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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2021-11-12 Redistricting Commission Agenda Packet Hawaii County ;.Earl<'s - 11/05/2021 03:21 :50 PM BRONSTEN-GLENN KOSSOW J��'!'�P�4i�, MEIZHU EUI Chairperson 4�•• � ,4 DWAYNE YOSHINA LEHUANANI AH NEE JAMES HUSTACE JENNIFER YADAO Vice Chairperson STEPHANIE BATH _ AINA AKAMU �` �•• STEPHEN LOPEZ +f•�� goo f\\ �TFOVN�'� 2021 HAWAII COUNTY REDISTRICTING COMMISSION AGENDA November 12, 2021 9:30 a.m. 25 Aupuni Street Hilo, Hawaii 96720 7th Session Pursuant to the Governor's most recent proclamation, in order to minimize physical contact, maximize social distancing, and help prevent the spread of COVID-19, this meeting will not be open to the public for in-person attendance. This session will be held by interactive video conference through the Zoom platform. Public Viewing The public may observe the meeting by viewing a livestream on the Commission's YouTube channel at: �'IttPS-//WWW.y(�)tttttne,colon/°Iiai.iiiel/W1( YcBy9ME)fz. Xir�12y(lg2sl<la . Note: if technical difficulties disrupt the livestreann, the meeting inay continue. Providing Oral Testimony: The public may provide oral testimony to commissioners via videoconference through Zoom. To request access, email r. edit ni �Inga.).un ��is�� ofi(ii,ina ann� ()trriQy Dov or call 808-961-8020 no later than 12 noon, Thursday, November 11, 2021. If you record a voicemail,please indicate an email address. When a request is received, Commission staff will provide information on how to access the meeting through Zoom, along with brief instructions. Written Testimony: For best ensuring timely delivery to commissioners prior to the meeting, written testimony should be submitted before 12 noon, Thursday, November 11, 2021 by: (1) email to r(,,districtjtiitn,ouiimriissioti(>hawai iCOLInty. tiov., 2) facsimile to (808) 961-8673, or(3) mail to Redistricting Commission, Office of the County Clerk, 25 Aupuni Street, Suite 1402, Hilo, Hawaii 96720. All written testimony, regardless of time of receipt, will be part of the permanent record. Hawai`i Countv is an Equal Opportunio) Provider and Employer Hawaii County Clerk's - 11/05/2021 03:21 :50 PM 2021 Redistricting Commission—7"' Page 2 November 12,2021 ORDER OF BUSINESS CALL TO ORDER ROLL CALL Welcome new Commissioner Lehuanani Ah Nee, representing Council District 3. Commissioner Ah Nee was appointed by Mayor Roth on October 14, 2021 to fill the District 3 vacancy and confirmed by the County Council on November 3, 2021. The Commission will welcome its new commissioner and Commissioner Ah Nee may offer introductory comments on her background. STATEMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC ON AGENDA ITEMS (Testimony will be taken only on agenda items and will be limited for a length of time determined at the discretion of the Chairperson, not to be less than three minutes per item.) APPROVAL OF MINUTES September 23, 2021 meeting— 3rd session September 30, 2021 meeting—4th session (training) COMMUNICATIONS Communication 23 From Deputy Corporation Counsel Diana M. Mellon-Lacey: responding to an inquiry from a commissioner regarding clarifications on the process for considering an additional council district. Summary of comments received during public hearings Pursuant to Section 3-17(e) of the Hawai'i County Charter, the Commission shall hold at least one public hearing in each of the nine council districts prior to completing a draft of the redistricting plan. The Commission conducted these hearings October 18, 2021 through November 8, 2021. Following the November 8 hearing, Commission support staff and Chairperson Kossow will provide a summary of comments received at all hearings for commissioners to review and discuss. UNFINISHED BUSINESS 1. Alternate Plans The Commission may review, discuss, and consider any alternate redistricting plans received from the public pursuant to Hawaii County Code Chapter 36, Article 5. Plans proposed may be viewed at: httlp; ://arcg'�S/�,_ ;'���'� 10.. 2. Draft Plans The Commission may review, discuss, and consider any redistricting plans submitted by Commissioners and work to develop or decide on its Draft Plan. Plans proposed may be viewed at: 1111 �s Larcg..p„/l F.I e�0 Hawaii County Clerk's - 11/05/2021 03:21 :50 PM 2021 Redistricting Commission—7"' Page 3 November 12,2021 NEW BUSINESS 1. Discussion on potential district changes, adjustments, and rationale regarding the Commission draft plan and report Requested by Commissioner Bath, commissioners may discuss, share, and exchange their thoughts and views about their respective and adjacent districts. The Commission continues to develop a draft redistricting map plan for the public to consider before concluding on a final plan. During this portion of the session, Commissioners may engage in dialogue to identify guiding principles or concepts when considering any proposed changes to council district maps, individually present an overview of their districts, and identify key considerations, issues, and approaches relating to redistricting. 2. Update of progress on the request of Corporation Counsel to petition for an extension of time for the Commission to submit its final redistricting plan During its September 9, 2021 —2nd session meeting, the Commission voted to petition the Mayor with a draft timeline that proposes an alternate schedule extending its Charter-imposed deadline, while continuing with its current timeline. Commissioner Lopez requests an update on this matter. REPORTS REFERRALS FOR EXECUTIVE SESSION ANNOUNCEMENTS The next regular meeting of the Commission is scheduled for Tuesday, November 23, 2021 at 9:30 a.m. The Commission has set an internal deadline of December 9, 2021 to determine its draft plan. Tentative dates for public hearings upon completion of a draft redistricting plan, which shall be one each in East Hawaii and West Hawaii (reference: County Charter Section 3-17 (e)) Tuesday, December 14, 2021 Thursday, December 16, 2021 Further details will be provided and publicly posted when confirmed. Archived videos of past Commission sessions as of the September 23, 2021 (3rd session) are available for viewing on the Commission YouTube channel at: h t:: wa //wwyw yd u:u...�a�iac c.otn/c in.��u���eiA.J1 Yrs1y9M7C,:)f/, u�u2�ygg2si iag Any other announcements by Commissioners or Commission staff may be provided. Contact phone number for any Commission information: 808-961-8020 ADJOURNMENT Hawaii County Clerk's - 11/05/2021 03:21 :50 PM 2021 Redistricting Commission—7"' Page 4 November 12,2021 If you need an auxiliary aid/service or other accommodation due to a disability,please call 808-961-8020 as soon as possible, preferably by November 10, 2021. If a response is received after November 10, 2021, we will try to obtain the auxiliary aid/service or accommodation, but we cannot guarantee that the request will be fulfilled. Commissioners may also be present at the West Hawaii Civic Center Council Chamber, West Hawaii Civic Center, 74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Highway, Building A. Commissioners may also be participating via attendance through videoconferencing by the Zoom platform. 2021 HAWAII COUNTY REDISTRICTING COMMISSION DRAFT 3rd Session Thursday, September 23, 2021 County Council Chambers 25 Aupuni Street Hilo, Hawaii 96720 ATTENDANCE: Present: Mr. `Rina Akamu, Commissioner(via Zoom) Ms. Stephanie Bath, Commissioner Mr. James Hustace, Vice Chairperson Mr. Bronsten-Glenn Kossow, Chairperson Mr. Stephen Lopez, Commissioner Mr. Meizhu Lui, Commissioner(via Zoom) Ms. Breeani Sumera-Lee, Commissioner (via Zoom) Ms. Jennifer Yadao, Commissioner Mr. Dwayne Yoshina, Commissioner Also Present: Diana Mellon-Lacey, Deputy Corporation Counsel Pat Nakamoto, Elections Program Administrator Cori Saiki, Elections Program Specialist I Dennis Kauka Jr., Legislative Specialist/ Secretary CALL TO ORDER: KOSSOW: Welcome to the Yd Session of the County of Hawaii Redistricting Commission. Today is Thursday, September 23rd, 2021. My name is Bronsten. I'm the Chairperson here. I'd like to start with a notice announcement that I'll read. Because of the Coronavirus COVID-19 Emergency and State and Federal guidance on large meetings and gatherings, and pursuant to the Mayor's Proclamations regarding COVID- 19, the Redistricting Commission meetings are currently not open to the public to attend in-person until further notice. Members of the public may view or provide oral testimony via the Zoom platform by requesting for this information as noticed on our posted agendas. Thank you for your understanding. I now call this meeting to order. The time is 9:35 a.m. ROLL CALL Welcome of newly sworn-in Commissioner Sumera-Lee KOSSOW: Let's start with a roll call. Commissioners, when you are called upon, please indicate that you are present and whether you are in Hilo, Kona, or participating by remote virtually. Mr. Kauka? KAUKA: Thank you. Commissioner Lui, "Present and I'm Zooming in," Commissioner Yoshina, "Here," and that's from Hilo. Commissioner Sumera-Lee, (No response), Commissioner Yadao, "Present, Hilo," Commissioner Bath, "Present, Hilo," Commissioner Akamu, "Present via Zoom," Commissioner Lopez, "Present, Kona," Commissioner Hustace "Present in Kona," Chair Kossow, "Here, Kona." Thank you. Chair, you have eight members present. KOSSOW: Commissioners, thank you for being present today. As a reminder, during this meeting we are working with Commissioners in multiple locations. The audio of the meeting is being recorded so as much as possible, let's try to avoid overtalks as much as possible. Please keep your microphones on mute unless you are speaking, and we ask that for members of the public who are turned on as well. Commissioners in either chambers, your microphone can be activated by pressing the button at the base. I won't be able to recognize you if the audio is not coming through so be sure to check if that's on first when speaking. As I am presiding from Kona, Commissioners here with me,please turn on your light and get my attention so you can be recognized. For those in Hilo or remote, we'll have to make a go for it so speak out with your name if you need be and I'll recognize you. After I recognize your request to speak, please state your name for the record. If you don't state your name first, we may interrupt to clarify who is speaking for the minutes. Thank you all. And Mr. Kauka, Ms. Sumera-Lee is not here. Correct? KAUKA: That's correct, Chair. She has not connected yet. KOSSOW: Okay. 2 STATEMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC ON AGENDA ITEMS KOSSOW: We're going to move over to statements from the public. Staff, can you confirm the amount of testifiers we currently have for today? KAUKA: Thank you, Chair. We currently have two testifiers signed up. One has requested to provide her testimony at the end of the agenda. So, at this time I'd like to call upon Mr. Jacob Aki from Common Cause Hawaii. Oh, I'm sorry, Mr. Chair, if you wanted to make an announcement first. KOSSOW: Testifiers,please note, you will have three minutes for each item on the agenda to provide your statement. If you are speaking on multiple items,please indicate when you're transitioning. We kindly ask that you wait to be unmuted and called upon. If there are issues when you are called, after trying for some time, we may have moved on while staff tries to work with you offline and we'll try to get back to you. When there are thirty seconds remaining, we may indicate this to you and ask that you summarize. Before you speak, please state your name for the record and the item you are testifying on. Mr. Kauka? KAUKA: Thank you, Mr. Chair. The first testifier is Mr. Jacob Aki from Common Cause Hawaii. Mr. Aki, you may unmute yourself and you have three mintues. JACOB AKI AKL Thank you. Aloha, Chair, Vice-Chair, and members of the Hawaii County Commission. My name is Jacob Aki on behalf of Common Cause. Common Cause is a non-partisan, non-profit, grassroots organization dedicated to upholding the core values of Amercian democracy and ensuring a fair and transparent reapportionment and redistricting process. Common Cause would like to thank this Commission for taking our requests from the last meeting into consideration. We are glad to see that the Commission meeting is being streamed live on YouTube. And we also commend the Commission for honoring the intent of the Sunshine Law and allowing public testimony not just at the beginning, but at the end of the meeting as well. We have one item that we would like to continue to urge the Commission to do, which is to count incarcerated people according to their home addresses as of April 1, 2020, for the purposes of drawing council district lines. Including incarcerated persons in the population count for the district in which their facility is located alters representational preportions and as a result, the voting power of residents. Counting Hawai'i`s incarcerated population according to their home addresses will eliminate this particular issue and ensure an accurate and true reapportionment process. We have attached information on how to do this but we would like to again, thank the Commission for your hard work and for your dedication to this process. Thank you. KOSSOW: Thank you, Mr. Aki. Mr. Kauka, is there any more testifers for today? 