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Hawaiʻi Community Development Authority adopts project‑evaluation policy under Act 252
Summary
The Hawaiʻi Community Development Authority voted to adopt a framework for reviewing and evaluating projects under Act 252 (Session Laws of Hawaii 2025), formalizing criteria on requester, mission alignment, staff capacity and risk assessment and requiring measurable outcomes for accepted projects.
The Hawaiʻi Community Development Authority on Dec. 3 approved a staff‑recommended policy formalizing how the agency will review and evaluate projects it may accept under Act 252 (Session Laws of Hawaii 2025).
“Requestor, who’s the requesting agency or entity, how does it align with HCDA’s mission, do we have staff capacity to do it? We do a risk assessment,” Garrett Sasaki, HCDA chief financial officer, told the board while summarizing the proposed criteria.
The policy lays out a structured evaluation table and criteria including the requester, alignment with HCDA’s mission, staff capacity, financial prudence and a risk assessment covering funding and scope clarity. Staff said measurable outcomes and performance metrics will be required to assess both project effectiveness and to inform future decisions.
Board members asked how the authority would respond if a project diverged from the approved criteria mid‑course, and whether infrastructure built under a project would be accepted by the county where it is sited. Director Craig Nakamoto said staff would first attempt to work with the requesting agency to solve issues and that non‑acceptance of infrastructure is a material risk that the risk assessment should capture.
Member Sakoda flagged an enforcement question about HCDA’s additional powers under Act 252 and whether those powers could be revoked mid‑project; staff said, in practice, the agency would try to address misalignment through coordination rather than abrupt withdrawal.
The board voted by roll call to adopt the policy. The motion was moved by Member Streitz and recorded by staff as passing with 11 yes votes and five members excused.
The policy will give HCDA staff a repeatable way to screen requests from state, county and private partners seeking HCDA assistance under Act 252. Staff said the framework is intended to be refined as projects come through and that the first set of projects will inform future amendments.
