Posted on: Thursday, February 13, 2003

City handling of Hanauma criticized

By Suzanne Roig
Advertiser East Honolulu Writer

City Council budget chairwoman Ann Kobayashi expressed frustration that the city administration still cannot provide the final cost of the Marine Education Center at Hanauma Bay Nature Park.

"It took the city five months to get an answer to us, and we still don't know how much money was spent," Kobayashi said. "It's par for the course. They gave us an answer, but no details."

Clifford Lau, facilities design chief of the city Department of Design and Construction, said yesterday the closing documents are needed for final numbers. Lau told council members he would get back to them.

City figures indicate a total cost of about $16.2 million, including design and planning. The Harris administration earlier gave a figure of $13.1 million without design and planning costs.

In August, the city opened the education center, designed to educate the public on protecting the reefs.

The council also wanted to know why the public was not consulted during the planning phase. In its written response, the city administration said the public was involved in 39 planning meetings and five opportunities to testify to the City Council on the plans.

The Friends of Hanauma Bay said the group was kept in the dark during construction, when the city made more than a dozen change orders on the project.