3 KAUKA: Mr. Chair, not at this time, but we do have participants who are connected and we can open up if anyone tuned in would like to testify to say so now. (No response.) Thank you, Chair. I think we can proceed. APPROVAL OF MINUTES None. COMMUNICATIONS Communication 9.1 KOSSOW: Now, we move onto communications. Commissioners, these documents should be part of your agenda packet in your folders. For Commissioners who are virtual, if you were not able to retrieve your folder prior to today, hopefully you can view online in Public Documents if needed. First is Communication 9.1. Mr. Kauka? KAUKA: Communication 9.1 from Commissioner Lui for informational purposes: transmitting petition from Attorney General to State Supreme Court to adjust deadines to the State Reapportionment Commission. KOSSOW: Thank you. Commissioner Lui, my understanding is that you just wanted to have this available for the body as a reference. Would you like to say anything? LUL No, it's just background information for what we talked about last time in terms of possibly extending our deadline. KOSSOW: Thank you, Commissioner Lui. Any Commissioners have any comments? (No response.) No comments. Thank you, Commissioner. Alright, Commissioners, going forward we'll take action to follow a communications on the agenda. There is no action needed so may I have a motion and a second to file Communication 9.1? Mr. Yoshina moved to file Communication 9.1. Seconded by Ms. Bath. The motion to file Communication 9.1 was carried by the following vote: Ayes: Commissioners Akamu, Bath, Lopez, Lui, Yadao, Yoshina, Vice Chair Hustace, and Chair Kossow. Noes: None. Absent: Commissioner Sumera-Lee. KOSSOW: Motion carries. That's 9 ayes. Next Communication 11, Mr. Kauka? 4 KAUKA: Mr. Chair, sorry to interrupt. So, that was 8 ayes on the last count. KOSSOW: Sorry, 8 ayes. Thank you. LUL Can I just ask a question on that? KOSSOW: Ms. Lui. LUL I just wondered what happened in terms of writing to the Mayor's Office to see whether it was possible to have that potential extension. KOSSOW: Ms. Lui, we'll definitely discuss that later on in the agenda. LUL Oh, okay. Thank you. KOSSOW: Let me just make sure we have that on here. If not, we can probably discuss it in unfinished business. (Pause) Yeah, it's going to be on Number 2 of unfinished business. LUL Thank you. Communication 11 KOSSOW: Thank you, Mr. Hustace. Mr. Kauka, Communication 11. KAUKA: Communication 11 from Chairperson Kossow for review and informational purposes: transmitting breakdown of current total census population within existing council districts. KOSSOW: Thank you. This is just one thing that we found on ESRI. It has the population numbers per district utilizing the 2011 districts with the 2021 data. I just wanted to make sure that everybody has a copy of that. You can also pull it up on ESRI itself. Is there any comments regarding this Communication? (No response.) Okay. May I have a motion and second to file Communication 11? Mr. Hustace moved to file Communication 11. Seconded by Mr. Yoshina. The motion to file Communication 11 was carried by the following vote: Ayes: Commissioners Akamu, Bath, Lopez, Lui, Yadao, Yoshina, Vice Chair Hustace, and Chair Kossow. 5 Noes: None. Absent: Commissioner Sumera-Lee. KOSSOW: Thank you. That's 8 ayes. UNFINISHED BUSINESS KOSSOW: We're moving onto unfinished business. Mr. Kauka? KAUKA: Thank you. Unfinished business: 1. Update on census and mapping related information requested by Commission re ag rding incarcerated persons, overseas military, and destroyed roads in the Puna District. KOSSOW: Thank you. Commissioners, for this item, I'd like to point to Communication 12 which should also be in your folders and was distributed earlier. We have technical support staff to the Commission present in Hilo to answer any questions. I believe if he's not there already, we're trying to get a representative from the eruption recovery staff if there are any questions on the Puna road situation. I'll open it up for any discussion. KAUKA: Mr. Chair, this is Dennis. If I may first too, we do have in the Hilo Chamber Disaster Recovery Officer, Douglas Nam Le. KOSSOW: Okay, thank you. Is there any questions for Mr. Le? I'm sorry did you say he was over Zoom or in the Chambers? KAUKA: He's present with us in Hilo. KOSSOW: Okay. BATH: This is Stephanie Bath. I have a question. KOSSOW: Ms. Bath. BATH: Good morning. So, out Kapoho side in the area where some lots were inundated, there were people that were coming in, going over private roads, and walking into their homes. The question arose earlier, how were they counted or were they counted? The folks that are sort of in transition right now. LE: Good morning. Douglas Le, Disaster Recovery Officer for the County. I appreciate your question, Commissioner. I'm prepared to speak on the status of the restoration of the public roads and some of our coordination on the private roads that were also inundated by the 2018 eruption. I don't know if I can speak to how residents may have been counted as part of the census. As you are all aware, and I think is very known within our 6 community, over 600 homes were destroyed as part of the eruption. Many folks had to relocate in other parts of Puna, our island, and even kind of off-island as well. I can speak to the roads but I unfortunately, I cannot speak to how individual households may have been counted in the census. Including some of those households who are still accessing their isolated properties in the Kapoho area. BATH: Thank you. That's understandable. KOSSOW: Is there any other questions for Mr. Le? Mr. Hustace. HUSTACE: Thank you, Mr. Le. Really just a follow up, and you may not be able to answer this. I think some of us are driving at the point of understanding, and better understanding, impacts of the area, how people were counted, how the census blocks may have changed in that area based upon the change of geographic boundaries, and road boundaries. So, I guess, any sort of information to enlighten us would help. LE: To the extent that I can help to answer that question, I'm not aware of the Census Bureau adjusting any of the census tracts or the boundaries of the block groups as a result of the 2018 eruption. I could work with the Clerk's Office staff supporting this Commission to look into the issue. It is data I look at often in the performance of my duties. I can speak to the road situation in terms of the deliberations of the Commission and our broader communities are really grappling with. The major public arteries that service lower Puna that were impacted by the eruption, Highway 132 has been restored as of November 2019. Portions of Highway 137, the Red Road by MacKenzie and Isaac Hale Beach Park, were also restored shortly after the end of the eruption on a temporary basis. Our County's next steps are to restore Pohoiki Road, and particularly the upper inundated portion. Also, Highway 137 from Four Corners at the Kapoho area, down to Isaac Hale Beach Park. We know that these are pretty significant points of circulation for our community members. There are critical for emergency evacuation purposes when those needs arise. I also understand that they are pretty significant geographic markers in terms of the work that's before the Commission. So, we are working to restore these public roads, if that's helpful. HUSTACE: Thank you, Mr. Le. KOSSOW: Commissioners, any other questions for Mr. Le? (No response.) Okay. Thank you, Mr. Le. We appreciate you coming in. At this time, Commissioners, may I have a motion to close Item 1 of unfinished business and a second? Ms. Bath moved to close Item 1. Seconded by Ms. Lui. HUSTACE: I have a question, Chair. If you don't mind. Just a comment on that since we have a motion on the floor. Do we need to update Commissioners on the incarcerated status of individuals for this item? 7 KOSSOW: I believe the incarcerated items are located—excuse me. You're right. Before we move on with the motion we can continue to HUSTACE: Well, the motion's on the floor, right. So, we can have some discussion. KOSSOW: We would be able to have a discussion. Yes. HUSTACE: If you don't mind. KOSSOW: Absolutely. Is Elections staff available for the comment on incarcerated persons and overseas military? I believe there was communication that was filed. Is that Communication 12? KAUKA: Mr. Chair, I don't think we have a communication filed but the Elections Office staff member is available in Hilo. KOSSOW: Mr. Hustace if you want to HUSTACE: Sure. Thank you, Chair. Sorry to stall your motion there but with just some discussion on the floor about it, if we could enlighten the Commissioners about any updates with the incarcerated status of citizens, where they were counted. So, if Ms. Nakamoto could share with the Commissioners about that information and what was really determined by Mr. Jones in the redistricting tool that we have those numbers in front of us. Thank you, Ms. Nakamoto, for joining us. NAKAMOTO: Thank you. Patricia Nakamoto, Elections Program Administrator for the County of Hawaii. I have been in contact with several individuals and agencies regarding the incarcerated individuals when the census was taken. I spoke with the warden at the Punahele facility, and I was told that a census taker was given access to the facility and was able to assist the individuals there with completing the census forms. The census forms were submitted to the Census Bureau. He was not aware of where these individuals listed as their residence address. He did tell me that some of the individuals are homeless and so they may have used the facility address or another address where they spend most of their time. But he was not aware of any of the information that was on the census form that was turned into the census taker. KOSSOW: Thank you. Commissioners, any other questions? BATH: Just a comment. KOSSOW: Ms. Bath. BATH: Thank you. I thought I heard yesterday on NPR, a little story that the Federal government is utilizing incarcerated individuals'jails, or wherever they are incarcerated, as their address. I might have gotten it wrong but, is that true? Does anybody know if 8 that's true, that the Federal government is using the addresses of the facilities the incarcerated are staying at? I might have heard it in error. I was just wondering. KOSSOW: Ms. Lui. LUL I don't know if that's true or not but if it is, it's really not fair. I would not think that we should do it the same way because there are large, incarcerated populations that would increase the numbers in a certain district. And yet, in some of those States too, there's felony disenfranchisement so that's not a good thing at all. But it seems like it's not fair to the places where those people do have permanent homes because those would have an undercount then. I guess after Ms. Nakamoto's report, I guess she's saying that we don't have a way of finding out where the permanent homes are of those people on the island. Is that correct? NAKAMOTO: Yes, based on the information that was provided to me by the warden at the Punahele facility. I did want to mention that I contacted the Department of Public Safety on Oahu. And I was instructed to send an email and my questions to DBEDT. I did that so I am waiting to hear back from them on some information that I had requested like numbers. When I hear from them, I can also ask them if they have information on the addresses of these individuals when the census was taken. I don't know what their answer will be, but I can pose them with that question. LUL Thank you. BATH: Stephanie Bath. KOSSOW: Ms. Bath. BATH: Yeah, I agree that it would be unfair. Based on what Director Nakamoto shared with us about how some people might have put their home addresses rather than their incarcerated addresses down. There's no controlled study involved so I think that if we just go with their home addresses it would make sense. YOSHINA: Mr. Chair, this is Dwayne. KOSSOW: Mr. Yoshina. YOSHINA: Yeah, I'd like to have a clarification of our the Commission's responsibilities, obligations, and authorities of this issue from Corp Counsel. I'm in favor of doing that, what is being suggested but, I'm not too clear as to what the law says. KOSSOW: Okay, is Corp Counsel there? MELLON-LACEY: Yes, this is Diana Mellon-Lacey, Corp Counsel. I need to understand specifically because I had some trouble hearing Ms. Nakamoto. What is being asked? 9 KOSSOW: Mr. Yoshina, would you like to repeat your question. YOSHINA: My question is, what are our responsibilities, obligations, and authorities under the County Charter or State law, to do what is being requested? I'm for doing it. I just want to be clear that we have that authority. MELLON-LACEY: I would like to request some time to just review this in more detail and then do a communication to the Commission,please. YOSHINA: It's okay with me. Thank you. KOSSOW: Ms. Lui. LUL I just wanted to make sure that that did not mean that Director Nakamoto would not ask right away, the State, the question she had. Is Corporation Counsel okay with her going ahead with that question while you're investigating? MELLON-LACEY: Oh yes, absolutely. I didn't know you were asking me. LUL That's no problem. Thank you. KOSSOW: Do we have any other further discussion regarding unfinished business P Mr. Hustace. HUSTACE: Just curious about this timeline here. Like we're in the crunch, the end of the year, right? And we have communication from Common Cause talking about incarcerated people and how to count them at home. We're curious about legality issues. Mr. Yoshina brought that up. About how we can change the data, we'd have to vote on changing that, I think, to allocate those people to the districts that they would call home, if they do have a home that they called home on their census information. I kind of would urge some expediency here with this. It would alter the maps that the public are dealing with and that we're trying to tinker with as well. I don't know where this leaves us but I would agree with this. We're not trying to gerrymander any prison districts so,just curious how this would impact our timeline here. NAKAMOTO: I just have a comment to make. I'm going to continue to ask DBEDT if they can provide us the residence addresses for the individuals who are incarcerated in our Hawaii County facilities at the time the census was taken. I'm assuming that that information has already been provided to the Census Bureau. Because this is such a transient population within these facilities, their information may have changed from the time that that information was submitted to the Census Bureau. I don't know where that leaves us. If they are able to provide us with the addresses, we would only have the addresses at the time the census information was received by the individuals. YOSHINA: Mr. Chair, this is Dwayne. 