HomeMy WebLinkAboutSOQ 25-26 Goodwin Consulting Groupwww.goodwinconsultinggroup.net
Phone:xxm916Cx561-0890x•xFax:xxm916Cx561-0891
655xUniversityxAvenue,xSuitex200x•xSacramento,xCAx95825
August 20, 2025
Mr. Benson Medina
Director of Research & Development
County of Hawaii
25 Aupuni Street, Suite 1301
Hilo, HI 96720
Re: Professional Services SOQ
Dear Benson:
I am writing on behalf of Goodwin Consulting Group, Inc., to express our interest in
providing professional services to the County of Hawaii pursuant to the Notice to
Providers of Professional Services (HRS 103D-304). In particular, we are interested in
providing services associated with Discipline RD.7 under your department in the Notice,
which is Economist. We may be able to provide services under other disciplines as well,
such as Community and Economic Development, so please keep us in mind for any
applicable service under your direction.
Attached please find our Statement of Qualifications, which provides all the information
requested in the Notice. Since we have been working in Hawaii for nearly 19 years
now, all of the projects and references in the SOQ are based on that work. You can
still review a robust sampling of our experience on the mainland by visiting our website
at www.goodwinconsultinggroup.net.
If you need anything further from us, please don’t hesitate to call or e-mail. We look
forward to working with you and your staff in 2025-26.
Sincerely,
Dave Freudenberger
Senior Principal and Founding Partner
Attachment
655)University)Ave,)Suite)200)•)Sacramento,)CA)95825
Phone:)l916p)561-0890)•)Fax:)l916p)561-0891
www.goodwinconsultinggroup.net
REAL ESTATE
PUBLIC FINANCE AND
URBAN ECONOMICS
ADVISORY SERVICES
STATEMENT
OF
QUALIFICATIONS
AUGUST 20, 2025
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Section Page
I. INTRODUCTION TO THE FIRM ......................................................................... 1
II. SERVICES PROVIDED BY GCG ...................................................................... 3
III. RESUMES FOR GCG PRINCIPALS ................................................................... 6
IV. REPRESENTATIVE PROJECTS AND PROFESSIONAL REFERENCES IN HI ....... 9
V. CURRENT BILLING STRUCTURE .................................................................. 17
Appendix: Sampling of GCG Public and Private Sector Clients
Goodwin Consulting Group, Inc. 1 SOQ FY 2025-26
Section I.
Goodwin Consulting Group, Inc. (GCG) is a Sacramento-based firm formed in 2001. GCG’s
principals have earned a reputation for providing exceptional customer service and high-quality
work product. The principals have nearly one hundred years of combined experience in public
finance, development economics, real estate market analysis, and municipal consulting, and have
completed thousands of contracts for clients throughout the western United States. GCG makes a
commitment to each client that a principal will be actively involved in all aspects of project
completion; this approach to project management has been extremely well-received by our clients.
GCG principals are registered municipal advisors (Series 50, and Series 54 for Managing Principal).
GCG has extensive experience in the fiscal, financial, and economic impact analysis of land
development, conversion, and transition. Unlike other firms who specialize in the planning of new
projects, GCG has expertise in the implementation and ongoing administration of new
developments. This difference is critical to ensuring that a public facilities financing strategy will be
feasible from the early development stages through buildout of a project. The GCG staff has
considerable knowledge of and experience with challenges that affect the phasing and cost of
development in Hawaii and on the mainland, including affordable/workforce housing, water
availability, habitat mitigation, regional planning, and local growth control measures and initiatives.
Experience with both public and private sector clients provides GCG staff with the ability to
recommend financing strategies that can be implemented after consideration of market constraints,
political pressures, competitive projects, and project funding capacity. The principals of GCG have
a reputation for facilitating agreement between public agencies and developers throughout the
preparation and implementation of impact fee and public financing programs. Each project is
approached with the objective of reaching consensus from both public and private sector
participants. It has been GCG’s experience that, ultimately, the future homeowners and
commercial/industrial property owners benefit from this approach to a project. GCG staff members
are known to be fair and objective and to maximize benefits and minimize burdens to all interested
parties.
GCG specializes in designing funding programs that can accommodate a variety of land uses
and ensure that each type of land use remains marketable and feasible to develop. Taking into
account limitations inherent in special assessment legislation, GCG develops creative solutions that
allow funding programs to respond to changing market conditions, land use plans, and infrastructure
phasing plans. Because GCG often remains involved in the ongoing implementation of these
funding programs, the firm recognizes the importance of providing flexibility in the initial plan.
GCG principals have been featured speakers at courses and seminars sponsored by the UC
Davis Extension program, League of California Cities, American Planning Association, American
Public Works Association, California Redevelopment Association, Coalition for Adequate School
Housing, and Urban Land Institute, as well as by numerous organizations in Hawaii, such as Hawaii
Municipal Attorneys Conference, Hawaii Congress of Planning Officials, Land Use Research
Foundation of Hawaii, Hawaii State Association of Counties, and Hawaii Leeward Planning
Conference.
INTRODUCTION TO THE FIRM
Goodwin Consulting Group, Inc. 2 SOQ FY 2025-26
The principals of GCG have also prepared, participated in, and instructed programs about
Community Facilities Districts, Tax Increment, Development Impact Fees, the financial aspects of
planning, options for funding public infrastructure and affordable/workforce housing, fiscal and
economic analysis, and new town development. In addition, Ms. Goodwin worked with Senator
Henry Mello in CA and his legislative analyst to evaluate the impacts of proposed clean-up
legislation affecting the Mello-Roos Act (CFDs), and the proposed changes were ultimately
modified to maintain the flexibility in the Act.
