[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6094218,"mediaKeyId","2844487-2000edbb961b0ac7cda4995639c97f08","parentId",2844487,"title","Parks committee lays out multi-year priorities: safety, standards, revenue and a parks special fund","audioSeconds",413,"startMs",1470000,"endMs",1883000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2844487-2000edbb961b0ac7cda4995639c97f08&start=1470&end=1883","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2844487-2000edbb961b0ac7cda4995639c97f08/thumbnail_1470000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6094218/Honolulu-City/Honolulu-County/Hawaii/Parks-committee-lays-out-multi-year-priorities-safety-standards-revenue-and-a-parks-special-fund","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6094218-ffeda5f4fece0f0d39a625076ddf4f64/orig.mp4?Expires=1771183092&Signature=A-aj4AdFA3c0SfuSwfOJgBMyA-Pd39szrTWnwwW6bkQyyu1y9fGdpDPgbmwNUtIPjjDpHqqso6ZCq4i90RQ8spy9E8e85qfpwj3qKd-ryzlaRps88FtLCun2VCokzpz93Jmj1kRhS4zg1yhw-jioslueYWwU1eCSy3FTsmi3IzRZW-EF-UnmEXO1CMYV~MYAuq4xMwEHLHBxPLrPXI6zQrCo59KlEH26fw7WJ24-TquVoEvQ41PNoz9b1CbGCRoz2LDrHqYprlOM2mUEanqqJ-QZd6GD9nV3V1xEu2LEgCpQVDaqLRo1F0BKYhRyx5J-8JJKe3XkaL80NhxW8Pa8bQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Honolulu, HI","date","2025-03-30T22:00:03Z","article","The City Council Committee on Parks discussed a multi-year priorities framework intended to guide parks planning, maintenance and revenue generation across Oahu, committee chair said during the committee’s Oct. 12, 2025 meeting.

The chair presented proposed vision and mission statements, an effort to update the 2004 park standards and the functional plan, and a set of priorities focused on park safety, community feedback, revenue generation and a potential parks special fund to keep fees and donations at individual parks.

“Park safety is huge. Park safety means that people feel safe there,” the committee chair said, explaining that safety includes working equipment, functioning restrooms and adequate lighting. The proposal asked the department and commission to work with the committee to identify shortfalls in each district and to pursue parity in park amenities across the island.

Laura Thielen, director of the City and County of Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation, said the department supports many of the committee’s priorities but stressed the trade-off between day-to-day operations and planning. “The functional plan is something that in the charter, it’s an aspiration to update that every five years and so it’s been well beyond five years,” Thielen said. She added that the existing park-standards document (prepared in about 2004) contains recommendations, some implemented and some not, and that inventory and demographic shifts have created gaps in facility types and sizes.

Thielen cited planning details that would inform priorities, including statistics the department maintains on fields and park sizes: the department inventory includes more than 300 parks but far fewer regulation-size athletic fields. She said revisiting the functional plan would help target investments to meet present needs and to leverage outside funding programs such as the Clean Water and Natural Lands Fund.

Specific items the chair proposed for committee work included:

- Adopt clear vision and mission statements to guide long-term planning and present operations.
- Update park standards and the functional plan so the city can more accurately match facilities to community needs.
- Prioritize public-safety improvements such as maintenance standards, asset-management schedules, lighting and security cameras, and continued expansion of the park ranger program.
- Pursue revenue tools including entrance fees, rental fees for large events, concessions, sponsorships and a parks special fund that would keep revenue at the park level when donors prefer local impact.

Councilmembers emphasized transparency and equity. Councilmember Tova (referred to in the meeting as Toba at one point) and Councilmember Nishimoto both urged clear communication to residents about where resources are allocated, and Councilmember Cordero suggested aligning master-plan updates with the city’s age-friendly goals to make parks safer and more usable for kupuna (older residents).

The chair proposed committee cleanups and asked the director to suggest parks that need attention; members discussed rotating cleanup priorities across districts and suggested doing multiple cleanups annually. The department said it would work with the committee and commission on priorities and identify whether professional consultants are needed to update the functional plan.

