KAILUA NEIGHBORHOOD BOARD NO. 31

PUBLIC SAFETY, PUBLIC HEALTH, AND CIVIL DEFENSE (PSPHCD) COMMITTEE
MEETING AGENDA
Thursday, September 12, 2024
7:00 pm to 7:45 pm
In-person at the Kailua District Park District Meeting Room

Chair: Carol Miyashiro cmiyashiro.knb@gmail. Members: Bill Hicks, David Laeha, Mike Lee, Levani Lipton, Claudine Tomasa, and Jeff Zuckernick.

1. Call to order/Approval of minutes

2. Announcements/New Issues/Community Concerns

3. Update/Report on Continuing Issues
a. Public Health & Safety
(1) Low Flying Commercial Tour Helicopter Flights Over Kailua
(2) Homeless in Kailua Subcommittee (Levani Lipton)
(3) Kailua Water Quality Subcommittee (Levani Lipton)
(4) January 1, 2022 Flash Flood in Kailua – Enchanted Lake and Kaelepulu Canal
(5) HPD Staffing Shortages and Public Safety Concerns
(6) Invasive Species/Little Fire Ants
(7) MV-22 Ospreys flying over populated areas in Kailua
(8) Safety and Emergency Training Kailua Neighborhood Board
b. Civil Defense
(1) Lack of Hurricane Shelters in Kailua
(2) Disaster Preparedness (Wildfires)

4. Adjournment

A mailing list is maintained for interested persons and agencies to receive this board’s agenda and minutes. Additions, corrections, and deletions to the mailing list may be directed to the Neighborhood Commission Office (NCO) at Kapālama Hale, 925 Dillingham Boulevard, Suite 160, Honolulu, Hawaiʻi 96817, by telephone on (808) 768-3710, fax (808) 768-3711, or e-mailing nco@honolulu.gov. Agenda documents and minutes are also available online at http://www.honolulu.gov/nco/boards.html

All written testimony must be received in the Neighborhood Commission Office 48 hours prior to the meeting. If within 48 hours of the meeting, written and/or oral testimony may be submitted directly to the Board at the meeting. If submitting written testimony, please note the Board and agenda item(s) your testimony concerns. Send to: Neighborhood Commission Office, 925 Dillingham Boulevard, Suite 160, Honolulu, HI 96817, fax (808) 768-3711, or email nbtestimony@honolulu.gov.

If you need an auxiliary aid/service or other accommodation due to a disability or an interpreter for a language other than English, please call the Neighborhood Commission Office at (808) 768-3710 between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. or send an email to nco@honolulu.gov at least three (3) business days before the scheduled meeting. It may not be possible to fulfill requests received after this date.

Public Safety, Public Health, and Civil Defense (PSPHCD) Committee
August 2024 Meeting Report
Chair, Carol Miyashiro

1. A committee meeting was held in-person on August 8, 2024, chaired by Carol Miyashiro and attended by committee members Bill Hicks, David Laeha, Mike Lee, Levani Lipton, Jeff Zuckernick; KNB member Josiah Akau; community member Helen Walker; and RYSE Kailua representatives Carla Houser (Executive Director), Andre Fraticelli (Behavioral Health), and Sylvia Carter (Education and Training).

2. Continuing Issues:
a. Public Safety & Public Health
(1) Update/Report: RYSE (Residential Youth Services & Empowerment) Program Expanding to West Side Oahu.
(a) In response to concerns about the RYSE program brought to the attention of the PSPHCD by a resident of Waianae, representatives of RYSE met with the PSPHCD to share information about the program. RYSE operates an emergency shelter and access center in Kailua for houseless youth ages 14 – 24. RYSE also has seven additional residential homes on Oahu, including one in Waianae. According to RYSE, they have reached out directly to the Waianae resident who expressed concern, and they are willing to meet with the Waianae community to address questions and issues.
(b) The Kailua RYSE emergency shelter opened in 2018 and serves about 150 youth per year. There is a waitlist to enter the Kailua shelter with referrals from across Oahu. According to RYSE, they work closely with HPD and other entities to address concerns when they occur. Recently, RYSE became aware that several former residents were living in Maunawili District Park in an empty storage shed. RYSE said they reached out to the Parks Department and the shed was promptly removed. RYSE assures they do not “exit” their residents unsheltered and there are follow up services available. Other than a recent bicycle theft committed by a RYSE resident, PSPHCD has not received any other complaints regarding RYSE in Kailua.
(c) RYSE welcomes community members to visit their Kailua program at any time. For additional information about RYSE, please see RYSE website and 2023 RYSE Report. PSPHCD expressed appreciation to RYSE for the valuable services provided to Hawaii’s houseless youth. Action: No further action needed by KNB #31 at this time.
b. Please note that due to time constraints, PSPHCD deferred discussion of other continuing issues until the September meeting.

To view agenda and minutes, visit our board website.

Event shows physical location; however, other options of participation may also include WebEx and phone.  If available, instructions for WebEx and phone can be found at the top of the agenda.