HONOLULU- A heated exchange between Honolulu City Councilman Tom Berg and the chair of the Waipahu Neighborhood Board has both sides crying foul.
The meeting was held Thursday, November 17 at the Filipino Community Center in Waipahu at 7 p.m. Video released by the Neighborhood Commission Office shows Berg and Waipahu Neighborhood Board Chairman Rito Saniatan engaged in a verbal sparring match that lasted several minutes.
Board members were receiving an update on programs at Waipahu High School from Principal Keith Hayashi when Berg brought up noise issues related to the city’s rail project, which if built, would take it directly by the school on Farrington Highway.
When Saniatan asked Berg if he had a question for Hayashi, that’s when both men became visibly agitated.
Berg rejected the notion his comments needed to be phrased in a question while Saniatan maintained the councilman was out of order.
A member of the neighborhood board felt the situation had gotten so out of hand that he or she called police when Saniatan took an emergency recess. However the situation did not escalate further and two police officers eventually left.
On Monday Berg told Khon2 he felt as though he was being censored by Saniatan because of his views on rail.
“I had to exhibit a tone and atmosphere the second I was told I couldn’t speak, so I became the punching bag unfortunately,” said Berg. “I didn’t kick the podium down, I didn’t throw anything, I didn’t stomp my feet.”
Saniatan refused an interview when reached by phone but provided Khon2 a copy of a letter he wrote to Council Chairman Ernie Martin. In the letter Saniatan complains about Berg’s “immature, unprofessional, and undignified” behavior.
“I humbly ask that as the Chair of the City Council; please talk to Councilman Berg regarding his behavior at the Waipahu Neighborhood Board Meeting,” Saniatan wrote. “I support any reprimand you deemed necessary.”
Cory Chun, vice chairman of the Waipahu Neighborhood Board, said he felt as though Berg was attempting to take over the meeting.
“I would say it was a little disrespectful,” said Chun. “The way he was going about it, it felt like he was hijacking the meeting.”
However Berg is not without his supporters. Waipahu Neighborhood Board member Chuck Wheatley filed a complaint Friday afternoon against Saniatan with the Neighborhood Commission Office. In the complaint Wheatley alleges Saniatan was rude to Berg and did not give the councilman an opportunity to speak.
“He was denying Councilman Berg his Constitutional right,” said Wheatley. “I didn’t want to get involved, but I get upset when people try to change the truth.”
Tom Heinrich, executive secretary of the Neighborhood Commission Office, said the exchange between Berg and Saniatan would be looked into. Under state law anyone showing up at a neighborhood board meeting is allowed to present oral or written testimony, regardless of whether or not they live in the district.
Meanwhile, Councilman Breene Harimoto, who also attended Thursday’s board meeting, has drafted a letter expressing his uneasiness with Berg’s behavior.
“I’m very concerned about Tom’s behavior and I don’t feel comfortable with not doing anything,” Harimoto told Khon2. “I do have a letter drafted, but I’m not sure what I’m going to do with it.”
Harimoto said the letter wasn’t prompted by a single incident, but rather a combination of actions by his Council colleague.
Berg did apologize to Saniatan and other members of the Waipahu Neighborhood Board in a letter dated November 18, but maintained his opinion that he was not being allowed to speak.
“Please accept my apology for the engagement that transpired at your November 17, 2011 meeting that pitted my intentions with your agenda items when you did not like the content of my statements, nor wanted me to engage on agenda items,” wrote Berg.
“In my attempt to honor the Neighborhood Board Plan and provide comment, your board action was to censure and deny any and all input from the audience on this agenda item.”
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See the original article at: KHON2 Local News
