Name on ballot:

William “Bill” Muneno

Running for:

Honolulu city council – District 5

Political party:

No answer submitted

Campaign website:

No answer submitted

Current occupation:

Business Owner

Age:

63

Previous job history:

1982 – 1997 Longs Drug Stores
1997 – 2015 Coca-Cola Bottling Co. of Hawaii
2015 – Present Owner/Manager of Growler Hawaii (Restaurant/Pub)

Previous elected office, if any:

None

Please describe your qualifications to represent the people of Oahu.

I am born and raised on Oahu. 13 yrs in Pearl City, 23 yrs in Hawaii Kai 7, yrs in Kaimuki and now 20 yrs. in Manoa so I understand the concerns of our residents because I have the same ones. Cost of living, homelessness, affordable housing and community safety are some of the bigger issues.

I have spent nearly 40 years in people and business management/leadership positions. I believe the skills I have learned will help me to find collaborative solutions to our problems. My analytical skills will give me the ability to dig into the data available and presented by those with intimate knowledge of the issues and then find ways to facilitate the passing of new bills as needed as well as amending existing bills.

I am new to the political arena so I won’t have any preconceived notions on how things “should” operate just because that’s how it’s always been done. Nor will I be beholden to any individual or organization. I will address the serious weight of the needs of our communities by operating with integrity, honesty, openness and fairness.

What is the most pressing issue facing Oahu residents, and how would you address the problem?

The high cost of living is driving our people away and onto the streets. Finding ways to reduce the costs of necessities is critical. Ideas such as subsidizing farming to the point of island grown products being competitive with mainland delivered costs deserve a look. Raising the minimum wage, by itself, is not the answer. Every business owner knows that added expense leads to higher retails. There has to be ways to reduce business expenses while raising wages. Insurance rates and utility costs have gone up between 40 and 100+% as an example.

What are the best ways for Honolulu to alleviate its homelessness crisis and to increase the availability of affordable housing?

I would facilitate discussions with all those that have intimate knowledge of causes first. I would then involve the same groups and others with ideas on solutions to include experts from out of state that have had success with stabilizing and reducing the numbers of those on our streets. Lack of affordable housing is adding to the homeless problem. We need to find land that can be used for truly affordable housing to be built and contractors who are willing to build them.

What measures, if any, should city government take to regulate short-term vacation rentals in residential neighborhoods?

We should have specific laws that determine where and how many short term rentals can exist in a specific neighborhood. Also, these rentals should be taxed at a much higher rate as they are being used strictly for profit and reduce the number of homes available for purchase. Enforcement of these laws and finding and shutting down illegal rentals is needed.

What reforms, if any, would you propose to make the Honolulu Police Department more transparent to the public?

I believe holding HPD to existing standards is what is needed.

Do you support capping the pay of Council members and removing them from process of approving their own pay raises?

There should be a cap based on cost of living increases. Not a hard dollar cap as this will become an issue over time. I do not believe council members should be part of their pay raise process.

Has the city done enough to reduce the building permit backlog at the city Department of Planning and Permitting? What more could it do? Please explain.

From what I gather from those in the construction industry things have gotten marginally better. More needs to be done. Sound strategies for improvement will come with a deep dive into the current processes.

Should the city continue to use Waimanalo Gulch Landfill in Leeward Oahu or find a new location? If you favor a new location, where?

I do not have enough information on this subject to give a definitive answer on this subject. I would need to hear from those with the knowledge and expertise how much more the landfill can hold and over what timeframe. I would also need information on the options for a new landfill.

Do you support the continued construction of Honolulu’s rail system to Kakaako? Do you support extending the rail line to Ala Moana?

I believe rail should be extended through downtown currently with further analysis on extending it to come at a later time. I currently do not see the need of extending it to Ala Moana.

What more needs to be done to reduce crime in Honolulu? Should more police surveillance cameras be part of that effort?

We are experiencing a severe shortage of officers and yet overall crime levels have declined YTD by nearly 3% with shifts in the types of crimes committed. Filling the vacancies will be a priority. However, this will take time. Cameras may be a viable solution in the short term.

What will be your top priority if elected?

Engage stakeholders of our most important issues to gain knowledge and work collaboratively towards solutions. Issues such as those noted previously.

Is there anything more that you would like voters to know about you?

I believe I have the skill set to be able to collaboratively come up with solutions that will help our communities now and moving forward. I also feel that it is important espouse values that will lead to continuous improvement year over year whether I re-elected or not. For me to say positive things about myself doesn’t carry as much weight as if others say things. Therefore I encourage people to ask around about the other candidates and myself to get a true gauge of each of us.