Goodwin Consulting Group, Inc. 3 SOQ FY 2025-26
Section II.
GCG provides a wide range of consulting services throughout all phases of planning and
entitlement of a new development, including but not limited to, the following:
Public Facilities Financing Plans
GCG prepares detailed financing strategies that ensure that public infrastructure
required to serve a new development will be funded in a timely and efficient manner.
Incorporating the nexus requirements mandated by state law, GCG determines the gross
impact fees that would be required from each type of land use proposed within a project and
evaluates the feasibility of the associated funding burdens. GCG then compares the revenues
available from pay-as-you go financing to the phasing of infrastructure costs to determine if
other mechanisms are needed to remedy funding gaps. A detailed financing analysis is then
prepared which identifies the one-time and annual burdens associated with assessment
bonds, Mello-Roos bonds, revenue bonds, certificates of participation, and other
indebtedness that is proposed to be used to generate lump-sum funding for project facilities.
GCG also evaluates whether a reimbursement program will be needed to maintain equity
among landowners in a project. Alternatives to provide such reimbursement, including area-
of-benefit fee programs and Integrated Financing Districts, are analyzed in detail to
demonstrate to the landowners how reimbursement will ultimately be realized.
Special Tax Consulting Services
GCG has extensive experience writing special tax formulae for Mello-Roos
Community Facilities Districts (CFD) throughout California. GCG is the only consulting
firm based in northern California that has combined expertise in both preparing the special
tax formula during CFD formation and administering the special tax on an annual basis
throughout the life of the bonds. Because GCG is involved in the ongoing administration of
nearly one hundred and fifty CFDs, our staff is uniquely aware of the components that
should be included in a special tax formula to ensure ease of administration, avoid
complaints from homeowners and property owners, and require minimal interpretation by the
public agency in future years. The principals of GCG have collectively written special tax
formulae for hundreds CFDs. These formulae have accommodated multiple bond issues for
phased infrastructure funding, escalating special taxes, multiple tax zones to avoid cross-
collateralization among landowners, state-of-the-art backup and prepayment mechanisms,
extended terms, pay-as-you-go funding, future annexation areas, and other features.
Fiscal Impact Analyses
GCG principals have analyzed the fiscal impacts associated with new development
projects, general plan updates, annexations, incorporations, and reorganizations. These
analyses have been used to negotiate tax revenue sharing agreements, to determine the most
efficient governance structure for new town developments, and to analyze the impact of
reallocating revenues from one public agency to another. With a focus on computer analysis
and a thorough attention to detail, GCG’s fiscal impact studies include (i) a comprehensive
SERVICES PROVIDED BY GCG
Goodwin Consulting Group, Inc. 4 SOQ FY 2025-26
review and analysis of public agency budgets, (ii) detailed revenue and expense projections
on an annual basis and at project buildout, and (iii) a calculation of annual special taxes or
upfront payments if it is determined that a funding alternative is needed to mitigate fiscal
deficits. GCG produces a dynamic fiscal model that can be used to run sensitivity analyses
associated with changes in land use, service standards, phasing, cost estimates, and other
factors.
Development Impact Fee Justification Studies
GCG has prepared numerous AB 1600 fee justification studies that have withstood
extensive scrutiny by the building industry and development community. In establishing
nexus and calculating impact fees, GCG considers all components that factor into a fair and
objective fee program, including existing vs. preferred facility standards, other available
sources of funding, remedies for existing deficiencies, and ongoing maintenance of the fee
program. GCG keeps up-to-date on court cases, fee challenges, and legal opinions related to
impact fees and nexus findings. In addition, GCG has been hired to conduct critical reviews
of various agencies’ fee programs, which provides the firm with a keen understanding of the
most typical weak points in an agency’s nexus finding.
Economic Impact Analyses
GCG prepares analyses of the economic impacts proposed projects will have on a
local jurisdiction, existing retailers in a community (including sensitive downtown areas that
may be part of ongoing revitalization efforts), or the regional competitive marketplace. These
analyses consider job creation and pay levels (during both the construction and operational
phases of a project), indirect and induced impacts as well as direct impacts, retail sales
capture and leakage patterns, cannibalization of existing sales tax revenue, and other direct
and indirect impacts a proposed project may have on the local economy. GCG has prepared
analyses associated with a variety of unique land uses, including golf courses, time-share
units, age-restricted projects, auto malls, airport-related industrial uses, and hotel/conference
center facilities.
Market Absorption Studies
GCG’s market absorption analyses evaluate the projected timeframe within which a
proposed development project can be expected to absorb within the local marketplace.
Alternatively, a GCG market study can be used to determine the most feasible land uses for a
site as the land use plan is being developed. As applicable, GCG evaluates supply and
demand dynamics within primary, secondary, and tertiary trade areas. GCG’s contribution
to the planning process avoids a costly plan being prepared that is subsequently determined
to be infeasible in the competitive market. Analyses prepared by GCG have been used (i) to
determine the highest and best use for vacant parcels considering other land uses and
accounting for both existing and proposed competitive projects in the area, (ii) as the basis
for land use decisions at the general plan or specific plan level, and (iii) to construct land use
policies that set forth density requirements that are reasonable based on market conditions.
