Wednesday, March 27, 2024
Hawai'i Free Press

Current Articles | Archives

Monday, September 21, 2020
Council Candidate Greg Thielen Cautions Against Awarding P3 Contract Under Robbins' Tenure
By News Release @ 7:02 PM :: 3620 Views :: Ethics, Rail

Council Candidate Greg Thielen Again Calls on HART for Removal of Executive Director Robbins and Cautions Against Awarding Contract Under Robins' Tenure

News Release from Council Candidate Greg Thielen, Sept 21, 2020

In a letter to the HART Board of Directors (attached), Greg Thielen commended its Human Resources Committee for their recommendation not to renew Executive Director Andrew Robbins’ contract, which expires at the end of this year, and urged the Board of Directors to follow this guidance.

Thielen is running for City Council District 3 (Ahuimanu, Heeia, Haiku, Kaneohe, Maunawili, Kailua, Olomana, Enchanted Lake, and Waimanalo), a seat being vacated by Ikaika Anderson due to term limits.

Thielen tempered this message with a word of caution, urging HART Board Members to ensure that Robbins doesn’t proceed with awarding the P3 contract before the end of the year. Pointing to a need to resolve the rail project’s “underlying issues [of] transparency and a realistic financial plan,” Thielen warned against “a potential worse case scenario of a contract award just before a leadership transition at HART and the City and County of Honolulu.”

In a previous letter to HART, on August 28, Thielen cited Robbins’ ongoing refusal to share any information regarding the proposals received on July 23 as showing “exceptionally poor judgment.”

Reiterating his earlier sentiments, Thielen noted: “This is the biggest contract in City history and will obligate the Tax Payers of the City and County of Honolulu to a 30 year operations contract and an estimated cost of $5.4 billion. This step can not be allowed to take place under a shroud of secrecy, by an Executive in whom both the public and HART Board Members have lost confidence.”

  *   *   *   *   *

To: HART Board of Directors

Dear Chair Martyn and Board Members,   September 21, 2020

I am writing you today to thank your Human Resources Committee for making the recommendation not to renew Executive Director Andrew Robbins employment agreement and to urge the full Board to support this recommendation.

In my August 28 letter to you I urged you to terminate director Robbins’ contract. I imagine there are contractual reasons you are considering this option instead of an immediate dismissal. This path does leave me concerned on one point though. What if director Robbins proceeds with awarding the P3 contract prior to the end of his employment period? How will you protect the people of the City and County of Honolulu from this potential outcome?

This is the biggest contract in City history with an estimated $1.4 billion in construction cost and a 30 year $4 billion operations contract. I would urge you to be as transparent as possible with the public and share what steps you will take to avoid a P3 award between now and the end of the year. If this issue isn’t addressed, it leaves us open to a potential worse case scenario of a contract award just before a leadership transition at HART and the City and County of Honolulu. I commend your recognition of the need to change leadership but urge you to ensure this solves the underlying issues with the project as well: Namely transparency and a realistic financial plan.

Sincerely,

Greg Thielen

  *   *   *   *   *

Related:
Links

TEXT "follow HawaiiFreePress" to 40404

Register to Vote

2aHawaii

808 Silent Majority

Aloha Pregnancy Care Center

AntiPlanner

Antonio Gramsci Reading List

A Place for Women in Waipio

Ballotpedia Hawaii

Broken Trust

Build More Hawaiian Homes Working Group

Christian Homeschoolers of Hawaii

Cliff Slater's Second Opinion

DVids Hawaii

FIRE

Fix Oahu!

Frontline: The Fixers

Genetic Literacy Project

Grassroot Institute

Habele.org

Hawaii Aquarium Fish Report

Hawaii Aviation Preservation Society

Hawaii Catholic TV

Hawaii Christian Coalition

Hawaii Cigar Association

Hawaii ConCon Info

Hawaii Debt Clock

Hawaii Defense Foundation

Hawaii Family Forum

Hawaii Farmers and Ranchers United

Hawaii Farmer's Daughter

Hawaii Federalist Society

Hawaii Federation of Republican Women

Hawaii History Blog

Hawaii Homeschool Association

Hawaii Jihadi Trial

Hawaii Legal News

Hawaii Legal Short-Term Rental Alliance

Hawaii Matters

Hawaii's Partnership for Appropriate & Compassionate Care

Hawaii Public Charter School Network

Hawaii Rifle Association

Hawaii Shippers Council

Hawaii Smokers Alliance

Hawaii State Data Lab

Hawaii Together

HIEC.Coop

HiFiCo

Hiram Fong Papers

Homeschool Legal Defense Hawaii

Honolulu Moms for Liberty

Honolulu Navy League

Honolulu Traffic

House Minority Blog

Imua TMT

Inouye-Kwock, NYT 1992

Inside the Nature Conservancy

Inverse Condemnation

Investigative Project on Terrorism

July 4 in Hawaii

Kakaako Cares

Keep Hawaii's Heroes

Land and Power in Hawaii

Legislative Committee Analysis Tool

Lessons in Firearm Education

Lingle Years

Managed Care Matters -- Hawaii

Malama Pregnancy Center of Maui

MentalIllnessPolicy.org

Military Home Educators' Network Oahu

Missile Defense Advocacy

MIS Veterans Hawaii

NAMI Hawaii

Natatorium.org

National Christian Foundation Hawaii

National Parents Org Hawaii

NFIB Hawaii News

No GMO Means No Aloha

Not Dead Yet, Hawaii

NRA-ILA Hawaii

Oahu Alternative Transport

Obookiah

OHA Lies

Opt Out Today

OurFutureHawaii.com

Patients Rights Council Hawaii

PEACE Hawaii

People vs Machine

Practical Policy Institute of Hawaii

Pritchett Cartoons

Pro-GMO Hawaii

P.U.E.O.

RailRipoff.com

Rental by Owner Awareness Assn

ReRoute the Rail

Research Institute for Hawaii USA

Rick Hamada Show

RJ Rummel

Robotics Organizing Committee

School Choice in Hawaii

SenatorFong.com

Sink the Jones Act

Statehood for Guam

Talking Tax

Tax Foundation of Hawaii

The Real Hanabusa

Time Out Honolulu

Trustee Akina KWO Columns

UCC Truths

US Tax Foundation Hawaii Info

VAREP Honolulu

Waagey.org

West Maui Taxpayers Association

What Natalie Thinks

Whole Life Hawaii

Yes2TMT