The Honolulu City Council public-safety committee on Thursday accepted four gift resolutions from the Honolulu Zoological Society totaling more than $60,000 to support staff training, elephant care consulting, animal enrichment, and facility improvements at the Honolulu Zoo.

Director of Enterprise Services Bridal Hollyfield described the gifts and thanked the Zoo Society and HPD for support. The donations include $3,100 for tuition and airfare for a mammal keeper to attend a training program; $23,715 for McClure International Consulting to support elephant care and staff development; $20,471.62 for enrichment items, a playground support leg and a hay chopper; and $14,858.63 for concrete coating in zebra facilities. All four gifts were recommended reported out for adoption without recorded objections.

The committee also considered two confirmation items: Resolution 25-292 (confirming Anna Nalbar to the Citizens Advisory Commission on Emergency Management, term to 3/31/2030) and Resolution 25-290 (confirming Blakely Parsons to the Police Commission, term to 12/31/2030). Both nominees spoke briefly in support; Parsons emphasized oversight, recruitment and recruiting transparency for the police chief search. The chair recommended both resolutions be amended as posted CD1 versions and reported out for adoption.

What’s next: the committee reported the gift resolutions and both confirmations out for adoption.