State Sen. Donna Mercado Kim and the Senate Special Committee on Accountability hope to use Monday’s hearing to put a price tag on what the Steve Wonder concert debacle has cost the University of Hawaii.

She has questions apart from the still-missing $200,000 that was to have been a deposit for the ill-fated Aug. 18 concert, the money for the reassignment of former athletic director Jim Donovan and contracts for outside legal help.

"I still can’t figure all the costs for the concert," said Kim, the committee’s chairwoman. "The printing of tickets, the staff time that went into this … all those things are still out there."

Kim (D, Kalihi Valley-Halawa) said, "The whole other question is what were we going to get from the concert at the end of the day? What was the benefit as far as the dollar amount?"

The five-member committee will hold the first of at least two planned hearings Monday at 1 p.m. at state Capitol Room 211. It will be shown live on ‘Olelo channel 49. The other members are vice chairwoman Jill Tokuda (D, Kaneohe-Kailua), Les Ihara Jr. (D, Moiliili-Kaimuki-Palolo), Sam Slom (R, Diamond Head-Hawaii Kai), and Ronald Kouchi (D, Kauai, Niihau).

"The whole thing is to try and get the public trust restored," Kim said, "to try and get these questions that the public has been (concerned) about answered once and for all. Get some transparency and also look at where, based upon the policies of the university, whether they are following the policies, what are they costing the taxpayers with some of these contracts, the PR contracts, legal contracts and buyout contracts. Those are the questions that people have raised to me. And this concert has raised some of those questions as well."

Kim said the committee has asked for documents concerning the hiring of outside legal and public relations help and buyouts of several former employees, including Manoa Chancellor Virginia Hinshaw and football coach Greg McMackin.

UH President M.R.C. Greenwood, Board of Regents President Eric Martinson, Donovan, Hinshaw, Stan Sheriff Center Manager Rich Sheriff and representatives of the Cades Schutte law firm that conducted the UH-commissioned investigation have been asked to appear.

Kim said she expects most of them to appear, but that Hinshaw is out of town and might be asked to attend a planned Oct. 2 session. Kim said the committee may also ask Hinshaw’s successor, Tom Apple, to attend that meeting.

Greenwood has not issued any statements or responded to Star-Advertiser questions about the hearing, but she told a recent gathering of business executives that, in business terms, the Legislature amounts to a minority shareholder controlling the company. She said UH has a $1.5 billion budget, with the state providing $350 million in funding.

She asked those present to support her and the UH by attending the hearing or submitting testimony.

Kim said the committee has received several large binders of information from UH containing requested materials.

Written testimony may be submitted to scatestimony@capitol.hawaii.gov.