Kirk Caldwell roadmap

A ROADMAP FOR
OUR FUTURE
Paid for by Friends of Kirk Caldwell

About Kirk Caldwell
Kirk Caldwell was born in Waipahu. His father was the plantation doctor. At the age of five, Kirk and
his family moved to the Big Island. Kirk graduated from Hawaii Preparatory Academy, earned a B.A.
in Economics from Tufts University, an M.A. from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, and a
A ROADMAP FOR OUR FUTURE
J.D. from the University of Hawaii William S. Richardson School of Law.

For nearly 30 years, Kirk worked in the private sector, including as a partner at Ashford and Wriston, There is a saying, if you don’t know where you’re going, any road will get you there.
LLP. In 2002, Caldwell began his public service career when he was elected to the Hawaii State So where, then, are we going as a community?

House of Representatives, representing the Manoa and University area. He quickly rose to a Oahu combines the natural beauty of our rural and preservation areas, small legacy
leadership position as the house majority leader. While in the House, Kirk fought for tax relief towns, residential communities in every corner of our island, resort areas where
for Hawaii’s families, health care for all children in Hawaii, and millions of dollars in repair and tourists visit and many of our people work, and the energy and edginess of our major
urban core.
maintenance funds to fix our schools.
All of these people and places have their own personalities, their own challenges and
In January 2009, Kirk was appointed managing director for the City their own needs from City Hall. The City and County of Honolulu plays a major role
and County of Honolulu, where he was responsible for the day- in our quality of life. Facing everyday challenges just to keep things working, repaired
to-day operations of the city, serving the needs of the nearly one and cleaned, to ensuring the public’s safety from directing how and where growth
occurs to protecting the security of our food, energy and water.
million residents on Oahu. Kirk also served as mayor, after Mufi
Hannemann resigned to run for governor in 2010. The future of our home is important to all of us. If we do not work toward a desired
future, we will be diminished through an endless series of one-time-only decisions that
As mayor and managing director, Kirk was the city’s primary lead us nowhere.
point person for two of the biggest issues facing Oahu; transit and
I spent a lot of time this last year, in gatherings big and small, listening carefully to
homelessness. He also successfully expedited $150 million in road members of our community. Hearing their ideas, sharing mine, finding a path forward
repaving, creating many new jobs. Kirk was proud to be part to our shared tomorrows. These pages document the results of those conversations
of a team that balanced the city’s budgets during the and they are this person’s view on how we go about getting there.
worst recession our country has experienced since the
If I earn the opportunity to serve as your mayor, I hope to be remembered
Great Depression, while at the same protecting vital as a mayor who rolled up his sleeves, dug deep, got serious,
city services. listened, brought people together to find common ground and
solved problems.
Kirk is married to Donna Tanoue. Donna served as the
Let’s see if we can, together, create
17th chairman of the U.S. Federal Deposit Insurance “A Roadmap for Our Future.”
Corporation (FDIC) and is now vice chairman and
member of the Managing Committee for the Bank Imua,
of Hawaii. Kirk and Donna have a daughter, Maya, Kirk Caldwell
a senior at Punahou.

A ROADMAP FOR OUR FUTURE | Friends of Kirk Caldwell 1 2 A ROADMAP FOR OUR FUTURE | Friends of Kirk Caldwell

GOVERNING
Collaborative Governing to Get the Job Done
SAFETY FIRST To State the Obvious

My style is collaborative by nature. I believe that we accomplish much more by working together The first responsibility of any mayor is to protect you and
than by arguing and fighting. I am not running for election to pick old fights or create controversy. your property. This starts with making sure we attract and
I am willing and able to make hard decisions and move forward. retain the best police officers, firefighters, paramedics and
lifeguards, and ensure they are adequately trained and have
As mayor, I will sit down with the governor to discuss issues of importance to the state and its the most up-to-date equipment.
most populous county. I will also work closely with the City Council. I will be visible, available, and
maintain regular and consistent communication. We can do a better job for everyone by working In addition:
together towards common goals such as energy independence and greater government efficiency. »» Our dependence on the Emergency Medical Service (EMS)
came into sharp focus during the shut down of the West
In addition: Oahu hospitals. Merging EMS with the fire department
»» We need to realign the structure of city government. We cannot afford to work in the silos of twenty- makes critical sense. Initial steps were taken while I managed
four departments or offices. I will lead a working group to quickly review the current structure of the city and need to be moved forward. EMS will benefit
city government and find ways to combine, create and bring about greater efficiency. For example, by receiving better training and equipment and will work
it’s time to re-create the Department of Public Works by combining city departments. hand-in-hand with the firefighters to save lives.

