21-04-28 EMC minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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budget matters. If we say we support the budget as is, that’s all we can do. It’s not necessary for us as a Commission. Commissioner Olson reiterated, “not towhip the horse,” that the Commission has a seat at the table by the same methodology that the Mayor and all of the Council Members have a seat at the table. It is a creation of a vote of eligible voters on the Island of Hawaii. The majority of the people on this island felt it was important enoughto create this body, and to speak to these issues directly to these other elected officials. He was not saying that we at any opportunity should go and speak to what we believe are the needs, but it is pretty fundamental, and the reason he could say that is we got a majority of votes that created the organization. So if he had any fault, in the past we have not exercised what he saw as an obligation. Director Mansour said maybe what you need to do, because this is close to your heart and everybody on the Commission, and after what the Commission has heard from Mr. Hayducsko – he is kind of hesitant to split the education budget because that is going to take away from other educational programs – that you need to do for the entire year, what you need to do is maybe you ought to request an additional $50,000 to be put to the budget to allow for the contract to move forward. That way, at least that $50,000 will be dedicated just to that study, and it would be approved by the Council upon your request. That way you always will guarantee that the study would be done because that $50,000 will be dedicated for that particular study. Otherwise he could see Mr. Hayducsko and the Solid Waste Division struggling between other educational programs. So maybe what Commissioner Olson was saying if it’s your obligation and you want this study to be done, maybe ask for dedicated funds to go to that study. Commissioner Olson commented that he would support that as a mechanism to accomplish the goal. Commissioner Cardwell asked what is the action to be taken? If we have a seat at the table, and it’s our kuleana to make some movement in these matters, then what specific action do we take? It does sound like that idea of drafting a letter to ask for an additional $50,000 to be specifically spent on that study, it seems like that would be well within our power to do that. She said she would be willing to work on that letter Motion and second: Commissioner Cardwellmade a motion that the Commission write a letter to the Council to recommend that $50,000 be added in the FY 21-22 operating budget to a Life Cycle Analysis study, to which Commissioner Olson seconded. Discussion: Commissioner Robinson asked whether asking for an additional $50,000 would cause some confusion because it’s already an ask in the other bucket of money; and she is wondering if the whether the Council will think we’re asking for $100,000. Commissioner Olson said we could clarify it. 14