kirk caldwell roadmap

Paid for by Friends of Kirk Caldwell

A ROADMAP FOR OUR FUTURE

A ROADMAP FOR OUR FUTUREThere is a saying, if you don’t know where you’re going, any road will get you there. So where, then, are we going as a community?

Oahu combines the natural beauty of our rural and preservation areas, small legacy towns, residential communities in every corner of our island, resort areas where tourists visit and many of our people work, and the energy and edginess of our major urban core.

All of these people and places have their own personalities, their own challenges and their own needs from City Hall. The City and County of Honolulu plays a major role in our quality of life. Facing everyday challenges just to keep things working, repaired and cleaned, to ensuring the public’s safety from directing how and where growth occurs to protecting the security of our food, energy and water.

The future of our home is important to all of us. If we do not work toward a desired future, we will be diminished through an endless series of one-time-only decisions that lead us nowhere.

I spent a lot of time this last year, in gatherings big and small, listening carefully to members of our community. Hearing their ideas, sharing mine, finding a path forward to our shared tomorrows. These pages document the results of those conversations and they are this person’s view on how we go about getting there.

If I earn the opportunity to serve as your mayor, I hope to be remembered as a mayor who rolled up his sleeves, dug deep, got serious, listened, brought people together to find common ground and solved problems.

Let’s see if we can, together, create “A Roadmap for Our Future.”

Imua,

Kirk Caldwell

2 A ROADMAP FOR OUR FUTURE | Friends of Kirk Caldwell

About Kirk CaldwellKirk Caldwell was born in Waipahu. His father was the plantation doctor. At the age of five, Kirk and

his family moved to the Big Island. Kirk graduated from Hawaii Preparatory Academy, earned a B.A.

in Economics from Tufts University, an M.A. from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, and a

J.D. from the University of Hawaii William S. Richardson School of Law.

For nearly 30 years, Kirk worked in the private sector, including as a partner at Ashford and Wriston,

LLP. In 2002, Caldwell began his public service career when he was elected to the Hawaii State

House of Representatives, representing the Manoa and University area. He quickly rose to a

leadership position as the house majority leader. While in the House, Kirk fought for tax relief

for Hawaii’s families, health care for all children in Hawaii, and millions of dollars in repair and

maintenance funds to fix our schools.

In January 2009, Kirk was appointed managing director for the City

and County of Honolulu, where he was responsible for the day-

to-day operations of the city, serving the needs of the nearly one

million residents on Oahu. Kirk also served as mayor, after Mufi

Hannemann resigned to run for governor in 2010.

As mayor and managing director, Kirk was the city’s primary

point person for two of the biggest issues facing Oahu; transit and

homelessness. He also successfully expedited $150 million in road

repaving, creating many new jobs. Kirk was proud to be part

of a team that balanced the city’s budgets during the

worst recession our country has experienced since the

Great Depression, while at the same protecting vital

city services.

Kirk is married to Donna Tanoue. Donna served as the

17th chairman of the U.S. Federal Deposit Insurance

Corporation (FDIC) and is now vice chairman and

member of the Managing Committee for the Bank

of Hawaii. Kirk and Donna have a daughter, Maya,

a senior at Punahou.

A ROADMAP FOR OUR FUTURE | Friends of Kirk Caldwell 1

The first responsibility of any mayor is to protect you and

your property. This starts with making sure we attract and

retain the best police officers, firefighters, paramedics and

lifeguards, and ensure they are adequately trained and have

the most up-to-date equipment.

In addition:

Our dependence on the Emergency Medical Service (EMS) »

came into sharp focus during the shut down of the West

Oahu hospitals. Merging EMS with the fire department

makes critical sense. Initial steps were taken while I managed

the city and need to be moved forward. EMS will benefit

by receiving better training and equipment and will work

hand-in-hand with the firefighters to save lives.

While I was at the city, in cooperation with HPD and HFD »

and the City Council, we placed tens of millions of dollars

into the budgets of HPD and HFD to prepare for and provide

services for APEC. Due to advance planning and training

during regular work hours, our public safety providers were

able to save the city from expending the bulk of this money,

creating significant savings that will be used for other

important city functions in the fiscal year 2013 budget. We

must ensure that the city is reimbursed as represented by

the federal government for the successful APEC summit.

SAFETY F IRSTTo STaTe The obviouS


My style is collaborative by nature. I believe that we accomplish much more by working together

than by arguing and fighting. I am not running for election to pick old fights or create controversy.

I am willing and able to make hard decisions and move forward.

