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

Home

Hawai`i County Charter Commission -10 April 25, 2019 SUSAN DURSIN: Proposal No. CA -18 in support, Proposal No. CA -27 in opposition and Proposal Nos. CA -20 and CA -28, commenting. MS. DURSIN: Yes, my name is Susan Dursin and I am testifying for myself today in favor of CA -18. Opposed to CA -27, and then I have just a few comments on CA -20 and CA -28. On 18 I just want to add my voice to excellent testimony that has been given from people who actually are volunteers and who have worked to coordinate the volunteer effort. We can see that Commissioner Rice's wording that would go into Section H6 of CA -18 is really good. It shows that the allocation of these funds will be prepared for by the business plan and overseen. We certainly hope a staff person in the Department of Finance and so in any case, do support the amendment in CA -18. As for CA -27, once again that testimony seems to be very clear and we just don't want that wording if it were included to result in unintended consequences. As far as CA -18 which has to do with the flow chart and the way that the Charter review is set up, the timing of it, it seems to me that if... you know... I know that Chair Adams particularly would want to align this part of the Charter with the HRS (Hawai`i Revised Statutes) Chapter 50, but I wonder whether some of this really needs to be done in order to go parallel to the HRS. If you move the beginning stages of the Charter review from July to January of the year preceding the election, I am wondering whether it... that is going to give adequate time. I mean on the face of it, it would look like it, but elections you know, seem to... everything has to be in place far before the actual date of the election, and one point of this is that I wonder whether 30 days which seems to be what is allocated for the Council review of the amendments, the proposed amendments, whether that is actually long enough after all they only meet every other week, they have... they, in the case of having many amendments which seems to happen now, whether they would have time to adequately review those proposals and to come back with possible alternatives. And that is another important step which needs to be protected. My other concern is whether it would allow enough time at the end for groups that want to do voter education and it actually... I know it says 45 days the wording would go out to be posted online and in publications, but 45 days is not very long. Not for people to start to educate the public. So in any case, I wish you would look at that. And my final comment on CA -18 which really isn't the heart of this proposal but it does have to do with the Commission and the appointment of it, I wish earlier I had been cognizant of the fact of how this body is set up and I would far prefer to see it appointed by people, well, to include people who are recommended by Council members and that there would be one Commission member from each Council District. You know, I don't know at this time whether it is too late to Page 8