[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-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",[32,75,87],{"_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",6211716,"mediaKeyId","3690131-e23d2e36baaa776616fa857f6e4f8d95","parentId",3690131,"title","Council Defers Vote on Proposal to Let Mayor Tap Rainy‑Day Fund if Federal Funding Is Cut","audioSeconds",1746,"startMs",5374000,"endMs",7120000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3690131-e23d2e36baaa776616fa857f6e4f8d95&start=5374&end=7120","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3690131-e23d2e36baaa776616fa857f6e4f8d95/thumbnail_5374000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6211716/Honolulu-City/Honolulu-County/Hawaii/Council-Defers-Vote-on-Proposal-to-Let-Mayor-Tap-RainyDay-Fund-if-Federal-Funding-Is-Cut","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6211716-3ce5a2ad8730a6d4dbda8c3ef55fe737/orig.mp4?Expires=1771124803&Signature=ZRrOjTbbtFUYKOiHdhjZOWbj58z52tjRXn-i1h4UNagPNpg9EGI-RB26T0y~m7-LY77qwpJ4xntdWiIilWD0j1kE9Yr3OtCaJ2a6OoJNBAMqJGvsHVjG4YZJdrw2ThgsyW2U5qTHfna1H1HpWrWG8fcblTIg-9sOeDPr7XkgKZ4q6KkHNmeE9EbbR7nfv3HzrKUleMJAOvuEBxKv9peQfSJF5b0nG8IQ5uyF3i38lVUcgDoUtCcvdXhktupXwh7Z-2zTSENKMLy9eDuFhXBAByAZ6JiXwaHLge82UdBBssBEPLhJQUmG0Nm9qMh8mWTZErN9LidEN72zpPZI5q50nQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Honolulu, HI","date","2025-06-05T10:21:49Z","article","Council members and budget staff debated a proposed ordinance that would add a specific contingency allowing the mayor to use the city’s fiscal stability fund if federal funding were substantially reduced — an action supporters say could speed emergency responses and opponents say requires council oversight and reporting.

The measure drew sustained discussion from council budget leaders, the director of Budget and Fiscal Services and several council members about timing, legal authority and the practicalities of reopening the operating budget. Council member Weier, the bill’s introducer in committee, said the change was intended to give the administration flexibility to respond rapidly if federal funds were cut and to avoid delays inherent in reopening the city budget.

Director Andy Kawano of Budget and Fiscal Services told the council that reopening the budget or using a supplemental ordinance would take time and that he preferred not to spend the fiscal stability fund if avoidable.

\"I think the process of reopening the budget or going through the supplemental budget process will take time,\" Kawano said. \"I'm not sure if that would ... impact how quickly we can react if we had to. Personally, I'm hoping that we never have to use our fiscal stability fund.\"

Several council members urged adding reporting requirements and other guardrails if the mayor is given expanded access. Council member Tupelo said she supported having options but wanted transparency and council oversight; council member dos Santos Tam, as budget chair, emphasized that different floor drafts carried different provisos and that the issue was linked to the operating budget language the council would consider later in the meeting.

\"If we don't pass bill 36 today but pass your version of the FD 1, the mayor theoretically has fairly broad discretion as to how these monies can be spent,\" dos Santos Tam warned, urging quarterly reporting and identification of savings or transfers before fund access.

After discussion on a hand‑carried FD1 prepared to align with corporation counsel recommendations, Council member Tupelo moved to defer the measure to the end of the calendar so members could settle on language that preserved oversight. The motion to defer was agreed to without objection, and the council will revisit the measure after departments and council staff reconcile budget proviso language with the ordinance text.

What the bill would change: The proposed amendment would have added a specific trigger tied to a substantial decline in federal funding and set notice and reporting requirements for the mayor’s use of fiscal stability funds; the hand‑carried FD1 revised the reporting language to conform with corporation counsel suggestions and to require a line‑item budget and measurable outcomes when funds are expended.

Why it matters: The fiscal stability fund supports the city's credit rating and is a longstanding budgetary reserve. Director Kawano said the city has not needed to access the fund historically and that rating agencies consider the fund a positive credit signal. Council members said they want a clear, timely process that preserves council oversight while allowing the administration to respond to urgent funding shortfalls.

