Council committee forwards John Katahira nomination to HART board to full council

The Committee on Planning, Infrastructure and Transportation voted to amend and report out Resolution 25‑111 on the nomination of John Katahira to the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation Board, sending the measure to the full City Council for final action.

Katahira introduced himself to the committee during the remote meeting and described his background and motivation. "I'm somewhat recently retired. I still have a lot to give to my community," he told the committee, adding, "Two things to know about me, I like big challenges. And secondly, I'm not afraid to throw myself into situations and make impacts." Committee Chair Cordero moved to amend the resolution to the posted CD1 and then to report it out for adoption; with no objections the motions were adopted and the nomination will be considered by the full council.

Why it matters: HART governs Honolulu’s rail project and related operations; the council’s appointee represents the City Council’s interests to the HART board. Committee members and several in-person testifiers praised Katahira’s prior engineering work and community engagement. Lori Kahikina, testifying in a personal capacity, cited Katahira’s role on a Windward-side sewer tunnel project, saying his engagement "was quite instrumental" in addressing residents’ concerns and keeping the project on schedule and budget. Michael O’Keefe, HART’s deputy executive director and chief operating officer, said Katahira had been "very instrumental" in convening community advisory work around landfill siting and other projects.

What the committee heard: Members asked whether Katahira had met with council members; he said he had reached out and had additional appointments scheduled. Vice Chair Okimoto asked how Katahira’s engineering experience would translate to the public-facing and political aspects of a HART board position; Katahira said he considered his communication and collaboration skills among his strongest assets and cited service with the American Council of Engineering Companies of Hawaii as experience interfacing with legislators.

Next steps: Because this is a Council appointee, the committee’s decision forwards the resolution to the full council. The committee record shows the resolution was amended to CD1 and reported out for adoption with no objections; the full council will take up final confirmation.