10 KOSSOW: Mr. Yoshina. YOSHINA: Yeah, I guess the essential question is, what data do we use to draw these maps? I think we're rather constrained to use the data provided by the U.S. Census. All of these requests that are coming in now, are nice to have but, I'm just wondering if we are constrained under law to revise that data. I'm not certain if that is a clear statement or not. Seems like if we are trying to include all of these different populations, is that in the existing data? And when is that data locked in? KOSSOW: Mr. Lopez. LOPEZ: Yes, I'll support that comment. I'll tell you where I'm at right now. Using the ESRI tool, I spent a lot of time of course like anybody else, trying to align my percentages and district boundaries and such. Then I get on these minutes with this agenda. Then I get the existing council districts that just came in on the communication that's in this package. Those are different from what's in ESRI. Then we're talking about the incarcerated. So the census numbers are a continually moving target. I don't know, personally, how to do my job. I don't know what numbers to use. I can't use the ESRI review tool that tells you how you're doing against the percentage distributions because those numbers are what's on paper. I'm hope I'm being clear because I'm really in a quandary as to how I should be doing my job, and the work that I've already done. Seems like it's fruitless at this point. What's already been done, excuse me. Thank you. YOSHINA: Mr. Lopez, this is Dwayne. KOSSOW: Mr. Yoshina. YOSHINA: I think I will accept the responsibility for the requests for the 2011 maps with the 2020 population numbers. I just wanted to see what that would look like. I apologize if that caused any confusion but that was just for reference purposes. KOSSOW: Mr. Lopez. LOPEZ: Thank you for that. I wasn't aware of that. It was not a fault or anything. I didn't realize it was for reference purposes only. From your response, I feel secure in using the ESRI numbers in doing the job that I need to do. Is that correct, from anybody? YOSHINA: That's a 10-4 from me. BATH: Ditto on that. KOSSOW: Ms. Lui. LUL On the incarcerated, I wonder if could just get the number of people that were incarcerated in the different sites because when we finish, we're not going to have an exact, same number of people in each district. We know that there will be a little bit of 11 deviation. I think just knowing those numbers can help us a little bit. I don't know the size of the incarcerated population so that would help, I think. I agree with the need to move forward with due speed. NAKAMOTO: This is Patricia Nakamoto, Elections Program Administrator. Ms. Lui, can I just ask a question? When you say incarcerated from different sites, what exactly do you mean? Here in the County of Hawaii, the different facilities that they were housed in at the time the census was taken? LUL Yes. NAKAMOTO: Okay, thank you. KOSSOW: Any other discussion? Mr. Hustace. HUSTACE: Thank you, Chair, and thank you, Ms. Lui, for that question. For Ms. Nakamoto, is that a possibility to receive that information? Is that something that we could obtain for our records? NAKAMOTO: Yes. I will ask DBEDT if they have this information and if they have this information, if they can provide it to us, and then I will provide it to the Commission. HUSTACE: Thank you, Ms. Nakamoto. KOSSOW: Any further questions regarding this? (No response.) The motion is still on the table. I believe it was motioned by Ms. Bath and seconded by Ms. Lui, to close item 1 of unfinished business. If we don't hear any further discussions or questions, I'd like to move forward. (No response.) Okay, all in favor say aye? (Various Commissioners responded with aye votes.) All opposed? (No response.) Motion carries, 8 ayes. Moving on to Item 2 of the agenda. Mr. Kauka. KAUKA: Thank you, Mr. Chair. Before I read that in, I'd just like to advise you that Commissioner Sumera-Lee has now connected and is joining us. Welcome. KOSSOW: Does that mean we have 9 ayes? The last vote would be 9 ayes, correct? KAUKA: That's correct. KOSSOW: Was that before or after? KAUKA: Before, yes. KOSSOW: Okay, thank you. The motion to close Item 1 of unfinished business was carried by the following vote: 12 Ayes: Commissioners Akamu, Bath, Lopez, Lui, Sumera-Lee, Yadao, Yoshina, Vice Chair Hustace, and Chair Kossow. Noes: None. Absent: None. KOSSOW: Go ahead, Mr. Kauka, for Item 2. KAUKA: Thank you. Unfinished business: 2. Update on consideration of a draft letter to Mayor Roth for this awareness of the current time parameters facing the Commission in executing its duties. (Part 1) KOSSOW: Thank you. Is there any discussion regarding the consideration for the draft letter to Mayor Roth for the time parameters? Mr. Lopez. LOPEZ: Yes. Logically for me, wouldn't it make sense to address Item 3 before we address Item 2? Item 3 is an important parcel of what would be contained in Item 2. Just a comment. KOSSOW: Okay. We can adjust the agenda item number to allow that to go first, as long as everybody is okay with that. We'll table Item 2 to after Item 3. We'll go over to Item 3. Mr. Kauka, would you go ahead and read number 3,please. BATH: Excuse me, Chair, this is Stephanie Bath. KOSSOW: Ms. Bath. BATH: I don't know if it would be appropriate before we moved on, if we could have Commissioner Sumera-Lee just give us a quick little introduction of herself so we are more familiar with our team. Welcome, Commissioner. I don't know if that's appropriate. KOSSOW: I was actually just going to do it right at the ending. You caught me. Why don't we do that right now. Ms. Sumera-Lee, would you—are you on Zoom? SUMERA-LEE: Okay. Sorry, I'm not good with speaking in front of people. Aloha! My name is Breeani Sumera-Lee. I have been a part of the Keaukaha community for the last 9 years. My mom and I have a small store, Keaukaha General Store. Most recently, I've been the manager at, used to be Hilo Seaside Hotel. It's now, new owners. So, I'm in our Keaukaha community and I'm really grateful to be a part of this. I'm looking forward to meeting you all. I can't see anyone really, but it's to e-meet everyone and I hope everyone is being safe during COVID, and I look forward to being a commissioner with you all. Mahalo. 13 KOSSOW: Thank you, Ms. Sumera-Lee. Okay, moving over to Item 3. Mr. Kauka. KAUKA: Thank you. Unfinished business: 3. Further review of the proposed timeline for the Commission to complete its work. The Commission may revisit the timeline to explore and discuss options for extending deadines if necessary. KOSSOW: Thank you. Do we have any discussion? Mr. Lopez. LOPEZ: It's my proposal that we try to extend at least 30 days, to the end of January. I recognize the issue we run up against in February with the pulling of nominations, things of that nature. We do have a lot of traction. I've used the tool. I'm not quite comfortable with it. I have a lot of questions with some technical resource but, working independently on that, I think I can get to where I need to get to. The issue in the timeline is the compressed time for the various district meetings, very soon. I don't know how much anybody will be ready to present or discuss any plans with the public at those meetings. My suggestion is we run out 30 days and then work backward from that and establish a new timeline. Not a motion,just a consideration for discussion. Thank you. YOSHINA: I second that. KOSSOW: Any further discussion for Item 3? Ms. Lui. LUL Commissioner Lopez said he wasn't making a motion, but it was seconded. I'll turn it into a motion if that's okay with Mr. Lopez and he can make it himself if he would like. LOPEZ: Oh no. That's perfectly fine with me. I was hoping to get more discussion from the Commissioners on maybe their opinions as to do we need to extend or not extend? That consideration for me, continue to work on this timeline until such time as we do get some relief, if we do, because we may not. No, the motion that you made is fine. Thank you. KOSSOW: Ms. Lui. LUL I do agree with it because I think if you were a community member, you might have some issues in advance but you probably also want to just get a little bit of sense of what changes could happen, even if they're not a concrete proposed plan. Rather than just having the Commission sit there and listen, although that's the main goal, I'm sure that people would also want to hear from the Commission. KOSSOW: Ms. Lui, would you mind articulating your motion? LUL The motion was that we extend to the end of January, our timeline, that we finish by the end of January. That's the gist of it. The rationale is really to make sure that the district meetings happen as positive and timely a way as possible. 14 KOSSOW: Thank you. Motion is on the table to extend to the end of January and to give leeway for the district meetings. Is there a second? LOPEZ: Second. KOSSOW: Seconded by Mr. Lopez. Any discussion? Mr. Hustace. HUSTACE: Just for clarification, this is a backup plan, correct? This is what you are thinking Mr. Lopez, Ms. Lui? We gear towards December 31", but we have the 30-days in our back pocket if we need it. LUL Commissioner Lopez, do you want to speak to that first? KOSSOW: Mr. Lopez. LOPEZ: Absolutely. I think the point for all of us,understanding the constraints we're under and the needs to deliver, that we earnestly continue to work on the existing plan and as Mr. Hustace pointed out, we petition and ask for an extension and it's the next best case if we can't achieve the December 31st. So I agree with all the comments made positively, working towards December 31"with the end of January as our drop-dead date. HUSTACE: Thank you, Mr. Lopez. YOSHINA: Mr. Chair. KOSSOW: Mr. Yoshina. YOSHINA: Just a point of clarification here. There was motion made by Mr. Lopez that I seconded KOSSOW: He actually didn't make the motion. He just wanted the discussion regarding his question. YOSHINA: Okay, 10-4. BATH: I have a question. KOSSOW: Ms. Bath. BATH: Yeah so, based on looking at the timeline, we've got pretty much three weeks to draw our lines and make our suggestions if we are going to be ready for the public hearings. I wanted to check in with the other Commissioners and ask them if they are comfortable with the tools and the programs and their ability to meet that three-week goal and if not, what obstacles do we have that will help us achieve that during that timeline? 15 KOSSOW: Mr. Lopez. LOPEZ: Thank you. That's a great question because it puts us on the spot here. I personally do not believe I can deliver a plan within three weeks unless I can get a resource to work with me to answer some of my questions, my obstacles, why I can't get from here to there, and what options do I have. I need somebody to hold my hand if you will. Left the way it is, I don't have any confidence I can have a legal best-effort plan in three weeks. KOSSOW: I would like to also remind everybody that Item 1 on the new business, we also have questions for support staff regarding the ESRI site and how to utilize the online tool. So if you have any questions, we can take it there. Also, if you want to, we can also set up a call into the support staff to ask them any questions as well. Is there any other discussion? Ms. Lui. LUL Yes,just thinking about Mr. Lopez's comment there too. Yeah, I mean my first try didn't—it failed the test of validation there and so even if I were able to come up with what I think is a good plan, if we all come up with plans, they'll be different. I'm thinking in terms of our timeline, what are we going to cover in each meeting because we're going to have a lot of discussion among each other as to the boundary lines of our various districts. So, I'm just not sure what the process is. So we might be able to each produce a plan in three weeks but that's not good enough. KOSSOW: Mr. Akamu. AKAMU: Mahalo, Chair Kossow. If I could, I'd like to ask the Commissioners to take a look at the draft timeline that Mrs. Nakamoto had proposed at our last meeting. Taking a look at that timeline, we do have five weeks in there for Commissioners and public to create plans which is scheduled for September 9h through October 13''. I would propose that we add one month to that five weeks to extend the timeline for the public and the Commissioners to create plans. That would push all the other dates out approximately by one month. I would also ask if Mrs. Nakamoto would be able to help us to add that one month in there. Also secondly, I'd like to suggest to the Commissioners that, I believe the five weeks that we have for public hearings is enough time so I don't think we would need to essentially extend time for those public hearings as I believe we'd probably be doing them mostly virtually, probably. I'd just like to put that out there to see if we could use that, to add the additional time. Secondly, I would like to ask a question of our Corporation Counsel to see if they could assist us in drafting our letter and using the Attorney General's petition as our basis for having the need to also extend our timeline based on the State Reapportionment timeline being extended. So if we could that, and align that with this request to the Mayor because I believe that's part of where our authority lies and comes from. Just wanted to put that out there for thoughts and discussion from our commissioners. Mahalo. 