Next steps: The council deferred bill 36 for additional drafting and to consider concurrent language in the operating budget (bill 22). Council members indicated they will seek specific reporting triggers, timelines and possible council review mechanisms before bringing the bill back for a vote.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","2025-06-04 Regular Council Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","Council members and the administration debated bill 36, which would allow the mayor to access the city’s fiscal stability (rainy‑day) fund if federal funding is reduced; councilors sought guardrails and reporting requirements and ultimately deferred the measure for further drafting.","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},6211722,"Council Approves Three Measures Targeting Game Rooms and Illegal Gambling; Prosecutor and Community Cite Crime Near Schools",896,4056000,4952000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3690131-e23d2e36baaa776616fa857f6e4f8d95&start=4056&end=4952","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3690131-e23d2e36baaa776616fa857f6e4f8d95/thumbnail_4056000.jpg","/articles/6211722/Honolulu-City/Honolulu-County/Hawaii/Council-Approves-Three-Measures-Targeting-Game-Rooms-and-Illegal-Gambling-Prosecutor-and-Community-Cite-Crime-Near-Schools","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6211722-bd6116f4e967130968261634608030e6/orig.mp4?Expires=1771124803&Signature=ErOQnWCFCOoWBkLHmWhuCHyVlALk5ZrZ7KivdtyrOpcLag~FlivmTEdP4o5ufjhazbcbZjqcsQieJrC-b8LneHpS9NqsS7jGHl2iw~zth0qa4T0cl6QArk0ETD4b8V2e6UKvBUSmt~oRolJbKP~agalUhYup5rThJYU6RG13hVdmzcLNjkmhxcrOhxLvcTUQb0TdoMzKiCAe588MIe8z5mDkThMlQyHTwZ965i-SMpfVKs82KiBXMug2InSgoL0nj75Azt7Y~cRT2wrcD4VoJAsr8EoYPK3914Lo-NI-INs2LEYqZGaqIIfsUNLeKroVKKoKtLCiR3cZDhA~FhjtEw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Honolulu City Council on Friday approved a package of three measures that expand the city’s tools to address game rooms and unregulated electronic gambling devices, citing community complaints of crime, violence and youth exposure near schools.

The measures passed third reading after committee amendments and public testimony from prosecutors, neighborhood leaders and community groups. Supporters said the measures give law enforcement and prosecutors a less‑punitive, more targeted tool to remove devices and close game rooms that attract drugs and violent crime.

Gabe Huntington, a deputy prosecuting attorney who participated in the game‑room task force, told the council the electronic‑device bill would let prosecutors pursue gambling devices by classifying them as “electronic amusement devices” and provide a civil or misdemeanor‑level enforcement tool in lieu of felony prosecution.

“This bill will allow us to pursue gambling devices as electronic amusement devices and give us another tool to combat the game rooms,” Huntington said.

Community speakers described persistent neighborhood impacts. Alan Cardenas Jr. and others from the Leeward Coast testified that game rooms have contributed to crime clustering, and school staff and parents had previously urged action because children regularly pass problem establishments. Council member Tupelo, citing testimony from Kalihiuka Elementary School, said the bills respond to daily exposure children face across multiple neighborhoods.

Testimony included a range of views. Some speakers urged broader anti‑gambling efforts; others asked that enforcement be targeted to the most affected neighborhoods. Angela Melody Young of CARES testified she was neutral on some provisions but urged focused task forces and resources for economically distressed districts that see disproportionate proliferation of game rooms.

Shelby Billionaire and other community testifiers offered strongly worded anecdotes in support of enforcement; Deborah King and other written testifiers expressed strong support as well. One speaker asked the council to consider the federal Johnson Act when defining illegal machines; that federal statute was suggested as a drafting reference but was not incorporated by rule at the meeting.

Council action: Bill 11 (electronic amusement devices) was amended in committee to change several ROH subsections and lower the per‑business device limit in one section from “20 or fewer” to “19 or fewer” for a specific classification; the committee’s hand‑carried FD1 also incorporated non‑substantive edits and passed third reading. Bill 12 and Bill 13 addressing gambling‑related public‑nuisance enforcement also passed third reading after discussion and public comment.

What it means: The new city regulations create a permitting/enforcement path targeted at small retail establishments and storefronts that host electronic gaming devices. Prosecutors and HPD have said the measure is intended to be a tool to address localized problems without forcing felony cases in every instance; local advocates and council members said the measures will be used to target repeat problem locations, especially near schools.

