Public housing director chosen
By Jim Dooley
Advertiser Staff Writer
An 11-month nationwide search by Gov. Linda Lingle's administration for a new director of Hawai'i's troubled public housing agency has ended with the selection of Stephanie Aveiro, a Lingle assistant who manages the governor's residence.
The board of directors of the Housing and Community Development Corp. of Hawai'i yesterday scheduled a special meeting for Monday morning to ratify the selection of Aveiro, who was appointed to the HCDCH board by Lingle in January and must step down from that position to accept the executive director's job.
Federal regulations prohibit board members of a public housing agency from moving to executive posts in the same agency within a 12-month period, but federal housing official Michael Liu can waive that rule, allowing Aveiro's appointment to the new job.
HCDCH chairman Chuck Sted yesterday refused to comment, other than to acknowledge that Aveiro was a candidate for the job and saying "we're still working through a number of touchpoints."
Attempts to reach Aveiro were unsuccessful.
Lingle spokesman Russell Pang said, "All I can tell you is (Aveiro) is a candidate, and the board is scheduled to take that matter up in a meeting Monday morning."
Pang later faxed a letter from state Ethics Commission executive director Dan Mollway that said Aveiro's move from the HCDCH boardroom to executive office would not violate the state ethics code as long as her board experience did not give her an "unwarranted advantage" in the selection process.
His letter, dated yesterday, came in response to a Monday request from the HCDCH for an opinion in which board chairman Sted told Mollway the first person selected for the post this year had turned down the job and a second selection was disapproved by HUD.
"You stated that because time is of the essence, the board would like to appoint a fellow member of the board for the position," Mollway replied.
Robert Hall, a 25-year employee of HCDCH and its predecessor agencies who has been acting executive director since Sharyn Miyashiro was forced out of the job last year by Liu, was unavailable for comment.
Hall is respected by tenants of various public housing projects, and his departure "is a sad thing, because he really cares for the people and listens to us," said Debra Taamu, president of the Kuhio Park Terrace residents association.
A resolution "expressing appreciation" to Hall is on the agenda for Monday's HCDCH meeting, along with a formal vote to terminate the national search and votes to approve a new executive director and executive assistant.
Also scheduled for a vote are "recommendations to the governor regarding the salaries for the executive director and executive assistant."
By state law, the executive director's salary is set in a range between $72,886 and $77,966. The assistant's post pays between $65,559 and $70,169.
State Sen. Ron Menor, D-17th (Mililani, Waipi'o), chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection and Housing, said late last year the executive salary ranges might not be high enough to attract the most qualified candidates, and that he would discuss increases with the administration.
A bill allowing the HCDCH board to set the salaries, subject to the governor's approval, was introduced in the last legislative session but not passed. It will be considered again next year.
Aveiro has been friends with Lingle for 20 years and served as her director of Housing and Human Concerns when Lingle was mayor of Maui.
Shortly after taking office, Lingle hired Aveiro as an assistant to oversee Washington Place, the governor's ceremonial home, as well as the new executive gubernatorial residence on the grounds of Washington Place, across Beretania St. from the State Capitol.
Last December, Lingle hosted Aveiro's Maui family as guests at the new governor's residence during the Christmas holidays. Aveiro's sister, Marylou Green, is Lingle's executive secretary.
The selection of a new executive director will leave the agency without an experienced hand at the helm less than a month before the next legislative session begins, at a time when HCDCH is struggling to meet federal demands for improved operations.
Last year, Liu, a former Hawai'i state Republican senator who is now assistant secretary for Public and Indian Housing in the U.S.
Department of Housing and Urban Development, demanded the resignations of Miyashiro and the entire board of directors.
Liu cited repeated failures by the agency to implement improvements, and accused Miyashiro of a conflict of interest in awarding a $771,000 nonbid construction contract to a company partly owned by her ex-husband.
Liu's complaints came at the height of last year's gubernatorial campaign, and outgoing Democratic Gov. Ben Cayetano accused the federal official of playing politics to benefit Lingle's campaign. Liu and Lingle denied the charge.
Reach Jim Dooley at jdooley@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-2447.