Goodwin Consulting Group, Inc. 5 SOQ FY 2025-26
Redevelopment Analyses
GCG has prepared redevelopment tax increment projections in association with
public infrastructure financing programs, public/private partnership proposals, and pass-
through negotiations between public agencies. GCG has taken into account the required
allocation of tax increment as set forth in Assembly Bill 1290, including the 20% LMI Set-
Aside and stepped-up distribution required over time, and has exploited where applicable the
increased flexibility incorporated into the military base reuse chapter of the redevelopment
law. GCG has formulated financing strategies that include a combination of land-secured
funding mechanisms and tax allocation bonds, which provide funding both in the early years
of a project and at buildout of the tax increment-generating land uses. GCG also understands
that analyzing fiscal impacts becomes even more critical under these circumstances since the
vast majority of property tax increment will likely be utilized for redevelopment projects
rather than for discretionary general fund purposes for an extended period of time. The same
analyses that formerly applied to redevelopment agency projects in CA can now be applied
to study the feasibility of Enhanced Infrastructure Financing Districts (EIFDs) and other tax
increment scenarios.
Pro Forma Cash Flow Analyses
GCG staff have analyzed the profitability of a variety of development projects for
both public and private sector clients. Complex pro forma cash flow analyses that have been
developed by GCG staff consider absorption schedules, sales and rent structures,
infrastructure costs and phasing, preservation and rehabilitation costs and financing, public
and private financing, land acquisition and ground lease structures, entitlements and other
land development issues, preferred distributions, back-end sales participation revenue, and a
host of other important assumptions and variables that factor into the net present value,
internal rate of return, cash-on-cash return, and other measures of development profitability.
GCG staff have also prepared more simplified analyses that ignore timing issues and
estimate direct and indirect vertical construction costs, marketing, selling, and other general
and administrative expenses, in-tract and lot improvement costs, and other factors to
determine builder profit or residual land value. Land development projects involving bulk
sales to home builders, residential subdivisions, affordable and workforce housing projects,
for-sale and rental multi-family complexes, and non-residential projects involving retail,
hotel, office, and industrial development, including golf course development, have all been
analyzed by GCG staff.
Goodwin Consulting Group, Inc. 6 SOQ FY 2025-26
Section III.
Susan Goodwin
Managing Principal
Susan Goodwin has an extensive background in public finance and real estate economics,
having managed the planning and implementation of hundreds of districts and programs that
generate funding for public infrastructure and services. She is experienced in the preparation of
comprehensive public facility financing plans, impact fee justification studies, market studies, tax
increment projections, and fiscal impact reports for both public and private sector clients. Susan has
also worked with numerous public agencies to develop and implement fee credit and reimbursement
programs that ensure equity is achieved among landowners within large master-planned
communities.
Susan has specialized experience in the preparation of special tax formulas, methods of
apportionment, and disclosure documents for Mello-Roos Community Facilities Districts (CFDs).
She has been involved in bond issuances that have funded billions of dollars in public infrastructure
in California. Susan worked directly with Senator Henry Mello to amend language in proposed
Mello-Roos clean-up legislation that would have considerably reduced the flexibility provided in the
law relative to allocating special taxes among properties in a CFD. She has also contributed input
and ideas to several subsequent Mello-Roos clean-up bills.
Susan was actively involved in the formation and administration of several of California’s
first Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) programs, using the Mello-Roos law with charter
cities and contractual assessment law with general law cities and counties. She has also developed
complex and creative funding solutions for several of the largest base reuse projects in California.
Susan is a frequent speaker and panelist at Mello-Roos courses and seminars sponsored by
the UC Davis and UCLA Extension programs, California Debt and Investment Advisory
Commission, League of California Cities, and American Planning Association. She has also served
as a guest lecturer at UC Berkeley and UC Davis. Susan has prepared, participated in, and instructed
programs about the Mello-Roos Community Facilities Act, the financial aspects of planning, options
for funding public infrastructure and services, fiscal and economic analysis, and new town
development.
Education
B.S., Business Administration, University of Southern California
Professional Affiliations
Instructor, University of California at Davis Extension Program
Instructor, University of California at Los Angeles Extension Program
RESUMES FOR GCG PRINCIPALS
Goodwin Consulting Group, Inc. 7 SOQ FY 2025-26
David Freudenberger
Senior Principal and Founding Partner
Dave Freudenberger offers comprehensive experience in public finance, fiscal impact
analysis, and economic and market feasibility. He has managed numerous studies prepared for
small, single-use developments and large, master-planned communities, ranging from dense urban
spaces to expansive undeveloped areas. Dave brings nearly three decades of preparing public
infrastructure funding strategies, fiscal and economic impact studies, market absorption studies, pro
forma cash flow analyses, tax increment projections and redevelopment feasibility studies, and
jobs/housing and affordable/workforce housing programs. He also has expertise in valuing real
estate portfolios, restructuring the financial elements of real estate deals, and assessing ground lease
and related development proposals for residential, non-residential, and institutional land uses.
Dave has personally directed the evaluation, preparation, and implementation of land-secured
financing districts and public facilities financing plans designed to fund billions of dollars of
infrastructure throughout California, Hawaii, and Nevada. In a hands-on fashion, he has supervised
the formation of hundreds of Community Facilities Districts (CFDs), having developed complex
cash flow models and special tax formulas that determine the capacity, structure, and timing of land-
secured debt financing and ongoing municipal services programs.
Dave has been a conference panelist, moderator, and speaker on public financing topics for
the League of California Cities, multiple California chapters of the American Public Works
Association, the California Redevelopment Association, the Hawaii Municipal Attorneys
Conference, the Hawaii Congress of Planning Officials, the Land Use Research Foundation of
Hawaii, the Hawaii State Association of Counties, and the Hawaii Leeward Planning Conference, as
well as a guest lecturer at both UC Berkeley and UC Davis.