As mayor, I will sit down with the governor to discuss issues of importance to the state and its

most populous county. I will also work closely with the City Council. I will be visible, available, and

maintain regular and consistent communication. We can do a better job for everyone by working

together towards common goals such as energy independence and greater government efficiency.

In addition:

We need to realign the structure of city government. We cannot afford to work in the silos of twenty- »

four departments or offices. I will lead a working group to quickly review the current structure of

city government and find ways to combine, create and bring about greater efficiency. For example,

it’s time to re-create the Department of Public Works by combining city departments.

We must train and mentor the next generation of leaders. This can only happen by giving them »

hands-on experience in high-level jobs. I will include professionals in my administration who

reflect the diversity of our community and move us to gender equity in leadership positions.

I will also bring large and small businesses and the unions into the process of governing. »

Collaborative leadership was needed and lacking when the hospitals closed. We cannot prevent

every adverse action, but we can, and must, try harder and be smarter to work out issues for the

greater public interest. I believe the sincere effort to bring about “change” can create a stronger

community.

GOVERNINGCollaboraTive GoverninG To GeT The Job Done


As a result of tough negotiations with the Environmental Protection Agency while I was managing

the city, we were able to enter into a consent decree under which the city will convert the Sand

Island and Honouliuli treatment facilities to full secondary treatment by 2035. This will require

building state-of-the-art gravity flow deep tunnels and new force main pumping stations. The cost

of the sewer upgrades totals $4.7 billion over the life of the project.

The city is legally obligated to fulfill federal environmental laws and it is also in the city’s best

interest to update our aging infrastructure.

Updating our sewage system is not only an environmental issue. By working on this important infrastructure need, we also keep the men and women in the construction industry working.

If the deadlines set in the consent decree are not met, the EPA can go back to the federal court

and force the city to implement the improvements under an even tighter timetable, which would

mean that sewer rate payers would have a shorter period of time to pay for the upgrades. Staying

on schedule allows charges to be spread over a longer period of time with smaller monthly

increases.

The current mayor is not gearing up fast enough to implement

this very complex consent decree. His inability to properly

manage sewage treatment upgrades has already resulted in

$25 million being deleted from the budget for a second digester

at the Sand Island Sewage Treatment Plant, which would have

treated more of the sewage sludge for use as fertilizer on parks

and golf courses. Instead, we continue to truck sludge through

our neighborhoods to the Honouliuli treatment facility.

SEWERSa neCeSSary, CoSTly anD unGlamorouS PrioriTy


The city can be a significant job creator if the mayor and city managers approach their jobs in the

following way.

The city has control and responsibility over extensive infrastructure systems such as sewers, water

systems, roads, landfill and transfer stations, H-Power, parks and park facilities. All of them are

in need of constant repair, maintenance and upgrading. If done correctly and managed in a more

responsible hands-on manner, numerous jobs will be created. We need these jobs now as we crawl

out of our deepest recession since the Great Depression. In doing so, we ALL benefit from better

maintained and efficient public facilities.

In addition, the city has two massive public works projects that should be handled more expeditiously

and with more leadership than that shown by the current mayor. One is the $5.27 billion rail mass

transit project; the other is the $4.7 billion sewer infrastructure project. If managed properly, money

would not be wasted and more work would be available more quickly. In all, these projects will

create thousands of desperately needed jobs now.

We will also benefit from improved traffic conditions, more efficient transportation for those of us

who commute to work each day, fewer sewer breaks, and less ocean pollution.

The city should take a position that it is “open for business” with the private sector and define its

role as a business partner, not a job inhibitor. This does not mean we overlook our environmental

or labor laws. What it does mean is the city should look for ways to address roadblocks and create

solutions quickly and effectively.

We need a “city that works” to make our island community as vibrant as possible.

JOBSProviDinG JobS For our FamilieS


We have to reduce the need of an everyday landfill on Oahu.

The good news is that Oahu is doing much better than many

areas on the mainland. This has largely to do with H-Power,

which converts garbage to energy. When I was managing

director, the city started construction of the third boiler,

which should come online this year. When it does, we will be

diverting approximately 90% of all the rubbish we generate

on Oahu from our Waimanalo Gulch Landfill. Estimates

indicate that the third boiler alone will save between $24

million and $48 million annually by reducing the amount of

oil imported to generate electricity.

This means jobs kept here – for both construction and running the H-Power facility; dollars kept here; and energy generated here.

Metals and glass obtained after the burning of garbage at the

H-Power facility is recycled and not diverted to the Waimanalo

Gulch Landfill.

Ash is the one by-product that is currently being diverted

to the landfill. It is pliable when it is first spread out, but

it becomes hard like asphalt and acts as a sealant. While I

was managing the city, I started efforts to see if we could

use the ash for repaving our roads. Innovative ways to safely

repurpose garbage and by-products that still go into our

Waimanalo Gulch Landfill need to be explored. As far as I

know, these efforts stopped once I left Honolulu Hale.