»» We must train and mentor the next generation of leaders. This can only happen by giving them »» While I was at the city, in cooperation with HPD and HFD
hands-on experience in high-level jobs. I will include professionals in my administration who and the City Council, we placed tens of millions of dollars
reflect the diversity of our community and move us to gender equity in leadership positions. into the budgets of HPD and HFD to prepare for and provide
services for APEC. Due to advance planning and training
»» I will also bring large and small businesses and the unions into the process of governing. during regular work hours, our public safety providers were
Collaborative leadership was needed and lacking when the hospitals closed. We cannot prevent able to save the city from expending the bulk of this money,
every adverse action, but we can, and must, try harder and be smarter to work out issues for the creating significant savings that will be used for other
greater public interest. I believe the sincere effort to bring about “change” can create a stronger important city functions in the fiscal year 2013 budget. We
community. must ensure that the city is reimbursed as represented by
the federal government for the successful APEC summit.


JOBS
Providing Jobs for Our Families
SEWERS
A Necessary, Costly and Unglamorous Priority

The city can be a significant job creator if the mayor and city managers approach their jobs in the As a result of tough negotiations with the Environmental Protection Agency while I was managing
following way. the city, we were able to enter into a consent decree under which the city will convert the Sand
Island and Honouliuli treatment facilities to full secondary treatment by 2035. This will require
The city has control and responsibility over extensive infrastructure systems such as sewers, water building state-of-the-art gravity flow deep tunnels and new force main pumping stations. The cost
systems, roads, landfill and transfer stations, H-Power, parks and park facilities. All of them are of the sewer upgrades totals $4.7 billion over the life of the project.
in need of constant repair, maintenance and upgrading. If done correctly and managed in a more
responsible hands-on manner, numerous jobs will be created. We need these jobs now as we crawl The city is legally obligated to fulfill federal environmental laws and it is also in the city’s best
out of our deepest recession since the Great Depression. In doing so, we ALL benefit from better interest to update our aging infrastructure.
maintained and efficient public facilities.
Updating our sewage system is not only an environmental issue. By
In addition, the city has two massive public works projects that should be handled more expeditiously working on this important infrastructure need, we also keep the men
and with more leadership than that shown by the current mayor. One is the $5.27 billion rail mass and women in the construction industry working.
transit project; the other is the $4.7 billion sewer infrastructure project. If managed properly, money
would not be wasted and more work would be available more quickly. In all, these projects will If the deadlines set in the consent decree are not met, the EPA can go back to the federal court
create thousands of desperately needed jobs now. and force the city to implement the improvements under an even tighter timetable, which would
mean that sewer rate payers would have a shorter period of time to pay for the upgrades. Staying
We will also benefit from improved traffic conditions, more efficient transportation for those of us on schedule allows charges to be spread over a longer period of time with smaller monthly
who commute to work each day, fewer sewer breaks, and less ocean pollution. increases.

The city should take a position that it is “open for business” with the private sector and define its The current mayor is not gearing up fast enough to implement
role as a business partner, not a job inhibitor. This does not mean we overlook our environmental this very complex consent decree. His inability to properly
or labor laws. What it does mean is the city should look for ways to address roadblocks and create manage sewage treatment upgrades has already resulted in
solutions quickly and effectively. $25 million being deleted from the budget for a second digester
at the Sand Island Sewage Treatment Plant, which would have
We need a “city that works” to make our island community as vibrant as possible. treated more of the sewage sludge for use as fertilizer on parks
and golf courses. Instead, we continue to truck sludge through
our neighborhoods to the Honouliuli treatment facility.


WATER
We Can’t Live Without It
GARBAGE
We Make It, We Clean It Up

Although the Board of Water Supply is a quasi-independent city agency that does not report directly We have to reduce the need of an everyday landfill on Oahu.
to the managing director or the mayor, it is important for the mayor to be involved.
The good news is that Oahu is doing much better than many
Many of our water mains are over fifty years old and, as a result, it is estimated there is an average areas on the mainland. This has largely to do with H-Power,
of one water main break per day. The board has authorized the issuance of revenue bonds and the which converts garbage to energy. When I was managing
mayor should help the board in moving forward faster on this rebuilding, especially when we can director, the city started construction of the third boiler,
take advantage of lower bond financing costs. which should come online this year. When it does, we will be
diverting approximately 90% of all the rubbish we generate
on Oahu from our Waimanalo Gulch Landfill. Estimates
indicate that the third boiler alone will save between $24

RECYCLING
million and $48 million annually by reducing the amount of
oil imported to generate electricity.

