What are the biggest challenges facing the city’s Parks and Recreation Department today?

Over the past 20 years, planning, construction, maintenance and programs for city parks have not kept pace with population shifts, recreational trends and upkeep of aging facilities and grounds. However, this administration is seizing the opportunity to use federal COVID relief funds to leapfrog ahead where possible, and provide new recreational programs and improvements. We’re already seeing the start of big changes in our youth development programs, including Summer Fun. You’ll soon see expedited midsize repair and maintenance projects across our parks. We also are working to identify new ways to build capital improvement projects to serve the many urban growth communities that lack park facilities.

Do you expect reduced water use in parks to become a permanent condition?

I expect our parks — as well as every other organization in Hawaii — to permanently become more water efficient. We live on an island that relies on aquifers replenished by rain water. Our rain levels have been steadily diminishing over the past 20 years or more. Red Hill’s damage to our primary aquifer on Oahu is the loudest and most recent wake-up call to respect this precious and limited resource.

Luckily, Parks had already been making steps toward greater water efficiency. We have a new energy/water-saving contractor, NORESCO, which is installing water conservation improvements at parks around the island. We’ve been installing low-flow fixtures as part of our Kakou for Parks bathroom renovations. Our maintenance crews have been crossing the island to aggressively eliminate leaks.

We do ask residents to understand that until the Board of Water Supply is able to offset the loss of the Halawa Shaft, taken offline due to (the Navy’s fuel contamination of water at) Red Hill, our reduced irrigation means the fields will be crispier than we’d prefer. Still, we all must kakou to protect the health of the aquifer and the ability of the BWS to deal with the reduced infrastructure.

How will you make room for the popularity of pickleball?

We have already been doing so. As part of the Kakou for Parks program, we have been resurfacing our outdoor play courts around the island. Over the last few years, that has included adding pickleball lines to existing courts and making a few dedicated pickleball courts. Currently we have 173 lined pickleball courts and 202 tennis courts, so we are getting closer to having nearly an equal number of courts among these similar user groups. What we are focusing on now is better managing the resources we have so the tennis and pickleball players can have a clear set of rules to ensure fair play on these multi-use courts. We recently held a pre-rulemaking public hearing and have held two online surveys to hear the concerns from the public so we can draft robust rules that can help accommodate the growing popularity of pickleball and other sports.

How is the Summer Fun program going?

We offered Summer Fun throughout the pandemic, but had to curtail the number of keiki registrants due to COVID gathering restrictions. In 2020, Summer Fun served about 3,700 keiki. In 2021 we served nearly 5,500, and this year we are serving just over 7,000 keiki.

We have obtained about $2.5 million in federal COVID relief funds to completely refresh our Summer Fun and youth development programs. This included implementing enrichment activities in Title I communities to help those youth and their families overcome the setbacks they experienced due to the pandemic and subsequent economic outfall.

This summer, these funds are providing more excursions, on-site enrichment programs, full lunch and snacks to these youth. Staff training to collectively refresh the program began last year, and each program is experimenting with new ideas this summer. Training and evaluation will continue over the next three summers, allowing us to refresh and revitalize the program, and at the same time prepare a new generation of recreational staff for tomorrow’s leadership challenges.

Is there room for allowing commercial activities on city property for a fee, to bring in needed revenue?

One of the many lessons learned from the pandemic is the importance of our free, outdoor parks and recreation facilities and their ability to provide respite and release from the stresses of our lives. These open spaces are the primary roles of parks in our society.

Controlled commercial activities that support recreation, like lessons, classes and food services, can help to provide useful educational and recreational opportunities that support our mission. But the challenge is always finding the right balance, and having restrictions be enforceable — which can be challenging when some folks are absolutely determined to make a buck on public lands. Right now we are looking at commercial rules and compliance for our entire inventory of Oahu parks to really make our rules more universal and enforceable.

Bonus question

Of all your positions, which has been the most challenging? The most rewarding?

I’ve been truly blessed in my career. All of the jobs I’ve held have been just the right combination of challenging and rewarding — well, maybe not dishwashing at Kailua restaurants in the 1970s. But I’m finding this one the most rewarding of all, because it’s coming at a point in my career where my experience can be of service for our parks, gardens, urban forest, and the great staff who work in those programs.

THE BIO FILE

>> Position: Director, Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation

>> Previous positions: State senator (District 25); chairperson, state Department of Land and Natural Resources; director, state Office of Planning

>> Personal profile: I grew up in Windward Oahu, and am blessed to now live just a few miles from where I was raised. I have two kids who were born and raised in Windward Oahu.

>> Education: B.A., University of Colorado; J.D., Case Western Reserve University School of Law; M.P.P., Georgetown University with electives at UH-Manoa

>> One more thing: I’ve been humbled by the good nature of so many of our park, garden and forestry workers. Next time you’re in a park or botanical garden, take a moment to thank the guy cleaning the restroom, or the woman working on the landscaping, or the teenager summer workers helping the youth programs. They really do add quality to all our lives!