As we move into the 2023 legislative session, OHA continues efforts to acquire votes needed to get development exemptions for OHA to have highest and best use of its lands at Kakaʻako Makai (now called Hakuone).
The Board of Trustees was briefed on the outreach effort of engaging the community in designing the final vision for Hakuone. The law currently allows for the area to build as high at 200 ft., but with the cost to mitigate soil conditions and other issues, OHA will need to be able to plan for highest revenue potential and part of this is dependent on increasing the building height limit to 400 ft.
Our Board of Trustees will continue to have updates from the Hakuone initiatives. To learn more about Hakuone information can be accessed on OHA’s website at www.oha.org/hakuone. OHA’s approved legislative package is currently being considered as of the writing of this column.
I’m happy to share that, as your Molokaʻi and Lānaʻi trustee, I plan to meet more frequently with island beneficiaries in one-on-one meetings. I will be taking office meetings at Kūlana ʻŌiwi every Monday and holding more talk story sessions. Please feel free to email my aide, Pohai Ryan, at pohair@oha.org if you wish to set a meeting or talk to me.
In December, I had the blessed opportunity to finally experience a formal trustee investiture as the ceremony following my election in 2020 was postponed due to the pandemic. It was nice to have friends and family attend.

In December, I hosted a Gingerbread House Contest for Molokaʻi keiki! Everyone had a great time with prizes awarded to the top three best and most creative gingerbread houses.
I look forward to staging more events for my community in 2023.