Date/Time
Date(s) - March 5, 2021
12:00 pm - 1:30 pm

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Always seeking new ways to connect the chapter held its quarterly luncheon membership meeting on April 5. Four course meals prepared by Bamboo Catering and delivered by Elite Delivery were brought in an LAI insulated logo bag to all attendees either at their workspace or home. An outstanding class of eleven inductees were welcomed to LAI and Aloha Chapter.

The meeting was facilitated by Selena Ching and designed to be highly interactive. Everyone was assigned to break out rooms to explore current topics. The first topic was, “What is the most interesting thing that you have done this past year”?

The second topic was, “What structural changes, related to land planning, has COVID taught us”? Responses included:

• Rebuild the future we want, not the one we had. We need greater diversification.
• Many sectors were impacted and we were able to leverage funding for some, but not all. For example, artists and cultural practitioners work came to a complete halt.
• The strategy of encouraging mid-career employees to move to Hawaii and telework has mixed approval.
• What is the relationship of multiple sectors within and between communities?
• Tourism/Hospitality: are we managing quality or quantity? We have seen the positive impacts of little or no tourists on sea life, nature, etc. Knowing this, how do we move forward? How to strengthen the positive and economic effect of visitors (crack down on illegal rentals, review zoning for resorts, taxes and fees).
• Technology: we need to recognize the role of technology in lending a sense of efficiencies in how we communicate and get to decision-making and how can this expedite land use processes? We need greater broadband connectivity, more fiber. There is a digital divide with seniors and low-income residents.
• Working from home: we saw improved traffic; there is a need for residential safe rooms, expanded outdoor areas, retail adaptation of omnichannel.
• Economic vulnerabilities need to be addressed. Housing vulnerabilities are enormous. Over fifty percent live paycheck to paycheck. This is a vulnerability to the entire community.
• What are the opportunities to re-imagine the urban core for mixed use, transit, affordable housing?
• We’re not moving fast enough on climate change.
• Is government ready for change needed? Their technology systems are way behind.
• Shift our priorities to things that improve quality of life. We haven’t updated the state plans in 30 years!

The interactive break out groups proved highly popular in an after-meeting survey. At the meeting closure, everyone was asked to type one word into the chat box. Commonly used words included: Grateful, Hopeful, Encouraged, Thankful/Appreciative, Optimistic, Blessed, Busy/Stretched, Revived, Kokua, Mahalo. The overall positivity of these responses demonstrates that LAI chapter members look forward to better days.