Education
B.S., Industrial Engineering, Stanford University
M.B.A., University of California at Los Angeles
Victor Irzyk
Senior Principal and Founding Partner
Victor Irzyk has extensive experience in municipal finance and has applied his knowledge to
develop complex cash flow models that evaluate the one-time and annual financial impacts
associated with new development projects, redevelopment areas, annexations, incorporations, and
consolidations. He has prepared numerous economic and fiscal impact studies that project the
revenues, expenses, population growth, and job creation impacts from new development projects.
Victor has also worked on many land-secured financings that involved multiple bond issues,
escalating debt service, and backup tax and prepayment formulas, and he has worked with public
agencies to implement CFDs that provide funding for capital improvements and/or municipal
services.
Victor has considerable experience developing AB 1600 impact fee programs that are not
only consistent with the law but also consider other important factors, such as marketability of the
proposed fees and competitiveness with other local jurisdictions. He has structured many
Goodwin Consulting Group, Inc. 8 SOQ FY 2025-26
comprehensive development impact fee programs that incorporate multiple fee zones, distinct infill
fees, alternate funding sources, and detailed fee credit and reimbursement methodologies. Victor has
a keen understanding of the nexus provisions established in the Mitigation Fee Act and is well
versed in federal and state case law as it relates to development impact fees.
Victor manages GCG’s CFD administration department and is responsible for the calculation
and submittal of special tax levies for CFDs throughout the State. As part of the annual CFD
administration services, he oversees the preparation and dissemination of SEC-required continuing
disclosure reports to the municipal bond market, arbitrage rebate and yield reduction calculations for
tax-exempt bond issues, annual reporting to the California Debt and Investment Advisory
Commission, bond payoff calculations for property owners, inquiries from taxpayers, and tax
delinquency monitoring and foreclosure assistance.
Education
B.S., Mathematics, University of Illinois-Chicago
M.B.A., University of Southern
Cindy Yan
Principal
Cindy Yan has considerable experience in a wide range of professional services, including
fiscal impact analysis, financial feasibility, economic impact studies, tax increment projections, and
AB 1600 impact fee studies. She has prepared comprehensive infrastructure financing strategies for
new developments, analyzing both the one-time and annual burdens on new projects as well as
reimbursement strategies for oversized facilities. In addition, Cindy has prepared fiscal impact
studies that incorporate multiple development scenarios, phasing plans, and public agencies to
evaluate impacts from new development.
Cindy has also developed innovative tax apportionment methods for CFDs throughout
California and Hawaii, encompassing multiple improvement areas, tax zones, development
categories, and land use types. She has extensive knowledge in the area of financing district
administration, having supervised the annual levy and collection of special taxes in many California
counties. Cindy has significant experience in preparing and reviewing special tax levies, annual
CFD and continuing disclosure reports, and backup tax and prepayment calculations.
Cindy’s direct experience in these roles spans nearly 20 years, all of them with GCG.
Education
B.A., Political, Legal & Economic Analysis, Mills College
M.B.A., Mills College
Goodwin Consulting Group, Inc. 9 SOQ FY 2025-26
Section IV.
This section contains a sampling of projects for which GCG provided a variety of consulting
services in Hawaii, as well as contact information for multiple Hawaii clients. A partial list of all
GCG public and private sector clients is provided in Appendix A of this Real Estate Public Finance
and Urban Economics Advisory Services SOQ. For more information about GCG, please visit our
website at www.goodwinconsultinggroup.net.
GCG has a long history – spanning two decades as of next year – of working in Hawaii with
State and County public agencies on numerous projects ranging from project feasibility analyses to
pro forma cash flow projections, public facilities financing plans, market and economic impact
studies, CFD and Improvement District (ID) formation projects, land-secured financing feasibility
analyses, parking feasibility studies, project-specific fiscal impact studies, affordable housing
projects, and policy level research and analysis reports involving affordable/workforce housing,
shoreline acquisition and maintenance, and 21st century schools. We have worked closely with staff
at all levels of State government, as well as County Council members, Mayors, Managing Directors,
Department Directors, and the Executive Director of a Business Improvement District (BID). GCG
has been asked to speak and moderate at multiple conferences and forums in Hawaii, and to deliver
presentations to County Councils as well as Mayors and their Cabinets.
We feel confident that we have been, and still are, fostering long-term relationships in
Hawaii, and that we have forged strong connections with State and County elected officials and staff,
their consultants, and many in the Hawaii real estate industry. Our specific, relevant, and recent
experience working directly with folks at all levels in State and County government in Hawaii have
allowed us to develop a keen sense of the critical real estate and financial market, political, weather
and geography, development cost structure, housing, commercial, and financial feasibility issues and
obstacles that must be overcome in this unique area of the country and, indeed, of the planet.
