[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6221598,"mediaKeyId","3612165-575a6facdb5269867815e56590f4c1b1","parentId",3612165,"title","City IT outlines HNL Pay, mobile driver’s license and AI chatbot; card fee draws questions","audioSeconds",397,"startMs",2953000,"endMs",3350000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3612165-575a6facdb5269867815e56590f4c1b1&start=2953&end=3350","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3612165-575a6facdb5269867815e56590f4c1b1/thumbnail_2953000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6221598/Honolulu-City/Honolulu-County/Hawaii/City-IT-outlines-HNL-Pay-mobile-drivers-license-and-AI-chatbot-card-fee-draws-questions","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6221598-25e78b1ef8287a0c4ee339b961687c87/orig.mp4?Expires=1771171410&Signature=gcxhK6IgHoiqxTzE8WzF7ruY2jywiLWILkF5uD5bTOjRDMMQoOat2SGW1Y0b4xB6FaEmeZjhO7vMKAR6xyI-R055grOXhuXLE1J1c6LJF7uPMbm~sVusAb6yz9s8lwau-tYyEeoffYg0t8ugR5AKuyd2uwiu0UZytEcpRaDce6gX4mgzHnegEYoX0qlBjJhT2FcXpOMun0Rlipz7jV~48faZh5tA2Uioz2mnpksd4HlvM46eSaeg5tHnih6u4IDVsKmifSnQhL-xFjjDHS~KbYukrWPEJ9qmhSN-OLuSRYHerygPfnp37BGxbZ6DnC3rcwlB3HZwIEoN01QaRObmlw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Honolulu, HI","date","2025-05-30T17:47:13.167Z","article","Steven Courtney, deputy director of the Department of Information Technology (DIT), briefed the Honolulu City Council committee on May 29 about DIT divisions and three public‑facing tools: HNL Pay, a mobile driver’s license (MDL) and a chatbot now powered by generative AI.

Courtney described HNL Pay as a centralized, API‑based payment platform that “runs over 18,000 transaction per month” and is integrated with several city services such as Parks and Recreation Online System (PROS), motor vehicle renewals and other department workflows. He said the platform is intended to give residents the convenience of online fee payment and to reduce duplicate development effort by offering a reusable API.

On mobile driver’s licenses and usage

Courtney said the MDL was deployed in coordination with TSA, HDOT and Apple last August and that “over 37,000 Hawaii citizens have a mobile driver's license today.” He noted the MDL currently supports iPhone only and that adding Android support is a planned next step. The deputy director also said Honolulu is the only city in the country providing an MDL for the entire state, and that the service is run out of the city data center.

Chatbot and AI

Courtney said the city’s chatbot for driver’s license and motor vehicle pages has existed since 2021 and was this year upgraded to use generative AI trained on department web content to produce more human‑like responses. DIT said the chatbot and other AI experiments are currently in testing with a few departments.

Fees and council questions

Council members asked about use of HNL Pay for real property tax payments and why DIT had implemented the appeal fee online rather than broader tax payments. Courtney replied that real property tax payments are handled by a separate vendor arranged by the Department of Budget and Fiscal Services (BFS), while DIT implemented the appeal process. When asked about credit card processing fees, Courtney confirmed the public pays a 2.35% fee on credit card transactions. Several council members expressed concern that a percentage fee can be burdensome for large transactions and suggested offering lower flat fees or other tiers for debit or ACH payments.

What’s next

Courtney said DIT aims to bring more departments onto HNL Pay (the film office was given as an example), to add Android support for the mobile driver’s license and to expand chatbot deployments. He described internal AI resource testing in the city’s data center and said a few departments are already piloting those capabilities.

Public comment

Angela Melody Young of CARES praised the DIT presentation and said greater modernization helps committees craft effective legislation and supports community programming and workforce pipelines.