Next steps: The committee will continue working with the Department of Parks and Recreation and the Parks and Recreation Commission to refine priorities, define metrics, and identify funding sources. The department committed to provide information on inventory gaps, ordinance details governing park dedication, and potential uses of external grant funds.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","2025-04-01 Parks","oneSentenceSummary","Committee chair presented a four-year priorities framework — updating vision/mission, revising park standards and the functional plan, improving safety and maintenance, boosting revenue through fees and sponsorships, and exploring a parks special fund; Parks and Recreation director described inventory gaps and the need for professional planning.","taxTitle","Honolulu City, Honolulu County, Hawaii","taxId",61746,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6094224,"Parks committee reports out three resolutions accepting donated trees, kiln and Waikiki marker",479,394000,873000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2844487-2000edbb961b0ac7cda4995639c97f08&start=394&end=873","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2844487-2000edbb961b0ac7cda4995639c97f08/thumbnail_394000.jpg","/articles/6094224/Honolulu-City/Honolulu-County/Hawaii/Parks-committee-reports-out-three-resolutions-accepting-donated-trees-kiln-and-Waikiki-marker","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6094224-bf801828f0a2d8117e36be653837bac1/orig.mp4?Expires=1771183093&Signature=DPqan5Y8hp0hj~LMuftYssp8SFuD0FhtNIjHJaL1XTVR6ofg0dJH2JumDUv70Hk56nlIQNhPT5LRUyntp6uFeUIlEErporu53leuE4om8y72b3QGmqzQ9Zd86FNV~wSCCCe909x-JwtrGq3LoAWLkZIdxpug7vmmcZJf3YE91t556aWgH2eh10tJ2ebbKvvl6Rz6mD1NGwYrFlgOR6QZTTd~W0cVDOJWFqtszhn5icK09R40AOhcmTyolFZe7PsMPUGEoBF1u0B-WrFSlvrvCF-2NhBFSPlxU1RNjCR3m8bazGUf74tqzfXWXXTp1gylTpnM5dttYATNdhCAQlAsvA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The City Council Committee on Parks voted to report out three resolutions accepting donated goods for city parks, the committee chair announced during a remote meeting on Oct. 12, 2025.

The gifts include trees and planting materials valued at $4,471 from the Outdoor Circle Lani Kailua branch for a Keolu Drive planting project (Resolution 25-64); a Paragon ceramic kiln valued at $8,650 donated to Koko Head District Park by the Koko Head Potters (Resolution 25-65); and a site marker valued at $5,692 donated by LePua Ola Queer Histories of Hawai‘i to be installed at Queen’s Surf Beach in Waikiki (Resolution 25-89, amended to CD1).

Committee business matters: The committee chair recommended each resolution be reported out for adoption, and hearing no objections said, “so ordered.” No roll-call votes were recorded in the transcript for these items.

Ted Hayden, deputy director of the Department of Parks and Recreation, thanked donors during the hearing. “Parks and Recreation is very happy to accept the donation of trees and materials from the Outdoor Circle Lani Kailua branch, in our efforts to beautify and create additional cooling for Kailua,” Hayden said about the Keolu Drive project. Regarding the kiln, Hayden said the department thanks the Koko Head Potters group for the donation.

Councilmember Cordero asked how the department processes gift requests and who handles them. Laura Thielen, director of the City and County of Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation, said park recreation staff normally lead coordination with the department’s executive assistant—identified in the meeting as Dori Amano Mitsui—who serves as a liaison with the council. Thielen said small-value gifts are collected into a quarterly report under existing ordinance, while gifts above the ordinance threshold are submitted as individual resolutions. “From my understanding, we tend to not reject any gift,” Thielen said, adding that the department does not take possession of a donated item until the council accepts it by resolution.

Thielen and Cordero discussed the dollar threshold for quarterly reporting; Thielen said “2,500 is sticking in my head” but that she would confirm whether the council has since raised that amount to $5,000.

The committee also noted testifier logistics: clerks stated there were no in-person or remote registered testifiers for Resolution 25-64 and for Resolution 25-89, and nine registered testifiers for Resolution 25-65 were noted by staff.

Votes at a glance

- Resolution 25-64 — Accepts trees and materials valued at $4,471 from Outdoor Circle Lani Kailua branch for a Keolu Drive planting project. Committee recommendation: reported out for adoption. (No roll call in transcript.)
- Resolution 25-65 — Accepts a Paragon ceramic kiln valued at $8,650 from the Koko Head Potters for Koko Head District Park. Committee recommendation: reported out for adoption. (No roll call in transcript.)
- Resolution 25-89 (CD1) — Accepts a site marker valued at $5,692 from LePua Ola Queer Histories of Hawai‘i for installation at Queen’s Surf Beach, Waikiki; committee amended the measure to CD1 and reported the CD1 version out for adoption.

Background and next steps: Under the City Charter, the council is the body that formally accepts gifts to the city; Parks and Recreation said it will continue to prepare resolutions and, when necessary, a quarterly report for smaller gifts in accordance with the city ordinance. The department will confirm the exact monetary threshold for quarterly reporting and provide any outstanding documentation required before final council action.

All three items were advanced by committee recommendation for consideration by the full council.","The Honolulu City Council Committee on Parks reported out three resolutions accepting gifts for city parks: trees for Keolu Drive, a ceramic kiln for Koko Head District Park and a site marker at Queen's Surf Beach Waikiki. One resolution was amended to CD1 before reporting out.","actionData","errors"]

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Parks committee lays out multi-year priorities: safety, standards, revenue and a parks special fund

Parks committee reports out three resolutions accepting donated trees, kiln and Waikiki marker