Honolulu City Council

The Honolulu City Council has reappointed Jim Ireland to head the Honolulu Emergency Services Department. This comes after some former employees testified against Ireland. HPR's Mark Ladao has more.

The Honolulu City Council will hold another hearing to reappoint Dr. Jim Ireland to lead the Honolulu Emergency Services Department — after postponing it following complaints from former employees.

The Honolulu Department of Environmental Services is proposing to bump up residents' sewer fees by more than 100% over the next decade to pay for wastewater upgrades. But on Tuesday the council suggested a modest 4% that applies only to next year.

The council is reviewing Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi’s budget for the next fiscal year and is looking to cut expenses — largely to pay for other projects like wastewater infrastructure.

Dining al fresco may become more common at Oʻahu restaurants with the Honolulu City Council's passing of Bill 1 to make the outdoor dining services program permanent.

The Honolulu City Council is urging Mayor Rick Blangiardi's administration to find ways to generate funds without forcing residents to shoulder most of that burden. Last week, Blangiardi proposed a $5.14 billion budget for the upcoming fiscal year, up more than $400 million over last year’s budget.

Former employees have described a toxic work environment and leadership issues at the Honolulu Emergency Services Department, leading to the stalled confirmation of its current director.

The City and County of Honolulu administration expects another attempt at a federal funding freeze and is preparing for what could be a more “targeted” approach.

The Committee on Housing, Sustainability, Economy and Health is scheduled to hear a recently introduced resolution on Tuesday that would reaffirm a 2003 city policy against placing landfills above sources of drinking water.

According to city law, owning or using illegal aerial fireworks is currently a misdemeanor with a fine between $250 and $2,000, and up to a year in prison.