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Full text of Mayor Jeremy Harris'
State of the City Address

Call it a reaffirmation speech

Council Chair Yoshimura, City Council members, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen good morning.

Thank you for joining me today on this occasion. An occasion that marks the beginning of a new millennium of opportunity and promise for Honolulu.

I stand before you today to tell you that despite our many challenges, the State of the City is strong. It is strong because our citizens, and our dedicated city employees, have been willing to join hands and work together to find new and creative solutions to problems. Strong because we believe in ourselves, and strong because we believe in our values. The values of caring for one another and sharing our unique spirit of Aloha.

In my last State of the City Address, I spoke to you about the crusade to make Honolulu the Number 1 city in the world, and to provide our citizens with the highest quality of life possible.

What does it take to make a city number one? It has to be a city that provides economic opportunity for its citizens, and maintains a healthy and pristine environment. It's a city that offers a wide array of parks, cultural and recreational programs for its families. That provides good mobility for its residents through public transportation. It's a city with safe streets, and communities free from crime.

I'm happy to say that we are well on our way to achieving that vision and making Honolulu one of the world's premier cities of the 21st century.

The strategy for achieving this goal is to reduce the burden of government on people while empowering citizens so that they control the future of their own communities.

The first step in this strategy has been to build a community-wide consensus on a vision for our island's future. Sixteen months ago I invited you to join me in developing this shared vision for our island. It began with community meetings all over Oahu. You sat down together to talk about your community values and the quality of life you want for your children and grandchildren. Neighborhood Board members, soccer coaches, environmentalists, religious leaders, teachers all came together with the common interest of improving the quality of life in our communities.

Some of you attended multiple meetings each month because there were so many important issues to discuss planning for Sustainable Communities and Trans2K transportation planning. For months, you discussed and debated specific projects that were needed to carry out your vision.

Imaginative capital improvement projects have grown from this visioning process. Some are basic, some are ambitious. But they are all driven by your values. Let me share some of these visions with you.

Mililani is planning a new ambulance facility. Nuuanu has decided the Pali Highway needs safety improvements, and Haleiwa plans to provide sidewalks for improved safety.

Hauula and Kahuku want better street lighting to combat crime. Chinatown has had great success in fighting crime, and wants more streets equipped with security cameras. And Kaneohe and Waialae plan to extend their bikeways.

The visioning groups want to create tree-lined streets in Kapolei, and to redevelop the former Aiea Sugar Mill into a new town center.

All of these vision projects have one unifying theme improving the quality of life on this island. Providing the capital to turn these vision projects into reality is essential. The administration is again committed to providing $2-MILLION to each of our island's vision teams to implement their proposals.

Two weeks ago, we also entered into an exciting partnership with Empower Oahu to implement a $1-MILLION Community Investment Fund Program for additional community-based economic development projects. Again, programs to improve the quality of life in our community.

I'd like to congratulate everyone who has participated in these vision and community planning programs for your leadership and for a job well done. Could I ask our Neighborhood Board Members, Empower Oahu members, and vision team participants to please stand and be recognized.

The second strategy in the crusade to improve the quality of life in Honolulu is to decrease government regulation and increase government efficiency. No city can be truly great if it's government overregulates it's citizens and operates inefficiently. Over the last several years we've also made major strides in this area.

Today the City and County of Honolulu is more efficient and productive than ever before. We have reduced the size of city government by eliminating some departments and consolidating others. We have also reduced the size of our city workforce by 7-PERCENT. While we now have significantly fewer workers overall, we have more police and firemen on the job. And even though the workforce is 7-PERCENT smaller we operate more parks, roads, sewers, police and fire stations than ever before.

With fewer workers we're providing more services to more people and it is faster and better service. In fact, when adjusted for inflation, the City's operating budget this year is nearly $45-MILLION less than it was six years ago. Last year property taxes were $40-MILLION below what they were back in FY 1994.

Working with Councilwoman Rene Mansho, I am pleased to announce that I will not seek any property tax increase or adjustment in coming year's budget. In fact, real property taxes will drop an additional $16-MILLION.

