There could be some major changes to the vision team process established by Mayor Jeremy Harris, though probably not until next year. Council debates cost and
power of ‘vision teams’Changes could be in store on how
$2 million is spent for each neighborhoodBy Gordon Y.K. Pang
gpang@starbulletin.comMembers of the City Council Budget Committee raised questions yesterday about the amount of money spent on vision projects, as well as the process by which projects are selected.
Harris established the vision team process four years ago to give citizens a more direct say in the government process.
Not only do the island's 19 vision teams get to recommend how $2 million will be spent on improvements in their areas, each of the city's 33 neighborhood boards gets to target its own $1 million, said Budget Chairwoman Ann Kobayashi.
Together, she said, that amounts to $71 million of a $475.5 million capital improvements package that comes from bond money, she said.
Councilman John Henry Felix said the money going to vision team projects undermines the authority of Council members.
"The Council has control over the budget," Felix said. "The mayor actually gave away our responsibility and our authority by committing $2 million here and $2 million there, and eventually it adds up to real money."
Rae Loui, city director of design and construction, said in response that whether to fund the vision team projects is "a policy decision for (the Council) to make."
Kobayashi said she is particularly bothered that city-paid improvement projects are occurring along state highways -- including along Ala Moana and Pali Highway -- when the city needs to spend some $1.8 billion over the next decade to pay for sewer improvements.
"Do they send us a thank-you note?" Kobayashi asked facetiously.
City spokeswoman Carol Costa later responded to Kobayashi's criticism.
"It's all taxpayers' money," she said. "The public does not differentiate between state and city responsibility. This is one island."
Councilman Duke Bainum disagreed with his colleagues.
"What you had is people coming together who cared about the community that wanted to make a real change and prioritize what was important to their neighborhoods."
Bainum agreed that the process is "not perfect" and needs some tweaking.
Councilwoman Rene Mansho also spoke strongly in favor of vision teams.
"Community-based planning and the empowerment process is the most powerful representation of city government I've ever seen," she said.
Councilman Gary Okino said that given the city's financial straits, $2 million for each vision team is too much money, and he proposed reducing the amount. Okino said he also wants to create guidelines for the teams to follow.
Kobayashi said she does not want this year's vision projects to be cut since money has already been promised by the mayor. Nonetheless, she said, money will have to be eliminated elsewhere to make room for the vision projects.
"We're trying to be fiscally responsible," Kobayashi said. "We're not questioning the value of the teams."
City & County of Honolulu