Green Bins, Blue Bins . . . Asphalt and Concrete
This means jobs kept here – for both construction
The green bin and blue bin recycling program was completed and running the H-Power facility; dollars kept
while I was managing director, a milestone that was personally here; and energy generated here.
satisfying because as a state representative, I sponsored
legislation (HB 3096, 2006) urging the city to implement Metals and glass obtained after the burning of garbage at the
curbside green bins and recycling. This initiative counts on all of us to be conscious of what we H-Power facility is recycled and not diverted to the Waimanalo
throw away and reduces our reliance on a landfill. The green bin waste is used for composting Gulch Landfill.
in parks and golf courses and is available for the public’s use. The blue bin recyclable products
generate revenue for the city to help defray program costs. Ash is the one by-product that is currently being diverted
to the landfill. It is pliable when it is first spread out, but
While I was managing the city, I worked with Hawaii Community Foundation on a grant to better it becomes hard like asphalt and acts as a sealant. While I
manage Oahu’s construction waste. This included working with Re-use Hawaii and contractors to was managing the city, I started efforts to see if we could
recycle valuable fixtures and materials for use in remodeling or new building projects, and even use the ash for repaving our roads. Innovative ways to safely
more importantly, recycling asphalt and concrete, which can be used in both new construction and repurpose garbage and by-products that still go into our
repaving projects. We were well on our way to making these ideas into reality; however, it appears Waimanalo Gulch Landfill need to be explored. As far as I
these efforts fell to the wayside after I left City Hall. know, these efforts stopped once I left Honolulu Hale.


ROAD MAINTENANCE
A Tale of Potholes and Lane Closures
BRIDGES
Would You Believe, 418?

Road maintenance is an ongoing and never-ending Yes, the city is responsible for 418 bridges on Oahu. Most of
responsibility. I believe more funds should be devoted to these bridges are over fifty years old and need to be retrofitted
repaving projects and the repaving should be done in an to comply with new federal safety standards. It is a massive undertaking that needs to be started.
expedited manner. Bids continue to come in lower than Very little is being done, other than the hiring of consultants, to evaluate the types of repairs that
need to be undertaken for certain bridges.
expected, meaning the city can repave more roads with the
same amount of money.
I will work with federal, state and county officials, and the private sector to develop and implement a
comprehensive island-wide plan with a realistic timetable and financing plan to retrofit our bridges
During last year’s budget cycle, the current mayor removed
to avoid a major tragedy in the future.
$77 million for repaving projects “as part of an overall plan
to eliminate debt service.” Saving money by not repaving
roads is unacceptable and something with which I strongly
disagree. The council, to its credit, put back approximately
PERMITS
A Faster, More Efficient Process
$32 million. Having a mayor that is penny wise, but pound
foolish does not help the taxpayers of Oahu. As mayor, I will We need to get projects through the approval process much faster. Time is money and the faster the
look at the long-term effects and the broad picture. city approves projects, the faster jobs will be created and the city will be improved.

Given today’s technology, we can do a better job of processing building permits more efficiently.
There are ways to extend the life of our roadways. We can
While I was at the city, I pushed a pilot project that would process building permits electronically.
apply new methods to old problems. Slurry Seal is a thin
The beauty of electronic filing is that everyone in the process can see and comment on the changes
coating of a tar and fine sand-based material that is spread
in real time. This will speed up the time for permit approval. If we require each reviewer to initially
over roads that are beginning to deteriorate, but not in such
approve or disapprove the plan (and any changes) in a specified amount of time, the review process
bad condition as to require repaving. This method adds up to
will be further expedited.
five years of additional life to a road. In addition, Slurry Seal
dries quickly, so that the road can be used within hours of the For projects over a certain dollar value, let’s say $10 million and above, I propose assigning a
application, reducing traffic congestion and lane closures. facilitator who will monitor the project through the permit approval process. The facilitator will
be in the managing director’s office. The facilitator will meet with all the interested parties, both
from the private sector and the relevant city planning and permitting personnel when the plans
are first submitted. A brief review will be conducted to determine up front if anything is missing or
needs supplementation, and an approval timetable will be set. If there is anything that will stall the
process that cannot be resolved by this working group, then the facilitator will step in to steward a
resolution.

HOMELESSNESS
A Symptom of a Larger Problem
RAIL MASS TRANSIT Let’s Build Rail Better

Having devoted countless hours to the issue, homelessness As early as 1966, Mayor Blaisdell identified the problem, stating: “Taken in the mass, the automobile
is a problem that I, unfortunately, know a lot about. Keeping a is a noxious mechanism whose destiny in workaday urban use is to frustrate man and make dead
park or public area safe, clean and free from encampments is a certain that he approaches his daily occupation unhappy and inefficient.” (Source: Honolulu Star
constant issue, but only part of the bigger problem. Bulletin, May 24, 1966.)

