Tag: hawaii state,oahu,honolulu,senator district 12,sharon moriwaki

  • Meetings of interest, Info. on Dis & Dat

    Meetings of interest, Info. on Dis & Dat

    Aloha Neighbor,

    There’s a lot happening this week. We try to cover all that might be of interest –from today’s city zoning committee hearing on the Ala Moana Plaza to upcoming briefings and meetings and some other information to help you during the holidays.

    ALA MOANA PLAZA DEVELOPMENT RESOLUTION PASSES ZONING COMMITTEE
    Today (Wednesday), Resolution 20-315 passed the Zoning Committee in CD1 form with little substantive changes to address concerns raised about the density and height and the need for more affordable housing.  Among other things, the posted CD1 deleted condition B in the original resolution which required that the maximum floor area ratio for the project be 7.0.  You can see the justification of this action in the posted CD1 here.  The amended resolution will likely be heard next Wednesday, December 9, before the full Council.  Developer Brookfield Properties seeks interim approval for a 400′ tower at Piikoi & Kona that would be allowable under a draft Ala Moana Transit Oriented Development Plan that has not yet been approved by the City Council.  The December 9 Council agenda has not been posted yet, so they will not be accepting testimony until then.  We will notify you in a future message when it is available.  To review the developer’s plan, click here.

    MCCULLY – MOILIILI NEIGHBORHOOD BOARD MEETS TOMORROW (12/3); OTHER BOARDS RECESS 
    The Neighborhood Board will meet  at Saint Mary’s Episcopal Church, 2062 South King Street, at 6:30 pm.  On the agenda for New Business is Ala Wai Watershed Flood Risk Management Project revisions.  To see the agenda, click here.  Other district boards will not be meet until January:  Kakaako-Ala Moana, Makiki-Tantalus, and Waikiki Neighborhood Boards are on holiday recess.  They will resume in January.

    SENATE COVID-19 COMMITTEE MEETS THIS FRIDAY (12/4): DOH Update
    The Senate Special Committee on COVID-19 is holding an informational briefing on program updates and plans for prevention and containment of covid, including their work on investigation and contact tracing  and  findings on clusters.  We’ll hear from Department of Health Director Libby Char, Deputy State Epidemiologist Sarah Kemble,and Disease Investigation Branch Chief Emily Roberson.  The committee will also get an update on the DOH dashboard – specifically how the cluster data is obtained and used to identify outbreaks; how it helps prevent surges; and ultimately how the data can assist the State to open safely and remain open.  This briefing will be held on Friday, December 4 at 2:00 p.m. and broadcast on `Ōlelo, channel 49, as well as streamed online on our Senate Facebook page and YouTube Channel.  To view the informational briefing notice click here.

    LEGISLATIVE KUPUNA CAUCUS MEETS FRIDAY, DEC 4
    The Kupuna Caucus composed of members of the House and Senate along with advocates for seniors and interested parties meets this Friday, December 2, at 2pm on Zoom.  Up for discussion are proposed bills to help seniors.  You can join the discussion and share your thoughts on Zoom here.  If you prefer to just watch but not participate, you can watch it live (or later) on YouTube here.

    ALA WAI FLOOD MANAGEMENT PROJECT MEETING: SAT., DEC. 5
    If you live near the Ala Wai Canal, the watershed flood mitigation project is no stranger to you. Feel free to chime in on the last of 4 meetings this Saturday, Dec. 5, 8:00 – 11:00am hosted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). In partnership with the City, it will  make changes to the project plans based on new data and community input. Local experts will be proposing design concepts At Saturday’s meeting. . Login details are below:

    The objective of this project is to reduce the damages and risks to the Ala Wai Watershed in severe flooding. The USACE estimates a major flood in the watershed could damage 3,000 structures and cost more than $1.14 billion.

