Downtown-Chinatown Neighborhood Board No. 13, Thursday, Sept. 3, 2026

Presentations · video 1:02:10

Lye MOVED and Mestas SECONDED to support the Books, Brews & Beats Festival as stated on the agenda. Further discussion followed. Hearing no further discussion, a roll-call vote was conducted. The motion was ADOPTED, 9-0-0 (Aye: Armstrong, Ho, Isokane, Lye, Mestas, Nguyen, Shintani, Sturges, Shubert-Kwock; Nay: None; Abstain: None).

Result

Adopted · 9-0-0 (aye-nay-abstain)

Aye

Armstrong, Ho, Isokane, Lye, Mestas, Nguyen, Shintani, Sturges, Shubert-Kwock

Resolutions · video 1:43:13

Lye MOVED to introduce a floor version to provide corrections to errors on the draft that has been posted online in the NB13 meeting materials (Google Drive). The motion failed for lack of a second.

Result

Failed for lack of a second

Resolutions · video 1:58:08

Chair Shubert-Kwock MOVED and Mestas SECONDED to support (as a simplified, broad statement of conceptual support rather than the full resolution as drafted) residential public access to over-the-air broadcasting. Following discussion, a roll-call vote was conducted. The motion was ADOPTED, 8-0-1 (Aye: Armstrong, Ho, Isokane, Mestas, Nguyen, Shintani, Sturges, Shubert-Kwock; Nay: None; Abstain: Lye).

Result

Adopted · 8-0-1 (aye-nay-abstain)

Aye

Armstrong, Ho, Isokane, Mestas, Nguyen, Shintani, Sturges, Shubert-Kwock

Abstain

Lye

Board Business · video 2:07:07

Lye MOVED that the edits he recommended be incorporated into the draft minutes. The motion failed for lack of a second.

Result

Failed for lack of a second

Board Business · video 2:07:56

Shubert-Kwock MOVED and Isokane SECONDED to approve the August 2026 minutes as written. Following discussion, a roll-call vote was conducted. The motion was ADOPTED, 8-1-0 (Aye: Armstrong, Ho, Isokane, Mestas, Nguyen, Shintani, Sturges, Shubert-Kwock; Nay: Lye; Abstain: None).

Result

Adopted · 8-1-0 (aye-nay-abstain)

Aye

Armstrong, Ho, Isokane, Mestas, Nguyen, Shintani, Sturges, Shubert-Kwock

Nay

Lye

Board Business · video 2:14:05

Appointment of a Secondary Representative to the Oʻahu Metropolitan Planning Organization (OʻahuMPO) Citizen Advisory Committee: Hearing no objections, Chair Shubert-Kwock appointed [a resident] as the alternate representative. Separately, Chair Shubert-Kwock appointed Vice Chair Mestas to lead a Transportation Committee to study rail-related transportation connectivity issues raised earlier in the meeting. 9-0-0 (Aye: Armstrong, Ho, Isokane, Lye, Mestas, Nguyen, Shintani, Sturges, Shubert-Kwock; Nay: None; Abstain: None).

Result

As printed · 9-0-0 (aye-nay-abstain)

Aye

Armstrong, Ho, Isokane, Lye, Mestas, Nguyen, Shintani, Sturges, Shubert-Kwock

1. Call To Order · video 0:00:05

2. Public Safety Reports · video 0:00:54

Honolulu Fire Department. No representative was present at this time. This item was returned to later in the meeting.

Honolulu Police Department (HPD). Sergeant B. Morris and Captain S. Matsumura highlighted the following:

Crime Statistics for August 2026 (compared to July 2026): Seven (7) motor vehicle thefts (5 in July); four (4) burglaries (2 in July); 19 thefts (22 in July); three (3) unlawful entries into motor vehicles (1 in July); 19 assaults (15 in July); two (2) sex assaults (2 in July); zero (0) graffiti cases (0 in July); 14 drug cases (4 in July); 88 motor vehicle collisions (88 in July); 2,054 total calls for service (2,055 in July).

Motorcycle/Nightlife Enforcement: Three (3) loud-muffler citations and 13 additional motorcycle-related citations issued since the last meeting.