Despite these dramatic cutbacks in the City's workforce and budget, Honolulu remains one of the cleanest, safest, and most fiscally sound metropolitan areas in the nation. We continue to maintain a AA bond rating, the highest of any government entity in the state.

For a city to be truly great its got to be customer focused, and major gains have been made this year in streamlining government operations and improving customer service. In land use regulation the number of permit processes have decreased from 12 down to two, and our operations are more responsive by establishing automatic approvals when applications are not processed within a specified number of days.

Today, customers have greater access to information and services than ever before. This year we established the Automated 'Permit Tracking System a computerized system that tracks the status of permits and provides a powerful data base of customer information. And eventually, other agencies involved in the permitting process, such as the Board of Water Supply and Fire Department, and possibly the State Department of Health, will be integrated into the system.

We are also developing an on-line interactive web site for the entire building permit process so that customers can download permit forms and track the status of pending permits on their computers. And very shortly, the ground floor of the municipal building will be transformed into a One-Stop Permit Center where all the City permits are consolidated for the convenience of our customers. Everywhere you look city government is being streamlined and customer service is being enhanced.

Automated refuse collection is another success story. This year, the automated system will be fully in place, saving Honolulu taxpayers $6.4-MILLION each year. These savings are achieved without layoffs, strictly through attrition and the redeployment of our personnel.

And even though taxes continue to go down, because of streamlining, the city is able to expand customer services.

The year 2000 will mark a notable moment in the City's history when we open our new City Hall in the second city of Kapolei.

Satellite City Halls provide convenient City services all over the island. Last year, Satellite City Halls were expanded, making them more customer-friendly, efficient and accessible. We upgraded the Waianae Satellite City Hall to full service and expanded Satellite City Hall services everywhere to include senior bus passes, disabled parking permits, and automated camping permits.

The shopping center satellites Ala Moana, Pearlridge and the new Windward Mall office that's going to open in May will soon add over-the-counter driver license renewals to their list of motor vehicle services. No longer will drivers have to take time off work to renew their licenses; they can do it on Saturday.

The mobile satellites which serve the outlying areas are headed for some changes too. Some will become full-service units with the ability to handle all types of motor vehicle transactions. This year, we'll also introduce City Hall-in-a-Suitcase - computerized city services that can literally be taken in a suitcase to any community meeting or event. This simple, high tech idea can extend the outreach of the City to our citizens wherever they are and whenever they need us.

The Satellite City Hall program continues to evolve to serve the public's changing needs. Making this all possible are a group of "can do" frontline employees who always go the extra mile.

Better service and greater efficiency are the hallmarks of a great city. One key strategy to deliver improved efficiency and customer service is the use of cutting edge technology. I'd like to acknowledge Council member Andy Mirikitani for his contribution in this area. For example, by accessing the City web site from your computer, you can now have a pothole on your street filled in 48 hours.

The dispatching of our ambulances and fire trucks is now all computerized saving precious minutes in emergency situations. And by the end of the year, all of the emergency vehicles will have global positioning systems. Through satellite signals, we will know where every fire truck and ambulance is at every moment, to further improve response time.

Within our grasp is a paperless city where all documents, permits and correspondence are handled electronically and therefore faster and more efficiently. A two-year program is underway to make this electronic transformation.

In the coming year, the City's entire Geographic Information System will be available to everyone free of charge on the Internet. Through your own computer, you'll be able to access images of any part of our island containing information on such things as utilities, land use, topography and flood information. Over 30 different types of maps will be available at the touch of a button on your home or office computer.

This year, electronic bill paying will be available for all City services so you can pay property taxes or other City fees with a credit card via the Internet.

By the time we're done, we'll have fundamentally changed the way government communicates with its citizens. By the end of the year, police officers will have computers in their squad cars so they can immediately access information on such things as stolen vehicles or perpetrators while they're in the field.

Board of Water Supply personnel will have radio-activated automated meter readers so they can read water meters electronically simply by driving down the street.

Cutting edge technology is being deployed to address traffic problems. The synchronization of traffic lights will be expanded and improved through our Computerized Traffic Control Center and the traffic watch video system will be extended all the way to Kunia. This network of video cameras providing live pictures of intersections all over the City can be viewed by the public on the City's traffic channel on local news channels, and on the City's website.