16 MELLON-LACEY: Mr. Chair? Mr. Chair, can you hear me? Sorry I had to come down here. I was trying to do this remotely, but my audio went out. I've missed a whole chunk here of what was going on. KOSSOW: Well you actually came in at perfect timing. MELLON-LACEY: When I walked in, I thought there was a motion on the floor. I'm not sure if we've ever acted on that motion. KOSSOW: There is currently a motion that's on the floor regarding to extend the timeline to the end of January. That's the current motion on the floor and there is a possible amendment, but it needs further discussion. MELLON-LACEY: So if I can just clarify a couple of points. One thing I want to be sure everybody is clear on is that, before you have a draft plan that this Commission has completed, you're supposed to have finished all of the initial public hearings in each district. When I look at this timeline, I think the September 9h through October 131' is kind of preliminary plan that people would be working on. I think the deadline that is kind of critical, is the deadline for the alternate plan for the public which we've given as October 14''. Their plans have to be finalized eight weeks prior to the final plan that this body produces. When we start doing the community hearings, it's not anticipated that you've locked into something and that's it. Because obviously, then you wouldn't be open to other people's input. The other thing, and I'm a little confused what you're asking, Mr. Akamu but, the Mayor can't give you the extension. The Council can't give you the extension because it's in the Charter. The purpose of sending a letter to the Mayor is really just to let him know. I've had preliminary discussions with the Corporation Counsel, Judge Strance, regarding this. What was communicated to me from my office is, people need to make an effort to try to meet this timeline because we couldn't go forward with something to change the deadline and can't show that we're actively trying to meet the deadline and a reason for the extension being necessary. So, if this body wants to extend the timeline, then I would have to have that discussion that you're requesting, Mr. Akamu, with Ms. Strance to determine what our office would do. It would probably be something like writ of mandamus that was provided because it's not something that the Mayor or the Council have the authority to give. It's in our Charter and to change the Charter is a monumental undertaking so it could never be completed prior to when this is due. It requires special action. I hope that helps. YOSHINA: This is Dwayne. KOSSOW: Mr. Yoshina. YOSHINA: Yes, thank you. So are you saying then that, assuming that everybody agrees, we'd have to go to the Supreme Court for this? MELLON-LACEY: Well, I think that we start with our local court. It has to be given by the court because it's our Charter. 17 (Please note that during this time, there was an audio interference from the public.) YOSHINA: I'm not trying to close off any discussion of the public on this but, is the Commission allowed to go into executive session to kind of come to some agreement about this or is that prohibited by law? MELLON-LACEY: Well, not really because your deliberations should be public for most purposes. If you think that there's reasons that you can't meet the deadlines, I think that the public would have a right to hear those because the Charter is quite specific. KOSSOW: I'm sorry, Diana. Can you put the mic a little bit closer? MELLON-LACEY: Can you hear me? Okay. The Charter is quite specific on the deadlines and so I think it would be important for the public to hear the reasons if this group feels that it can't meet those. I'm not saying that there's a problem with it. There is a tight timeline. I think it is something the public should participate in. I cannot see a reason that you would be able to exclude them from that. YOSHINA: Okay, thank you. BATH: Chair, this is Stephanie. KOSSOW: Ms. Bath. BATH: If you just let me entertain some thoughts here. Setting aside all dates, setting aside the timeline, and focusing on what our goals are, I think we can all agree that the Commissioners have the desire and the will to complete the task at hand and that we're all committed. If we can have that as our baseline, what are the obstacles that are before us? I know that I'm not secure with the tools. Would it be possible to have a live workshop? A hands-on workshop or virtual workshop so we could all feel confident. Cori's helped me over the phone, and it help immensely. But to have an in-person or online, however we want to do it, workshop, and get our confidence up would be a first step based on what I've heard. The second would be to have a work meeting. During the Puna Community Development Plan, one of our goals was to identify connectivity locations between subdivisions for redundancy KOSSOW: I'm sorry, Ms. Bath. We can't really hear you over here because we are currently going through an alarm. I would like to break for recess for five minutes, and then Ms. Bath, I will give you that time after the five minutes. (Five minute recess.) KOSSOW: I would like to call the meeting back in to order. Ms. Bath, you had the floor. Ms. Bath, you're recognized. 18 BATH: My first thought is for everybody to get confident, to be trained. That would be the first point. Once we can all use the tools and are confident, some of us aren't quite there yet, then we can start really doing the work efficiently. The second thing would be to establish a work meeting where we're working together. During the Puna Community Development Plan, what I was saying is, we were trying to identify connectivity locations between subdivisions for redundancy. We did that as a committee. Then what we did was, later on we had this prep fair, two prep fairs, and we put out the maps to the community. They came in a marked up the maps. We brought the data back, we crunched it and we resubmitted our plan to them. So, everybody was working together. What I'm putting out, it doesn't have to be, but I'm putting out first, to get trained properly, and then to have a work meeting where we're all working together so we're not at home doing our plans, coming together, and the one district saying "No way! That's going to mess up my district."We can't do that. Then we'd have to go back to the drawing board. So, working together. And it is possible that the public could be involved in these work meetings as well if that's allowable. What do you guys think? KOSSOW: Mr. Hustace. HUSTACE: Thank you, Ms. Bath. I do like your idea of a working meeting. This does violate a Sunshine Law. We'd have to have a public—we'd have to be a very public setting for us to do that. I think you kind of mentioned that, we'd all have to be physically together, right that's what you're recommending? BATH: That's correct. HUSTACE: I think you touched on it earlier before our fire alarm here, and it really was a question for Ms. Mellon-Lacey. I don't know if during your transition from being virtual to being present in the room, you missed some of that information, but we are still—and I would hope to speak for everyone here (indiscernible)that we are aiming for this 31st deadline of December. However, we are hoping have something in our back pocket just in case we need additional time. I think our goal here is to really stick with the timeline. Ms. Lui sent in the writ from the courts, or the Supreme Court, granting the State Reapportionment Commission time and I think there's some hope that the other Commissioners at the County level would be able to piggyback on that or be granted that under emergency proclamation, and the delay of the census, these number of things that have pushed us back and have caused some difficulty for us here. We're crunched for the technical reasons, we're crunched because the data wasn't given to us, all these sorts of things but I still believe that the rest of the Commissioners, and myself, we want to aim for this deadline but are just looking for some sort of back up in case we need that additional time to meet with community members and massage these plans. MELLON-LACEY: I understand what you're asking. Isn't this on the floor as a motion, or am I incorrect? YOSHINA: That's correct. I call for a vote on the motion. 19 KOSSOW: The motion is still on the floor, for clarification, as to extend to the end of January. That's the current motion that's on the floor. HUSTACE: Mr. Yoshina, you just called to question. Is that what you did there? YOSHINA: Yes, I did. KOSSOW: Mr. Akamu, do you still have your hand raised? There's still discussion on the floor. AKAMU: Yes, Chair, I do have my hand raised. It's my understanding from Corporation Counsel that we do not have the authority to vote and extend the timeline. That we are bound, by December 31". So understanding that we do want an extension, I think we need to ask for relief from the courts specifically for our Commission. And I agree with Commissioner Hustace, that what we're hoping is that Corporation Counsel can do that legal work for us. That we can piggyback because the State Attorney General laid out all of her arguments in her petition for why we need this relief. So, I'm not sure if it's appropriate for us, or we have the authority, to vote to extend the deadline which is what our motion is asking us to do, to extend the December 31" deadline. According to Corporation Counsel, we don't have the authority to do that for ourselves. We need to seek relief from the courts. So, can I have clarification on that before I vote on this motion in particular? MELLON-LACEY: Mr. Akamu, this is Diana Mellon-Lacey. It won't become a fact if you vote that you want to extend it but, it gives a timeline that you feel you could operate in. What it would allow me to do is, take that further to see what our office could do to effect it. So, it wouldn't be like you're voting to make that happen but it's what you want to see happen. And that you would be asking our office to assist you to see how to make that happen. Does that help? AKAMU: Yes. Thank you very much. KOSSOW: Mr. Kauka,please call the roll. Ms. Lui moved to extend the timeline to the end of January. Seconded by Mr. Lopez. The motion to extend timeline to the end of January was carried by the following vote: Ayes: Commissioners Akamu, Bath, Lopez, Lui, Sumera-Lee, Yadao, Yoshina, Vice Chair Hustace, and Chair Kossow. Noes: None. 20 KAUKA: Thank you, Chair. You have 9 ayes. KOSSOW: Thank you. Motion carries. Alright, so we're moving on to—we just finished agenda Item Number 3. Moving on to agenda Item Number 2 which we previously tabled. Mr. Kauka. KAUKA: Thank you. Unfinished business: 2. Update on consideration of a draft letter to Mayor Roth for this awareness of the current time parameters facing the Commission in executing its duties. (Part 2) KOSSOW: Thank you. Any discussion? Mr. Lopez. LOPEZ: As I'm reading the bullet point, which is stated, so really all this is, is to make our Mayor aware of the situation and what we're requesting, and perhaps that we're going to petition whoever the powers that be, to grant some extension. That's the essence of this unfinished business point, is that correct? MELLON-LACEY: Yes, that's correct. This is Diana Mellon-Lacey. LOPEZ: Okay, so it's a courtesy thing. It's not because the Mayor can do anything. KOSSOW: Any other discussion? (No response.) May I have a motion to close Item 2 of unfinished business and a second? Mr. Lopez moved to close Item 2. Seconded by Mr. Yoshina. The motion to close Item 2 of unfinished business was carried by the following vote: Ayes: Commissioners Akamu, Bath, Lopez, Lui, Sumera-Lee, Yadao, Yoshina, Vice Chair Hustace, and Chair Kossow. Noes: None. KOSSOW: Motion carries. 