Board to review CEO’s contract on Friday, HART says

The next employment agreement for Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation’s executive director and CEO, Lori Kahikina, is set for possible approval later this week.

Named HART’s permanent CEO in 2022, Kahikina’s annual $275,000 contract is set to expire Dec. 31. Her future contract, if adopted this month, would start Jan. 1.

But before her contract is renewed, the rail agency’s board of directors must convene.

“Sept. 6 is the tentative date for the special HART board meeting to consider the executive director and CEO’s contract, subject to quorum,” HART board Executive Officer Cindy Matsushita told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.

Meantime, Kahikina said details of her next contract — meant to continue her leadership over the nearly $10 billion construction of the city’s rail line to Kakaako by 2031 — would be ironed out soon.

“It was a little slow going at first,” she previously told the Star-Advertiser. “But I am hopeful … (and) we’re still negotiating all of the terms.”

Kahikina said she and her attorney met Aug. 14 with the rail agency’s permitted interaction group, or PIG, formed to investigate and then recommend terms of the CEO’s negotiated work agreement to the full HART board of directors.

“We made a lot of progress,” she said, “so we’re hoping to wrap this up shortly.”

Following months of delays and internal debate, HART’s board voted June 28 to provisionally grant Kahi^­kina a new multiyear contract, with a ­minimum of three years, subject to terms and conditions to be negotiated, including her future salary.

That vote was prefaced with testimony — written and oral — largely in support of Kahikina’s leadership. HART, however, has come under some criticism over personnel issues, including the loss of key employees in recent months.

The board’s vote also came as the Federal Transit Administration, which in 2023 released $125 million in federal funds to HART for the first time since 2017, raised concerns over the uncertainty of the rail agency’s leadership.

Despite its tentative approval, Kahikina’s work agreement also had to undergo further scrutiny.

During a special HART board of directors meeting July 11, the panel voted to establish the PIG to consider Kahikina’s contract.

At that meeting, HART board Chair Colleen Hanabusa chose five board members to comprise the subcommittee: Michele Chun Brunngraber, its chair; Anthony Aalto, its vice chair; Roger Morton; Arthur Tolentino; and Kika Bukoski.

“The PIG’s scope is to investigate the executive director and CEO’s employment agreement,” Hanabusa said before the vote. “It is going to be the duty of the PIG to negotiate the terms of the contract with Lori and her attorney.”

At the board’s Aug. 23 meeting, the PIG’s scheduled report on Kahikina’s contract negotiations was effectively deferred.

“Nothing to be said,” Hanabusa stated at the meeting. “Action will be taken at the next board meeting.”