Homelessness is everybody’s problem. It is not just a state issue Fast forward to 2012. Traffic grows worse every week, working families are ripped apart wasting
or a county issue. Governor Abercrombie is off to a great start
time in traffic instead of being home with each other, and we continue to pave over more of our
by prioritizing homelessness and working with state and county
limited aina, contributing to global warming and increasing our dependence on fossil fuel.
agencies along with private providers to resolve the multiple,
complex issues.
I support rail transit and I believe that we can build rail better.

In addition:
»» Sense of place does matter. I believe the transit stations in mature neighborhoods should reflect
»» We need to find a better way to help Oahu’s homeless what’s around them, from architectural design to the kinds of stores that operate within them.
population, including those who become homeless
»» Beautify as we go. We have an opportunity to improve rail transit corridors, move utilities, get rid
because of mental illnesses or addictions.
of poles and power lines, improve sidewalks and plant trees. More people living in these areas will
»» The Housing First model focuses on providing shelter be impacted by construction, let’s add improvements to their neighborhoods as well.
first with support services available on-site. The model
»» Start planning and sharing new bus routes now. Rail transit will make our bus system more
has worked well in several mainland cities. Although
effective and efficient. Rail transit will allow us to re-deploy buses to new routes island wide.
controversial, it is worthy of our attention, especially
if it can be set up away from residential and business »» Get moving on Transit-Oriented Development immediately. Simply put, we are behind on TOD.
areas. The mayor should exercise leadership and be working with the City Council in setting up rules and
guidelines right now.
»» I support safe zones although many homeless providers
do not. I believe we should find city and county land Rail transit won’t fix everything in our community but it will make a difference for generations
that is undeveloped, away from residences and to come. Imagine our community without the Pali Highway, Likelike, H-1, H-2, H-3 or a widened
businesses and allow homeless people to camp on it
Kalanianaole Highway to East Oahu. These projects, though controversial at the time, are now
for a limited period of time. We would provide basic
essential to our everyday commutes.
health and safety facilities, such as temporary bathrooms, showers and, washing facilities. The
zone would be patrolled by the police and, most importantly, a private provider would manage
Doing nothing is not an alternative. Traffic is slowly strangling our community.
the site and work with homeless providers to transition people to more permanent housing.

Let’s build rail and let’s build rail better.


OUR CITY, OUR FUTURE
In addition, I see:
»» Pocket parks where people can gather and spend time
together with stores and cafes centered around the parks;
What Oahu Could Be for Our Children »» Parking structures wrapped with mixed retail;
»» Affordable commercial and residential high-rises built using
I have always had a keen interest in city planning and tax increment financing and other incentives provided to the
private sector through transit-oriented development zones;
sustainability. I will approach urban growth as a means to
revitalize and preserve what we love about living on Oahu. » » An integrated mass transit infrastructure as part of a
comprehensive public transportation system;

The City’s General Plan is due for a major update this year. I »» Focusing growth in the Downtown, Kakaako and Ala Moana
believe proper planning improves traffic flow and affects how areas, which allows us to make better use of our urban lands;

people live, work and play. We live on an island and growth » » Greater building setbacks, preserving our mauka and
must not go unchecked. There is a buzzword that planners makai views;

use: smart growth. We can’t ignore that Honolulu has become » » More affordable units for working families, and senior
a major city in the United States and that growth throughout citizens and mixed-use development in exchange for
increased height limits;
Oahu is important to our future, but it must be the right kind
of growth; it must reflect our local sense of place and the » » Multi-family properties joined together as a block to
redevelop neighborhoods with the city providing property
history of our many ethnic cultures.
tax incentives to support such development.

Smart growth in my administration will include more
This is all about living, working and playing better in our urban
walking and off-road bicycle paths and will go hand-in-hand
core. It is also about respecting the aina, and using the limited
with our transportation planning. It will include transit-
urban zoned land efficiently so that we can minimize the need
oriented development and it will explore re-investment in
to pave over less developed and undeveloped areas.
our older, urban neighborhoods with a commitment to open

AFFORDABLE HOUSING
space. Smart growth will also include the integration of
mixed-use development, such as housing, retail, parking,
schools and parks.
Build It and They Will Come
One of the great tragedies after statehood was the loss of
There are many families in our communities who are at risk of becoming homeless because we
our legacy town neighborhoods and the plowing over of
do not have enough affordable housing. I believe that having taller buildings in the urban core
some of our best agricultural lands through poorly controlled
helps, because once the infrastructure is developed the cost per unit will decrease as more units
urban sprawl. We can re-create these legacy towns and
are built. The city should be an aggressive partner with private developers and the State in creating
neighborhoods, such as Ewa, Waipahu, Kalihi and Kaimuki,
affordable urban housing, especially with mixed-use design.
designed with a sense of place.