By using cutting edge technology, the city will run more effectively and efficiently, cut costs, and provide better service. And reducing the size and cost of government is good for the economy.

The foundation of a vibrant city is a strong economy. Now and for the foreseeable future, much of the lifeblood of our economy flows from the visitor industry. Whether you work in a grocery store or in construction we're all dependent on a healthy tourism economy.

To revitalize our visitor industry and our economy, we've got to revitalize Waikiki. And over the next twelve months that's exactly what the City is going to do. I pledge to you that over the next year, you'll see dramatic changes in Waikiki. Eighteen major projects are underway to restore the charm of old Hawaii.

This summer, Kuhio Beach will become a "park in the middle of Waikiki" with lawns, terraces, flowers and palm trees. Lush green areas will provide a natural Hawaiian backdrop for hula performances. The new state-of-the-art police station, restrooms and concessions will reflect the charming architecture of the late 1800s.

An underground sound system will entertain people with Hawaiian music as they stroll along Kuhio Beach. Historic light poles with baskets of cascading flowers will replace the ugly brown lights. And an old style pavilion at the Kapahulu pier will provide a scenic rest stop and photo opportunity. People will be surrounded by hula, music, and cultural events. And at sunset torch lighting will herald nighttime activities.

Later this year, we'll dedicate the new Kapiolani Park bandstand with its elegant Victorian design and state-of-the-art sound system. Gently sloped terraces, shaded by monkeypod trees, will provide ample seating. And the historic tree-lined carriage path that has graced the park since the days of King Kalakaua will be restored. The new bandstand will be a grand venue for Royal Hawaiian Band concerts and cultural festivals that draw people to Kapiolani Park.

In August, the state will begin dredging the Ala Wai Canal, and we are working to create a promenade that reflects this same Hawaiian charm so visitors and residents can stroll or cycle along a beautiful waterway. Later in the year, you'll also see improvements at the zoo.

In the year 2000 Waikiki will be reborn. Last year, working with the City Council, we passed an ordinance to provide tax incentives for people who build new businesses anywhere on the island to create new jobs. Already, this has stimulated the construction of the $95-MILLION new Kalia Tower at Hilton Hawaiian Village and the $65-MILLION Duty Free Galleria on Kalakaua Avenue.

Clearly, to generate jobs for our people and growth of our economy both the public and private sectors have to reinvest in the visitor industry. But as we look to the future, we can't rely on the visitor industry alone. We've got to diversify our economy and broaden our base. The real opportunity lies in benefitting from the economic growth that will occur in Asia in the coming years.

Honolulu can become the pivotal Gateway between the East and West. We can become the bridge between the economies of Asia and the U.S. 3.5-BILLION people now live in Asia; by 2025 that number will grow to 5-BILLION. To accommodate this growth Asian cities will need expertise in engineering, environmental technology, transportation, architecture, tropical agriculture a whole host of disciplines and expertise that we have in Hawaii.

Not only does Hawaii have experts in these fields, but we know the culture and languages of Asia. We can provide high quality professional jobs for our people right here in Hawaii, helping plan and design developments for the growing cities in Asia.

And Hawaii can attract new businesses by establishing our city as the place to be if you want to do business in Asia. In the past three years, the City has forged partnerships with Asia-Pacific leaders to nurture this opportunity.

Last year, we created two new organizations to advance this economic development initiative - the China-U.S. Conference of Mayors and Business Leaders as well as the Mayors' Asia-Pacific Environmental Summit. Together these new organizations brought hundreds of business and government leaders to Honolulu last year, as they will again next year.

And, I'm happy to report that in Kitakyushu, Japan, in November, the Japan-American Conference of Mayors and Chamber of Commerce Presidents unanimously endorsed Honolulu's initiative to create an Asia-Pacific Urban Institute. Under this concept, one of Hawaii's institutions of higher learning could be expanded to provide training and technology transfer services to Asian cities. Yet another initiative that could attract companies to Hawaii that are interested in doing business in Asia.

