MIN CHARTER 2019-04-25 (2018-2020)

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Hawai`i County Charter Commission -10 April 25, 2019 CHR. ADAMS: Okay. MS. TODD: And then I can discuss the materials and why I sent them. CHR. ADAMS: Great. Thank you. Moving on to Communication No. 41.3, Position Description for Fire Captain. Without objection, we will consider that when we come to CA -24. And Communication No. 46 Calling a Special Election for Charter Commission Proposals. So you will note that I got a little wordy at the end of our last meeting when we were talking about the possibility of... to consider this, that was probably a little ahead of the game, but the idea of allowing the Commission to address the fact that we will have all things being equal, we will have proposals to the Clerk by the latest, by the beginning of September, which will then mean if we were following the schedule that we have had... that we have listed as a part of our calendar, would be about 14 months prior to the November 2020 election. And so, I just bring up the idea that having...holding a special election as opposed to having this as a part of the general election is an option. You have heard and seen a variety of comments. I have received a variety of comments as well. What I did appreciate is that our Elections Program Administrator did provide us a cost analysis as a part of the Communication. Does anyone have any discussion that they would like to make, or comments that they would like to make on this particular Communication? Commissioner Rice. MS. RICE: I can appreciate the... getting this on... under way, but I... listening to the public testimony on this, and from my own perspective, I think it would be better to consider it with the regular election from a financial point of view, I just don't see spending that kind of money for a special election and I do think that the public, there is quite a bit that we are going to throw at them in amendments and I think having that extra time until November of 2020 is better. We can do more education. The League of Women Voters can have the time to go through those and get material out to the general public. CHR. ADAMS: Okay, thank you. Commissioner Roehrig. MR. ROEHRIG: If there is a special election and these Charter amendments go before the public, what type of vote does it take to pass? A majority of the people that vote? Okay, then I have a comment. So potentially you are talking about one percent of the population making new law for this County, and I don't think one percent of the population should control what the law is. Looking at the public turnout just at the meeting... manini you know, you have three, four, five, people there, very little interest... I cannot see that people are going to take off from Page 29