Honolulu City Council Elects New Leadership Amid Sunshine Law Probe

Tyler Dos Santos-Tam will lead the Honolulu City Council as its new chair starting December 1, following a controversial meeting that bypassed several members and drew scrutiny over an alleged private meeting.

Council Elects New Leaders During Sparse Meeting

The Honolulu City Council approved Tyler Dos Santos-Tam as chair, Esther Kiaʻāina as vice-chair, and Scott Nishimoto as floor leader during a meeting that proceeded with only a handful of council members present. Council rules dictate that the body must reorganize again in January.

The vote follows an anonymous complaint alleging that five council members—Radiant Cordero, Tyler Dos Santos-Tam, Augie Tulba, Esther Kiaʻāina, and Matt Weyer—met behind closed doors at a Zippy’s restaurant on October 5, to discuss leadership and committee positions.

State Investigates Restaurant Gathering for Sunshine Law Violations

The Office of Information Practices maintains an active, unresolved investigation into whether the October 5 restaurant gathering violated the state’s open meetings Sunshine Law.

Councilwoman Val Okimoto criticized the timing and validity of the leadership selection. “This measure is an attempt to predetermine and lock down power before the new council convenes, and it is doing so under an active, unresolved legal cloud,” Okimoto said.

Camron Hurt, state director of Common Cause Hawaii, questioned the blurring of casual gatherings and official policymaking. “How many of us have gotten together with coworkers at a restaurant and just talked about things?” Hurt asked. “The difference is we’re not deciding policy for our jobs when we’re meeting up and having pau hanas with our friends and family, and these individuals were potentially deciding policy.”

Dos Santos-Tam Defends Early Vote Amid Pending Decisions

Soon-to-be council chair Dos Santos-Tam defended the meeting and the necessity of the early vote. “At Zippy’s we did not have a vote. There’s nothing baked in place,” Dos Santos-Tam said. “This is the first time in many years, maybe ever, where we’ve had the situation of a sitting chair who’s terming out. But we have, in the coming year, an inauguration, a plan for budgeting and staffing decisions that have to be made. And I think it’s an opportunity for us to get moving on those things.”

Councilwoman Andria Tupola emphasized adherence to institutional standards during the proceedings. “No position on this council is more important than following the law and earning the public’s trust and that applies to all of us,” Tupola said.