City events cost The city spent nearly $1.5 million in the past 12 months to operate three popular but controversial weekend programs, including more than $300,000 for a police presence.
$1.5 million
The programs have become a
source of dispute between
the Council and mayorBy Gordon Y.K. Pang
gpang@starbulletin.comThe cost figures for Sunset on the Beach, Brunch on the Beach, and Rediscover Oahu were distributed to members of the City Council at a joint information hearing held by the Budget and Zoning committees yesterday.
The numbers do not include roughly $260,000 in equipment such as outdoor furniture, umbrellas and Astroturf.
Council members questioned the costs and suggested that private donors should pick up all costs for Sunset, including police overtime.
The programs have been a growing source of contention between the Council and Mayor Jeremy Harris.
While Council members have not questioned the intent of the programs, they and reporters have sought -- unsuccessfully until yesterday -- to get a detailed breakdown of the costs. Council members issued a proviso in this year's budget calling on the administration to hold only one Sunset program each month. They also limited the funding for Sunset and Brunch to $300,000 each for the 12 months that began July 1.
In response, the administration moved the Brunch program to Kapiolani Park to save $10,000 per event, and reduced the number of city-sponsored Sunset programs to one weekend a month, even though it insisted they were not bound to the proviso.
The city also has taken to soliciting sponsors, at $10,000 a pop, to foot the bill for additional Sunset weekends. Outrigger Hotels has funded one weekend, while Aston Hotels is paying for this weekend's event.
Managing Director Ben Lee said yesterday 29 Sunset weekends, which began Nov. 10-11 in response to the economic impacts of the Sept. 11 attacks, cost $465,511.59. Broken down by an average attendance of 7,500 each day, the city spent about $1.07 per attendee, he said.
Lee's figures, however, did not factor in an additional $232,000 which was spent on police.
The Brunch program, which began a monthly run on July 15, 2001, cost $357,870.73, Lee said. At an average attendance of 12,000 people per event, the per-person amount came out to $2.71, he said.
Again, Lee's figures did not include the additional $8,000 per event provided by police, which added $88,000 to the total.
Police Chief Lee Donohue told Council members the $8,000 for each event is broken down into $3,000 for regular-duty time and $5,000 in overtime.
Donohue said the money was not budgeted in advance.
Councilman Duke Bainum noted that the time also is not budgeted in the current year's expenses.
"That's a drain on your resources," said Councilman John Henry Felix.
"That's right," Donohue replied.
Bainum and several colleagues suggested that outside sponsors pay the $5,000 in police overtime above the $10,000 they already are being asked to provide.
But Lee said the city foots at least a portion of the tab for police security at various city events as a community service.
Lee also reported that it cost $307,504.42 to produce five Rediscover Oahu programs, which essentially takes Brunch to outlying neighborhoods. At an average of 50,000 visitors per event, it cost the city about $1.23 per person, he said.
Donohue did not provide figures for the Rediscover Oahu events.
Council members told Lee and Deputy Managing Director Malcolm Tom that their intent has always been to have the administration seek funding for all three programs and not just to find private funding to retain the same number of them this year.
"They're manipulating this to continue (Sunset) as a once-a-week event," said Councilman Gary Okino, while the city could be using the resources to fund police or other needs.
Lee said the administration disagrees with that policy. Because the programs have stimulated business in Waikiki and provided affordable entertainment for both locals and visitors, the city should be looking into finding the resources to provide more of them.
City & County of Honolulu
