Question: Regarding Oahu’s satellite city halls, how are we supposed to know whether we can walk in or we need an appointment?
Answer: The following basic services are provided at Express Windows at Oahu satellite halls, without an appointment, according to Honolulu’s Department of Customer Services, which lists this information on a web page most recently updated Dec. 30.
>> Express Window (no appointment): Annual vehicle registration renewal for a motor vehicle, motorcycle, moped or trailer, including for military members with form CSL (MVR) 50 or 50A; duplicate registration; license plate replacement; emblem replacement; vehicle registration address change; reload TheBus HOLO card (may not be available at Ala Moana location); Board of Water Supply payment; disability parking permit issuance (renewal of long-term placards is done by mail); property tax payment (only during collection periods).
Appointments, made at AlohaQ.org, are needed for the following services at satellite halls, according to the website:
>> By appointment: Vehicle title transfer, name change or duplicate title; initial Honolulu vehicle registration; out-of-county vehicle transfer; out-of-state vehicle transfer; initial or duplicate registration for moped or bicycle; transfer or emblem replacement for moped or bicycle; trailer duplicate registration; vehicle junking or storage; TheBus HOLO card initial purchase; loading zone/bus stop permit; Waikiki supplemental loading zone permit; Hawaii driver’s license or state ID renewals or duplicates (available at Downtown, Hawaii Kai, Pearlridge and Windward City locations but not at other satellite city halls); new passport applications (only at Ala Moana and Kapolei).
Q: Regarding the Act 115 refund, I would like to know whether all the checks were mailed.
A: “Act 115 refunds have been distributed to all eligible taxpayers whose 2021 Hawaii individual tax returns were processed and verified by the Department of Taxation,” according to the DOTAX website. So it’s possible that some returns submitted right before the year-end deadline have not yet been processed or verified.
The website goes on to say that any eligible resident who filed their 2021 Hawaii individual income tax return before Dec. 31 and has not received the Act 115 rebate six weeks after filing should email tax.refunds@hawaii.gov.
Q: I’m afraid I didn’t cut out your recent column with the name and address of the “Christmas card lady.” Would you please indulge me with the information?
A: Marilyn Gilbert, who can be reached at gil.aloha@hawaiiantel.net, collects Christmas card fronts and other materials for her year-round work as a volunteer for Samaritan’s Purse, an evangelical Christian organization that distributes Christmas boxes to needy children around the world.
Q: Is Honolulu City Lights over? I never made it down this year.
A: Yes. The annual celebration on Civic Center grounds officially ended Dec. 30, although workers weren’t scheduled to begin dismantling large outdoor displays until Wednesday, the city said in a news release.
Auwe
Pet owners, please make it your New Year’s resolution to clean up after your own dogs and cats. — Reader
Mahalo
On Dec. 26 I went to Ala Moana Center for essential shopping. I am disabled and use a rolling metal cart to place purchased items inside. While standing in the purchase line at Foodland Farms, the wheel of my rolling cart popped out. A young man standing behind me was nice enough to pop the wheel back in so it was functional once again. I did not get his name, but want to send a mahalo to him for volunteering to help me. — Gail F.
Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 7-500, Honolulu, HI 96813; call 808-529-4773; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.