It is likely that no firm knows more than GCG about land-secured financing, as well as tax
increment and the issues surrounding tax increment financing, in Hawaii. These and other financing
tools that GCG plans, implements, and administers, may be good candidates to facilitate
redevelopment. GCG has been analyzing various land-secured financing and tax increment
proposals in Hawaii for years, as illustrated in the sample projects presented below. In addition,
GCG examined the County of Hawaii tax increment code (HCC Chapter 33), recommended key
revisions, and prepared a redline version of Chapter 33 for decision-makers to consider. GCG also
was instrumental during state legislative sessions in working with senator’s and assemblyperson’s
offices and the Senate Majority Research Office to craft bills related to land-secured financing and
tax increment. GCG played a role in one bill introduced in the State Legislature proposing a
constitutional amendment to explicitly permit bond issues secured by tax increment, and in another
bill proposing to add public services to the list of authorized facilities and services that may be
funded through a CFD. Although neither bill made it out of committee, they may be taken up again
when the Legislature reconvenes and, if passed, the tax increment bill could be put on the ballot in
the next general election. In addition, GCG has met with and worked with the prior Attorney
General, both while he was Managing Director and then as AG, to render a legal opinion from the
AG’s office confirming that tax increment bonds can be issued, which would provide the needed
assurance without a constitutional amendment to effectively utilize this particular financing tools.
REPRESENTATIVE PROJECTS AND PROFESSIONAL REFERENCES IN HI
Goodwin Consulting Group, Inc. 10 SOQ FY 2025-26
Below is the contact information for several Hawaii clients, many of whom are associated
with current or very recent projects that GCG has worked on. Subsequent to the contact info is a
description of some of the work GCG has performed in Hawaii.
Hawaii Client Contact Information
Roy Takemoto, Managing Director (Retired)
County of Hawaii
808-315-6878
roy.takemoto@hawaiicounty.gov
Erin Wade, Senior Planner
County of Maui / Maui Redevelopment Agency
808-269-0649
erin.wade@co.maui.hi.us
Janice Takahashi, Chief Planner
Hawaii Housing Finance & Development Corporation (HHFDC)
808-587-0639
janice.n.takahashi@hawaii.gov
Jeanne Schultz, President & CEO (Retired)
Hawaii Institute for Public Affairs (HIPA)
808-551-7612
jschultz@hipaonline.com
Dave Arakawa, Executive Director
Land Use Research Foundation of Hawaii (LURF)
808-783-9407
darakawa@lurf.org
Todd Apo, Former Vice President Community Development
Howard Hughes Corporation (HHC)
808-781-7761
todd.apo@howardhughes.com
Vincent Shigekuni, Senior Vice President
PBR Hawaii
808-521-5631
vshigekuni@pbrhawaii.com
Goodwin Consulting Group, Inc. 11 SOQ FY 2025-26
Hawaii Project Descriptions
Kaloko Heights CFD, County of Hawaii
The Kaloko Heights project is proposed to include approximately 1,100 homes and a small
amount of local-serving retail space in an area that comprises approximately 400 acres. Located
north of Kona, the project site is bisected by Hina Lani Street, which bifurcates the project into
Phase 1 (north of Hina Lani) and Phase 2 (south of Hina Lani). As special tax consultant, GCG
coordinated with the developer team and the County team to formulate assumptions regarding home
sizes, home prices, and other variables, prepared a CFD cash flow analysis and annual effective tax
rate evaluation, developed the rate and method of apportionment for the CFD, and assisted the team
in preparing resolutions and other legal materials to establish the CFD. The CFD is structured so
that all of the special tax revenue needed to pay debt service on a future bond issue is generated by
development within Phase 1. However, the CFD is also equipped with the ability to levy a special
tax on property within Phase 2 if necessary to ensure that debt service is covered. CFD 1-2021was
formed in late 2021, and GCG worked with the rest of the County’s finance team to prepare for a
bond issuance of approximately $13.1 million in early 2023 to fund a sewer line and related public
improvements. GCG continues to work with the County to provide annual levy and administration
services for this CFD.
ALOHA Homes, Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation
The ALOHA Homes (Affordable Locally Owned Homes for All) concept has been proposed
and refined over the last few years by Senator Stanley Chang with a series of bills introduced to the
State Legislature. Recently, the Leg required that the concept be analyzed by HHFDC, which in turn
retained a team of consultants to prepare a feasibility and implementation study. That team was led
by the Hawaii Budget and Policy Center, and included GCG, Hawaii Planning LLC, Williamson
Chang (professor and legal analyst at UHM William S. Richardson School of Law), and others.
The final report includes an analysis of the Singapore housing model (upon which the
ALOHA Homes concept is based in part), an analysis of other housing models around the world, an
assessment of the financial feasibility of the concept and its ability to maintain housing affordability,
an evaluation of other program elements, and a discussion of conclusions and next steps. Research
and analysis, as well as several case studies, multiple interviews with developers and housing
agencies and community organizations, and four focus groups were utilized to review issues such as
innovative approaches to financing infrastructure, State land contributions, 99-year State land leases,
streamlined entitlement processes, access to construction financing (mortgage revenue bonds, local
lenders, etc.), various dwelling unit restrictions (such as resident/occupancy status and enforcement,
income limits, sales price/equity constraints, and native Hawaiian preferences/set-asides), housing
project design parameters and construction costs, tenant participation/sweat equity, and government
agency involvement.
820 Isenberg Street (Bowl-O-Drome Site), Department of Hawaiian Home Lands
Working as a subconsultant to PBR Hawaii, GCG is assisted the Department of Hawaiian
Home Lands (DHHL) in the process to redevelop the old Bowl-O-Drome site at 820 Isenberg Street
in Honolulu. It is anticipated that the existing structures would be demolished and a new mixed-use
development would be constructed, likely involving ground floor commercial and approximately 15
stories of affordable/workforce housing targeting native Hawaiian households earning up to 80% of
Goodwin Consulting Group, Inc. 12 SOQ FY 2025-26
AMI. GCG’s role involved assisting in the preparation of an RFP to solicit a master developer,
development of the solicitation process schedule, determination of measurable selection criteria,
evaluation of proposals, and recommendation of a finalist. A significant portion of GCG’s next
phase work was intended to focus primarily on financial matters: real estate market depth,
absorption, and market values; public facilities financing feasibility and pro forma cash flow
viability; and ground lease analysis and key parameters, including a term sheet and development
agreement.
