"There's no use planting more trees if there's no sprinkler system," Kobayashi said. "I thought that we could at least put in the sprinklers." She noted that the few trees still alive in the park are diseased and need to be replaced.

She and other council members have been praising Hannemann for his no-frills commitment to key city services such as roads, public safety, sewers and transportation. But yesterday, the conflict between fiscal responsibility and being able to provide for constituents began.

Wayne Hashiro, director of the city Department of Design and Construction, told council members that the canceled construction projects may have merit but they also come with a price for construction and maintenance.

In the case of the Palolo park, Hashiro said the cancellation also was based on the continuing maintenance cost that would be created by a sprinkler system.

Kobayashi and other council members asked for reconsideration of some of the canceled community projects. Hashiro said he understood their concerns but said the city's tight finances require an emphasis on basic services.

"If and when we catch up with the core," Hashiro said, there could be some shift to community projects. This week, Hannemann sent out a record $1.3 billion operating budget and a $451 million construction budget.

Councilman Nestor Garcia said he would like to know about planned cuts while the decisions still are being made. "Let us know," Garcia said.

And councilwoman Barbara Marshall worried that canceling projects for which contracts have been awarded will cost the city and could reduce the savings.

Hashiro acknowledged that some payments will be made to contractors that had been scheduled to take on the canceled projects. But he said he would need to get back to the council with those cost estimates.

Kobayashi said she remains committed to the idea of core services. But she also has to think about the park in her district that needs some shade trees and sprinklers to keep them green.