Honolulu City Council

Honolulu City Council wants to shore up its smoking laws in case it becomes responsible for them again in the future. The council has filed a bill that would ban stores from selling herbal cigarettes to anyone younger than 21 years old.

On Wednesday Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi signed Honolulu City Council Bill 50 and 51, expanding and rezoning the area covered by the Hālawa Area Transit-Oriented Development Plan.

Honolulu could be on its way to lower residential speed limits. By default, residential speed limits are 25 mph, but Honolulu City Council Vice Chair Esther Kiaʻāina wants it reduced to 15 mph.

The Maui fires in August and the ongoing fire in Central Oʻahu have put a new focus on emergency evacuation routes for drier, leeward communities. The military held a community event last week for stakeholders to talk about Kolekole Pass and the chain of command to open the road during major emergencies.

The latest on Ramona Okumura, a former Hawaiʻi resident and humanitarian worker stuck in Gaza; Resident safety amid a fire in a remote area of Mililani; A U.S. Department of Agriculture plan to spread non-native seeds on the burned landscapes on Maui; The benefits of freight farming; Today's edition of "StoryCorps: The Military Voices Initiative"

There are still about 100 vacant positions in the City and County of Honolulu's Department of Planning and Permitting. The DPP has been trying to clear a backlog of building permits by speeding up its processing times, which it reportedly has done, but staffing continues to be a problem.

The measure would provide tax relief for creating a film studio on Hawaiʻi's most populous island. A property owner would need to invest a minimum of $100 million for improvement costs and build the facility within five years. HPR's Cassie Ordonio has more.

The Honolulu City Council wants to set up a permitting system so some residents can pay for exclusive access to street parking in their neighborhood. Supporters say it will reduce illegal activity and open up parking in areas with low availability. One of the councilmembers who voted no said he does not believe in the privatization of roads. HPR's Mark Ladao has more.

Honolulu can set up a so-called “trigger ban” on flavored tobacco products if a 2018 state law falls. The Honolulu City Council on Wednesday passed Bill 46 to protect public health, and in particular the health of Oʻahu’s youth.

There are about 100 active game rooms on any given day, Honolulu police have said, and new legislation aims to make it easier to deter or shut them down. Honolulu City Councilmembers Tyler Dos Santos-Tam and Andria Tupola held a news conference to introduce the bills.