Record: Wednesday, July 8, 2026 -- [1:22:44]: Hearing no objections, the July 2026 minutes were approved as written; 7-0-0 (Aye: Aronson, Hack, Hanamura, Leo, Nakayama, Weitz, Asuega-Fualaau; Nay: None; Abstain: None) -- [1:23:25].

7. ANNOUNCEMENTS -- [1:23:27]

Next Meeting -- [1:23:30]: The next Pālolo Neighborhood Board meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, September 9, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. at Pālolo Elementary School and online via WebEx.

ʻŌlelo Rebroadcasts -- [1:23:43]: Rebroadcasts of Pālolo Neighborhood Board No. 6 meetings air monthly on ʻŌlelo channel 49, the fourth Thursday at 9:00 p.m. and the first and third Sundays at 12:00 p.m.; archived meetings are available at https://olelo.org/olelonet/ by searching in the archives search box <Pālolo>.

Informational Flyers -- [1:24:08]: Chair Asuega-Fualaau thanked Neighborhood Assistant Epa Gomes for preparing informational handouts distributed to attendees at the close of the meeting.
8. ADJOURNMENT -- [1:24:40]: The meeting was adjourned at 8:24 p.m.

Submitted by: Camilia Epa Gomes, Neighborhood Assistant, NCO
Reviewed by: Zhoydell Magaoay, Neighborhood Assistant, NCO
Finalized by: Darlene Nakayama, Secretary, Neighborhood Board No.6