Mayor rejects $1.5M pool project

By Robbie Dingeman
Advertiser Staff Writer

Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann signed the city budget into law yesterday but rejected spending $1.5 million in government obligation funds to create a public-private partnership to help build a new swimming pool on the Wai'anae Coast.

The City Council added the money in the final days of the budget process. The budget called for the money to be spent from the construction budget to "plan, design, construction and inspect" a public pool, parking lot and play court through a partnership with the Wai'anae YMCA.

Hannemann described the project as "very worthy," but said a legal opinion from the city's bond counsel concluded that it wouldn't be proper use of the bonds.

However, Hannemann said, "We'll do what we can to see how we can fund it in other ways."

Council member Todd Apo, who represents the area, said he was disappointed by the veto.

"I hope there is a way we can structure the partnership to overcome the concerns," he said.

Hannemann praised the council for working cooperatively to hammer out a "no-frills budget." The operating budget provides $1.36 billion for day-to-day government costs and the construction budget sets aside $478 million, half of it devoted to sewer projects.