City survey tries
to identify
core services
They think Sunset on the Beach is a great event but that the city should not pay for it.
They'll recycle if it won't cost them anything. And they think satellite city halls are nice to have but that the city could cut sites or hours.
This is how the majority of people responded to an on- line City Council survey that Council members hope to use in determining what is important to Oahu residents.
"The survey was really to help the Council in creating priorities," said Council Chairman Donovan Dela Cruz.
The survey is part of the Council's PLAN -- Priorities Long-term and Now -- a process to assist in budgeting during the next decade.
Council members stressed that the survey was not scientific but will be helpful to gauge what people think are core services, they said.
The survey was on the Internet from Dec. 17 to Jan. 15, and nearly 450 people responded, although not everyone answered each of the 12 multiple-choice questions.
Some of the more interesting responses were to questions that generally covered "what people are willing to pay for," Dela Cruz said. "I think that's what's interesting, as well as what people say we should cut."
The survey asked about charging for a second day per week of trash pickup.
Some 53 percent said they do not need a second day of pickup; 32 percent said they support twice-a-week pickup even if their taxes go up; and 15 percent said they would be willing to pay for a second pickup.
Another question asked whether respondents would recycle. The majority said they would, but it would depend on who is paying.
"Yes, I'll recycle if it doesn't cost anything," was the top choice with 42 percent. The next was 31 percent for "I'll only recycle if the city provides separate containers at no cost." Twenty-three percent said they would pay for a separate container to recycle, and 4 percent said they will not recycle.
The potholes created by recent storms made responses to a question about repaving roads timely.
The survey asked what people thought about whether borrowed money or a tax hike should be used to repave roads.
Forty-two percent said the city should stop borrowing money to repave roads and repave only what it can afford, even if it means more time between repairs.
Respondents were also asked how important satellite city halls are to them. The highest number -- 42 percent -- said the satellite offices are nice to have but that the city could do with fewer facilities and/or fewer hours. The next group, 26 percent, said the facilities are critical but that fees should be charged for some services.
Honolulu City Lights appears to be a popular program, with the least amount of people voting to eliminate funding for the holiday festival of lights and decorations at City Hall.
Programs that people were more willing to ax were ethnically based programs such as the Honolulu Hale cultural performances and the Kuhio Beach Torchlighting and Hula.
The survey also asked about Sunset on the Beach, Brunch on the Beach and Sunset at the Park and whether city dollars should pay for these programs, which are attended by huge crowds. The survey showed 62 percent supported the events but said the city should not foot the bill.
The most popular choices for city funding were health and safety projects, beautification projects, recreation centers and ball courts.
The least popular were canoe halau for storage and neighborhood signs.
Dela Cruz said the Council plans to submit priorities to Mayor Jeremy Harris before he submits his operating and construction budget to the Council next month.