Now, for a City to be truly great, and for its economy to be strong, it must have good transportation. Nothing erodes our quality of life more than spending lengthy commute times to and from work or school.

Last year, I shared my thoughts on how we should improve Oahu's transportation system. In the weeks and months since then, we've held dozens of meetings in communities throughout the island to ask for your ideas for a transportation vision for Oahu.

These ideas were forged into a plan of action a plan of action that calls for the development of an Integrated Transportation System for Oahu. This Trans2K action plan calls for roadway and traffic engineering improvements, circulator buses in neighborhoods, a hub and spoke bus operation, the development of a Bus Rapid Transit System to move people from Central and Leeward Oahu to Downtown, and the establishment of an electric trolley system for Kalihi, Downtown and Waikiki. The plan includes dramatic improvements to the downtown waterfront and a more direct access for people headed to Waikiki over a Sand Island Parkway.

This action plan can be implemented without increasing taxes. Within 6 months, we'll complete the draft environmental impact statement. Final environmental approvals will be achieved by the end of the year so we can apply for federal funding.

During this period, the plan will continue to be refined as we receive additional community input, and the City Council forges their improvements to the plan. Working with the Council, we have already put parts of the transportation action plan in place, and more will be in operation in the days and weeks ahead.

City Express! started rolling through our streets in March of last year. This express service cuts the travel time between Pearlridge and the University of Hawaii by nearly thirty minutes.

Working with Councilmember John DeSoto, a new Country Express bus system will begin serving the residents of the Waianae coast, Kapolei and Ewa in May. A transit center will be developed in Kapolei to implement the service.

Using state-of-the-art low floor, high capacity, articulated buses, The Country Express will cut 30 minutes off the trip from Waianae to Downtown for Leeward Coast residents. A new City Express service will also be initiated for the residents of Waipahu, dramatically reducing their travel time to Downtown.

Major improvements are also in store for the residents of Kalihi, Downtown and Waikiki. A City Express route will be established using these high capacity buses to link residents to high employment areas with fast, efficient bus service.

Some of the expanded bus system will be privatized. Under the leadership of Councilmember Duke Bainum, we will shortly issue a request for proposals from the private sector to provide a circulator bus system between Kaimuki, Kapahulu and Waikiki. This idea was brought to us by the vision team, to increase business in those areas.

In addition to expanding the bus system, we are also improving the quality of service. During 1999, we introduced new attractive bus shelters at 48 locations.140 more will be installed before June this year, and still another 150 will be in place by the end of summer.

People island-wide also want more opportunities to use their bicycles for transportation. New bike lanes will be built this year. There are 53 new bike racks around town, and 34 more will be installed by April. And all of our city buses now have bicycle racks. The goal is to be one of the top ten bicycle-friendly cities in the nation.

We're continuing to test and install new technologies to improve our transportation system. By September, the City will convert traffic signals to a high-tech lighting system which will be brighter, and which will pay for itself through energy savings. Traffic signals are being re-calibrated to optimize their timing for pedestrians, and to give buses along major routes priority timing.

In addition to good transportation, great cities have to provide parks and recreational opportunities for families. Our quality of life depends on it. Make no mistake, nothing is more important than investing in our children's well-being. If we don't want our youth to fall into a life of drugs and gangs, we have to provide them with positive alternatives such as sports and organized recreation.

Right now, there are over 20,000 young people in our island involved in organized soccer. But they don't have enough practice and play fields. To meet this need, in August the City will open Hawaii's largest soccer complex on a 200-acre site at Waipio. The facility will have 19 regulation fields including a 4,000 seat outdoor stadium, and lighted fields for night events. This Waipio Soccer Complex will also serve as a magnet for regional and international competition.

By the beginning of the school season we will also open the first phase of the Waiola Central Oahu Regional Park. When completed, it will be the largest and most comprehensive active park on the island. At 269 acres, this Central Oahu park will be far larger than Kapiolani and Ala Moana Beach parks combined. Phase One includes baseball and softball fields, an area for future box car racing, multi-purpose fields, picnic areas and bike paths. Subsequent phases will include softball, tennis, and aquatic facilities as well as passive park areas.

