Hawaii Community Development Authority Gathering Input on Kakaako Makai Master Plan

According to an E-mail received from the Hawaii Community Development Authority (HCDA), HCDA will be hosting an Open House at its office at 461 Cooke Street to gather community input and comments on the HCDA's Kakaako Makai - District Master Plan.

The Open House will be held on September 27 to October 2, 2010, as follows:

• Monday (9/27), Tuesday (9/28), Thursday (9/30) and Friday (10/1), 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Wednesday (9/29), 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
• Saturday (10/2), 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

For more information, visit http://hcda-public-consultation.org/portal, and click on "Planning the Future of Kakaako Makai."

The Results are In: Follow Up on "Words Have Meaning"

The Readers' Poll has ended. The poll asked readers to rank certain definitions associated with "sustainability." These definitions were borrowed from a recent study by Eric Zeemering in the "Urban Affairs Review," which investigated what "sustainability" means to local officials throughout the San Francisco Bay Area.

Here is how our readers ranked those definitions in order of importance:

1. Mixed use near transit hubs
2. Green building standards
3. Pedestrian and bike routes
4. Neighborhood revitalization
5. Human capital development
6. Retaining current businesses
7. Resident participation

I received a few E-mail from readers who said that the list of definitions did not capture the meaning of sustainability. These E-mail emphasized the problem with using catchphrases and rhetoric in popular discourse. In this case, Mr. Zeemering observed, "the term sustainability lacks conceptual clarity."

One conclusion that could be drawn is that before decision-makers are tasked with crafting effective policy, they and the public should first define the goal and objectives. Seems like commonsense, and yet, here we are. 

Top Hawaii Land Use Law Firms According to US News and Best Lawyers

US News and World Report, known to many potential law students for its annual law school rankings, recently partnered with Best Lawyers to start a similar ranking for law firms. According to its Web site:

U.S. News and Best Lawyers, the leading survey of lawyers worldwide, have joined to rank nearly 9,000 firms in 81 practice areas in 171 metropolitan areas and 7 states.

The ranking system divides firms into tiers. The following Hawaii law firms are considered Tier 1 in the category of Land Use and Zoning Law:

• Ashford and Wriston, LLP
• Belles Graham Proudfoot Wilson and Chun, LLP
• Cades Schutte LLP
• Carlsmith Ball LLP
• Imanaka Kudo and Fujimoto LLLC

What these rankings mean for attorneys and their potential clients is currently being debated in legal circles.  But, if attorneys and clients come to rely on these rankings as a litmus test, it could be a game changer.  In particular, it may aversely impact solo-practitioners and smaller firms that have provided excellent service to clients in the area of land use law.

Whatever the outcome, if US New's annual law school ranking is any indicator, this will sell more magazines.

Hawaii State Department of Transportation Director Will Leave His Post Sept. 23

According to today's KHON2 News,

Governor Linda Lingle today announced state Department of Transportation (DOT) Director Brennon Morioka has accepted a job as executive vice president of Shioi Construction, Inc., in Pearl City. His last day at the DOT will be Thursday, Sept. 23.

Until another appointment is made by the governor,

Mike Formby, deputy director of the DOT Harbors Division, will serve as DOT’s acting director. Formby is a lawyer by training and prior to DOT, was the president and treasurer of Frame Formby and O’Kane, Attorneys at Law, where he was a senior litigation attorney.

Formby has taught admiralty law as an adjunct professor at the University of Hawai‘i William S. Richardson School of Law, co-chaired the State of Hawai‘i Land Use Commission, served on the Hawai‘i Community Development Authority and is the current chair of the State of Hawai‘i Employer-Union Health Benefits Trust Fund (EUTF). Prior to his private civil law practice in Hawai‘i commencing in 1990, Formby was a contracting officer in the U.S. Air Force, negotiating aircraft and software procurements under the Federal Acquisition Regulation.

UPDATE, 09/17/2010: Governor's press release, State Transportation Director Announces His Departure.

Words Have Meaning

I read an article the other day about the meaning of words.

The gist was that policy makers and stakeholders casually use words to invoke meanings in public discourse. However, when policy is crafted around those words, the outcome misses the intended objective. The problem is that words like sustainability, green economy, and food security, to name a few, mean different things to different people.

The article inspired the above Readers' Poll regarding the meaning of the oft-used word: sustainability. What does it mean to you?