9 ayes. Moving over to new business. Mr. Kauka. NEW BUSINESS KAUKA: New business item number: 21 1. Discussion with Commission technical support staff on any issues commissioners are experiencing while utilizing the online redistricting tool (ESRI) for creating mapping plans at t a-//redis,tric,ting.li..a.w..a.i ogt/red Commissioners ........................................................................... . . ........... may use this opportunity to ask questions about the tool. KOSSOW: Thank you. Commissioners, this is an opportunity for us to share any issues we are experiencing so far with the online redistricting tool that the public is also able to use, if they have been. It's understood that you are able to reach out at any time to support staff if you have any questions along the way if you have started to use the program. If there are any thoughts or questions, concerns, or issues, this is the time and space for technical support staff in Hilo. Is there any discussion? Mr. Lopez. LOPEZ: Thank you. Thank you staff for being here. Before you leave the table, if you would grant us the contact information for whoever it is we should be asking questions of. For now, in taking my first stab at this, my first inclination was to try to get my percentages within acceptable tolerance just by moving census blocks between districts. I was really successful on the west side. I got 'em all. I got all these green checkmarks. Where I'm taking real gas is in trying to find a balance between Districts 2, 3, and 4. The reason is that the census blocks that are within the district are too large to move into another district without throwing it out of whack. For instance, in District 3 I've come up with a negative 158. In District 2, 1 have a negative 317. But in 4, 1 have a positive 222. Well, I can't move 222 or even a 150. The census blocks are like 1,400. How do I get around this kind of dilemma when the adjoining census blocks are too big to try to get some population movement within these narrow boundaries? Any help there? What are my latitudes? I suppose. SAIKI: Commissioner Lopez, this is Cori from the Elections Division. KOSSOW: Could you put your mic a little bit closer? Sorry. SAIKI: Can you hear me now? KOSSOW: Loud and clear. SAIKI: We run into that problem too. Unfortunately, the census blocks cannot be split so even when we're attempting to play with the maps and stuff like that, even we're running into that problem. I really don't know how to fix that. I don't know if there is a fix for it. LOPEZ: So we have to live with the deviation and justify it, of course. SAIKI: Yes. LOPEZ: Oh, well that made my life easier. Thank you. 22 KOSSOW: I would like to also remind everybody too that this was also an issue in the 2011 Commission, when they were dealing with the census blocks as well. Mr. Lopez, you yield? LOPEZ: I yield. Thank you. KOSSOW: Yield, okay. Ms. Bath. BATH: One of the things I've come up against, and thank you so much, is that I'll start working, I'll learn how to pan, or I'll learn how to use an arrow, and I'll get there and then I'll be working some more and I'll have another question, and it's after hours or something like that, and that's why I'm hoping that we could have a work meeting for those who want to participate where we could beI'm more of a physical learning type of person. The technology is wonderful, but I like the human interaction. I learn best from that, and I can learn quick but if I have a second question that needs answering directly, I don't want to have to keep calling, calling, calling. I was just wondering if we could have that meeting available. A training for us as Commissioners. It's not a meeting where we're doing anything but it's a training for the Commissioners to use the tool. SAIKL I'm sure we could, yeah. We could schedule something. BATH: Could we do that like soon? Because once we get over that obstacle and once, we get confident, then we could take the next step in meeting this deadline. Until we do that, I don't see how some of us are going to be able to do the work. I'll make myself available 24/7. SAIKL That's fine with us. We're willing to do a training. You just have to let us know the date and if all of the Commissioners want to be there or just a few of you. But that's something we can do. BATH: Great, I yield. YOSHINA: This is Dwayne. I concur with that request. If you name a date and time, I'll be there. Second question I have is for Mr. Lopez. The question is this, are your deviations for Districts 1, 2, and 3, within the plus or minus 5? LOPEZ: It's between 2, 3, and 4. YOSHINA: Okay, 2, 3, and 4. I stand corrected. So are your deviations within the plus or minus 5? LOPEZ: One moment, let me look it up. Thank you. KOSSOW: Mr. Yoshina, we'll come back to you if you yield, and then Ms. Lui? YOSHINA: I yield. 23 KOSSOW: Thank you. LUL Okay, we can come back to Mr. Lopez. My question was what is the order that is best to do this in? Like Commissioner Lopez, I started with trying to get the deviations down and moving population but that doesn't take into account, communities of interest or natural boundaries and things like that. And I don't know them for every district either so that makes it difficult. But I guess I was wondering, so like if you're first step is looking at the deviations, and what's your second step so you manipulate more and then more. I really liked James' question last time about the ahupua`a boundaries and taking a look at that. It's not just the check that is available but it seems like there's other factors that need to be checked. I'm not sure of the right sequence for trying to make a map. Just in terms of looking at the map, Hilo obviously has the largest population but right now it's split. I don't know whether can we make sort of larger changes or are we supposed to kind of tinker at the boundaries of the different districts? If you consolidated Hilo for example, it would make some big changes in District 2, 1, etcetera. LOPEZ: Is that a question for me? LUL That's for Cori or for Elections or whoever can answer. So, what are the best steps to take in terms of creating a map? And how much latitude do we have, or should we have, to change boundaries? SAIKL Ms. Lui, this is Cori. Basically, when we're playing around and trying to draw maps and stuff, we just pick a starting point. You know, where we want to start and then we base it on the deviations, try to keep communities together, but I guess I really don't have an answer to the steps of it. Maybe that's something that you folks can decide to do, what steps you folks want to take but that's how we do it in the office. LUL I just wonder of the other Commissioners, did anybody else start with anything other than those deviations? KOSSOW: Mr. Hustace. HUSTACE: Thank you, Chair, and thank you, Ms. Lui. At this point I've probably done about three or four maps. I'm not happy with any of them, of course. But I went a couple of different ways here. So, I've used different layers in there. I've used the ahupua`a's as one to kind of see where things fall in. I've looked at the past districts as well. And it would be great to see some of the older council districts too. I think we're able to see the one from ten years ago, but I don't know about the one from twenty or thirty years ago. I'm just kind of curious about those too. I've struggled a bit, 200,000 plus people on the Big Island divided by 9. Is 9 the right number? I don't know. That's a bigger question for another time. What I'm trying to say here is, I've gone a different route. I've loaded the current template and done incremental changes between the districts. So, that's one way I did it. Kind of shift this here and shift that there. I think a lot of you are in that realm right now. I'm working on one, it's more of a drastic one and started with a blank template. So 24 it's a bit kind of crazy and chaotic but I started it from scratch and started building it from nothing. I think when we have our public hearings, I'm going to be relying on you as Commissioners, and friends and neighbors, to really understand what community needs to be together. So, that's another part of it, is understanding, okay can I split this community up? Where is this community best? Are these neighbors across the street? But we also need to take into consideration those boundaries, right? A lot of these maps are drawn off of those boundaries. Whether it was a stream boundary or arterial road boundary. So, for example, Ms. Lui, a good example for you is, where District 1 and District 2 meet at Wailuku River, right? So that's a clear geographic boundary. I think other districts have that too. Some of them follow pretty close to ahupua`a lines. Some of them are keeping communities together for the most part. However, you look at like a major road, like Volcano Road, some of it splits some of those districts but that's how it's kind of meant to be from my understanding. So, you have those major roadways and major thoroughfares that divide those communities. And unfortunately, it divides them but that's how they're drawn. They'd say everyone north of this road and everyone south of this road is in a different district. So, I would really look at those major roadways and the communities that—the other part of it that we need to consider to is, and we're supposed to be as non-partisan as possible, but there is a political sway of giving certain communities more votes at the council level, right? So that should be in the back of your mind too to an extent. In just knowing that if you carve out different areas, you're giving potentially more seats, so we want to be as fair as possible in trying to maintain that balance between our very unique communities and making sure that they're represented. So, that's the harder part. In my looking at the data, and I haven't gone as far down this rabbit hole yet, but the data there in particularly when you click on the info topic and you click on one of the census blocks or one of the census tracts, and this was my request to Mr. Jones last time, was more of aI don't know if it's changed at all, but the key words and the key code for some of the information of the census data that's on there, that shows the demographic split about percentage of people that live in each of those census tracts and census blocks. That's really something else that we should consider. There's a lot there. All the things I mentioned, it's a lot of us to take in and consider and really try and find a balance. But I hope that helps. So, you can make those incremental changes between the districts or you canI don't know. Maybe there's something that the 9 of us can come up with that's completely different than what we've seen. I don't know, it's possible to divide the island in different ways. And something that's completely new but it yet captures and represents all of our people equally somehow. Thanks. YOSHINA: This is Dwayne. KOSSOW: Mr. Yoshina. YOSHINA: My approach is similar to Mr. Hustace's. I believe that the previous redistricting and reapportionment panels discussed all of the political ramifications of what they did. And so, assuming that and starting with the existing lines, because I believe that the previous commissions have done that, that discussion. And so, I'm trying to incrementally add or subtract from those existing lines. I'm very simple minded in that approach. I'm being mindful of the communities, and I think the statistical data that Mr. 25 Hustace suggested he followed is a good plan to follow. I don't know if that's clarifying but that's what I'm doing. Thank you. I yield. KOSSOW: Ms. Lui. LUL First of all, I really thank James and hope that maybe you could be at the training meeting given your background in GIS, that could be very helpful to us. It seemed like you were saying there were two different approaches. One is this incremental approach where you tinker at the boundaries, but another is a more radical rethinking of the boundaries and that's why I was kind of trying to think about Hilo. My district, Council 1, extends into Hilo but people there I'm sure identify with Hilo as a community of interest, also extend up into Waimea a bit, but yet I have to expand my boundaries. And as you said, to the west of District 1, it's pretty empty so I can't really go that way. I just think there's a lot for all of us to talk through. KOSSOW: Mr. Yoshina, you had a question for Mr. Lopez. Mr. Lopez, are you ready to answer that question? And Mr. Yoshina, would you be able to re-ask that question. LOPEZ: If I understood the question, yes, I'm ready. Let's see if I got it. YOSHINA: I'm having a senior moment. Can you remind me what that was about? LOPEZ: I think you were asking me about my percent deviations. YOSHINA: Oh yeah, yeah. Okay. Thank you. LOPEZ: Is that it? So, I can answer that? YOSHINA: That's my question. LOPEZ: Alright. In looking down the distribution on the ESRI map here, in Council 1, I've got a 0.2 percent deviation or 45 people. In Council 2, I've got a minus 1.43. Council 3, I have a minus 0.71, and in 4 I have a 1.0. YOSHINA: Okay, that's good for me. Thank you. LOPEZ: Thank you. Now my approach, if I can continue that comment, my approach was, first I wanted to see if I could get some kind of a reasonable deviation from district to district, island wide. Based on what Ms. Saiki said this morning, I think I'm there. My next attempt, because I don't know if I'm dividing a neighborhood in downtown Hilo, I have no clue. So my next attempt was to go in and zoom in to try to find out, based on what I'm seeing here, am I doing a radical change within a particular geographic neighborhood. That's what I'll be doing next. Then the overriding concern, or rather additional concern I have, is the comments we had at the last meeting, about the size of District 6 and how we were asked to shift some populations so that it wasn't so huge for 26 the council district person to try to address that much geography. So that's another nut to crack for me. I yield. Thank you. KOSSOW: Mr. Hustace. HUSTACE: Thank you, Mr. Lopez, for pointing that one out. I was looking at this, even the current template where we have Council District 5 as over 11 percent, right? This is mapping. So, the two districts that I've struggled with the most are the districts that have—definitely District 1 is one of`em. It's just where people live, right? It's a challenge of where people have lived, or where people have moved to, and where development is happening, that it's going to drive some of these changes going forward too. It's assuming this constant back and forth, and there are areas where you're very familiar with where there isn't that development, there aren't those places people are moving to. And I think, Ms. Lui, you see with District 1 for sure where there's kind of wide openness between communities and there isn't. Especially with Council District 6 too, right? We had testifiers say that we don't like traversing across this huge district that represents too many distinct areas on the west and the east side. Unfortunately, the problem that I've had in correcting or fixing or adjusting the issues with Council 6, is that I've made it even bigger. It covered the whole half, southern half of the island. It's an issue of, the communities are very distinct. They're far apart from