A GREENER OAHU
Pocket Parks, Ag in the City and the Green Zone
THE OTHER GREEN
Our Children Must Be Energy Independent

We need to always be on top of maintaining all our city parks. Many other jurisdictions do a better Historically, mayors of the City and County of Honolulu have not been at the forefront of Hawaii’s
job with their parks. We need an efficient, hands-on management system. We also need to use push to become energy independent from fossil fuels, even though 930,000 of the state’s energy
landscape architects effectively to work with the city to further enhance the beauty and functionality consuming citizens live on Oahu. City government leaves it up to the state to find solutions. I will
of our parks. change this. In fact, I started to change this while I was managing director and mayor.

In addition: Before I left the city, I began to work with several companies that were seeking to retrofit the

»» We need smaller “pocket parks” dotting our urban core. These parks provide a respite for urban city’s street lights with systems that were not only energy-efficient, but also brighter and more

families and help bring people together within their communities. directional. Some of these systems would enhance public safety by including features that focus
light directly over the crosswalks and were motion-sensitive. A program like this should be
»» We should preserve and enhance the few remaining agricultural parcels in our urban core, so that implemented throughout Oahu.
our residents have the opportunity to visit these places, purchase fresh vegetables and plants, or
just simply touch, smell and see what is growing. I was also working with companies that proposed to retrofit the interior of all of our municipal
buildings with motion-sensitive lights. This would result in significant energy savings and
»» As mayor, I will work directly with the State Department of Agriculture to ensure that we keep would not require a total rewiring of our municipal buildings. Government buildings should be
agriculture viable on Oahu. I will explore creating an Office of Agriculture that would report directly retrofitted in energy-efficient, cost-saving ways. This point is driven home by the fact that the
to the mayor. city’s cost for electricity has gone through the roof in the last year.

»» In the years since I was born in Waipahu, the area between Waipahu and Kalihi went from
In addition:
sugarcane fields to single family housing. Without changing the way we manage our land
development, someday we will have suburban sprawl all the way from Wahiawa and Mililani to »» I will identify all municipal buildings and other structures that can support photovoltaic systems.

Haleiwa. This is an avoidable tragedy. The city could work with companies who install systems at no cost, in exchange for income
from the energy generated, or the city could develop its own system.

We need to create an irrefutable “green buffer zone,” beyond which no additional non-agricultural
»» I will identify appropriate municipal buildings on which to install green roofs (roof top gardens),
development will occur. On the inside of the buffer, we will allow infilling of undeveloped parcels
and work with nonprofits and community groups to manage and use these new green spaces.
and denser vertical urban development. If this doesn’t occur, we will see much more of the same
type of suburban sprawl and more of our agricultural lands rezoned. We need to prevent this
from happening.


ECONOMY
Keeping the Financial House in Order
CONCLUSION
For Now, as the Journey Continues

I believe that when the City and County of Honolulu works As with any road map, this one is not set in stone. It will change
better, the whole state works better. For me, working better as our community changes, but without a map we will never
means: get to where we want to go. This is my road map, my vision,
that I want to share with you. I am listening for your feedback,
»» Honolulu maintaining an AA or better bond rating by being so that we can make it better.
hands-on in controlling spending, while growing revenue
by adjusting taxes and fees. As in life, we do not make our goals based on just one person’s
vision. It is through our shared vision and by working together
»» A growing economy is the best way to keep the city moving
that we will get to a better place.
and to enhance tax revenue without raising taxes. As
mayor, I will look for every possible opportunity to grow
our economy in a responsible way.
Mahalo for your time. I look forward to our
»» Fiscal responsibility is key to managing the city. I have spent journey together.
most of my professional life in the private sector. I know
what it means to manage a business, meet a payroll and
make sure a first-rate product is delivered to those paying Kirk Caldwell
for it, in this case the citizens of the City and County of June 2012

Honolulu. I bring hands-on fiscal experience to the Mayor’s
Office, not as a concept but as a day-to-day reality.


Phone: 808.9GO.KIRK
808.946.5475
info@kirkcaldwell.com
kirkcaldwell.com

Paid for by Friends of Kirk Caldwell

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