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.