Hawaii Housing Action Plan, Hawaii Housing Finance & Development Corporation
This project involved a team of consultants headed by the Hawaii Institute for Public Affairs
(HIPA) that included the Land Use Research Foundation (LURF), R.M. Towill Corporation, and
GCG, in collaboration with and under the direction of HHFDC. GCG prepared the report, with
contributions from the team, entitled “Housing Action Plan Final Report to the Hawaii State
Legislature.” The report describes in detail many affordable housing programs and infrastructure
funding tools that are, or could be, used in Hawaii, presents a series of financing policies and
selection criteria, discusses County and State barriers to, and opportunities for, housing production,
evaluates five planned housing projects (one in each County, plus a TOD project in Honolulu), and
summarizes HHFDC historical activity. The report also offers an array of recommendations to
support and encourage the construction of housing in Hawaii, particularly workforce housing.
Alternative Funding Mechanisms for Acquisition, Improvement, and Maintenance of Shoreline
Public Access, Office of Planning
Based on research and input from an advisory committee organized by OP and representing
government, non-profit, and community interests, this project took a comprehensive look at
shoreline public access, evaluating the existing statutory framework for public access, current
shoreline access points, access liability management issues, and a vast array of potential funding
sources. Working as a subconsultant to PBR Hawaii, GCG researched, described, and organized a
set of over 70 existing and alternative funding sources to acquire, improve, and maintain public
access to Hawaii’s shorelines. The culmination of the project consists of a funding plan that focuses
on organizing statewide interests in shoreline access, developing shoreline access plans, bolstering
and realigning existing funding sources, and exploring the feasibility of adopting new funding
sources.
Funding Alternatives for 21st Century Schools, Hawaii Institute for Public Affairs
Working directly with HIPA, and partnering with the Department of Education (DOE), GCG
prepared an initial report to assist DOE in executing its mandate to install, modernize, and manage
vibrant learning environments for Hawaii’s school-age children. This initial report is intended to be
the first step toward, or the basis for, a more formal plan that would include an in-depth analysis of
how specific funding mechanisms might be used and applied to public schools in Hawaii. Providing
national context, specific DOE context, and the context of schools within the larger umbrella of all
public infrastructure, GCG described funding ideas that may be implemented in whole or in part,
separately or in combination, to increase the availability of funding tools and funding amounts for
the capital needs of public schools. Funding ideas range from state, local, and land-secured tax-
exempt bonds, to tax increment financing and development impact fees, to traditional and alternative
public-private partnerships, public-public partnerships, and various cost reduction and revenue
generation strategies.
Goodwin Consulting Group, Inc. 13 SOQ FY 2025-26
Ward Village, Howard Hughes Corporation
The project area for Ward Village, located in the heart of Honolulu within the Kaka’ako
district, is a master-planned community that covers 60 acres. Several high-rise residential towers are
in various stages of completion, but much more development within the project will occur over the
next decade and beyond, including affordable housing complexes, market-rate and luxury
residences, retail stores, entertainment venues, pedestrian friendly streets, and a four-acre central
park. When completed, Ward Village will comprise over 4,000 homes and over one million square
feet of retail, office, light industrial, and other commercial uses. GCG worked with the project pro
forma and developed a detailed infrastructure financing plan, experimented with CFD and tax
increment financing programs, and concluded that a CFD could fund a vast array of expensive
project-specific and region-serving public facilities. GCG has also worked closely with HHC staff
and City and County of Honolulu staff to educate them about CFDs, and to develop a plan to
establish a CFD to fund Ward Village infrastructure. GCG has prepared required analyses,
resolutions, exhibits, and agreements to start the CFD formation process.
Wailuku Redevelopment Financing Plan and Wailuku Civic Hub Project, County of Maui
The Maui Redevelopment Agency (MRA), which may be the only redevelopment agency in
the state, was updating its plans to revitalize downtown Wailuku within the boundaries of the
Wailuku Redevelopment Area. GCG worked with the MRA through its planning process to identify
the development and redevelopment potential specific to each TMK, analyze when – and how much
– real property tax revenue would be generated by future development, evaluate various capture
scenarios for a Tax Increment District (TID) based on different TID boundary configurations and/or
revenue-sharing approaches with the County, and develop cost estimates for each infrastructure
component, streetscape improvement, park and open space amenity, and other capital facilities
needed to facilitate the revitalization process.
As a follow up to that preliminary work, GCG was asked to participate on the team selected
to plan, design, and implement the proposed Wailuku Civic Hub project, which involves a parking
structure, events facility, and public space in the heart of Wailuku. Working with County staff, the
project team, which includes PBR Hawaii, and landowners, developers, and merchants in downtown
Wailuku, GCG prepared an analysis and report on the fiscal and economic impacts that the proposed
project, as well as all of the development and redevelopment that could occur on vacant and
underutilized parcels in the immediate vicinity of the project, would generate for the State and the
County. GCG also worked with County staff and consultants on a federal Economic Development
Administration grant proposal to fund a portion of the project through EDA’s Economic Adjustment
Assistance program. GCG finished the financing plan and pro forma cash flow projection for the
project, which combined analyzed and demonstrated the opportunities for public-private partnerships
(County and landowners) and public-public partnerships (State and County), and the level of
feasibility as a County project.
