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With Permission / Courtesy of: City and County of Honolulu Neighborhood Commission Office

DOWNTOWN - CHINATOWN NEIGHBORHOOD BOARD NO. 13

[DRAFT] REGULAR MEETING WRITTEN SUMMARY FOR VIDEO RECORD
THURSDAY, MAY 7, 2026, at 6:00 P.M.
Keʻelikōlani Middle School Library
1302 Queen Emma Street, Honolulu, HI 96813
AND VIA WEBEX

Video recording of this meeting can be found at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vmpo-Z-tyKY

Reports & other meeting materials can be found at:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1F4DdI9R8Er12TNf6Bl-yb4p4EW0-68vu

1. CALL TO ORDER -- [0:00:20]

Chair Pro Tem Sean Fitzsimmons called the Downtown-Chinatown Neighborhood Board No. 13 meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. Quorum was established with eight (8) members present. Note: This nine-member Board requires five (5) members to establish quorum and to take official Board action.

Members Present: Robert Armstrong, Sean Fitzsimmons, Hey Ho (Appointed), Ross Isokane, Kevin Lye, Dan Mestas, Nicole Shintani, Chu Lan Shubert-Kwock, and Laura Sturges.

Members Absent: None.

Guests: Captain Mark Bates (Honolulu Fire Department); Interim Major Paul Okamoto, Deputy Chief Brandon Nakasato, Captain Scott Matsumura, Lieutenant Lane Nugawa, Lieutenant Chad Botilla, Sergeant Kaleo Osaka (Honolulu Police Department); Adam LeFebvre (Governor Greenʻs Representative); Senator Karl Rhoads (Senate District 13); Kate Ozawa (Representative Kim Iwamoto); Iris Oda (Honolulu Board of Water Supply); Ed Korybski (Fort Street Mall Improvement District); Patrick Smith (Neighborhood Board Commission); Michael Gray (NextDoor Honolulu); Kevin McDonald, Ronald Higa, Jane Turner, Melissa G., Johnnie-Mae L. Perry, Nicole Reid (Residents); Camilia Epa Gomes (Neighborhood Commission Office). Note: Name was not included if not legible. There were 40 total attendees.

2. PUBLIC SAFETY REPORTS -- [0:01:10]

Honolulu Fire Department -- [0:01:20]: Captain Mark Bates provided statistics and tips:
• Report: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LI5JlW_oEi_yazrU6Ebs1N0hKDDyizGJ/view?usp=sharing

Questions, comments and concerns followed -- [0:03:00]
• HPD Downtown Substation: Member Lye

Honolulu Police Department -- [0:03:57]: Sergeant Osaka and Interim District 1 Major Paul Okamoto reported statistics.

Questions, comments and concerns followed -- [0:06:50]
• Implementing Tower Lights for Bar Closure time + moped and truck parking: Member Lye
• HPD Recruitment & Retention Task Force: Member Isokane
• Unauthorized Vehicles on Hotel Street + Cinco de Mayo Event: Chair Pro Tem Fitzsimmons
• Weekend Bar Crowds Blocking Hotel Street + HART construction: Member Shubert-Kwock
• HPD Police Chief Selection: Resident Kevin McDonald

3. MEMBERSHIP VACANCY -- [0:21:00]: Chair Pro Tem Fitzsimmons opened the floor for individuals interested in filling the vacant board seat. Three candidates introduced themselves.

[0:33:11] -- Isokane nominated Charles Johnson; Mestas nominated Hey Ho; Lye nominated Dr. Diane Nomura. A roll-call vote was conducted. Hey Ho was elected to fill the vacant seat; 5-2-1 (Ho: Fitzsimmons, Mestas, Shubert-Kwock, Shintani, Sturges; Nomura: Armstrong, Lye; Johnson: Isokane) -- [0:34:54].

[0:35:07] -- Chair Pro Tem Fitzsimmons called for a brief recess to swear in new member.
[0:35:22] -- Chair Pro Tem Fitzsimmons called the meeting back to order.

4. CHAIR ELECTION -- [0:35:45]

[0:35:48] -- Fitzsimmons nominated Isokane; Mestas nominated Shubert-Kwock; Lye nominated Mestas, which Mestas declined; Lye nominated Fitzsimmons, which Fitzsimmons declined. Two roll-call votes were conducted in succession (both resulting in identical ties), no chair was elected; 4-4-1 (Isokane: Armstrong, Fitzsimmons, Isokane, Sturges; Shubert-Kwock: Mestas, Shubert-Kwock, Shintani, Ho; Abstain: Lye) -- [0:42:16].
1.
5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES -- [0:44:17]

[0:44:20] -- Lye MOVED to divide consideration of the March 5, 2026 and April 2, 2026 minutes separately. Hearing no second, the motion failed.

[0:47:57] -- Fitzsimmons MOVED and Lye SECONDED to postpone approval of the March 2026 and April 2026 minutes to June 2026. A roll-call vote was conducted. The motion was NOT ADOPTED; 2-7-0 (Aye: Fitzsimmons, Lye; Nay: Armstrong, Isokane, Mestas, Shubert-Kwock, Shintani, Sturges, Ho; Abstain: None) -- [0:49:33].

