Council committee amends and advances audit of CORE crisis-response program

The Committee on International and Legal Affairs amended and advanced Resolution 25-109, authorizing a performance audit of CORE, the city’s community outreach and response program. The committee adopted the posted CD1 with two further changes and recommended the amended measure for adoption. Troy Shimaaki of the Office of the City Auditor told the committee, “Our office does not take a position on the merits of this resolution. However, I note that, should the council adopt the resolution, we would be able to complete the audit as currently prescribed.” He added the audit could begin “certainly within the year” if the council adopts the resolution. Liam Chang, representing the Reimagining Public Safety in Hawaii Coalition, told the committee the coalition “support[s] the audit of CORE” while cautioning that the audit “should not be used as a tool to eliminate CORE or to cut funding.” Angela Melody Young described CORE’s outreach and urged cooperation with faith-based and community networks that provide services in Waikiki and other areas. Committee members said the intent of the audit is to improve CORE’s effectiveness and to compare it with “gold standard” models such as CAHOOTS in Eugene, Oregon. One committee member said testimony included support from CORE staff and emergency medical services workers and from organizations including Project Vision and the ACLU. The chair instructed committee staff to work from the posted CD1 but to remove the fifth and sixth whereas clauses on page 1; the committee adopted the CD1 with those two amendments. The committee distinguished between discussion and formal action: members debated scope and intended uses of the audit, supporters asked that the audit be neutral and used to improve CORE rather than shrink it, the auditor’s office confirmed it could conduct the work, and the committee formally amended and advanced the CD1 for adoption.