each other. There isn't as much urban growth as we've seen in that area as we see in our core centers so there's a big challenge there. Thank you. BATH: It's Stephanie. KOSSOW: Ms. Bath. BATH: So, I understand we're talking about the approaches that we took. In part, the approach that I took first was, I looked at the map. I thought about the people and the community because that's who we're serving. I started with District 5 because that's where I live in upper Puna, well, middle upper Puna. And I immediately looked at District 4 which I polarize too because of my community service and during the flows, I was involved with Civil Defense. So, I kind of grounded out down there and got to meet the communities and actually knocked on doors to advise people so I kind of knew the area. When I looked at District 5, I immediately saw that Kalapana and that area where the people polarized towards Council District 4, they come and go through Pahoa at the very least, that's in my district and that felt really not right knowing the people down there. There's also that big crack along the rift that geographically isolates us from that area of District 5. So I looked at that and I was playing with the deviation and the numbers and I took that one hunk off. It looks like, if it's a boot, it's like the toe area and I gave it to District 4 which just skyrocketed their numbers. But it felt right to me, it felt right for the people. Then I moved into Ka`u, which I'm also familiar with and kind of played with that but the numbers were still really high in District 4. When we're talking about people in communities, I think it's really important during this redistricting to get that one right, especially with the changes. I looked to Council District 3 to try to figure that one out and I couldn't move anything. I ended up taking Volcano and the upper Puna 27 subdivisions and giving it to Ka`u to bring our numbers down and they're not going to be happy with that. Really, I have a question. What determines the number of districts on our island? And do we have to be at around 22,000 in the districts? Is there any way that we can create another district? Cause we were hoping for that, but it didn't happen. Legally we cannot, yeah? I'm sensing that a lot of us are in the same dilemma. But I wanted to hear from District 4 and see what's the scoop with, what's going on with you? And what you're work is? Because it really impacts District 3, District 5, District 6. I yield. YADAO: I'm having the same problem moving stuff around too because when I do move it, a lot of the areas, the numbers are big, so KOSSOW: Ms. Yadao, could you put your microphone closer? Thank you. YADAO: I'm having a hard time moving the boundaries around as well. `Cause when I do move it, it creates a big increase. BATH: HPP seems to be the big issue from what I've seen. Because the population density in Hawaiian Paradise Park is so dense and they're a community, other than that little bit that's to the other side of 130. And so, we're not supposed to split communities but that would be the solution, but we cannot do that, yeah? I yield. KOSSOW: Is there any other technical support questions? Mr. Hustace. HUSTACE: Thank you, Chair. One of the things I've been trying, and it might be worth for all of us to tinker with this too, I kind of touched on this before about development and more of the urban cores and the urban density in some of those areas, is to really carve out—and I was looking at this in Hilo in particular, is carve out a district that is very the urban core of Hilo. And so, the districts come around and sweep around that district and take up those. Unfortunately, you still might be taking people from the Hilo community that may call themselves part of the Hilo community, but to pick up some of those smaller numbers, they need to grow incrementally and may have to sweep in from the more mauka portions of Hilo. So, I've tried a couple of different things and every time I shift them around, I have the districts kind of circulating around each other and they keep moving and moving. But to move some of them, like Commissioner Bath, you were talking about District 4 and kind of taking the Kapoho area, Kalapana, but maybe they have to relinquish HPP then, and that becomes part of Council 3. They may have to think in these drastic terms. I'm not sure if this is the right approach and I've sunk a lot of hours into it just thinking about more larger scale changes. And there may be some divisive comments and concerns about that but I'm just trying to take some more of the rural areas that are less populated to districts that only need a couple more percentage points to gain. So,just really looking at some of these urban core areas and seeing if they could be districts within themselves and not sweep all the way up. So, if you look at Council 2, it really sweeps up to the summits of Mauna Kea. Maybe there are political reasons for that, but there's no one living there. Maybe it doesn't need to be a part of that district. Because I also think about these districts, that they need to be more uniform in 28 scale to some extent. They can't be these weird irregular shapes and I will talk about this in a moment a little bit later in the agenda, about the blocks. I have concerns about some of the blocks, of course. But when we're dealing with these districts, you want to try and keep them as uniform as possible without these weird cutouts and things like that. Thanks. YOSHINA: So, this is Dwayne. KOSSOW: Mr. Yoshina. YOSHINA: Yeah, those are all block boundary descriptions. There's another place for input on that. I think a work session that has been suggested is the way to go. I would concur and I would like to have that done. I don't know if it's an appropriate comment at this point. But to Mr. Hustace, and this is said with a lightness, you cannot really touch District 2 because that's mine. (Laughter.) I will begrasp the levity of that statement. HUSTACE: Thank you, Mr. Yoshina, for your comedy. YOSHINA: I have a question of our Corp Counsel. We're talking like this now, and it's an open session but, what's the limitations as to sharing maps and stuff like that? MELLON-LACEY: I think that if two people can share and work together and share information. But otherwise, it has to be done as a group. And even when we're talking about training because the training is for business, there's no way around at learning to use this as board business and it's going to engender conversation. Which is a conversation you've been having today, and I think it's very good conversation. I think when you think about all the dilemmas you're having trying to play with this data. And then when you took example maps and went out in communities to have these hearings, you're really going to get an earful from people about"No, you can't do that," or"This is a great idea!". But it is a process and I really feel your dilemma with this short timeframe that you're faced with, but even the training, I think you'd have to do with just two Commissioners at a time. BATH: Question. KOSSOW: Ms. Bath. BATH: Thank you. If the training was broadcasted like this, where the public was, it was totally transparent, our discussions were transparent, and the public actually got to be part of the training so that they could learn how to use the tools effectively, would that be okay? Would that be feasible? MELLON-LACEY: If it's done publicly, and noticed as a public meeting, and the agenda is for training, and the public can get out their computers and participate as well, then we wouldn't have a Sunshine Law issue. But how hands-on would that be able to be? I don't know because I don't know what the kind of training Cori would do would typically be 29 like. I can understand, when I saw the training we had at the second meeting, if you didn't already know the program, that was probably a little hard to just into it. I'm not equipped to answer that question other than to say if it's noticed as a meeting, public has the opportunity to participate, and you're able to do an effective training that way, then that's fine. BATH: May I make a comment? It would seem to me, since this is a public process and we are soliciting the public's input, that the public, if I wasn't on the Commission, I would really appreciate having an opportunity to be taught how to use this program so that I could give the input that we're soliciting from them as a Commission. So, it might actually be a really good thing if we can do it. MELLON-LACEY: I agree with you. I think if the public wants to do plans using this software, training is probably critical for them as well. KOSSOW: I'm sorry, Ms. Bath, you still have the floor. Ms. Lui also has a question. BATH: Oh, I'm sorry. I yield. KOSSOW: Okay, thank you. LUL I was just going to ask Ms. Bath whether she wanted to make it in the form of a motion that we schedule, as soon as practicable, this training session, giving a week for the public to have notice of it. BATH: So moved. LUL Okay good, and I'll second it. KOSSOW: I'm sorry, was that a motion by Ms. Bath, and then seconded by Ms. Lui. Okay. Ms. Bath moved to schedule a training session. Seconded by Ms. Lui. KOSSOW: So, is there any discussion? (No response.) I think the only question I have is for Ms. Mellon-Lacey regarding the session timeline and if we schedule an education session, would that hinder some of the proposed timelines that we already have? MELLON-LACEY: I'm not sure I understand what you're asking. KOSSOW: Correct me if I'm wrong, under the Charter we were supposed to complete certain things by certain sessions. And I want to be sure that if we schedule an education session as an agenda item meeting, that it doesn't mess up anything that's in our proposed timeline. 30 MELLON-LACEY: Well by the 4h Session, which would be your next meeting, you're supposed to set the deadline for the draft plan, alternate plans, for the public. So that was the most immediate thing and we've already set that. I thought you were asking if that should be changed. KOSSOW: No, no, no. I just wanted to know if, because I know that there was a session that was required. I think that you're correct. It was the 4h Session. I just want to make sure that we have time to prepare for this education session. MELLON-LACEY: We've already set that, so I think you're good there. BATH: Chair, it's Stephanie. KOSSOW: Ms. Bath. BATH: How many days do we need to post to the public? Is it 10 days prior to this training to alert the public that we're going to be having this training? MELLON-LACEY: Six days. It has to be posted 6 days prior to the meeting. BATH: Six days from today? MELLON-LACEY: Well, I don't know when you're setting the meeting. Six days from the meeting. BATH: Okay, well I'm just saying. Okay, did we vote on that motion? KOSSOW: No, we're already in the motion. We're in discussion right now. YOSHINA: This is Dwayne, Chair. KOSSOW: Mr. Yoshina. YOSHINA: Are these training sessions, meetings? Or are they just training sessions? The second question I have related to that is, when you say the discussions are limited to two people, that's at any one time but, can I talk to Stephanie on one day, and Ms. Lui on another day and ? MELLON-LACEY: You can't have serial communications. YOSHINA: Okay, clear, clear. Thank you. KOSSOW: Thank you. Is there any more discussion? BATH: I was wondering if I could amend my motion to say that we schedule a meeting and that meeting be scheduled for September 30''. I yield. 31 KOSSOW: Okay. So, there's an amendment to the motion, to schedule the meeting on September 30''. There's a motion, so is there a second? MELLON-LACEY: If I could interject something, this is Diana. That would mean that the agenda for the meeting would have to be posted by tomorrow. I don't know if it's just training or if you had any other things you'd want to consider but, Dennis would have to be able to move very quicky so I think that would be something to check before we proceed. KOSSOW: Ms. Lui. LUL Just a clarification, I think this would just be a training session. To answer Dwayne's comment, I don't think it will be required for everybody. Some people may not need it. I think if we pose it as a training for those Commissioners who are interested, and the general public, the agenda is simple. It's just a training on the tool. KOSSOW: Mr. Lopez. LOPEZ: From that comment, would we need quorum to hold the meeting? LUL No. I don't think so. LOPEZ: Corp Counsel. MELLON-LACEY: As long as there is nothing going to be voted on, and it's just training, then it could proceed without a quorum. But nothing could be put on there then that would require any kind of vote or discussion. LOPEZ: Great. I think that's what we're asking for. Thank you. KOSSOW: Ms. Bath. BATH: Checking with Dennis, is that doable? KAUKA: Thank you, Ms. Bath. If it's the will of the Commission to have this meeting on September 30, we can certainly do whatever is needed to have an agenda posted in time, which would be by tomorrow. Provided the Chair reviews the agenda and we're okay with it. YOSHINA: This is Dwayne. KOSSOW: Mr. Yoshina. YOSHINA: I think we should call it the training session. I would not like to refer to this as a meeting if it's just training. 