Chinatown Substation Renovation: Tentatively beginning the week of Monday, September 21, 2026, with no firm completion estimate; the substation will close for the duration, though 911 response and access to the main police station will continue.

Police Chief David Lazar Introduction: HPD Chief David Lazar made a special appearance to introduce himself to the board, having recently completed his ninth week as the first externally hired Chief of Police in 90 years. He outlined priorities including community policing, increased foot/bicycle patrol, expanded use of technology (drone-as-first-responder program, automated license plate readers, declining to use the Flock camera-data company), a strategic 3–5-year plan, and efforts to close the department's approximately 400-officer staffing shortage (reduced to about 275 net once academy trainees are counted), including a streamlined hiring timeline (down to roughly 3–4 months) and additional recruitment/background-investigation staff.

Questions, comments and concerns followed

Theft Prevention & Open Drug Use: Member Lye inquired what techniques or new initiatives Chief Lazar plans to introduce in Hawaiʻi to help reduce crime, such as vehicle break-ins and open drug use. Chief Lazar identified three areas of focus: 1) leveraging technology, citing its success in reducing auto theft and break-ins in a state where he previously served; 2) ensuring HPD officers in the field have the resources they need to do their jobs; and 3) educating the public through safety campaigns to help residents stay vigilant and aware.

Staffing Shortage: Member Isokane asked for the HPD Chief’s assessment of the recruitment and application screening process in addressing HPD’s current staffing shortage. Chief Lazar noted working closely with the Department’s Human Resources team and addressing certain areas and processes in the hiring process.

Substation Conditions & Police Commission Oversight: Member Armstrong raised long-standing complaints about the Chinatown substation's inaccessible public restrooms and inadequate signage, and encouraged the Chief to support strong Police Commission oversight. Chief Lazar committed to prioritizing repairs to the substation and affirmed his engagement with the Police Commission.

At this time, Chair Shubert-Kwock called for a brief recess at 6:41 p.m.

At this time, Chair Shubert-Kwock gaveled back in at 6:45 p.m.

Hearing no objections, Chair Shubert-Kwock took the agenda out of order to hear agenda item 2.1 at this time.

Honolulu Fire Department. Firefighter J. Quitevis highlighted the following:

August 2026 Statistics: zero (0) structure fires; zero (0) brush fires; six (6) nuisance fires; 25 activated alarms (no fire involved); 101 medical emergencies; zero (0) pedestrian MVCs; three (3) MVC collisions; zero (0) mountain rescues; three (3) ocean rescues; one (1) hazardous materials incident.

Public Safety Tip – Lithium-Ion Batteries: Provided everyday charging habits that can help reduce the risk of lithium-ion battery fires and keep homes and communities safer.

HFD Fire Prevention Week Family Day: The event will be on Saturday, October 3, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Honolulu Zoo. This year’s theme is “Charge into Fire Safety.” The event is free to attend and open to the public.

Questions, comments and concerns followed

Plans for a New Fire Station: Member Lye asked about plans for a new Downtown Fire Station/Training Center; Firefighter Quitevis had no update and committed to following up.

HPD Presence: Member Lye asked if the representatives from HPD were still present in the meeting or had left. Chair Shubert-Kwock confirmed the representatives had already left the meeting.

6 paragraphs of this section not carried (they name members of the public or fall outside the Ledger's standards).

3. Public Concerns · video 0:46:47

Oʻahu Resilience Hub Learning Community. Sage Murakami introduced the Oʻahu Resilience Hub Learning Community, a City and County-affiliated network offering CPR/first aid, shelter, psychological first aid, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) resilience certification, and Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training, and invited the board to join a neighborhood working group or request a future presentation. Chair Shubert-Kwock invited a future agenda presentation.

Meeting Date/Time Reconsideration. Member Armstrong asked whether the board's meeting date, time, and location for the current term had been formally finalized on the agenda as previously discussed. Chair Shubert-Kwock stated the two-year term schedule would remain unchanged and declined to place the item on a future agenda.

5 paragraphs of this section not carried (they name members of the public or fall outside the Ledger's standards).

