An Arizona-based company hired to help oversee Honolulu's $5.3 billion train project gave out nearly half of its subcontracts to public relations and lobbying interests.

Through Nov. 21, Scottsdale, Ariz.-based InfraConsult LLC awarded $895,000 to local project spokeswoman Elisa Yadao and major Mainland public relations firms Hill & Knowlton Inc. and Williams and Jensen PPLC, according to list of subcontractors recently released by the city. That's nearly half the $1.9 million in subcontracts awarded by the firm.

InfraConsult was awarded an $11.5 million, 21/2-year contract in March 2007 to provide management oversight on the project. InfraConsult's job essentially is to augment city staff overseeing the project. Right now, that means overseeing Parsons Brinckerhoff, which has an $86 million contract to provide environmental and engineering work on the massive public works project.

Through Nov. 21, Parsons Brinckerhoff spent about $2 million on public information and community relations. That was augmented by InfraConsult's nearly $900,000 spent on public information and lobbying. That excludes in-house staff involved in public relations.

Wayne Yoshioka, director of the city Department of Transportation Services, said InfraConsult helps the city stay abreast of developments in Washington, D.C.

"What they do for us is they maintain a good channel of communications for us with (the Federal Transit Administration) in Washington, D.C.," he said. "We have to know what's going on in Washington, D.C., to be effective."

InfraConsult also provides staff and expertise public information and other services as needed.

"Essentially, InfraConsult operates as an extension of our RTD staff," Yoshioka said. "We just can't staff up rapidly enough to fill all our positions. InfraConsult essentially gives us all those positions."

Michael Schneider, managing partner for InfraConsult, said money spent on public relations and lobbying fits within the scope of work being done for the city.

"It's not lobbying so much as it is program management with respect to involvement with federal programs and inter-agency coordination and so forth," he said.

Spending on public relations has fueled concerns that taxpayer money is being spent to buy public support for the project.

City Councilman Charles Djou said he would rather see that money spent on construction.

"We're not talking about any kind of federal funding occurring at the federal level until 2010 or 2011," he said.

"Why we need all this in 2008 is mind boggling to me. Who knows what the nature of Congress is going to be two years from now.

"We need to ensure we're spending our money prudently."

According to city records, 11 contracts given by Infraconsult valued at $850,000 went to firms that don't have a Hawai'i general excise tax license, which indicates they conduct business entirely outside of Hawai'i.