Honolulu City Council

Members of the Hawai‘i Lodging and Tourism Association, opposing Mayor Kirk Caldwell’s proposal to raise real property taxes for hotels and resorts, say they're being made to bear the burden of the $9 billion rail system.

After months of debate, the Honolulu City Council was poised yesterday to approve new rules that would have restricted short-term rentals on Oahu. But after more than eight hours of public comment and deliberation, councilmembers sent two proposals back to committee for revisions.

The Honolulu City Council has preliminarily approved the latest versions of the rail project's capital and operating budgets for the new year. Bills 15 and 16 outline what the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation will receive from the City and County for Fiscal Year 2019.

Local lawmakers are making another attempt to regulate short-term rentals. On Wednesday, the Honolulu City Council held a public hearing on the latest proposals to rein in Oahu’s vacation accommodations, like those rented on Airbnb, HomeAway, and VRBO.

On Saturday, April 13th the voters of Honolulu City Council District 4 will decide who they want to represent them in local government.  The special election is between Tommy Waters and Trevor Ozawa. The Hawaii Supreme Court invalidated the November election results after a close margin of 22 votes.

Members of the Honolulu City Council’s Planning Committee advanced two measures that would represent a sweeping change to the way short-term rentals are regulated on Oahu. The move comes in the wake of a court decision upholding similar regulation in Santa Monica, California.  

The Honolulu City Council is poised to take a vote on whether to approve footing the legal bill for the impeachment petition for City Prosecutor Keith Kaneshiro.

Honolulu City Councilwoman Heidi Tsuneyoshi will be introducing a resolution to conduct a forensic audit of the 8.6 billion dollar Rail Transit Project. She says this was her top priority after taking office last month.

War Unknowns; Title IX Lawsuit; City Council Bills

Honolulu Council Spending; Lt. Governor-Elect Green; Oysters; Patsy Mink Statue

The Honolulu City Council has given final approval to a bill that aims to streamline the process for getting a building permit. Lengthy delays in issuing permits have been frustrating builders and homeowners alike.

Members of Oahu’s residential construction industry have been lobbying the Council to address the months-long wait for permits they say is costing them millions of dollars. In an otherwise booming local economy, some contractors have been reducing hours or laying off workers entirely.

The Honolulu City Council today approved a conceptual plan for the tallest high-rise project in the urban core.

UPDATE: Bills 51 and 52 passed the Honolulu City Council on a 6-3 vote. The additional requirements added by the City Council were not removed from the bills.

  The Honolulu City Council is meeting to for a final on vote on two bills submitted by Mayor Kirk Caldwell that could have a significant impact on Honolulu’s homeless policy. Bill 51 would make it illegal to obstruct a public sidewalk. Bill 52 would make it illegal to establish lodging in public spaces like parks.

On Wednesday the Honolulu City Council voted unanimously to advance two bills that could have a major impact on the city’s homelessness policy. One would make it illegal to obstruct public sidewalks. The other would ban camping in any public space. But a court case on the mainland may spell trouble for one of the bills.

The Honolulu City Council is advancing a bill to prevent large commercial vehicles from clogging narrow residential streets.

The 2019 construction budget for the Honolulu Rail Transit Project almost got derailed today at the Honolulu City Council.

The Honolulu Rail Transit Project is scheduled to start construction on the final city center segment through downtown Honolulu next year. But, Honolulu Councilmembers are still grappling with what to do with private property acquisitions. HPR’s Wayne Yoshioka reports.

Critics say extra-large structures known as “Monster Homes” are apartment buildings masquerading as single or two family dwellings in residential neighborhoods. Issues of parking, impact on property taxes, and sewer capacity prompted calls for relief, but the City Council is struggling with how best to address the situation.

The Honolulu City Council is expected to fast-track a temporary ban on so-called “Monster Houses.” HPR’s Wayne Yoshioka reports.

The 9.5 billion dollar Honolulu Rail Transit Project is awaiting award of a contract to complete the line to Ala Moana Center. But, as HPR’s Wayne Yoshioka reports, City lawmakers are looking beyond Ala Moana.