4. Presentations · video 1:00:20

Books, Brews, & Beats Festival. Maia Mayeshiro (Event Organizer) requested board support for a community book-exchange and live-music event on Saturday, October 10, 2026, from 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., at Fort Street Mall (site of the regular farmers market), with an estimated 500 attendees, no road closures, and no alcohol service.

Lye MOVED and Mestas SECONDED to support the Books, Brews & Beats Festival as stated on the agenda. Further discussion followed. Hearing no further discussion, a roll-call vote was conducted. The motion was ADOPTED, 9-0-0 (Aye: Armstrong, Ho, Isokane, Lye, Mestas, Nguyen, Shintani, Sturges, Shubert-Kwock; Nay: None; Abstain: None).

H-1 Cap Park Planning Study. Harlee Shim-Huckso (Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation project manager), joined by Theresa Dean (PBR Hawaiʻi, community engagement) and Adriane Truluck (AECOM, historic preservation), presented an early-stage feasibility study for a “cap park” (a deck built over a roughly half-mile segment of the H-1 freeway between Liliʻuokalani/Liliha and Queen Emma Streets), funded by a U.S. DOT Reconnecting Communities Pilot Grant Program, intended to reconnect the Downtown-Chinatown and upper Liliha-Nuʻuanu communities. The team shared comparison examples (Klyde Warren Park, Dallas, TX; Margaret T. Hance Park, Phoenix, AZ; The Rose Kennedy Greenway, Boston, MA) and historical research on the area's pre-freeway agricultural, Chinatown, and displacement history. The team is holding community talk-story sessions throughout September 2026, with a first public community meeting the last week of September 2026; no cost estimate or construction timeline exists yet, though construction is not anticipated for roughly a decade. Contact information was also provided in the presentation.

Questions, comments and concerns followed

Project Cost, Timeline & Security Design: Member Lye noted the project was first presented to the board in October 2022 with a $2 million funding request, and asked for updated budget/timeline estimates and what design measures would prevent the space from becoming an unmonitored gathering spot, as has occurred under the H-1/Nimitz Highway overpass. Ms. Shim-Huckso said cost and schedule are not yet determined pending the conceptual design phase, and that security and maintenance concerns are being incorporated into the design process.

Safety Considerations: Member Armstrong asked what safety impact capping the freeway would have on traffic below; the team said this would be carefully studied during design.

Mobile Syringe Exchange Program Van. Kavika Puahi (Acting Executive Director, Hawaiʻi Health & Harm Reduction Center) confirmed the program's mobile van relocated away from the Kukui Street/Chinatown area in approximately October 2025 and has no current plans to return to NB13's neighborhood, citing community opposition; he did not disclose current operating locations, citing client-population sensitivity, but confirmed the program is not operating within NB13. He reported a statewide decline in syringe exchanges (as drug use shifts toward smoking) and no significant change in syringe-borne disease rates since relocating.

Questions, comments and concerns followed

Needle Littering Data & Program Mobility: Member Lye asked about the following: 1) data on the number of needles being exchanged; 2) where the program currently operates; and 3) the program’s stance on distributing foil squares. Mr. Puahi said the program does not give out foil squares, declined to specify further locations where their program operates, and noted that they see a decrease in exchanges due to individuals shifting to smoking versus injecting drugs.

Disease Rates/Support for the Program: Member Armstrong expressed support for the program and asked whether disease rates had changed since relocation; Mr. Puahi reported no significant change but noted fewer people may be accessing services since the move. Member Nguyen expressed support and asked if their mobile program rotates in different locations. Mr. Puahi shared Hawaiʻi Health & Harm Reduction Center (H3RC) currently has two vehicles that service the whole island.

Syringe Littering: Member Isokane also expressed support for the program's public-health rationale and noted the community’s concern about syringe littering and asked whether there is data on how the program prevents syringe littering. Mr. Puahi said the program tracks syringes in versus out and littering is rare outside of sweeps/police intervention.

4 paragraphs of this section not carried (they name members of the public or fall outside the Ledger's standards).

5. Resolutions · video 1:39:57

Proposed Resolutions Regarding Mobile Syringe Exchange Program Services. Member Lye stated the posted resolution draft contained transcription errors from his original submission and proposed introducing a corrected floor version.

