Committee hears mayoral nomination of Alan K. Okamoto to Hawaii County Liquor Commission; motion made to recommend confirmation

The Committee on Government Operations and External Affairs met March 17, 2026, and received Communication 773, a mayoral nomination of Alan K. Okamoto to the Hawaii County Liquor Commission.

Michael Alameda, executive assistant in the Office of the Mayor, presented the nomination and told the committee that "if confirmed, Mr. Okamoto will serve a term to expire on 12/31/2030." Alameda also stated Mr. Okamoto "was nominated to this seat 9 months ago" and that he had filled a vacancy; the transcript does not reconcile the nomination date in Communication 773 (02/27/2026) with the nine‑month timeline Alameda cited.

Connie Kleinfeld, the clerk, read the communication aloud and identified it as Communication 773 from the mayor’s office requesting the council’s review and confirmation of the nominee. After the item was introduced, a motion "to close file on Communication 773 and for the nomination of Alan K. Okamoto with a favorable recommendation" was placed on the record. The vice chair stated the motion was made by Councilmember Inaba and seconded by Councilmember Eustace. The provided transcript does not record a subsequent roll-call vote or final disposition of the motion.

The committee convened from multiple sites, with members joining from the Hilo chambers and West Hawaii. No public testimony was offered on the nomination during the portion of the meeting in the provided transcript.

Next steps were not included in the supplied record; the committee’s further consideration or a formal vote on the recommendation did not appear in the segments provided.