UH probe targets arboretum after complaints
By Beverly Creamer
Advertiser Education Writer
The University of Hawai'i has launched a full-fledged investigation of management policies at Lyon Arboretum after staff members aired concerns yesterday about conditions they say endangered visitors, staff and rare plants.
The UH Board of Regents heard staff testimony alleging that visiting school children had been put in danger recently because of electrical work in their midst; that arboretum management had considered, although declined, to turn a classroom into a "wedding chapel" in exchange for $150,000 from a Japanese company; and that many rare plants had been lost in a botched attempt to renovate a laboratory.
Researcher Liz Huppmann summarized the issues as a conflict between those more interested in community ventures than the greenhouses.
In response, science director Rainer Bussmann said some of the issues involved "reshaping" management style from consultive to academic, and attempting to position the arboretum to become a "nationally acclaimed research institution."
President Evan Dobelle vowed action will be taken, with the board demanding a report by the next meeting.
But the arboretum issue was only one in a series of emotional debates that covered, among other things, the university's policies of awarding contracts; its position on classified research; its need to lease 200 hotel rooms as dorm spaces for the coming year; and the hope of establishing a College of Pharmacology at UH-Hilo.
In an impassioned indictment of past practice in awarding contracts at UH, regent Ted Hong blasted what he called the "unholy alliance" between politicians and some contractors that had saddled the system with many shoddy buildings.
"The guiding principle was to perpetuate political success and financial success," Hong said. "Quality construction and pride of work was not part of that equation ... (It was) shoddy workmanship in exchange for political kickbacks."
Although he mentioned no names, Hong was clear that the university had to move forward with a new procurement policy that would prohibit firms who had violated a wide range of state and federal laws from doing business with UH. Although Hong's original intent was to bar those who had violated campaign spending laws from bidding on contracts, the proposed changes go further.
While the regents supported Hong's statements, they chose to defer the proposed changes until all details could be smoothed out and fine-tuned with the administration. As written yesterday, the proposed policy could potentially have held up or slowed small contract purchase orders, and several regents noted that they agree with the intent but don't want to inhibit the university's functioning.
Under the proposals, any firm hoping to do business with the university would be responsible for disclosure statements assuring they had not violated a long list of state and federal laws.
One of the areas that needs finalization is how exactly a firm would be subject to "debarment" for five years if they failed to properly disclose violations.
In other committee business, the Manoa administration said it would be issuing a request for proposals to all hotels to lease 200 beds for student housing for the spring term. And interim vice president for research Jim Gaines said he was working on a new policy for classified research at UH, especially after a breach last summer with an accidental wayward e-mail that required a $6,000 "scrubbing" of computers to ensure security.
Regents also noted that they have growing concerns about the lag in repairs and maintenance for the campuses and want to see a more stable way to provide money to keep buildings in good shape. Chairwoman Patricia Lee suggested a reserve fund of some kind and Dobelle suggested a renewed push for full autonomy so the university could issue its own bonds to generate money for maintenance.
Reach Beverly Creamer at bcreamer@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8013.
