Community boards around the state often look to private sources for help in covering the cost of wider public exposure of its meetings.

The ways to publicize the meetings vary. How a board wants to reach the community is left up to each of the 35 neighborhood boards, said Elwin Spray, Neighborhood Commission election coordinator.

The Kane'ohe Neighborhood Board places information in an insert in the Midweek publication. The Kailua, Mililani Mauka and Wai'anae neighborhood boards pay high school students the equivalent of a price of a hamburger to tape their meetings that are aired on 'Olelo, said Spray.

Some boards mail out newsletters or place ads in the newspaper about meetings.

"Our office assists the neighborhood boards in the newsletters, but ... it's up to the board how to get the meeting taped," Spray said. "We're unable to provide this kind of service."

Waimanalo, one of the smaller neighborhood boards, has just signed on with 'Olelo to broadcast its meeting this month, said Mary Roblee, director of client services at 'Olelo. She said airing neighborhood board meetings is considered part of the community access television station's public mandate.

The Hawai'i Kai board pays $333 per month to have the meeting taped, said Lester Muraoka, board chairman. While the budget, which is set by the city each year, is enough to pay for seven tapings, the board meets 11 times a year. Private donors are sought to make up the difference.

The meetings are aired on 'Olelo Channel 54 at 1 p.m. Sundays and 3 p.m. Mondays.

"I have had unsolicited comments from people who tell me that they watch the tape," Muraoka said. "That it is how they keep up on the community events."

Elizabeth Reilly, founder of Livable Hawai'i Kai Hui, a grass-roots group, was the person responsible for approaching Outback Steakhouse. She said that one of her group's missions is to encourage more community participation and the best way to do that is to keep the community informed of what's going on.

Donors help in other ways.

The Kuli'ou'ou/ Kalani Iki Neighborhood Board had a benefactor step in to donate enough to let it keep meeting in a public library room, after the library changed the fee structure for groups using its meeting room.