    INFORMATION OF INTEREST ON DIS & DAT 

    • COVID-19-POSITIVE VOLUNTEERS WANTED: Help to Detect The Virus – If you had covid and want to help in screening for virus carriers, you might want to join a 2-month Oahu-based study to explore the feasibility of training dogs to screen for the virus in public places like airports, shopping centers, and Hawaii schools.  If interested and you meet the following criteria then call (808)691-8761 or click here.
    • You have tested positive one to three days before applying.
    • You are 18 years or older.
    • You are willing to take samples for the study.  You will be sent a T-shirt, mask, socks, and a wrist band. Wear them for about 12 hours, and then send those samples back.
    • CITY ISSUES $500 GROCERY GIFTCARD: For Covid-impacted – This $500 gift card will go directly to 4,000 individuals and households who were negatively impacted by the pandemic. Here are the details:
    • The first set of recipients should get their cards around Dec. 7. and will have until Dec. 27 to use the card.
    • Who gets the card:  Anyone who applied and qualified for COVID-related aid from the city.
    • You cannot use the card for alcohol, tobacco, bus passes and gift cards.
    • The cards can be used only at grocery and convenience stores for purchasing essential goods like food and other household items.
    • The card does not apply to farmers markets.
    • If you do receive a card, hang on to it because additional funds may become available.
    • For more information, click here.
    • KUPUNA: HELP IN FINDING LONG -TERM CARE SERVICES: CareSift – A placement service called CareSift works with 1,200 care providers on Oahu to help match families with the right long- term care services. A free, navigation service helps families find any type of care– adult day care program, home care, assisted living, care homes, foster homes, and nursing homes. Find out more by calling (808) 400-9992 or click here.
    • ONE-STOP WEBSITE SHOP FOR BUYING LOCAL : Pop-Up Makeke – For local businesses that are managing to keep their heads above water, there’s a ray of hope in “Pop-Up Makeke.” It’s an online shop with merchandise from every island. To date, more than 50,000 products have been sold and shipped around the world. All proceeds go to the vendors. Click here to support them.
    • PREVENT HOLIDAY PIRATES STEALING GIFTS DELIVERED TO YOUR DOOR – Stealing any piece of mail can be charged as a felony and can be punished by up to 5 years in jail, depending on the value of what is taken. But prevent the theft following the tips below:
    • Make sure the package is delivered to a person.
    • If you are not going to be home, have it sent to your workplace or a trusted neighbor.
    • Track the package, so you know when it will come.
    • Pick up packages at the delivery company, post office, or stores
    • Install a camera to watch over deliveries.
    • Be on the lookout at your home and your neighbors for packages and any suspicious activity.
    • If you do have a package stolen, call the police immediately. Timely reporting can help investigators nab porch pirates while they are still targeting packages.

    Take care & stay safe!

  • Happening next week, Unemployment, Holidays

    Happening next week, Unemployment, Holidays

    Aloha Neighbor,

    Today’s messages are further updates on: what’s coming up next week; on UI for those with questions; and preparing for the holidays.

    WEIGH IN OR LISTEN TO WHAT’S HAPPENING:  

    • HART VIRTUAL CONSTRUCTION MEETING UPDATE: DEC. 1 – Join HART and its construction partners for a virtual meeting on Tuesday, December 1, 1:30pm – 2:30pm.  You’ll get construction updates for in the Airport and City Center sections of the project. Send your questions in advance to info@HonoluluTransit.org or submit questions and comments during the livestream.
    • ALA MOANA PLAZA DEVELOPMENT AT CITY COUNCIL:  DEC. 2 – Developer Brookfield Properties seeks interim approval for a 400′ tower and 7.0 FAR density building at Piikoi & Kona that would be allowable under a draft Ala Moana Transit Oriented Development Plan that has not yet been approved by the City Council.  Resolution 20-315 would allow this project to go forward by approving the Interim Planned Development-Transit permit and is being heard by the zoning committee on Wednesday, December 2, at 9am.  If the measure is passed by the committee, it will next be heard by the full Council on December 9.  To see the agenda and submit testimony, click here.  A number of concerns have already been raised about the project, including sea level rise, traffic, safety, view corridors, minimal community benefits, limited number of affordable units, parking spaces, and the lack of a park or open green space.  To review the developer’s plan, click here.
    • KAKAAKO PRIVATE STREET LAWSUIT CLOSING ARGUMENTS: DEC. 3 – Closing arguments in the Kakaako streets lawsuit are scheduled for December 3, 2020 beginning at 9:00 AM. When parties connect to Webex to participate in a court hearing, the parties must access the court room link here.  You can listen in on the closing arguments before the Honorable Jeffrey P. Crabtree.

