Just browsing around this morning….

Item #1–Iolani Palace A/C costs grow

The Department of Land and Natural Resources is seeking a one-year contract extension and and nearly $1 million in additional funding to complete the replacement of the ventilation and air conditioning system serving Iolani Palace.

Planning for this job began back in 2007 during the Lingle administration. The original contract called for work to be completed by the end of this month, but “unanticipated delays” put the project behind schedule.

Several problems were described in a request to exempt the extension from additional competitive bidding.

• Mold was found on palace “artifacts and resources,” and a “sudden mold inundation” caused the existing chillers to fail suddenly.

• The layout of the new chiller system had to be redesigned “to minimize noise impacts” and “to eliminate flooding and water damage from any system leaks that may occur.”

DLNR’s request says the project was initially estimated to cost $3.6 million, but that estimate has now risen to $4.6 million. DLNR is asking for a completion date of June 30, 2013. Remaining construction will require “power outages affecting the Palace and State Capitol,” according to the DLNR exemption request. The contractor is Economy Plumbing and Sheet Metal, Inc.

Item #2: No opinions issued by Office of Information Practices so far this year.

According to the list published on OIP’s website, the agency has not published a single opinion during 2012, and issued only a single opinion in 2011.

OIP is on track to its lowest output (at least as measured by opinions) in any 2-year period in its history.

Item #3: DBEDT Director finally files financial disclosure

Richard Lim, DBEDT director, filed a lengthy personal financial disclosure on June 14, well after the May 31 deadline.

Lim’s disclosure contains 4-1/2 pages of investments, many valued at less than $25,000, but at least nine valued at more than $100,000 and one at more than $500,000.

The larger interests include R3BST LLC, a Hawaii real estate limited partnership, valued between $250,000 and $500,000; JCM Investments LP of Vancouver, BC, and Bank of America, both valued at $150,000 to $250,000; Bank of Hawaii, Radiance Rewards LLC, ConAgra Foods($100,000 to $150,000).

Given the position of DBEDT in leveraging public resources through partnerships of various kinds with private interests, it looks like Lim has to be vary careful to avoid conflicts between his family’s extensive investments and the department’s programs.