City plans workshop for boards on Norwegian Star

By Johnny Brannon
Advertiser Staff Writer

Mayor Jeremy Harris has invited thousands of civic activists to attend a unique city planning meeting aboard a luxury cruise ship docked at Aloha Tower.

The June 9 "Islandwide Sustainability Workshop" on the $400 million Norwegian Star will be open to members of the city's Neighborhood Boards and Vision Teams — advisory panels that help shape the Harris administration's policies and spending priorities.

About 5,000 invitations were mailed to those groups and to residents who participated in their meetings, but space on the vessel will be limited to 800 recipients who respond by May 30, city Managing Director Ben Lee said.

"We didn't want to be criticized for excluding anyone," he said.

Those who attend will tour the ship and meet in its "Stardust Theater" to discuss various recreation and public improvement projects and proposals, as well as ways communities can work together to keep O'ahu environmentally sound, he said.

Norwegian Cruise Lines offered use of the ship at no cost to the city, Lee said, and the company will explain to guests how the ship recycles water and minimizes waste. Company representatives were not immediately available to comment on the value of the space if a private company were to use it.

The city is paying for about six shuttle buses that will transport guests to and from a parking area where they will undergo security screening similar to that of airline travel, he said. That cost has yet to be finalized, but the city has spent about $1,700 on postage for the invitations.

Lee said the free use of the ship would make the event less expensive than similar events the administration has held at the Hawai'i Convention Center.

Harris, who plans to run for governor this November as a Democrat, has sometimes been criticized for using city projects, events and mailings to promote his candidacy or pressure the City Council.

And some watchdogs objected when he convened a meeting with supporters at the city's Blaisdell Center earlier this month to rally support for his proposed budget when council members proposed cuts; a television camera crew was also barred from that event.

Lee said the shipboard meeting will not push the administration's views and that one representative from each of the city's major media outlets will be invited to attend. But only residents named on the invitations will be allowed on board the ship because of the limited space, he said.

Councilman Gary Okino, one of several council members who clashed with Harris over the budget, said he had some concerns about the cost of mailing the invitations and the shuttle service, but that he would keep an open mind and plans to attend.

"If it's part of the vision process, it might be well worth it," he said.

State Campaign Spending Commission director Robert Watada said he had received calls about the event from people who wondered if it were a campaign fund-raiser, and that he would look into it. But Lee said the meeting was definitely not campaign-related.

Advertiser staff writers Kevin Dayton and Robbie Dingeman contributed to this report.

Reach Johnny Brannon at jbrannon@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8070.