DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARBULLETIN.COM Ikaika Anderson stood yesterday in the narrow hallway that provides the only access to Councilwoman Barbara Marshall's staff office. Her aide shows where he recently tripped and hit his head, giving him a concussion.

City split
over repairs

Some Council members
challenge $11.3 million set
aside to fix civic buildings

There's mold, mildew and asbestos.

And if that isn't enough, the nearly 80-year-old Honolulu Hale has been blamed for giving a city worker a concussion.

More than enough reasons, City Council members say, to spend $11.3 million to renovate Honolulu Hale and surrounding buildings, even when some are saying the city cannot afford it.

"When people accuse us of doing this for our own dastardly motives, these are really safety issues and efficiency issues in terms of having our staffs around us rather than three floors or five floors away," Councilwoman Barbara Marshall said, defending the renovation plan.

Last week, one of her aides suffered a concussion after tripping on a set of steep stairs and striking his head on the frame of a substandard doorway.

Poor ventilation, which causes mold and mildew, have worsened Councilman Rod Tam's allergies. He said he is now considering working from home.

Those are just a few of the problems. City workers will not pull the old carpeting for fear of disturbing a floor laden with asbestos. And then there is a leaky roof.

DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARBULLETIN.COM Research assistant Faith Sodetani and legislative aide Ben Park work in Ann Kobayashi's staff office, where a trash can collects leaking water when it rains, and mold grows on the walls.

But Mayor Mufi Hannemann and some Council members are not so sure it is the right time to spend money on a building, even one as symbolic as Honolulu Hale, given other spending priorities.

"I don't see a need to fix the offices. It doesn't hamper my operations. It's a nice-to-have, but we cannot afford nice-to-have right now," Councilman Gary Okino said.

On Monday the Council approved a $478 million capital improvement budget that includes $11.3 million to renovate the civic center buildings, including Honolulu Hale, the Mission Memorial Building, the Municipal Records and Reference Center, and the City Hall Annex.

The bulk of the funding, $6.1 million, was set aside for "mold remediation, asbestos removal, roof repair, termite damage repair, water damage repair and the renovation and reconfiguration of office spaces at Honolulu Hale," according to city documents.

Councilman Charles Djou said he is concerned Honolulu Hale's renovation could become even more costly. He and Okino voted against the construction budget.

"This is not the right time now to putting in fancy new office space," Djou said. "I don't want to spend money unnecessarily."

Hannemann also raised concerns about the amount set aside for the renovations.

When Hannemann submitted his version of the budget to the Council, he allotted $3.1 million for the Civic Center improvements.

"We thought $3 million was sufficient," Hannemann said. "I want to understand the $11 million a little more."

But proponents said the cost estimates came from the administration. They also said the renovations are needed to protect the public and city employees from any potential health and safety problems.

"With asbestos and mold and water damage in the building, public members come into the building, and a lot of people come here for hearings and to give testimony at committee hearings. So we have to worry about everyone's health and safety," Budget Chairwoman Ann Kobayashi said.

Tam said the poor ventilation is exacerbating his allergies. "When I was in the session, I was really blowing my nose, and my eyes are tearing. I was choking, quite frankly."

Council Chairman Donovan Dela Cruz said staff offices in the tower of City Hall must be vacated by next year, or the entire building must be retrofitted with sprinklers at a cost of $8 million. A lack of accessibility to those offices is also a concern.