Stadium authority chief says he, others won’t quit

The chairman of the Aloha Stadium Authority expects as many as seven of its nine members to refuse Gov. Neil Abercrombie’s request to resign.

"I’m staying (and) I think the majority of the board is staying," Kevin Chong Kee said in an interview Wednesday.

Chong Kee said that by his count, "it could be seven of the nine" choosing to stay on.

Members of the authority last week received letters from the governor asking them to vacate their positions but acknowledging they were not legally obligated to comply.

The Democratic governor also sent letters last week to 28 appointees of the state Public Utilities Commission, Land Use Commission, Hawaii Public Housing Authority and Board of Land and Natural Resources. The appointees were selected by former Gov. Linda Lingle, a Republican, and confirmed by the state Senate.

Abercrombie said he took the step to gain more flexibility in implementing his "A New Day in Hawaii" plan, and said his request was not a reflection of service or an issue of personalities.

Authority member Marcia Klompus said she has chosen to remain and that if six or seven more plan to stay on, she would not be surprised.

"This is a very committed group," she said.

Chong Kee, whose term will expire in December, said, "I have some things to finish off before it is time to leave."

Among them, Chong Kee said, is awarding a new food and beverage contract, which expires Jan. 4. The contract has been worth an average of nearly $1.5 million per year over the past three years. A new contract needs to be in place before the Jan. 29 Pro Bowl, he said.

Klompus, whose term expires June 2013, said she sent the governor a letter Monday. "I committed to four years and I’m very proud of what this board has done," she said. "There are still many things we want to accomplish."