GARBAGEWe maKe iT, We Clean iT uP


Although the Board of Water Supply is a quasi-independent city agency that does not report directly

to the managing director or the mayor, it is important for the mayor to be involved.

Many of our water mains are over fifty years old and, as a result, it is estimated there is an average

of one water main break per day. The board has authorized the issuance of revenue bonds and the

mayor should help the board in moving forward faster on this rebuilding, especially when we can

take advantage of lower bond financing costs.

The green bin and blue bin recycling program was completed

while I was managing director, a milestone that was personally

satisfying because as a state representative, I sponsored

legislation (HB 3096, 2006) urging the city to implement

curbside green bins and recycling. This initiative counts on all of us to be conscious of what we

throw away and reduces our reliance on a landfill. The green bin waste is used for composting

in parks and golf courses and is available for the public’s use. The blue bin recyclable products

generate revenue for the city to help defray program costs.

While I was managing the city, I worked with Hawaii Community Foundation on a grant to better

manage Oahu’s construction waste. This included working with Re-use Hawaii and contractors to

recycle valuable fixtures and materials for use in remodeling or new building projects, and even

more importantly, recycling asphalt and concrete, which can be used in both new construction and

repaving projects. We were well on our way to making these ideas into reality; however, it appears

these efforts fell to the wayside after I left City Hall.

WATERWe Can’T live WiThouT iT

RECYCLINGGreen binS, blue binS . . . aSPhalT anD ConCreTe


Yes, the city is responsible for 418 bridges on Oahu. Most of these bridges are over fifty years old and need to be retrofitted to comply with new federal safety standards. It is a massive undertaking that needs to be started. Very little is being done, other than the hiring of consultants, to evaluate the types of repairs that need to be undertaken for certain bridges.

I will work with federal, state and county officials, and the private sector to develop and implement a comprehensive island-wide plan with a realistic timetable and financing plan to retrofit our bridges to avoid a major tragedy in the future.

We need to get projects through the approval process much faster. Time is money and the faster the

city approves projects, the faster jobs will be created and the city will be improved.

Given today’s technology, we can do a better job of processing building permits more efficiently.

While I was at the city, I pushed a pilot project that would process building permits electronically.

The beauty of electronic filing is that everyone in the process can see and comment on the changes

in real time. This will speed up the time for permit approval. If we require each reviewer to initially

approve or disapprove the plan (and any changes) in a specified amount of time, the review process

will be further expedited.

For projects over a certain dollar value, let’s say $10 million and above, I propose assigning a

facilitator who will monitor the project through the permit approval process. The facilitator will

be in the managing director’s office. The facilitator will meet with all the interested parties, both

from the private sector and the relevant city planning and permitting personnel when the plans

are first submitted. A brief review will be conducted to determine up front if anything is missing or

needs supplementation, and an approval timetable will be set. If there is anything that will stall the

process that cannot be resolved by this working group, then the facilitator will step in to steward a

resolution.

BRIDGESWoulD you believe, 418?

PERMITSa FaSTer, more eFFiCienT ProCeSS


ROAD MAINTENANCEa Tale oF PoTholeS anD lane CloSureS

Road maintenance is an ongoing and never-ending

responsibility. I believe more funds should be devoted to

repaving projects and the repaving should be done in an

expedited manner. Bids continue to come in lower than

expected, meaning the city can repave more roads with the

same amount of money.

During last year’s budget cycle, the current mayor removed

$77 million for repaving projects “as part of an overall plan

to eliminate debt service.” Saving money by not repaving

roads is unacceptable and something with which I strongly

disagree. The council, to its credit, put back approximately

$32 million. Having a mayor that is penny wise, but pound

foolish does not help the taxpayers of Oahu. As mayor, I will

look at the long-term effects and the broad picture.

There are ways to extend the life of our roadways. We can

apply new methods to old problems. Slurry Seal is a thin

coating of a tar and fine sand-based material that is spread

over roads that are beginning to deteriorate, but not in such

bad condition as to require repaving. This method adds up to

five years of additional life to a road. In addition, Slurry Seal

dries quickly, so that the road can be used within hours of the

application, reducing traffic congestion and lane closures.


As early as 1966, Mayor Blaisdell identified the problem, stating: “Taken in the mass, the automobile

is a noxious mechanism whose destiny in workaday urban use is to frustrate man and make dead

certain that he approaches his daily occupation unhappy and inefficient.” (Source: Honolulu Star

Bulletin, May 24, 1966.)