Lye MOVED to introduce a floor version to provide corrections to errors on the draft that has been posted online in the NB13 meeting materials (Google Drive). The motion failed for lack of a second.

Questions, comments and concerns followed

Chair Shubert-Kwock MOVED and Mestas SECONDED to support (as a simplified, broad statement of conceptual support rather than the full resolution as drafted) residential public access to over-the-air broadcasting. Following discussion, a roll-call vote was conducted. The motion was ADOPTED, 8-0-1 (Aye: Armstrong, Ho, Isokane, Mestas, Nguyen, Shintani, Sturges, Shubert-Kwock; Nay: None; Abstain: Lye).

Resolution Regarding Hotel Street Painting and Signage. This item was deferred to the October 2026 regular meeting at the presenter's request.

2 paragraphs of this section not carried (they name members of the public or fall outside the Ledger's standards).

6. Board Business · video 2:05:08

Board Vote to Approve Draft Written Summaries for Thursday, August 6, 2026. Member Lye noted submitting testimony in the public-facing Google Drive expressing concerns about the draft meeting minutes.

Lye MOVED that the edits he recommended be incorporated into the draft minutes. The motion failed for lack of a second.

Shubert-Kwock MOVED and Isokane SECONDED to approve the August 2026 minutes as written. Following discussion, a roll-call vote was conducted. The motion was ADOPTED, 8-1-0 (Aye: Armstrong, Ho, Isokane, Mestas, Nguyen, Shintani, Sturges, Shubert-Kwock; Nay: Lye; Abstain: None).

Following the vote, Chair Shubert-Kwock raised a prior complaint filed with the Neighborhood Commission and the Office of Information Practices (OIP) regarding late posting of the June 2026 minutes.

Appointment of a Secondary Representative to the Oʻahu Metropolitan Planning Organization (OʻahuMPO) Citizen Advisory Committee: Hearing no objections, Chair Shubert-Kwock appointed [a resident] as the alternate representative. Separately, Chair Shubert-Kwock appointed Vice Chair Mestas to lead a Transportation Committee to study rail-related transportation connectivity issues raised earlier in the meeting. 9-0-0 (Aye: Armstrong, Ho, Isokane, Lye, Mestas, Nguyen, Shintani, Sturges, Shubert-Kwock; Nay: None; Abstain: None).

Due to the requirement in the Neighborhood Plan §2-14-111(c)(2), the appointment of Member Mestas and formation of the Transportation Committee fails.

7. Elected Officials · video 2:15:40

Congressman Ed Case. Nestor Garcia reported the Congressman's third-quarter newsletter and a district survey were shared via chat/Google Drive, and highlighted approximately $8 million in pending Fiscal Year 2027 House Appropriations funding for infrastructure improvements at Chinatown Gateway Plaza and Marin Tower on Nimitz Highway, pending Senate action. If you want to subscribe to receive E-Newsletters and stay current with Congressman Ed Case’s work, please email or visit

Questions, comments and concerns followed

Jones Act Relief for Hawaii: Member Isokane asked whether the Congressman would consider seeking federal financial compensation for Hawaiʻi and Alaska given the cost impact of the Jones Act, as an alternative to full repeal.

Governor Josh Green’s Representative. Stephen Downes read written follow-up responses to prior-month questions: Hawaiʻi's absence from the 250th-anniversary National Mall celebration was attributed to logistics/funding constraints, with local events held statewide instead; the state's small-business ranking is being addressed through shared-use facility investment, workforce development, and infrastructure per the July 2026 newsletter from the State Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism (DBEDT); all 10 pilot noise cameras (including one at Pali Highway/Vineyard Boulevard) are now installed, with the River Street camera sited at an alternate location after a right-of-way issue, and data will be released after a six-month collection period; illegal roadway signs are removed on a five-week patrol cycle or upon report.

Questions, comments and concerns followed

Lai Fong Building Bird Droppings & Delegation Funding: Member Lye asked whether bird-dropping accumulation at the Lai Fong building rises to the level of a concern for the Department of Health, and asked about enforcement of illegally modified vehicle mufflers and air horns.

