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From: Debbie H <hecht.deb@gmail.com> <br />Sent: Wednesday, May 22, 2019 2:56 PM <br />To: Charter Commission <br />Subject: Charter Commission CA -9 One Staff position to be paid from the 2% Land Fund <br />Please send to all Charter Commission members and please include my email and <br />phone number in case they have questions or suggestions. Please acknowledge <br />receipt of this email. <br />Mahalo- <br />Debbie Hecht <br />hecht.debc gmail.com <br />Aloha Charter Commissioners: <br />We respectfully request that you approve our proposed changes to the existing CA -9 to <br />clarify the language of the amendment. These changes would enable us to run a <br />campaign in favor of the CA -9 amendment at the polls. We feel this position will <br />strengthen the 2% Land Fund program by enabling: <br />1. More land to be acquired <br />2. More stewardship grants to be funded so that these lands can be properly maintained. <br />THE ISSUE: Using the 2% Land Fund to pay for ONLY One staff person to work on <br />acquisition and Maintenance Fund grants. <br />PLEASE SUPPORT OUR PROPOSED LANGUAGE. A big mahalo to Commissioner Hopkins for submitting <br />the underlined clarifications: <br />(3) "Pay for the salary, wages and benefits of one full-time staff member, employed by the <br />Department of Finance dedicated only to advancing administering the activities contained <br />within this section and Section 10-16 of this charter. This is in addition to a staff person <br />provided for in the Hawaii County Code to assist the Public Access, Open Space and Natural <br />Resources Commission." <br />Here is what is currently in CA -9: <br />(3) "Pay for the salary, wages and benefits of staff dedicated to advancing the Activities contained <br />within this section and Section 10-16 of this charter." <br />We are OPPOSED to this language because it is AMBIGUOUS: <br />1. "STAFF" CAN MEAN ONE OR MANY STAFF PEOPLE - <br />The clause does not define how many staff members. One, two, ten staff people? We want <br />to make sure that only ONE staff member's salary is subtracted from the 2% Land Fund so as <br />not to diminish the money available for property acquisition. A person with real estate <br />experience regarding conservation lands could cost $100,000 per year. Below are the current <br />1 <br />Comm. No. 24.105 <br />