Formal Opinions

Opinion Ltr. No. F20-01 December 20, 2019 Transcript and Audio Recording of Executive Meeting Requester requested a transcript and audio record of a Maui County Council (Council) executive session discussing a resolution to appoint staff to the Maui Office of...

Opinion Ltr. No. F19-05 May 20, 2019 Deliberative Material for Revenue Estimates Requester sought “assumptions, bases, computations, source data, and documents and analysis relied upon” for the Hawaii Department of Taxation’s (TAX) revenue estimates in legislative testimony.   OIP concluded that TAX could...

Opinion Ltr. No. F19-04 April 24, 2019 Appraisal Report for Possible Easement Requester asked the Department of Budget and Fiscal Services of the City and County of Honolulu (City) (BFS) for a copy of an appraisal report prepared for it...

Opinion Ltr. No. F19-03 December 12, 2018 Executive Sessions and Communications Outside a Meeting OIP was asked whether the Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) properly held two executive sessions to discuss ongoing negotiations for prospective contracts either under the Sunshine Law...

Opinion Ltr. No. F19-02 November 27, 2018 Records of Meetings with Legislators Requester asked the Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Boating and Outdoor Recreation (DOBOR) for a copy of “notes for . . ., as well as any minutes from” a meeting...

Opinion Ltr. No. F19-01 October 11, 2018 Minimum Decision Record [This Opinion overrules OIP Opinion Letter Number F17-04.] Requesters previously sought a decision as to whether the Hawaii Paroling Authority (HPA) properly denied their request for their Minimum Decision Record...

Opinion Ltr. No. F18-03 June 28, 2018 Corrections Corporation of America's Policies Requester asked whether the Department of Public Safety (PSD) properly denied, under Part II of the UIPA, an inmate’s request for a copy of all or portions of...

Opinion Ltr. F18-02 May 10, 2018 Tsunami Inundation Maps Requester sought tsunami inundation maps, which were withheld by the State Department of Defense, Civil Defense Division (CDD), on the basis that the records were confusing to the public and must...

Opinion Ltr. F18-01 January 11, 2018 Site Visits and Presentations as Part of Adjudicatory Functions A Requester asked OIP whether the Commission on Water Resource Management (CWRM) violated the Sunshine Law by holding a series of site visits and presentations...

Opinion Ltr. No. F17-05 June 29, 2017 Statement of Capabilities and Correspondence Related to Bids Requester, an unsuccessful bidder, asked whether the Department of Transportation (DOT), prior to the execution of a contract, properly denied Requester’s request for copies of...