    UNEMPLOYMENT CONCERNS:

    $500 HAWAII RESTAURANT CARD – Some of you have contacted us about not receiving the $500 Hawaii Restaurant Card (HRC). Although rare, about 1.6% of HRCs were returned this past Tuesday due to incomplete (e.g., missing apartment numbers) or outdated addresses on file in the claimant’s portal at the state Department of Labor. Cards that are undeliverable are returned by the U.S. Postal Service and the recipient’s account is notated as ‘undeliverable.’ To ensure that cards go to the correct address, you can:

    • Check eligibility at myrestaurantcard.hawaii.gov.

    • Call Money Network’s toll-free customer service number at 800-352-5202.

    • Report the card as lost or stolen and a call center agent should assist you. There is no charge for the first replacement card, but each additional replacement after that costs $3, to be deducted from the card balance. The deadline to spend the money is Dec. 15, with no extension announced. After that date any money left on the card would be returned to the state.

    LABOR DIRECTOR ADDRESSES CLAIMANT FRUSTRATIONS – The state unemployment office continues to forge on in tackling as many claims as they can before the CARES money runs out by the end of the year. Some highlights include the following:

    • If you’re worried about your payments stopping on Dec. 26, the date when the PEUC and PUA benefit programs end, know that any weeks for which you already filed and have not been paid out due to pending status, you can still be paid out, even if the determination is made after Dec. 26.  You just cannot file claim certifications for weeks after Dec. 26. for these programs.

    • If you are worried about whether the EB20 benefit program will expire on Dec. 26, know that it DOES NOT.  EB20 does not trigger off until Hawaii goes below the 5% unemployment rate. Hawaii is currently at 14%, the highest in the country, so it does not look like it will end anytime soon.

    • Learn more from the Labor Directors video here.

    BLOOD BANK OF HAWAII SEEKS CONVALESCENT DONORS TO ATTACK COVID-19
    Donating convalescent plasma is a simple way to give back to the community and also battle against COVID-19. Convalescent plasma, which contains antibodies from recovered COVID-19 patients, is currently considered an experimental treatment authorized by the FDA. If you’ve contracted COVID-19 and are interested in donating your plasma to help others, see below:

    US POSTAL SERVICE: MAIL YOUR HOLIDAY PACKAGES EARLY
    The U.S. Postal Service is preparing for an increased number of gifts being mailed this holiday season because of the pandemic.  Consumers concerned about COVID-19 exposure don’t have to leave home to ship their packages. Learn about the Click-N-Ship feature here. For more time-saving tips, click here. The following are shipping deadlines for Hawaii for your packages to reach loved ones by Christmas Day:

    • Dec. 15 — Hawaii to/from mainland Priority Mail and First-Class Mail
    • Dec. 21 — Hawaii to/from mainland Priority Mail Express

    ALA MOANA CENTER SHOPPING SURVIVAL
    Ala Moana Center is getting back to normal for the most part. Its parking lots are no longer empty. Although most shops have reopened their doors, you may have some questions, like:

    • How’s the parking?
    • Is it crowded?
    • Do I have to wear a mask?
    • Where are the rest areas?
    • Do I have to wait in line?
    • How are the deals?
    • Is Santa going to be there?
    • What are the holiday hours?

    Answers are here.

    Take care & stay safe!