32 KOSSOW: Thank you, Mr. Yoshina. I have a question. Is staff available for that day? I know we're just throwing out the proposed date. I just want to make sure that the County offices are available for that. SAIKL Yes, I believe our staff is available on that day. KOSSOW: Okay, so the motion is on the floor. Sorry, the amendment is on the floor. Mr. Kauka, please call the roll for the amendment of the September 30'h meeting. Excuse me, not a meeting, it's a training. YOSHINA: Thank you. The amendment for the September 3W'training was carried by the following vote: Ayes: Commissioners Akamu, Bath, Lopez, Lui, Sumera-Lee, Yadao, Yoshina, Vice Chair Hustace, and Chair Kossow. Noes: None. KAUKA: Thank you, Chair. You have 9 ayes. KOSSOW: Thank you, Mr. Kauka. (At this time, a commissioner spoke away from the mic.) Thank you for the clarification. So, we passed the amendment. Now we got to vote on the main motion which was to schedule this training. So, the amendment was for September 30''. Now, the actual motion here. Mr. Kauka, please call the roll. The motion to schedule a training was carried by the following vote: Ayes: Commissioners Akamu, Bath, Lopez, Lui, Sumera-Lee, Yadao, Yoshina, Vice Chair Hustace, and Chair Kossow. Noes: None. KAUKA: Thank you, Chair. You have 9 ayes. KOSSOW: Thank you, Mr. Kauka. Motion carries and the amendment carries. May I have motion to close Item 1 of new business and a second? HUSTACE: So moved. 33 LUL I have one more question. KOSSOW: Ms. Lui. LUL I don't quite understand the numbers on the map. Are those the census numbers because they're too small. I don't quite understand what the ratio is. HUSTACE: I think I can help. Mr. Chair, if you don't mind. KOSSOW: Mr. Hustace. HUSTACE: If you could clarify, Ms. Lui, which numbers you are looking at in particular. Are you looking at the census, the number that kind of hides amongst the census block or ? LUI: Yes, right. The census block numbers. HUSTACE: So those, I think, are the citizens. Those are people. That's a count of population within that census block. LUL Oh, okay. It just seemed like, looking at my own area, it seemed really low. I don't know if it's just that people didn't fill out the census or what. Yeah, okay. HUSTACE: There is that possibility, I would assume. And then if you zoom out further, you can adjust the zoom levels too. And we can talk about some of this at our training session next week but yeah, you can zoom out to the tract so the blocks and blocks groups. So you would see the numbers shift and change as you zoom in and out. On a really, really microscale, you would see the smaller number based upon that individual block and if you zoom out, you would see the numbers shift and change location. And it should capture a larger number of all the blocks within that block group. LUL Got it. So, it adds them up. HUSTACE: Yes. LUL Thanks. KOSSOW: Sorry, is there any other questions for technical support staff? (No response.) May I have a motion to close Item 1 of new business? Mr. Hustace moved to close Item 1 of new business. Seconded by Mr. Yoshina. 34 The motion to close Item 1 of new business was carried by the following vote: Ayes: Commissioners Akamu, Bath, Lopez, Lui, Sumera-Lee, Yadao, Yoshina, Vice Chair Hustace, and Chair Kossow. Noes: None. KOSSOW: Motion carries. Mr. Kauka, new business number 2. KAUKA: New business item: 2. Discussion on public hearings to be held by the Commission in accordance with Hawaii County Charter Section 3-17(e). Requested by Commissioner Hustace, the Commission may discuss how to approach the public hearings including, but not limited to, compliance with current proclamations establishing COVID-19 protocols, public safety, how to maximize participation, what alternative options are available, and utilizing virtual and technological platforms. KOSSOW: Thank you, Mr. Kauka. Vice chair Hustace, you are recognized. HUSTACE: Thank you, Chair. And thank you Mr. Kauka, for the explanation there. I did request some time on the agenda to speak to this and I'm willing to answer as many questions about this. But I really wanted to gage and poll the Commissioners on their thoughts as we look at Ms. Nakamoto's timeline and really tackling those public hearings. We had some discussion about this previously and I still carry a little concern about the public safety for these public meetings. And there are a number of things in this. There's the Mayor's recent proclamation of 10 individuals indoors, and 10 outdoors. So my question is, if all 9 of us meet in a place, in a given district, and then we have one staff member that joins us to facilitate or be there on hand, that means no public can be in the space, right? If all of us show up, so there's that layer first. Then so where does the public comment and offer guidance. So that's a problem with the numbers there. I don't know if and when the proclamation will change. We don't know that, right. We have yet to see some numbers from the Labor Day weekend, I think. So there still may be some concerns about that and I don't know how each of you feel about all this, about safety wise. Now given the fact that the sites are being determined and confirmed by our County staff, I don't believe we can be meeting in the Department of Education facilities. Those are not allowed for the public at the time. But there are, probably, other possibilities. What I'm kind of curious to know is how you all feel about this. What I'm kind of proposing here is that, and I think given the Governor's emergency proclamations and the Mayor's proclamations, I think there is some leniency given to these rules for meeting. I think Diana can chime in on this well, but given the fact that we can't meet in these public spaces given the numbers, even our number of people that would be in the same room, is there a possibility, and could we push for a possibility of meeting in a virtual setting for each of the 9 districts? Now, to meet the needs of the community,particularly 35 the people that cannot connect and communicate with us virtually, is there a way we can set up these satellite sites within each of those districts for that one given day, that one given time, where we have a public hearing? That's where the public could go if they are unable to zoom in or call in from their home location. So there would be a site still yet established within the district but, we as Commissioners, don't necessarily have to be there. That we could be in this virtual space. I do think it may give us greater opportunity for public to provide input at any level. With a virtual aspect, I think that people can call in. They'd be more secure doing it from a location that they are familiar with, their home, or what have you. But there is that possibility of getting more public comment and feedback. I just wanted to see how the Commissioners feel about it. I know it talks on a number of different things there and I am welcome to hear some of the thoughts that our Commissioners on this. Thank you. MELLON-LACEY: Mr. Chair. KOSSOW: Ms. Mellon-Lacey. MELLON-LACEY: Yes. My concern is when you look at the Charter, on the section cited there, that it states that we will hold at least one public hearing in each of the 9 council districts. I think even though, with the restrictions, one hearing should be held in each 9 council district. I don't believe that every Commissioner has to necessarily attend all nine. Of course, it's great if they can. There's nothing to preclude people from attending virtually because that is allowed. But I don't know what the sites actually are that are being looked at, and the capacity for that,but I have stressed that to the Elections Office to see what can be done to try and make that possible. Because I think it would be ideal if people can have both, the opportunity to attend virtually, but still that we could entertain limited numbers in person for people, for whom that's not an option. Because this is a very important process, and it only happens once every 10 years. LUL Can we hear from the Election Commission as to what they were thinking? NAKAMOTO: Hi, can you hear me? This is Pat. KOSSOW: Yes, we can hear you. NAKAMOTO: Okay, thank you. At this point right now, we are looking into it. We're checking with the County IT Department to see what options are available to have these virtual meetings in these areas that do not have good service, that cannot provide us with that. I believe that some of the facilities that we do have reserved probably will not have the capabilities to do a virtual meeting but we're looking to see if the IT Department can provide us with some options that we could use. We should be having that information soon and then we can pass it on to you folks. Then that way we would be able to do, like Diana mentioned, in person or virtual meetings for the public hearings. KOSSOW: Thanks, Ms. Nakamoto. Is there any other discussion? Mr. Hustace. 36 HUSTACE: Sorry, Ms. Mellon-Lacey, the Governor's proclamations and the Mayor's proclamations, don't they postpone some of these standing rules in terms of for the safety of the community and the safety of the Commissioners? MELLON-LACEY: Yes, they allow for virtual attendance. I'm not sure what your specific question is. The emergency proclamations do allow for virtual attendance and meetings can be held,just as we're doing here, some people in person, people at different sites, and people even from their own personal locations. So yes, it allows for all of that. HUSTACE: And how do we deal with the numbers that the Mayor says that we can only have 10 individuals in a space. And Ms. Nakamoto is saying that some of these places may not have the technical capabilities, so we need to find places that have the technical capabilities. I know I want to go to all of these meetings. I want to meet all the people and learn about all the different communities. So, if I really take my time to do this, and if all the other Commissioners are there, we can't all be in the room. It's not possible. MELLON-LACEY: Well, I understand and that's why Ms. Nakamoto is saying that their looking at alternative means to be able to do virtual hearings. Either with probably some kind of link, a temporary link, a cloud based link, if the facility doesn't have it. I don't really know what's being looked at but that's my understanding. It's not to create a hazardous situation. KOSSOW: Ms. Lui. LUL Yeah, I feel like we're getting kind of contradictory things here. Like on the one hand, the Charter says this, on the other hand, you've got the Sunshine Laws that want as much participation as possible. If the spirit behind the Sunshine Laws is maximize participation, I think that we should look at going into an all-virtual situation. It's not worth the effort to me, to put together the in-persons spaces if in fact only 10 people can be there and if half of them are Commissioners and staff. Even if not all of us go to each one. So, I think just to be able to solicit other means of input would be good. I think both Zoom and YouTube, for example, should be offered. Maybe there's a public service announcement or something that could let people know how to put in their two sense. But I guess I personally don't think it's worth it to try to do public meetings in spite of the Charter. I mean, so much as we know, there's all kinds of things that are supposed to happen according to Charter but they haven't because of COVID. And I don't think we're in any different situation than any other agency. BATH: Are you pau? LUL I'm pau. BATH: Okay, Chair? KOSSOW: Is that Ms. Bath? 37 BATH: Yeah, it is. KOSSOW: Ms. Bath, you're recognized. BATH: So, exclusion is very important and due to poor internet services, folks that don't have the tools to use the internet, such as smartphones and computers, and the big senior population that many, they aren't computer savvy or they don't know how, really, to connect to the internet. These are all realities that I identified within our community and obstacles that might exclude. I think that if we could somehow overlay the virtual with having a space where people can come. Whether or not they come, at least we're making ourselves available. I like the suggestion of having some public service announcement. I actually had that in my notes of having articles. Maybe getting John Burnett or somebody on this to write something. And having public service announcements over the radio for people that don't have the privilege or the ability to read. Including the public in our training, for those that have the privilege to be able to have tools and the ability to understand the internet, will be good. It'll extend that participation to those people by giving them more light and knowledge on how to use the program. These are all just thoughts that I wanted to put out. Also, there's a possibility that, it's just a thought that I've seen that was sort of lacking in the past, where meetings are held around dinner time, when parents are doing homework or putting children down. Seniors, or people who have visual impairments that don't like to drive in the dark, don't attend. There's mass transit issues of people getting there. So that if we could have a site, and we could have these public meetings extend throughout the day. I know it's going to take Commissioners' commitment to this but even if we're there alone. Even if nobody shows up, if we create a place where people can show up, either virtually or in-person, I think it would reach a whole new level of county outreach and county participation that's been lacking up till now in the meetings that I've participated in. I hope I got my thoughts across. I know I presented a lot. Those are my thoughts. I yield. KOSSOW: Mr. Hustace. HUSTACE: Thank you, Chair. And thank you, Ms. Bath, for those comments about not wanting to exclude people. I completely agree with you. I know across our island in the County, we have connectivity issues with broadband. So, in my initial proposal, it was to create, this is tech reliant, where there would be a place within that district, where we as Commissioners, could be virtual or we're in the Hilo Chambers or the Kona Chambers, but there is a physical place in that district that someone could go to and Zoom in on. So, they would go to a meeting's place, that's really only for the public to go to, that are in that district, to comment and offer feedback. Now,the Commissioner of that district could be there. Sure, we could offer little things like that, but it would be a space where we could be virtual, it could all be virtual, but there's a physical space in that district where they go and can call in, if they don't have the tech capabilities at home. That was really what I was kind of proposing there. YOSHINA: So, this is Dwayne. I have a question. 