HONOLULU — Kauai and Niihau Mayor Derek S.K. Kawakami is attending the U.S. Conference of Mayors’ 87th annual meeting in Honolulu at the Hilton Hawaiian Village now through July 1. The conference is being presided over by Columbia, South Carolina Mayor Steve Benjamin, and is hosted by Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell.
Managing Director Mike Dahilig is acting mayor during Kawakami’s absence.
Dahilig signed into effect a ninth supplementary emergency proclamation on Thursday for the county, extending the emergency-relief period for damages sustained during the April 2018 flood.
The U.S. Conference of Mayors is the official non-partisan organization of cities with a population of 30,000 or larger.
Last year the conference was held in Boston, and preliminary numbers from the Honolulu conference are showing the highest attendance in 10 years at this year’s event.
On Friday, Caldwell started the conference by introducing Benjamin as the chair of the conference.
“I’m so honored to stand here with great mayors all around us,” Caldwell said. “But Mayor Benjamin as Mayor Garcia, I’m stealing what he says, he calls Mayor Benjamin ‘the mayor of mayors.’ And whoever is the chair of the conference of mayors is the mayor for all of us mayors. It’s a hard job. But in Mayor Benjamin, when he talks I breathe a little slower. He touches my heart and soul with his passion and I’m so honored to have him here today to lead us all off.”
Benjamin thanked Caldwell for the warm introduction and said he could just walk away from the mic after being introduced like that.
“I’m taking the title of mayor of mayors when I go,” Benjamin said to the collective laughter of those in attendance.
“Our nation is facing some incredibly deeply rooted challenges,” he said. “My fellow mayors are the ones that are putting party aside to help solve those challenges. We’re finding solution to some of the menacing issues facing our great country. Spending time in the company of these impressive men and woman has been invaluable to me and it has been over the past nine years that I have served.”
Over 228 mayors from 42 states are taking part in the annual conference, including the Mayor Karen W. Weaver of Flint, Michigan, who commented via Twitter, “This is a unique opportunity to connect with over 250 U.S. mayors to explore solutions to our common challenges that will help keep Flint around forever!”
Mayor Kawakami is one of four Hawaii mayors attending the conference, joining Caldwell, Hilo Mayor Harry Kim and Maui Mayor Michael Victorino.
On Friday Kawakami gave a best practices presentation titled “Life’s Choices Kauai: Empowering our Community to be Drug-Free,” before the Membership Standing Committee. The presentation was the only one scheduled for Kawakami over the course of the four-day conference.
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Ryan Collins, county reporter, can be reached at 245-0424 or rcollins@thegardenisland.com.
Why is there an acting mayor? It’s the same state. Or is it because they just need his presence there on Kaua’i at all times. Surprised. Not the real mayor. Someone else is doing the job.
Do they realize Flint water is still not fixed and the Mayor doesn’t take the time to talk the people that voted her in..I wish I could take my vote back. We were just named one of the worst cities to leave in because the way the administration is handling thing and people are still dying .. We have more then just lead TTHM, Legionaries we are watching our elderly people get kicked to the curb over eminent domain. We pay the highest water bills in the NATION.We are financially broke but she gave herself a damn raise while we lay off the fire department. It’s been 2 years we voted for an Ombudsman and we are still wanting. Weaver is the worst Mayor Flint has had but she sure is ready for camera shots