Makua Valley Land Return: Member Isokane asked whether Governor Green is pursuing the return of contaminated fee-simple federal land in Makua Valley (beyond the leased portion) along with full remediation funding.

Mayor Rick Blangiardi’s Representative. Ian Santee (Deputy Director of the Honolulu Emergency Services Department) provided written follow-up on multiple items: the Kekaulike St./Nimitz Hwy. bus-stop light was removed for HART guideway construction and a permanent relocation is pending; the City Department of Transportation Services (DTS) has no current plans to change Hotel Street's traffic direction; several Downtown streets have been repaved with more planned, including Hotel and King Streets; feral-chicken trapping has been requested at the Kamaliʻi Mini Park site; the Kamaliʻi Mini Park predevelopment/ground-lease negotiation is ongoing with no change; the 1027 Maunakea Street curb ramp cannot be flattened per prior City Department of Design and Construction (DDC) review; and the fire-damaged building at 901 Kekaulike/King Street and the vacant 1022 Bethel Street building both remain under active code-enforcement follow-up.

Questions, comments and concerns followed

Fallen Tree & Streetlight Outages: Member Sturges reported a fallen tree near the Kamaliʻi Mini Park bus stop on the Bishop Street side.

Exposed Utility Hole/Defaced Street Signage/Syringe Exchange Van Sighting: Member Lye raised concern about the utility hole that is partially covered with a piece of plywood near the corner of the intersection of S. Hotel and Alakea streets. Secondly, he noted two (2) street signs at the intersection of Nuʻuanu Avenue and Vineyard Blvd. covered with graffiti. Lastly, he asked HPD to clarify a report that the syringe-exchange van was observed traveling on, though not stopping on, Kukui Street.

Protest: Chair Shubert-Kwock protested against the findings from DDC regarding the sidewalk ramp in front of 1027 Maunakea Street.

City Council (District 6) – Tyler Dos Santos-Tam. Will Duke, citing limited remaining time, shared his newsletter via chat and took no live questions.

State Senate (District 13) – Karl Rhoads. Senator Rhoads advised residents affected by recent storm-related power outages to file claims with Hawaiian Electric, reminded voters that general-election ballots are mailed by Friday, October 16, 2026, and encouraged in-person voting if mail delivery is disrupted by federal action, and, responding to an earlier question, described the recent primary election's line-management process as running smoothly.

Due to time constraints, the remaining Elected Officials items (State House District 25 – Kim Coco Iwamoto; State House District 28 – Michael Covenant Ratcliffe) and all Agenda Item 8 Monthly Reports (Honolulu Board of Water Supply; Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation; Downtown Honolulu Business Improvement District; Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation Highways Division; Chinatown Business Community Association; Neighborhood Citizen Patrol; OʻahuMPO Citizen Advisory Committee) were not presented live; the Chair directed the public to review written reports on the Google Drive.

State House (District 25) – Kim Coco Iwamoto. This item was deferred due to time constraints.

State House (District 28) – Michael Covenant Ratcliffe. This item was deferred due to time constraints.

8 paragraphs of this section not carried (they name members of the public or fall outside the Ledger's standards).

8. Monthly Reports · video 2:56:07

Honolulu Board of Water Supply. This item was deferred due to time constraints. A written report was submitted.

Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation (HART). This item was deferred due to time constraints.

Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation Highways Division (HDOT). This item was deferred due to time constraints.

Chinatown Business Community Association (CBCA). This item was deferred due to time constraints. A written report was submitted.

Neighborhood Citizen Patrol. This item was deferred due to time constraints.

9. Announcements · video 2:56:41

The next Downtown-Chinatown Neighborhood Board No. 13 regular meeting is scheduled for Thursday, October 1, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. at Keʻelikōlani Middle School Library and virtually via WebEx.

Rebroadcasts of Downtown-Chinatown Neighborhood Board No. 13 meetings are scheduled on ʻŌlelo Channel 49 every third Thursday at 9:00 p.m. and on the fourth Saturday of each month at 9:00 a.m. An archive of past meetings may be found at by searching <Downtown Board>.

10. Adjournment · video 2:57:00