Formal Opinions

Opinion Letter No. 94-19 October 13, 1994 PSD’s Policy Not Public The OIP found that disclosure of a Department of Public Safety (PSD) policy would result in the frustration of a legitimate government function by rendering it operationally useless for its...

Opinion Letter No. 94-18 September 20, 1994 Convention Center Design Scores Withheld Point Tabulation Sheets kept by the Convention Center Authority, which contain the evaluation scores awarded to four design/build proposals for the construction of a State convention center, may...

Opinion Letter No. 94-17 September 12, 1994 OTG’s Rapid Transit Claim Made Public The OIP advised the City and County of Honolulu to make public a two-volume claim filed against the City by Oahu Transit Group Joint Venture (OTG). The...

Opinion Letter No. 94-16 September 2, 1994 Confidential Records May Be Disclosed to Maui County Council The OIP provided the Finance Committee of the Maui County Council with general guidance concerning whether records that are otherwise confidential under the UIPA may...

Opinion Letter No. 94-15 August 30, 1994 Ka‘ili‘ula Ohana Corporation’s Grant Application Public Ka‘ili‘ula Ohana Corporation’s (KOC) application for a monetary grant from the Community-Based Economic Development Program administered by the State Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism must be made...

Opinion Letter No. 94-14 August 10, 1994 Green Coffee Beans Importation Records Public Records maintained by the State Department of Agriculture concerning the importation of green coffee beans by the private sector should be made available for public inspection and...

Opinion Letter No. 94-13 July 8, 1994 County Employee’s Personnel File Accessible to U.S. Department of Labor The County of Maui properly provided the U.S. Department of Labor (Department) with access to a county employee’s personnel file in connection with the...

Opinion Letter No. 94-12 June 28, 1994 Mug Shots Are Public Records Booking photographs or "mug shots" maintained by the county police departments are public government records under the UIPA. In a previous opinion letter, the OIP recognized that an arrest...

Opinion Letter No. 94-11 June 24, 1994 AG Asbestos Contracts Not Public Contracts between the Department of the Attorney General and testifying and non-testifying expert witnesses connected with asbestos cost recovery litigation are not "consultant" contracts that must be made public. The...

Opinion Letter No. 94-10 June 8, 1994 Liquor License Petition Must Be Made Public A petition protesting the issuance of a liquor license, submitted to the Honolulu Liquor Commission (Commission), must be made available for public inspection and copying under the...