Office of Information Practices

S Memo 14-12
January 31, 2014
Amendment of Neighborhood Board’s Agenda

Requester asked for an opinion as to whether the Sunshine Law would have allowed the Makakilo/Kapolei/Honokai Hale Neighborhood Board (Board), at the request of then-Councilmember Tom Berg, to add the Landfill Benefits Package (LBP) to its agenda during its May 25, 2011 meeting.  The LBP related to the Councilmember’s intention to make a motion at a Honolulu City Council meeting for a $500,000 appropriation to the Board (appropriation proposal). 

Because the LBP included the Councilmember’s appropriation proposal, it was a matter of “reasonably major importance” and would have “affect[ed] a significant number of persons.”   HRS § 92-7(d) (2012).  Thus, adding the LBP to the Board’s agenda would have violated the Sunshine Law.