Implications

The briefing underscored both the expansion of online city services and outstanding policy questions: how to incorporate more fee types into HNL Pay, how to reduce costs to residents for large payments and how to govern and scale AI‑enabled tools across departments.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","2025-05-29 Innovation Technology & Entertainment","oneSentenceSummary","Deputy Director Steven Courtney briefed the committee on Department of Information Technology services for the public — HNL Pay payment platform, a mobile driver’s license with roughly 37,000 users, and a generative‑AI chatbot — and answered council questions about payment coverage, platform expansion and fees.","taxTitle","Honolulu City, Honolulu County, Hawaii","taxId",61746,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6221603,"Honolulu Film Office urges modernization of tax credit as major productions spotlight Hawaii",1019,528000,1547000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3612165-575a6facdb5269867815e56590f4c1b1&start=528&end=1547","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3612165-575a6facdb5269867815e56590f4c1b1/thumbnail_528000.jpg","/articles/6221603/Honolulu-City/Honolulu-County/Hawaii/Honolulu-Film-Office-urges-modernization-of-tax-credit-as-major-productions-spotlight-Hawaii","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6221603-1c573ab1dc2eb9fb4423f1b554fa2f32/orig.mp4?Expires=1771171410&Signature=Mlilpay0uNeYjLAgb~m4nfE1EJ2MQ1Newa6lCEcLTAcRHVHq1aO9EfWBiZ~mL4JXXoQ9RKc6IFJ6XpLufydhzDjNZj2jm72~z~A6jC5PElrfpzZo7afyziDktxIk1Xy2ZIdKJ0OoD6Fv9KXcGYdlZc~vrKfinkfmQbwsJHz7NVdYq9at30rh7lYuGPlWTL~rAiHk-qmEQsfNv3JVOAzuUcHejYQTFLpxZZlvchwlEpE9I-PDCw~9f83pJgfbIE44nWXqIpOFx2aV~f7GaIYvuiDy1z7iTG52kAejOhFJOHJq6Y3f6p44FAnTSSSqW7ioXXTBxKM2cECsuMAevg1XZw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Valeria Constantino, senior film industry development specialist with the Office of Economic Revitalization, briefed the Honolulu City Council Committee on Innovation, Technology and Entertainment on May 29 about the status of Hawaii’s film industry and the need to modernize the state’s film tax credit to retain large productions and attract new projects.

The film office framed the industry as an economic diversification strategy: it said productions bring large, immediate spending to the islands and support local jobs across multiple sectors. Constantino cited DBEDT cost‑benefit figures — in 2023, the industry generated increases to gross domestic product and earnings, and she said studies show that every dollar spent on the film tax credit produced roughly $4 in GDP and about $2.50 in earnings.

Why the credit matters now

Constantino said high‑profile projects are elevating Hawaii’s global visibility — noting Lilo & Stitch’s box‑office performance and the Apple TV series Chief of War, which she described as “entirely about us, entirely about our history.” She warned, however, that a per‑production cap and other credit provisions contributed to parts of some large projects being filmed outside Hawaii. She pointed to one production that filmed approximately $45–50 million worth of work in Hawaii and moved remaining work to New Zealand because the project exceeded the state’s per‑production cap.

The industry’s economic footprint

Constantino gave production examples to quantify local impact: Rescue Hi Surf hired about 788 crew and 1,350 extras — roughly 2,100 people — and spent about $65 million, with approximately $31 million on local labor and $33 million on vendors. She said NCIS Hawaii spent nearly $80 million, hired about 1,100 local people, and contributed roughly $104 million to GDP.

Legislative context and next steps

Constantino told the committee Senate Bill 732 did not pass in the regular session and said some “key elements” of that bill could be pulled and considered in a special session if one occurs. She also described House Bill 796, which would have imposed a five‑year sunset on tax credits, as particularly challenging for the industry because it would shorten the business certainty productions and investors rely on when planning projects.

The film office outlined outreach strategies including trade missions to Los Angeles, a producer‑in‑residence program developed with the Hawai‘i International Film Festival to bring producers to Hawaii, and workforce development measures to lift local talent into higher creative roles. Constantino said the office is working with DBEDT, county film offices and other stakeholders to promote a “clear runway” for productions and to advertise that “we have a valid tax credit.”

Questions from council members covered project cancellations, the role of studio financial decisions, and how the state and counties can coordinate to secure future seasons of TV series. Constantino said production cancellations have multiple causes — ratings, studio balance‑sheet decisions, or development failures — and noted the industry is cyclical; she urged that business certainty in the form of a stable, modernized credit be prioritized.

Public comment and university studio project

Angela Melody Young of CARES testified in support of Senate Bill 732 and the University of Hawai‘i West O‘ahu studio initiative. Constantino confirmed that the university completed an RFP and selected a developer but said construction and activation of a studio facility depend on demonstrable pipeline work to fill the facility; she described the project as “shovel ready” but effectively on hold until pipeline demand resumes.