Fast forward to 2012. Traffic grows worse every week, working families are ripped apart wasting

time in traffic instead of being home with each other, and we continue to pave over more of our

limited aina, contributing to global warming and increasing our dependence on fossil fuel.

I support rail transit and I believe that we can build rail better.

Sense of place does matter. » I believe the transit stations in mature neighborhoods should reflect

what’s around them, from architectural design to the kinds of stores that operate within them.

Beautify as we go. » We have an opportunity to improve rail transit corridors, move utilities, get rid

of poles and power lines, improve sidewalks and plant trees. More people living in these areas will

be impacted by construction, let’s add improvements to their neighborhoods as well.

Start planning and sharing new bus routes now. » Rail transit will make our bus system more

effective and efficient. Rail transit will allow us to re-deploy buses to new routes island wide.

Get moving on Transit-Oriented Development immediately. » Simply put, we are behind on TOD.

The mayor should exercise leadership and be working with the City Council in setting up rules and

guidelines right now.

Rail transit won’t fix everything in our community but it will make a difference for generations

to come. Imagine our community without the Pali Highway, Likelike, H-1, H-2, H-3 or a widened

Kalanianaole Highway to East Oahu. These projects, though controversial at the time, are now

essential to our everyday commutes.

Doing nothing is not an alternative. Traffic is slowly strangling our community.

Let’s build rail and let’s build rail better.

RAIL MASS TRANSITleT’S builD rail beTTer


HOMELESSNESSa SymPTom oF a larGer Problem

Having devoted countless hours to the issue, homelessness is a problem that I, unfortunately, know a lot about. Keeping a park or public area safe, clean and free from encampments is a constant issue, but only part of the bigger problem.

Homelessness is everybody’s problem. It is not just a state issue or a county issue. Governor Abercrombie is off to a great start by prioritizing homelessness and working with state and county agencies along with private providers to resolve the multiple, complex issues.

In addition:

We need to find a better way to help Oahu’s homeless »population, including those who become homeless because of mental illnesses or addictions.

The Housing First model focuses on providing shelter »first with support services available on-site. The model has worked well in several mainland cities. Although controversial, it is worthy of our attention, especially if it can be set up away from residential and business areas.

I support safe zones although many homeless providers »do not. I believe we should find city and county land that is undeveloped, away from residences and businesses and allow homeless people to camp on it for a limited period of time. We would provide basic health and safety facilities, such as temporary bathrooms, showers and, washing facilities. The zone would be patrolled by the police and, most importantly, a private provider would manage the site and work with homeless providers to transition people to more permanent housing.


In addition, I see:

Pocket parks where people can gather and spend time »together with stores and cafes centered around the parks;

Parking structures wrapped with mixed retail; »

Affordable commercial and residential high-rises built using »tax increment financing and other incentives provided to the private sector through transit-oriented development zones;

An integrated mass transit infrastructure as part of a »comprehensive public transportation system;

Focusing growth in the Downtown, Kakaako and Ala Moana »areas, which allows us to make better use of our urban lands;

Greater building setbacks, preserving our mauka and »makai views;

More affordable units for working families, and senior »citizens and mixed-use development in exchange for increased height limits;

Multi-family properties joined together as a block to »redevelop neighborhoods with the city providing property

tax incentives to support such development.

This is all about living, working and playing better in our urban

core. It is also about respecting the aina, and using the limited

urban zoned land efficiently so that we can minimize the need

to pave over less developed and undeveloped areas.

There are many families in our communities who are at risk of becoming homeless because we

do not have enough affordable housing. I believe that having taller buildings in the urban core

helps, because once the infrastructure is developed the cost per unit will decrease as more units

are built. The city should be an aggressive partner with private developers and the State in creating

affordable urban housing, especially with mixed-use design.

AFFORDABLE HOUSINGbuilD iT anD They Will Come


OUR CITY, OUR FUTUREWhaT oahu CoulD be For our ChilDren

I have always had a keen interest in city planning and

sustainability. I will approach urban growth as a means to

revitalize and preserve what we love about living on Oahu.

The City’s General Plan is due for a major update this year. I

believe proper planning improves traffic flow and affects how

people live, work and play. We live on an island and growth

must not go unchecked. There is a buzzword that planners

use: smart growth. We can’t ignore that Honolulu has become

a major city in the United States and that growth throughout

Oahu is important to our future, but it must be the right kind

of growth; it must reflect our local sense of place and the

history of our many ethnic cultures.

