Lingle wants to put on hold negotiations for new jail

By Walter Wright
Advertiser Staff Writer

Gov.-elect Linda Lingle yesterday asked Gov. Ben Cayetano to break off last-minute negotiations to build a $130 million jail in Halawa Valley.

But Cayetano said through a spokesman yesterday that he would continue to negotiate the contract.

Lingle, in a letter to Cayetano released to the media yesterday, said "your administration has not finalized a correctional facility contract in the more than four years since the passage of Act 227," in which the Legislature authorized him to negotiate for the jail project.

"There is no possible emergency that could justify executing such a contract in the waning movements of your administration," Lingle wrote.

If the contract is good, she said, it will be just as good after Dec. 2, when she is sworn in as governor.

Lingle's staff said she only learned of the impending contract from an Advertiser news story last week.

Cayetano's press secretary, Cedric Yamanaka, said yesterday "the governor says he wants to see the letter before issuing a formal response, but he believes that we have come a long way up to this point and we will continue to negotiate."

Lingle's lieutenant governor, former Circuit Court Judge James "Duke" Aiona, also asked the un-named developer or developers seeking the contract to back off, in order to reduce any breach-of-contract claims that might arise if Lingle refuses to go ahead with the project.

Cayetano's chief of staff, Sam Callejo, told The Advertiser last week the administration had been working on the project "for a long time" and hoped to complete negotiations "very soon."

The Legislature four years ago authorized Cayetano to negotiate directly with developers for a jail to replace the crowded O'ahu Community Correctional Center in Kalihi.

In her letter, Lingle said there might be better alternatives, adding, "I believe it is imperative that our administration be given the opportunity to determine whether the project you are negotiating makes sense for the State of Hawai'i."

The text of the letter was released at a press conference yesterday by Aiona, who has been named by Lingle to oversee handling of corrections and public safety issues because of his experience in the circuit, family and drug courts.

As to whether he believed Cayetano was trying to force the new administration to accept the jail deal, Aiona said, "You'd have to ask Gov. Cayetano that."

Lingle said when the project was put out to bid, only one company entered a bid, which was rejected.

The governor's office took over direct negotiations with one or more unnamed developers without revealing financing terms or whether the jail would include substance abuse treatment facilities, she said.

Aiona said he and Lingle envisioned construction of two 500-bed drug treatment facilities, moving the state's approach for drug-related crimes away from confinement toward rehabilitation.

Jails such as OCCC do not normally have extensive rehabilitation programs for drugs or other problems, because they are used primarily to house people accused and awaiting trial, convicted and awaiting sentencing, violating parole and being transferred back to prison, and misdemeanor offenders serving short sentences.

OCCC has space for 954 detainees, but often holds more than 1,100. Despite repeated efforts to tighten security, there have been escapes over the years in which detainees have fled into nearby industrial or residential areas.

Asked why Lingle didn't contact Cayetano directly rather than release her letter, dated yesterday, Chief of Staff Bob Awana said she felt it was the fastest way to deal with the matter.

Relations with the Cayetano administration on the subject of transition to the Lingle-Aiona team have been "cordial," Awana said, and he expected they would remain so.

Awana also announced yesterday that sports events promoter Lenny Klompus, Lingle's communications and media advisor during the campaign, had been named senior communications advisor in her administration and would oversee a press secretary's office and other communications activity.

He also announced that retired Boeing executive Travis Thompson, Lingle's director of finance during her eight years as mayor of Maui, had been chosen to head the transition team seeking to recruit state department heads and other officials.

He said chairmen were being named for as many as 17 committees to seek and review qualified applicants for the various state department positions.

Thompson said he was not a candidate for any other job in the administration.

He urged anyone interested in applying to come by headquarters or fax or e-mail their resumes. "I wouldn't use the regular mail — we want to move very quickly on this," he said.

At least three nominees will be recommended to Lingle for each major position, Thompson said, and applicants of any political affiliation will be considered.

Reach Walter Wright at wwright@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8054.