What the Council can do

During Q&A, committee members discussed options for local support and for coordinating with state stakeholders if a special session occurs. Constantino said industry stakeholders were identifying narrow legislative priorities to present if a special session were called and stressed the value of demonstrating to studios that Hawaii can host large productions with available crew, facilities and locations.

Next steps

The film office will continue outreach, workforce development and coordination with DBEDT and county offices. Committee members offered to assist in outreach and legislative strategy if a special session is scheduled.","Valeria Constantino of the Honolulu Film Office told the Council committee that Hawaii’s film tax credit remains active and that modernizing its terms — including per‑production caps and streamer‑era rules — is key to keeping large productions and long‑running TV series in the state.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6221608,"Committee reports out $3,000 IAVM scholarship gift for Enterprise Services staff",307,231000,538000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3612165-575a6facdb5269867815e56590f4c1b1&start=231&end=538","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3612165-575a6facdb5269867815e56590f4c1b1/thumbnail_231000.jpg","/articles/6221608/Honolulu-City/Honolulu-County/Hawaii/Committee-reports-out-3000-IAVM-scholarship-gift-for-Enterprise-Services-staff","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6221608-577c20e462d031501f407e6e9b517f1b/orig.mp4?Expires=1771171410&Signature=mL07A1NA3qc3zdt-smwqIc5Qgg1xAe6aNWZAt6psLxZUYMyQb4Ig0TbB8S9HycLUg69umpT7gfk8lbqCYJjLmgAvkxeXB8JfeCpJI734l7tq0dvlLUgGOYY-2Ek3wcG98ioVhY17DsfXsA59226BY6j5xABvuPRjjRnp5Gs~fgvVbstfGi~8IHX8l2O7TnnmHkK4aKLRFLeDZxt3X9TaMPOHIxH~KreIToM4Rxf3-JNxf7g2S32ovwtUNhlUmZGuKUTo1MI9l~5NWx1tGsH0W7jAX3sIZ8hetjjdGGMB~xUvTJl7V8CXidKDIoVrPyLiRY4Ow2EqGNnmXE8qxSg4xg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Honolulu City Council Committee on Innovation, Technology and Entertainment on May 29 voted to report out Resolution 25‑161, which accepts a $3,000 gift of registration fees from the International Association of Venue Managers (IAVM) Region 7 scholarship program to cover part of a Department of Enterprise Services (DES) staff member’s attendance at the 2025 annual venue management school in Palm Springs, June 7–12, 2025.

The gift is intended to provide training for staff in DES’s auditorium division, which the department says helps the city attract and stage larger acts and ensure safer operations. Director Dina Holyfield told the committee the department is “trying to foster the next generation of not only promoters for the city and county … but to also sow into our next generation of members of DES and especially in the auditorium division.”

Committee discussion and public comment

DES staff answered a council member’s question about what portion of the registration fee the gift covers. Director Dina Holyfield said the scholarship covers “about 50% of the registrations.” The director did not specify the exact dollar split for travel, lodging or other training-related costs; she said DES expects to be “very frugal in our spending” when covering remaining expenses.

Angela Melody Young, testifying on behalf of CARES, voiced support for the resolution, saying the scholarship would help “teachers to be able to teach and then to empower the students, in filmmaking, music design, to learn about light staging, sound engineering,” and that such training supports music and economic development tied to city venues.

Action taken

Chair recommended the committee report Resolution 25‑161 out for adoption; there were no objections and the committee ordered it reported out for adoption. The record does not show a mover, second, or a roll‑call tally in the transcript.

What this does and does not do

Reporting a resolution out for adoption is a committee recommendation that sends the measure to the Council for a final vote; it does not itself enact the measure. The committee did not vote on or approve specific travel or lodging reimbursements during the meeting; amounts beyond the $3,000 registration gift were not specified.

What to watch next

Resolution 25‑161 will appear on a future Council calendar for final action. If the Council adopts the resolution, DES would use the gift to cover the stated portion of registration fees and would be responsible for any remaining travel or lodging costs.","The Council committee approved reporting Resolution 25-161, accepting a $3,000 gift of registration fees from the International Association of Venue Managers Region 7 to pay part of a Department of Enterprise Services staff member's attendance at a June 7–12, 2025 venue management school in Palm Springs.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

City IT outlines HNL Pay, mobile driver’s license and AI chatbot; card fee draws questions

Honolulu Film Office urges modernization of tax credit as major productions spotlight Hawaii

Committee reports out $3,000 IAVM scholarship gift for Enterprise Services staff