Island-wide, our shoreline parks are heavily used and in high demand. To expand beach park opportunities for families, next month we'll begin construction of Oahu's longest beach park, Ulehawa. We're clearing, landscaping and irrigating this neglected stretch of shoreline adding grass and trees and picnic areas for those who want to swim or fish or watch a spectacular Waianae sunset.

Great cities have tree-lined streets. All over the island last year we worked on community beautification programs. Ala Moana was transformed into a tree-lined boulevard with canopy monkeypod trees. We did the same for Sand Island Access Road, and we planted plumeria, ti, and native plants through Waianae. This year, almost every community on the island will be enhanced with additional landscaping.

Our quality of life is also directly affected by the quality of our environment. To protect our water resources, we've embarked on a 20-year program to improve Honolulu's wastewater treatment system with its 1,800 miles of sewer pipes and six major treatment plants.

There are currently 19 projects all over the island in the planning, design or construction phase. Rebuilding sewers isn't glamorous, and it does result in traffic inconveniences but it must be done!

To pay for these improvements we've established a self-sustaining enterprise fund financed entirely from sewer fees. Sewer rates have not gone up since July 1, 1993, and I'm happy to announce today that there will be no sewer rate increase in the 2001 administration budget.

Public safety is an essential component of a liveable city. To protect life and property fire protection will be expanded this year. Last year, two new fire stations were opened at Waikele and Mililani Mauka. This year, we'll begin replacement of the Wahiawa station and renovation of the Kalihi Uka station and downtown Central station.

Our police officers also need up-to-date facilities and to that end, the City will open new state-of-the-art police stations in Kapolei and Chinatown this April.

It is also vital to retain our experienced and well-trained police officers. To do that we must pay our officers salaries competitive with mainland jurisdictions. To help accomplish that goal, I will be submitting a bill to the Legislature to have the parking and traffic fines that are generated on Oahu returned to the City, to be used exclusively for police salaries.

Four years ago, the number one community concern was crime. From 1996 through 1998, due to the fine work of HPD and all of the community leaders who have participated in community policing and neighborhood watch programs, Honolulu crime rates were reduced by 30-PERCENT. I'm pleased to announce that last year, as a result of citizen patrols and our expanded and better equipped police force, crime rates on Oahu were slashed again by an additional 11 percent.

Five years ago when I stood here and delivered my first inaugural address, I have to admit the challenges confronting us looked pretty daunting. Crime was skyrocketing, the City was facing years of staggering budget deficits, our transportation plan was in a shambles with the defeat of rapid transit, tourism was down, with Waikiki described as an "aging resort".

I remember my mom sat right in that seat and after the speech, she told me how proud she was. But she also whispered to me, "Son, are you sure you really want this job?"

Well, after five hard years, I want you to know how proud I am. I'm proud of our community policing volunteers for coming together and forming a partnership with the police to smash crime.

I'm proud of our City team for meeting the budget nightmare head on: overcoming hundreds of millions of dollars of budget shortfalls through cutbacks, streamlining, reorganization, innovation, ingenuity and just plain hard work. Our City employees have gone all out to get us through these tough times and many of them have made a lot of sacrifices. I want them all to know how much I appreciate what they've done.

And I'm proud of the people in neighborhoods all around this island who have stepped forward and accepted the challenge to forge a vision for our island's future.

I'm excited about our future. As the economic indicators point toward better times, it's possible to see the potential of this City unfold. Clearly, this isn't the time for us to shy away from the innovation, the urgency, and the changes of the past few years. Tremendous strides have been made towards the efficiency of City government, our orientation to our customers, and to improving the quality of life in tangible ways that can be seen on every street corner and in every neighborhood of this island.

And even greater accomplishments will be achieved in this millennium year, as years of planning and working come to fruition.

I am humbled in remembering that all of these exciting improvements to the face of our City have been accomplished in the most difficult and trying of times. All of this wouldn't be possible except for the perseverance, the ingenuity and the sheer determination of thousands of public servants and extraordinary citizens.

To the people who have worked so hard I know that you wouldn't have done all you have, if not for your love of this place, and your pride and hope for a better future. This City is poised on the precipice of greatness. Working together we can achieve that pinnacle.