March 30, 2026 News Read > Hawaii Free Press

Hawaii Daily News Read

Monday, March 30, 2026

March 30, 2026 News Read
By Andrew Walden @ 3:46 PM :: 324 Views

Schatz opposes housing bill after getting tens of thousands from Blackstone, other groups

Will Legislators Rescue $55M from Hawai’i Convention Center Money Pit? Dancing Roof Job Magically Leaps to $87M

SA: … The Hawai‘i Convention Center’s two-year construction-related shutdown may not resolve its decades‑old leak problems if lawmakers uphold a proposed $55 million funding cut, raising the likelihood the center will reopen in 2028 with ongoing water intrusion and safety concerns.

The House Finance Committee recently removed the request from its draft supplemental budget, despite warnings from center officials and the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority that the money is needed to complete other major leak‑related repairs during the shutdown, which began Jan. 2 when Swinerton started construction….

… Lawmakers previously approved $100 million for capital improvements, including $64 million for rooftop terrace deck repairs and contingencies and $36 million for other projects. But General Manager Teri Orton said the rooftop terrace deck project alone has grown to at least $87 million, forcing officials to divert funds from other planned repairs.

(QUESTION: What is this dance called?)

As a result, HTA sought an additional $55 million in fiscal 2027. The request included $34 million in new capital improvement funds and permission to use $21 million from the agency’s enterprise fund, sourced from transient accommodations tax allocations and center revenue, according to HTA Vice President of Finance Talon Kishi.

(Make a List: “$100M, $64M, $36M, $87M, $55M, $34M, $21M.” Just for kicks, add them up = “$397M”)

Without the money, Orton said, repairs to other major leak sources — particularly the transom glass roof over the center concourse serving the third and fourth floors — would be delayed beyond the closure.

“If this project is not funded, the facility will reopen in 2028 with unresolved leaks that will continue to impact guest safety and overall experience,” Orton said…

(IDEA: Demolish it and return land to the indigenous used car dealership.)

REALITY: Lawsuit: HTA bosses destroy Convention Center Roof in quest for retaliation

read … $55M cut threatens Hawai’i Convention Center leak fixes | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

“Landowners must manage waterways on their land, including culverts, ditches, bridges and their surroundings”

CB: … “These guys made money off these systems for years. Then when they aged out, they neglected them,” Ghio said. “I don’t hate them. I just know we have to manage the problem when they start turning things over: Who’s responsible for this canal and what are the roles and responsibilities, and are there gaps and who’s accountable? We definitely aren’t.”

(oops!)

But the laws are actually pretty explicit: Landowners must manage waterways on their land, including culverts, ditches, bridges and their surroundings. On public lands, it’s up to state and counties.

In theory the Commission on Water Resource Management regulates all of Hawaiʻi’s ground and surface water, but the patchwork of other responsible state and county groups makes everything difficult to navigate — to regulate too.

If and when any of the waterways leading to the North Shore were last inspected to identify problem spots remains something of a mystery, for instance. There is no record of enforcement actions in the water commission’s bulletin for irrigation systems on the North Shore. Inspections are driven by complaints and permit applications. …

Disclosure requirements dictate that upkeep of waterways — ditches included — must be communicated at the point of sale. But many property owners and farmers like Ghio appear unsure of where their duties lie with respect to maintenance….

read … Neglected North Shore Plantation Waterways Fueled Damaging Floods - Honolulu Civil Beat

Most dams in Hawaii classified as high hazard

SA: … Nearly all of Hawaii’s regulated dams are classified as “high hazard,” meaning their failure could result in loss of life — a designation that state officials say reflects downstream development, not the likelihood of collapse.

According to the state Department of Land and Natural Resources, 122 dams fall under state jurisdiction statewide, including 13 on Oahu. Of those, 115 are classified as high hazard, five as low hazard and two as significant hazard.

During the recent Kona-low storm, several Oahu dams came close to overtopping, raising concerns among residents even as officials maintained the structures “performed as designed.”

DLNR said that phrase refers to spillways — the overflow structures built into dams — successfully channeling storm runoff and preventing water from spilling over the top of the dam embankment, which can lead to failure.

However, officials acknowledged that some dams were pushed close to their limits due to undersized spillways and intense rainfall forecasts.

At Wahiawa Dam, water levels came within 4.7 feet of overtopping.

With the installation of a temporary water-filled barrier, or Aquadam, the margin increased to about 5.7 feet. At Helemano Reservoir 6, (only 80 acre feet of water) estimates varied, with DLNR measuring the water level as close as 6 inches below overtopping, while the dam’s owner reported as much as 2 feet of remaining capacity….

State officials emphasized that a “high hazard” classification does not reflect a dam’s structural condition, but rather the potential consequences if it fails — a distinction that underscores the growing tension between aging infrastructure and expanding communities downstream….

read … Most dams in Hawaii classified as high hazard | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

Bill 11: Honolulu City Council advances ‘developer transparency’ legislation

SA: … Bill 11, if adopted, will require the city Department of Housing and Land Management to submit semi-annual reports detailing all types of incentives, along with the total amount and value of each incentive, received by every affordable housing project that has received one or more incentives from the city.

The measure also would require the city to disclose incentives related to any benefit, subsidy, waiver, exemption, or other type of assistance received by an affordable housing project, the bill states.

Other disclosed incentives include financial assistance or funding from the city, such as grants, bonds, funding from special funds, loans, and other monetary support, in any amount.

Real property tax exemptions, and waivers or deferrals from the payment of city fees and charges also would fall under this city reporting requirement.

In addition, benefits or assistance relating to public-private partnership agreements, or any bonuses obtained in exchange for the provision of affordable housing as a community benefit in neighborhood transit- oriented development plan areas also would need to be disclosed, the bill asserts.

Bill 11 requires DHLM to provide a report six months after the effective date of this ordinance, and every six months thereafter. And each report must be made available to the Council in a digital, open data format….

read … Honolulu City Council advances ‘developer transparency’ legislation | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

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