Kamakana Villages at Keahuolu, Forest City Enterprises
This master-planned mixed-use community is planned to include approximately 2,200
residential units designed to meet the needs of households at various income levels, with at least
50% affordable to families with household incomes less than 140% of the area median income. The
project also includes nearly 200,000 square feet of commercial development and an elementary
Goodwin Consulting Group, Inc. 14 SOQ FY 2025-26
school. The first phase of GCG’s work involved developing public finance cash flow and bond
sizing models with tax increment and land-secured financing, projecting financial feasibility from an
infrastructure perspective, and drafting materials that discuss project and infrastructure financing.
The second phase of work entailed refining the financial analysis with any changes resulting from
the environmental and entitlement process, and developing a complex, but user-friendly, project pro
forma cash flow model to evaluate overall project profitability and rate of return based on a detailed
waterfall of cash flow distributions and priorities. For the third phase of work, GCG prepared a
comprehensive report and application to the County of Hawaii to initiate the process of forming a
Community Facilities District (CFD) and issuing bonds to fund public facilities required to serve the
project and, to some extent, the region. Future work is anticipated to include implementing the CFD
and other financing mechanisms built into the public financing strategy.
Parking Feasibility Study, Kailua Village Business Improvement District (KVBID)
As part of its strategic planning process, KVBID has been examining ways to improve
parking in the downtown Kailua Village core, assume responsibility for parking operations, and
possibly fund new parking lots or structures. GCG was retained by KVBID to work with PBR
Hawaii to develop a parking management strategy, evaluate the authority of KVBID to provide
parking services and issue bonds to fund parking facilities, conduct a parking revenue and expense
cash flow analysis, and test the feasibility of constructing and funding a parking structure. The
results of the analysis indicate that, while a parking structure may not be feasible, a more efficient
use of existing parking lots and creation of new lots, together with implementation of an automated
parking system, would improve parking and allow KVBID to successfully provide parking services.
The next step was to involve Phase 1 of an implementation plan, which would include the pilot
program summarized in the GCG analysis.
Kona Community Development Plan Public Facilities Financing Plan, County of Hawaii
The Kona CDP was developed to accommodate the needs of future growth in the Kona area
in a proactive way, preserve valued physical and cultural assets, direct growth to appropriate
locations within the CDP area, and encourage the construction of affordable, or workforce, housing.
The CDP area encompasses the judicial districts of North Kona and South Kona, but focuses on a
smaller, designated urban area. The urban area anticipates 10 transit-oriented developments (TODs)
distributed from mauka of the Kona International Airport down to the Keauhou area, including
redevelopment of Kailua Village. At buildout, nearly 12,700 new dwelling units and 4.8 million
square feet of new commercial and industrial space is expected. Working with PBR Hawaii, GCG
prepared a Financing Plan to fund nearly $900 million of public facilities and backbone
infrastructure required to serve the CDP area, including neighborhood, community, and regional
park sites and facilities. A buildout analysis, as well as three scenarios that contemplate initial
development in the northern, central, and southern target zones within the CDP, is included in the
Financing Plan. An array of financing tools was required to formulate a feasible plan and to match
infrastructure needs with appropriate sources of funding, such as general obligation bond and/or tax
increment financing, state revolving fund and federal funding commitments, revenue bonds,
community facilities districts, and development impact fees. The financing strategy recognizes the
critical need in the CDP area for affordable housing and is designed to facilitate its construction.
Finally, the Financing Plan incorporates a detailed set of financing policies to guide the use of
financing tools in a consistent manner. The analysis at this regional planning scale was anticipated
to lead to more detailed work as TOD master plans, individual specific plans, and other development
opportunities emerge.
Goodwin Consulting Group, Inc. 15 SOQ FY 2025-26
Lono Kona Subdivision Sewer Project ID, County of Hawaii
Located within close proximity to the coastline, the Lono Kona subdivision contains single
family units, duplexes, apartments, and several commercial and religious buildings, as well as some
undeveloped parcels. The predominant methods of sewage disposal for properties within the
subdivision are on-site systems such as large capacity cesspools and septic tanks, and many of the
property owners have recently received EPA violation notices related to the use of these sewer
facilities. Working with PBR Hawaii, GCG conducted a feasibility analysis that compared two land-
secured financing tools to determine the best approach to repay the financing for the new sewer
improvements that would connect to the County wastewater system, developed a benefit
methodology for the proposed Improvement District (ID), calculated ID required annual assessments
for each TMK within the subdivision, ran multiple scenarios with different assumptions regarding
USDA Rural Development (RD) grant and below-market interest rate financing, and assisted the
County and its consultants in preparing the Preliminary Engineering Report and RD application.
The next step for GCG, after the RD application was approved, was to update the analyses, prepare
the preliminary assessment roll, and work with the County and PBR Hawaii to draft the Council
reports, resolutions, and other documents necessary to form the ID, and then assist the County in the
issuance of reimbursable GO bonds.
Waikoloa Regional Connector Roads Financing Analysis and CFD, County of Hawai‘i
GCG analyzed the potential for the County of Hawai‘i to fund a system of regional connector
roads costing more than $33 million. The Waikoloa area includes nearly 2,200 existing homes as
well as 4,300 planned units. GCG coordinated with County staff and developer representatives to
determine viable CFD special tax rates for both existing and future development necessary to fund
the required infrastructure using a Community Facilities District. After developers expressed
concerns regarding a special tax on vacant land, GCG assisted the County with developing an
alternative financing mechanism in which reimbursable general obligation bonds would be issued,
special tax revenue from developed property would be pledged to repay the bonds, and undeveloped
property would only be taxed after a specified number of years had elapsed or a certain development
threshold had been triggered.
