COM 0760.000 1996-1998 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Stephen K Yamashiro Mayor duunfV of �tt£utcii PLANNING COMMISSION 25 Aupuni Street, Room 109 • Hilo, Hawaii %720+1252 (808) %1.8288 • Fax (808) %1-9615 Honorable James Y. Arakaki, Chairman and Members of the County Council County of Hawaii 25 Aupuni Street Hilo, HI 96720 Dear Chairman Arakaki and Members: Planning Director Initiated Charter Amendment of the Hawaii County Charter (1991), Relating to the Planning Director. Planning Commission and Board of Appeals The Planning Commission at its meeting of February 20, 1998, voted to recommend the approval of the proposed bill to initiate a charter amendment of the Hawaii County Charter (199 1) relating to the Planning Director (Section 5-4.2), Planning Commission (Section 5-4.3) and Board of Appeals (Section 5-6.3). The purpose of the proposed bill is to provide for a more effective appeals system to reduce duplication and conflicts with state law, and to eliminate the existing conflict of the duties of the Planning Commission and the Board of Appeals. The proposed bill would also place the Board of Appeals, for administrative purposes, in the Office of the Corporation Counsel instead of the Planning Department. The Commission requested that the Council give consideration to alternative methods of solving the problem of having attorneys from the Corporation Counsel's Office representing the Planning Director/Chief Engineer, Planning Commission and Board of Appeals. The Commission felt the Board of Appeals needed to have outside counsel to make it completely independent of the County.