Kauai County Office of Boards and Commissions Closes for Mayor's Final State of the County Address

Mayor Derek Kawakami delivered his final State of the County Address Wednesday morning in the Moʻikeha Courtyard at Līhuʻe Civic Center, an event significant enough to temporarily close a neighboring county office for the better part of a morning.

The County of Kauaʻi Office of Boards and Commissions, located in Suite 300 of the same civic center at 4444 Rice Street, shut its doors from 7:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on March 11 due to the county event. The mayor's address was scheduled for 10 a.m., with the public invited and encouraged to attend.

The county issued a formal news release on March 6 announcing the closure, signed under the authority of Mayor Derek S.K. Kawakami and Managing Director Reiko Matsuyama. Administrator Ellen Ching oversees the Office of Boards and Commissions, which resumed regular operations at 1:30 p.m. the same day.

Anyone with questions about the temporary closure or office services can reach the office by phone at 808-241-4917 or by email at boardsandcommissions@kauai.gov. Members of the media with inquiries for county departments may contact the county's communications team at CountyPIO@kauai.gov.

Kawakami has served as Kauaʻi County Mayor since 2018. Wednesday's address marked his final State of the County, a capstone moment for an administration that has managed the island through the disruptions of the pandemic years and a sustained focus on housing and infrastructure challenges facing the county.