[0:49:34] Fitzsimmons MOVED and Mestas SECONDED to approve the March 2026 and April 2026 minutes as written. A roll-call vote was conducted. The motion was ADOPTED; 8-1-0 (Aye: Armstrong, Fitzsimmons, Isokane, Mestas, Shubert-Kwock, Shintani, Sturges, Ho; Nay: Lye; Abstain: None) -- [0:50:10].

6. ELECTED OFFICIALS -- [0:50:14]: Priority is given to elected officials/representatives who are present
in person at the meeting.

Governor Josh Green's Representative -- [0:50:37]: Adam LeFebvre provided updates.
• Newsletter: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rJn6r5gYicC2OwhSlKaiFipkT0gacIR-/view?usp=drive_link
• Report: https://drive.google.com/file/d/17K_UJBCg5lFPuJdThUilxNCV14H-CLc5/view?usp=drive_link

Questions, comments and concerns followed -- [0:54:10]
• HECO Rate Increases and Lāhainā wildfire settlement timelines: Resident Kevin McDonald
• Noise Camera Placement Discrepancy: Member Lye
• Kauhale Internal Audit Response: Member Isokane

State Senate (District 13) -- Karl Rhoads -- [1:01:25]: Senator Rhoads provided updates.
• Report: https://drive.google.com/file/d/12GgHWnWQlgPCyhSnkNYzjgb8Zbp5Tl-R/view?usp=drive_link
Questions, comments and concerns followed -- [1:05:40]
• Farewell & House Bill 2413: Member Shubert-Kwock
• Legislature's Overall Performance: Member Armstrong
• Supreme Court Nomination and Uncollected Traffic Tickets: Chair Pro Tem Fitzsimmons

Congressman Ed Case -- [1:14:58]: No representative at this time.

Mayor Rick Blangiardi's Representative -- [1:15:05]: Deputy Director Ian Santee provided updates.
• Report: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rFAc92Q01nUHZzhd5bRwiamwSijlFpaW/view?usp=drive_link
Questions, comments and concerns followed -- [1:19:25]
• Road Conditions -- Mayor's Accountability: Resident Kevin McDonald
• Half-Staff Flag Protocol, Vandalized Street Signs, Rooster Mitigation: Member Lye
• Hotel Street Bus Only Painting + Union Mall Lights + Kamaliʻi Mini Park Updates: Member Armstrong
• Faded Crosswalk Markings: Member Shubert-Kwock
• Empty Homes Tax + City-Owned Property Leasing Bill 10: Member Isokane
• Mayor's Town Halls -- Request to Resume: Chair Pro Tem Fitzsimmons

City Council (District 6) -- Tyler Dos Santos Tam -- [1:28:55]: No representative present at this time.

State House (District 25) -- Kim Coco Iwamoto -- [1:29:00]: Kate Ozawa provided updates
Questions, comments and concerns followed -- [1:29:39]
1. Constituent Survey Results Timeline: Member Isokane

State House (District 25) -- Michael Covenant Ratcliffe -- [1:31:00]: No representative present. A written report was submitted.
• Report: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1x25JpP1Y17fXz3RbshgjYcHj1-MxfOV-/view?usp=sharing

7. PUBLIC CONCERNS -- [1:31:27]

• Congressional Candidate -- Representative Della Au Bellati [1:31:40]: State Representative Della Au Bellati
• Fort Street BID Transition & Upcoming Events -- [1:33:25]: Ed Korybski and Brooke Knott
• Praise for Community Events -- [1:39:50]: Resident Ernest Caravalho
• Speed Cameras on Pali Highway -- [1:41:25]: Attendee Patrick Smith
• Umi on Smith Street Recap -- [1:42:25]: Nicole Reid

8. MONTHLY REPORTS -- [1:44:35]

Honolulu Board of Water Supply -- [1:44:35]: Iris Oda provided updates.

Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation (HART) -- [1:46:56]: No representative present at this time.

Chinatown Improvement District -- [1:47:09]: No representative present at this time.

Chinatown Business Community Association (CBCA) -- [1:47:20]: Member Shubert-Kwock provided updates.
• Report: https://drive.google.com/file/d/13TpmKMcaUnB_Lf_4D6jjUKn0qVUSmJCn/view?usp=drive_link

Questions, comments and concerns followed -- [1:51:54]
• Tree Relocation Clarification: Member Lye.

Neighborhood Citizen Patrol -- [1:53:40]: Member Lye provided updates and announced future patrols

9. ANNOUNCEMENTS -- [1:57:13]:

The next Downtown-Chinatown Neighborhood Board No. 13 regular meeting is scheduled for Thursday, June 4, 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 http://olelo.org/olelonet/ by searching <Downtown Board>.

10. ADJOURNMENT -- [1:57:46] The meeting was adjourned at 8:03 p.m.

Submitted by: Camilia Epa Gomes, Neighborhood Assistant, NCO
Reviewed by: Dylan Buck, Community Relations Specialist, NCO

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