Next steps: Implementation will require coordination between HPD, the prosecuting attorney’s office, the Department of Planning and Permitting and community groups. Some testifiers recommended clear deployment of enforcement task forces in neighborhoods with high proliferation of game rooms.","The Honolulu City Council passed three bills aimed at curbing illegal game rooms and unregulated gambling devices after testimony from prosecutors, community members and nonprofits about neighborhood impacts and youth exposure.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6211727,"Council Hears Tight Limits on Media Access to Police Radio; FBI CJIS Cited as Major Constraint",1212,1788000,3000000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3690131-e23d2e36baaa776616fa857f6e4f8d95&start=1788&end=3000","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3690131-e23d2e36baaa776616fa857f6e4f8d95/thumbnail_1788000.jpg","/articles/6211727/Honolulu-City/Honolulu-County/Hawaii/Council-Hears-Tight-Limits-on-Media-Access-to-Police-Radio-FBI-CJIS-Cited-as-Major-Constraint","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6211727-132137a416c7c9c6e52e496e3a420179/orig.mp4?Expires=1771124803&Signature=UISkcDJURKAmJ5XRd2aGaxxWZfUynCBPtMGLllW1FvkyjGlOuENsZU~gvJm8EFcNYRRTvZd-rKURnuBSRGC6urvMR77LsxNrKSCM-ObXpd3zZ6JyFDZ8bJWRNjbmnON68XX0ndYbJKTrc~4lpO4c93uhBjhQf546D1v0x2mRrgpHAHgf5qQqaQSUVw2t9TxsstVIXlHUsAlt4gSz0qhp78QhWScVik9JbvxMbK2CE7usnbpj4ULYvX2kr~jGuLLZe4FOxhR64RgJ1Alhg0mHg0I1gnlKks2i~HQnrHWbyxyKlFMZqeHXTwptQ2isGHVBN8nn-YOzRXDFYQRdeduWmA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Honolulu City Council heard competing views Friday on a proposal to give media outlets access to Honolulu Police Department radio communications, with civil‑liberties advocates and reporters pushing for transparency and HPD and its telecommunications staff warning that federal criminal‑justice rules and privacy laws restrict what can be broadcast.

Supporters said public access to radio traffic would help keep residents informed during fast‑moving incidents. Opponents, including a telecommunications specialist for HPD, told the council that the FBI’s Criminal Justice Information Services, or CJIS, sets binding limits on sharing material that may include names, dates of birth, juvenile information and other personally identifying details.

The dispute centered on whether audio could be released live, or on delay, without violating federal rules and exposing victims, witnesses and ongoing investigations. Roy Kuroda, who identified himself as working “in telecommunications with the Honolulu Police Department,” told the council that the CJIS security policy constrains any public distribution of dispatch audio.

“These protections apply whether the audio is live or delayed,” Kuroda said. “Delaying a broadcast is not the same as redacted. If the audio contains CGI, even if delayed, it remains non compliant under CJIS.”

HPD leadership said it shares the council’s desire for more public information but must balance transparency with officer safety and investigative integrity. Assistant Chief Rodney Vannick acknowledged the department’s duty to protect communications and offered to meet with council members and media representatives to seek options.

“I think gone are the days where we can just rest on our laurels and say, ‘hey ... no,’” Vannick said. “So I think we need to at least make a commitment to bring the right people to the table, figure out what we can do.”

Members of the public described experiences in which records and video were difficult to obtain. Joseph Ocana said he filed a Uniform Information Practices Act request and was told evidence would be preserved but later was denied access.

“We have had an incident where we requested the information … and we basically been blocked from seeing anything, from getting any information pertinent to the case to include the case report itself,” Ocana told the council. “They agreed to preserve the information, but they said we’re not giving you any of that.”

Nonprofit and community advocates urged care in drafting any requirement that would leave a single official making release decisions. Angela Melody Young, testifying for CARES, said asking HPD to classify incidents and then publish them places an extraordinary burden on the chief.

“I have to wonder what is the vision of this measure if the mandate seeks to ask HPD to assess imminent harm versus exigent circumstances and then to publish it in the media,” Young said.

Council members acknowledged the tension. Council member Tupelo told HPD leadership she expected a middle ground to be possible; Council member Tullibaugh said the bill would signal the public’s desire for more communication under new leadership.

Procedural status: the measure was on the agenda as one of the first‑reading items (pages 7–8). The council took public testimony and recorded reservations from several members; the item remains under the council’s usual ordinance and committee process for revision.

What’s next: HPD said it will meet with council staff, the bill’s introducer and stakeholders to identify options that balance CJIS and HIPAA constraints with the public’s need for timely information. The council did not adopt a final amendment or immediate action in the session.

Authorities cited in testimony included the FBI Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) security policy and federal privacy law references such as HIPAA, both raised by HPD witnesses and outside testifiers.","A Honolulu City Council proposal to give the media access to police radio communications drew support for transparency and warnings that federal CJIS rules and privacy concerns sharply limit what HPD can legally broadcast.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Council Defers Vote on Proposal to Let Mayor Tap Rainy‑Day Fund if Federal Funding Is Cut

Council Approves Three Measures Targeting Game Rooms and Illegal Gambling; Prosecutor and Community Cite Crime Near Schools

Council Hears Tight Limits on Media Access to Police Radio; FBI CJIS Cited as Major Constraint