Mayor Caldwell on Rail; Hawaii Farmers Union United; Reality Check: Bleak Forecast for Rental Market; Board of Water Supply
Mayor Caldwell on Rail
Members of the Honolulu City council got their first chance to grill HART’s C-E-O and the Caldwell administration about the deep divide over the rail project’s public private partnership. Mayor Kirk Caldwell dropped a bombshell two weeks ago when he told the Federal Transit Authority the city could not go forward with the Memorandum of Understanding.
The HART board has yet to formally terminate the process.
Following the five hour council session, Mayor Caldwell talked with us about what led to the decision to pull out of the P-3 deal.
Hawaii Farmers Union United
The Hawaii Farmers Union United marks its tenth year in the islands. It has 13 chapters across the state. It will mark the event with a convention next month “Celebrating Hawaii’s Agriculture.” The pandemic is forcing the event to go virtual, but the economic crisis has put more emphasis on growing local and supporting our farmers in the quest to become more self-sufficient and to diversify our crops. Here’s Maui regenerative farmer and HFUU President Vincent Mina.
Reality Check: Bleak Forecast for Rental Market
Our Reality check withHonolulu Civil Beat looks at the rental situation. It was tough before the pandemic, and the forecast is that it's going to get worse. Business reporter Stewart Yerton joins us this morning.
Board of Water Supply
The governor extended orders to prevent utilities from disconnecting customers who are having trouble paying their bills until the end of the year. We talked to Kathleen Pahinui, spokeswoman for the Honolulu Board of Water Supply, about that as more people are being laid off from their jobs.