Waimea Connector Roads/Parker Ranch CFD, County of Hawai‘i
GCG analyzed if the County could fund a proposed $15 million regional connector road
under six bond structuring scenarios. GCG evaluated the annual CFD financing costs, maximum
special tax rates, and estimated prepayment amounts per net acre for each scenario. Although the
Waimea connector is required in three phases as development progresses, the proposed CFD would
allow the connector to be built in one phase and in a timely manner. GCG worked closely with
County staff and the project developer to ensure that both public and private interests are satisfied.
Kamanu Street CFD, County of Hawai‘i
The Kamanu Street CFD encompasses over 400 acres of general industrial, commercial-
industrial mixed, and public land uses on the Big Island’s west side. GCG analyzed multiple
funding mechanisms, including the use of CFD bonds and general obligation bonds, to fund an
extension to Kamanu Street. GCG calculated the required annual burden for each land use by
ownership, and drafted a rate and method of apportionment of special tax to include multiple tax
zones and rates.
Goodwin Consulting Group, Inc. 16 SOQ FY 2025-26
Kilohana Sewer Improvement Financing Analysis, County of Hawaii
Wastewater improvements in the Kilohana area consist of individual cesspools or large
capacity cesspools, which potentially pose public health risks and environmental concerns. GCG
evaluated multiple scenarios of the annual burden likely to be borne by different subdivisions in the
Kilohana area to fund the necessary infrastructure costs. In addition, GCG evaluated the advantages
and disadvantages of various funding alternatives, including a Community Facilities District,
Improvement District, Tax Increment District, and private financing. The results of the analysis
aided the County to select the best funding mechanism for the required infrastructure needs.
North Kona Wastewater Facilities Financing Analysis, County of Hawaii
Nearly 10,000 residential units are proposed on 3,000 acres, and the North Kona area will
require almost $170 million in sewer infrastructure. GCG worked with County staff to develop a
baseline analysis and numerous sensitivity tests to evaluate the impact on different land uses from
funding all of the wastewater infrastructure requirements. GCG recommended an appropriate
funding mechanism, and suggested that the wastewater financing be integrated into a larger
financing analysis that considers all of the public facility requirements for the area.
Goodwin Consulting Group, Inc. 17 SOQ FY 2025-26
SECTION V.
GCG proposes to utilize the following hourly rate schedule when submitting monthly invoices for
services. These rates will be effective through June 30, 2026, at which time they may be adjusted to
reflect cost of living or other inflationary changes.
GCG HOURLY SERVICE RATES
Managing Principal $360 / hour
Senior Principal $350 / hour
Principal $310 / hour
Vice President $275 / hour
Senior Associate $250 / hour
Associate $230 / hour
Analyst $215 / hour
Research Assistant $95 / hour
In addition to fees for services, GCG proposes to be reimbursed for direct expenses, including travel,
report production, photocopying, data sources, courier, overnight delivery, and long-distance
conference call expenses.
CURRENT BILLING STRUCTURE
Appendix
Goodwin Consulting Group, Inc.
Sampling of Public and Private Sector Clients
GOODWIN CONSULTING GROUP, INC.
SAMPLING OF PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTOR CLIENTS
City of Antioch
Northstar Community Services District
H.D. Arnaiz Corporation City of Oakdale
Association of Bay Area Governments City of Palmdale
City of Atwater City of Patterson
Bolinas Fire Protection District City of Pittsburg
County of Calaveras County of Placer
Catellus Development Corporation City of Rancho Cordova
Centex Homes Ranchwood Homes Corporation
City of Citrus Heights Reynen & Bardis
County of Contra Costa City of Rio Vista
Del Valle Homes City of Ripon
City of Dixon City of Riverbank
Downtown Truckee Merchants Association River Islands Public Financing Authority
Duc Housing City of Rocklin
East West Partners City of Rohnert Park
EDAW City of Roseville
City of Elk Grove RRM Design Group
Elk Grove Community Services District SACOG
EMC Planning Group City of Sacramento
City of Escalon County of Sacramento
Fancher Creek Properties Salida Area Public Facilities Financing Agency
Forest City Enterprises San Francisco Redevelopment Agency
City of Fremont City of San Jose
City of Fresno City of San Luis Obispo
City of Galt City of Santa Rosa
Gerry Kamilos LLC Schools Infrastructure Financing Agency
Grupe Company Shea Properties
County of Hawaii Shea Homes
State of Hawaii, Office of Planning Standard Pacific
City of Hayward County of Stanislaus
Heritage Homes Steiner Development
Insite Environmental Sterling Pacific Assets
The Irvine Community Development Co. City of Stockton
Kailua Village Business Improvement District County of Sutter
Kirkwood Meadows Public Utilities District City of Tracy
Lammersville School District Treasure Island Community Development LLC
City of Lathrop Trimark Communities
Lennar Communities Town of Truckee
Linden Unified School District University of California, Davis
City of Los Banos City of Vacaville
Marin County Redevelopment Agency City of Vallejo
McSwain Elementary School District Vallejo City Unified School District
Maui Redevelopment Agency Werner Group
City of Merced City of Winters
City of Modesto City of Woodland
Mountain House Community Services District County of Yuba
THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK