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Harris taps
deputy as city’s
budget director

The Cabinet choices
will begin serving, subject to
City Council confirmation

Mayoral inauguration

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By Gordon Y.K. Pang
Star-Bulletin

Caroll Takahashi, a longtime loyalist to Mayor Jeremy Harris, has been tapped for the key position of city budget and fiscal services director.

Takahashi's appointment was announced along with other cabinet selections by Harris late yesterday. They are subject to confirmation by the City Council, but the appointees will take office in acting capacity until then.

Takahashi has been deputy director of budget and fiscal services for two years under Roy Amemiya, who resigned recently to take a position with a bank. She was first appointed by Harris during his first term to be deputy planning director.

Mayoral inauguration Mayor Jeremy Harris will be sworn in for his second elected full term in ceremonies Tuesday at the new Kapiolani Park Bandstand. A crowd of about 1,000 is expected at the 11 a.m. ceremony. The oath of office is to be administered by Senior U.S. District Judge Samuel P. King. Total cost of the event was not available. However, food with a total value of $5,500 is being donated by Marian's Islandwide Catering, Outrigger Hotels, Hawaii Prince Hotel and Elegant Catering. Performers include the Royal Hawaiian Band, the Makaha Sons and Halau Hula Olana. Harris first became mayor in July 1994 when, as managing director, he stepped in for Frank Fasi when he resigned. Later, he won the special election to fill out the last two years of Fasi's term. Harris won his first full term in 1996 and was re-elected in September.

Harris named Ben Dimond, a key member of the Budget and Fiscal Services Department's budget staff for 28 years, as deputy budget director.

A new face in the cabinet will be Rae Loui, an engineer, as director of design and construction. Loui has been a Public Utilities Commission member and was formerly deputy chairman of the state's Commission on Water Resource Management.

Loui is to replace Gary Yee, who resigned. Nominated as deputy of the Design and Construction Department was George Tamashiro, currently Design and Engineering Division chief of the department. He is to replace Roland Libby.

The new environmental services director is to be Tim Steinberger, who heads the Wastewater Planning Branch of the department. Steinberger replaces veteran Harris cabinet member Kenneth Sprague, who is retiring. No deputy was announced.

Abelina Shaw will become Harris' chief of staff, a position that has remained vacant the past several years and one of the few appointments that does not require Council confirmation.

Nominated to replace Shaw as director of community services was Mike Amii, who has been deputy parks director and has been with the city since 1995. His deputy is to be John Sabas, an assistant to the director in the state Department of Labor and Industrial Relations.

Most of the other nominees announced yesterday are returning to the Harris cabinet, although some are slated to serve in new capacities:

Managing Director: Ben Lee would continue as Harris' right-hand man and Malcolm Tom as deputy.

Corporation Counsel: David Arakawa would remain the city's top legal advisor, a job he has held since 1997. No first deputy has been announced.

Human Resources: Cheryl Okuma-Sepe has been tapped to head the city's personnel department. She previously was first deputy to Arakawa. Remaining as deputy director, a civil service post, is Cynthia Bond.

Parks and Recreation: Bill Balfour is to remain as director, a post he has had since 1997. His deputy is to be Edward "Skippah" Diaz, a special motivation teacher at Farrington High School and the longtime football coach.

Planning and Permitting: Randy Fujiki is to remain as director, a job he has held since 1998. Loretta Chee is to remain as the deputy.

Transportation Services: Cheryl Soon, director since 1996, is to remain. Her new deputy would be Keoki Miyamoto, who has been deputy director of facility maintenance. Miyamoto would replace outgoing Joe Magaldi.

Customer Services: Carol Costa is to remain as director, who also serves as chief of public communications for Harris. Patricia Ann Nekoba, principal of Waiakea High School on the Big Island, would be deputy director, replacing Georgina Yuen.

Enterprise Services: Barry Fukunaga, now the deputy director for environmental services, is to take over as director from Alvin Au. Lynette Char is to remain as deputy.

Facility Maintenance: Ross Sasamura, on the job since 1998, is to remain as director. Deputy director is to be Alvin Au, currently director of enterprise services.

Emergency Services: Salvatore Lanzilotti is to remain as director. Yuen, who has been deputy director of customer services, would be the deputy.

Information Technology: Courtney Harrington is to move up as director replacing Jimmy Remedios, who is retiring. Harrington has been the deputy. His deputy is to be Breene Harimoto, manager with ALLTEL Informational Services.

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City & County of Honolulu