Smart growth in my administration will include more

walking and off-road bicycle paths and will go hand-in-hand

with our transportation planning. It will include transit-

oriented development and it will explore re-investment in

our older, urban neighborhoods with a commitment to open

space. Smart growth will also include the integration of

mixed-use development, such as housing, retail, parking,

schools and parks.

One of the great tragedies after statehood was the loss of

our legacy town neighborhoods and the plowing over of

some of our best agricultural lands through poorly controlled

urban sprawl. We can re-create these legacy towns and

neighborhoods, such as Ewa, Waipahu, Kalihi and Kaimuki,

designed with a sense of place.


Historically, mayors of the City and County of Honolulu have not been at the forefront of Hawaii’s

push to become energy independent from fossil fuels, even though 930,000 of the state’s energy

consuming citizens live on Oahu. City government leaves it up to the state to find solutions. I will

change this. In fact, I started to change this while I was managing director and mayor.

Before I left the city, I began to work with several companies that were seeking to retrofit the

city’s street lights with systems that were not only energy-efficient, but also brighter and more

directional. Some of these systems would enhance public safety by including features that focus

light directly over the crosswalks and were motion-sensitive. A program like this should be

implemented throughout Oahu.

I was also working with companies that proposed to retrofit the interior of all of our municipal

buildings with motion-sensitive lights. This would result in significant energy savings and

would not require a total rewiring of our municipal buildings. Government buildings should be

retrofitted in energy-efficient, cost-saving ways. This point is driven home by the fact that the

city’s cost for electricity has gone through the roof in the last year.

In addition:

I will identify all municipal buildings and other structures that can support photovoltaic systems. »

The city could work with companies who install systems at no cost, in exchange for income

from the energy generated, or the city could develop its own system.

I will identify appropriate municipal buildings on which to install green roofs (roof top gardens), »

and work with nonprofits and community groups to manage and use these new green spaces.

THE OTHER GREENour ChilDren muST be enerGy inDePenDenT


We need to always be on top of maintaining all our city parks. Many other jurisdictions do a better

job with their parks. We need an efficient, hands-on management system. We also need to use

landscape architects effectively to work with the city to further enhance the beauty and functionality

of our parks.

In addition:

We need smaller “pocket parks” dotting our urban core. These parks provide a respite for urban »

families and help bring people together within their communities.

We should preserve and enhance the few remaining agricultural parcels in our urban core, so that »

our residents have the opportunity to visit these places, purchase fresh vegetables and plants, or

just simply touch, smell and see what is growing.

As mayor, I will work directly with the State Department of Agriculture to ensure that we keep »

agriculture viable on Oahu. I will explore creating an Office of Agriculture that would report directly

to the mayor.

In the years since I was born in Waipahu, the area between Waipahu and Kalihi went from »

sugarcane fields to single family housing. Without changing the way we manage our land

development, someday we will have suburban sprawl all the way from Wahiawa and Mililani to

Haleiwa. This is an avoidable tragedy.

We need to create an irrefutable “green buffer zone,” beyond which no additional non-agricultural

development will occur. On the inside of the buffer, we will allow infilling of undeveloped parcels

and denser vertical urban development. If this doesn’t occur, we will see much more of the same

type of suburban sprawl and more of our agricultural lands rezoned. We need to prevent this

from happening.

A GREENER OAHUPoCKeT ParKS, aG in The CiTy anD The Green Zone


As with any road map, this one is not set in stone. It will change

as our community changes, but without a map we will never

get to where we want to go. This is my road map, my vision,

that I want to share with you. I am listening for your feedback,

so that we can make it better.

As in life, we do not make our goals based on just one person’s

vision. It is through our shared vision and by working together

that we will get to a better place.

Mahalo for your time. I look forward to our journey together.

Kirk CaldwellJune 2012

CONCLUSIONFor noW, aS The Journey ConTinueS


ECONOMYKeePinG The FinanCial houSe in orDer

I believe that when the City and County of Honolulu works

better, the whole state works better. For me, working better

means:

Honolulu maintaining an AA or better bond rating by being »

hands-on in controlling spending, while growing revenue

by adjusting taxes and fees.

A growing economy is the best way to keep the city moving »

and to enhance tax revenue without raising taxes. As

mayor, I will look for every possible opportunity to grow

our economy in a responsible way.

Fiscal responsibility is key to managing the city. I have spent »

most of my professional life in the private sector. I know

what it means to manage a business, meet a payroll and

make sure a first-rate product is delivered to those paying

for it, in this case the citizens of the City and County of

Honolulu. I bring hands-on fiscal experience to the Mayor’s

Office, not as a concept but as a day-to-day reality.


Paid for by Friends of Kirk Caldwell

Phone: 808.9GO.KIRK 808.946.5475 [email protected]

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