38 KOSSOW: Mr. Yoshina. YOSHINA: I noticed that during the televising of County meetings, that satellite stations from different districts, are able to submit both visual and verbal comments. And I'm wondering how big those places are. (A Commissioner or staff member spoke away from the mic.) Well, okay, I've been told it's small. I yield. KOSSOW: Any further discussion? (No response.) May I have a motion to close Item 2 of new business and a second? Mr. Lopez moved to close Item 2 of new business. Seconded by Mr. Yoshina. The motion to close Item 2 of new business was carried by the following vote: Ayes: Commissioners Akamu, Bath, Lopez, Lui, Sumera-Lee, Yadao, Yoshina, and Chair Kossow. Noes: Vice Chair Hustace. KOSSOW: Commissioners, we have 8 ayes, 1 no. Alright. Mr. Kauka, next item. Agenda Item 3. KAUKA: New business item: 3. Request for public and commissioners to document census block irregularities for placement as notes in Final Plan. Upon completion of Commission, the recommendation is to submit such findings to the Hawaii County Office of Elections and the State of Hawaii Office of Elections for forwarding to the United States Census Bureau for their consideration as suggestions. KOSSOW: Commissioners, this is here as we heard sentiment from the public testimony to more or less ensure this happens. I'd like to entertain any discussion. Perhaps we can determine if this body wants to take any definitive motion, but I'll open it up for any discussion. Mr. Lopez. LOPEZ: Okay, help me here for this, this is a senior moment also. Give me an example of an irregularity, please. Anybody? KOSSOW: An irregularity regarding like when the census blocks kind of looks like a U and goes into another side of a community. There's some cases of that in Puna. And then I have also seen some cases of that in the Mauna Lani area as well. So, that's what the irregularities regarding the census blocks would be. 39 LOPEZ: Okay, so it could be a sliver that extends into another district or a wrap-around effect. KOSSOW: Wrap-around effect, yeah. LOPEZ: Okay, thank you. Mr. Hustace. HUSTACE: Thanks for putting this on the agenda. I've actually started kind of, and I would encourage the other Commissioners to do something similar, is really just capture as you go through the mapping process, and you come across ones that, as the Chair mentioned, there are ones that kind of wrap-around or encompass. I mean we can probably document all these in different veins and have reasoning for some of the irregularities. We can probably see different ones like, "Hey, why is this census block acting like this," "Why was it drawn like this?" What I'm trying to say is, I encourage you to document these census blocks that you see that"Why was it drawn this way?". I think we just need to document these irregularities basically. The ones that look odd. That should not have been drawn maybe that way. Maybe as you go through comparing it with the ahupua`a's or you look at different communities. I have seen some census blocks cover two different residential streets. So, there are some bizarre things that I've seen here where really it should have been, this is one distinct neighborhood so it should be its own block. Why is it being calculated with another residential address and street? Not like on a small scale. I'm talking about some of these places have larger numbers. There's was one up mauka of Hilo I saw, that—okay, I can give an example here. I'll just read it for the record here. It's block 150010208013001. This is above Hilo. There're 583 residents in that one block. The block snakes all the way down on its most eastern terminus. It hugs Puainako but then if you go more mauka towards the Saddle Road, it goes across Saddle Road and it encompasses two little census blocks and then there's another one that kind of like Pac Man's it. It swallows that one there. So that's what I would consider an irregularity. This frustrates me because when I'm trying to switch things using geographic boundaries like DKI Highway, this one causes me problems because it's jumping across the highway, and it should have been divided a little bit differently there. And there's 583 people that live in that one census block so it really sways it back and forth if I'm trying to have a district boundary in that area. So that's an example that I saw. There are other ones on the Kona coast and some of them don't, as Mr. Jones talked about, there are some up on the mauka portions that don't have any populace but I'm still recording some of them as irregularities `cause they're crossing some defined boundaries that we should be using. But there are some along the coastline in Kona, as I was saying, that sweep maybe miles along the coast and yet they bypass many other census blocks. So, if I wanted to draw the district and I throw this one in one of the other districts, you have this long snake line across the coast and for me, that doesn't make a whole lot of sense. So, that's where I'm trying to capture and document some irregularities. Like we talked about, we can't make any action on these. I don't know the legal parameters of splitting the census blocks at this point in time but, we think we need to document these for the block review group that Mr. Jones talked about. So, I encourage you to just see what you see and wonder why this covers across miles of the 40 highway or many different residential areas when maybe it should have been divided differently and it may have given us cleaner boundary lines or cleaner distinctions between communities. So,just food for thought. Thank you. KOSSOW: Ms. Lui. LUL Well over 10 years, there might be new roads and new developments so people living in places that they didn't live 10 years ago. I think what we said was that we can't do anything about it now but, instead of letting it wait another 10 years in the next Redistricting Commission, having to deal with these unwieldy blocks, if we could document it and as I say, our responsibilities end after we're done with this drawing of the boundaries but, it would be great to have something for people to work with over 10 years and hopefully make those changes before the next redistricting. YOSHINA: So, Mr. Chair, is this a motion? KOSSOW: Mr. Yoshina. YOSHINA: Yeah, my question is that, is this Item 3 a motion now? KOSSOW: I think we just primarily wanted to do discussion and then see if that discussion would lead to a motion if we want to input it into the final plan. YOSHINA: Okay, thank you. KOSSOW: Any further discussion? Ms. Lui. LUL Well, at this point, I don't think it's exactly a motion. It's not an actual item, but I think if we could just sort of agree to encourage each other to keep track of these weird blocks and then we can decide as we're finishing up. Because it won't be part of the plan so, we can decide what to do with our data as we go through this process. KOSSOW: Any further discussion? (No response.) May I have a motion to close Item 3 of new business and a second? Mr. Hustace moved to close Item 3 of new business. Seconded by Mr. Lopez. The motion to close Item 3 of new business was carried by the following vote: Ayes: Commissioners Akamu, Bath, Lopez, Lui, Sumera-Lee, Yadao, Yoshina, Vice Chair Hustace, and Chair Kossow. Noes: None. 41 KOSSOW: Motion carries, 9 ayes. STATEMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC ON AGENDA ITEMS KOSSOW: Mr. Kauka, I believe we have one more testifier. I pass it over to you. KAUKA: Yes, Chair, thank you. I believe we still have Ms. Brenda Ford via virtual on Zoom. Ms. Ford, thank you. You may begin. BRENDA FORD FORD: Thank you. I'm going to decline to testify today. KAUKA: Thank you, Ms. Ford. Mr. Chair. REPORTS None. REFERRALS FOR EXECUTIVE SESSION None. ANNOUNCEMENTS KOSSOW: Bringing it over to announcements. First, we just want to use this opportunity and make it apparent to the public within this venue that we'll be posting information in other ways. Currently,just to let everybody know, we are live on YouTube so say hi to all the YouTubers. And then the deadline to members of the public to submit alternate plans is October 14'', 2021. Is there any other announcements from Commissioners or staff? Mr. Hustace. HUSTACE: Just a question, Chair. Should we look ahead a schedule our next formal meeting? Being that this is the only time we're able to vote if next time, we are particularly focused on the training session. Should we look a little further ahead for our next formal meeting? KOSSOW: Yeah, I think that would be good. Is there any discussion regarding the next meeting? Not the training session. I think Mr. Kauka is running to go check the calendar. Mr. Lopez? LOPEZ: Given that we have the public hearings which are to hear from the public, we may not have distinct plans to deliver, but we do have to set a deadline for the alternate plan, how about that day, October 14''? I yield. Or I'll make a motion. October 14''. Thank you. 42 KOSSOW: Alright, is there any discussion? LOPEZ: Second. You need a second. KOSSOW: Oh. Is there a second? HUSTACE: I'll second that. KOSSOW: Okay. Any discussion? I think, Mr. Kauka, are we available on the 14d'? KAUKA: Mr. Chair, thank you. Yes, the Hilo Council Chamber is available. KOSSOW: And Scott gives me the thumbs up so we're good in Kona. KAUKA: Thank you. Thanks, Scott. KOSSOW: Okay, and is staff available for that too? KAUKA: Yes, Mr. Chair, we can make ourselves available. I'll just note that agenda items would need to be submitted by Wednesday, October 6, at noon. KOSSOW: Thank you. Any further discussion? NAKAMOTO: Hi, this is Pat. I just wanted to mention something, and maybe Diana would be able to best answer this but, if we're going to stick to the December 31" deadline and we don't have toI know there was discussion about adding another month or 30 days to the Commission's to create the plan. Because that October 14d' date is eight weeks before the December 0 date for the final draft plan. If we're going to adjust that, if the draft plan is going to be any later, get pushed back, then what happens to the eight weeks, Diana? The public would have more time to draw their plan. KOSSOW: I'm sorry. So, for clarification purposes, you're planning on moving the alternate plan draft date? NAKAMOTO: Well, there was discussion about adding more time to create the plan. And so, if we're going to do that, then some of these dates will be moved back so that October 14d' date may not be the date. MELLON-LACEY: This is Diana. It's difficult to do this in the hypothetical. We're required to set a date for the alternate plans by the 4h meeting. This is the 3rd meeting and the next meeting, I guess, is a combined sort of training/meeting. I don't know if that would count. I think we should leave it. If you're going to formally change the timeline but we don't have approval, of any kind of official approval to do that so, I think we should keep moving forward with the timeline we have at this time. 43 NAKAMOTO: I was just wondering if there was some flexibility once we set that October 14'h date as the alternate plan deadline if we decide to extend a month, add a month into that timeline, if we could later on change that date? MELLON-LACEY: I'm not sure of the answer to that at this time. KOSSOW: Mr. Lopez. LOPEZ: The motion included that we would work towards this plan because we don't have an extension. We're processing an extension and it may, or may not, come. So, we have to live by this plan, I believe. If things do come in and change then through the action of the Commission, we can manipulate a change I suppose. I don't think it's a hurdle we can't get over. KOSSOW: Any further discussion? (No response.) Alright, the motion is still on the table for October 14'', the date for the 4h Session of this meeting. All in favor say aye? Mr. Lopez moved to hold the 4h Session on October 14, 2021. Seconded by Mr. Hustace. The motion to hold the 4h Session on October 14, 2021 was carried by the following vote: Ayes: Commissioners Akamu, Bath, Lopez, Lui, Sumera-Lee, Yadao, Yoshina, Vice Chair Hustace, and Chair Kossow. Noes: None. KOSSOW: Motion carries. So, the meeting will be October 14'', the same time as what we are doing today. Is there any other announcements from the Commissioners? Ms. Lui. LUL I have a question and just refresh my memory, did we ever vote on the kanalua amendment to the rules and procedures? Did we do that last time, or did we postpone it? KOSSOW: We did but—so the issue would have been to take it into a 30 day notice for the public so we ended up making the discretion of the Chair, which is okay to do under the current 2011 procedures which has already been passed. So as Chair, you can make a kanalua vote, if you please. LUL Oh, okay, so we didn't formally put it into the rules, and we left it up to the Chair. 44 KOSSOW: That's correct. LUL I got you. Okay, thanks. KOSSOW: Any further announcements? KAUKA: Mr. Chair, this is Dennis. Just if I may submit to the Commission, for the October 14'h meeting at 9:30,just because I've been approached with some questions, if the Commission wants to consider establishing an end time for the meeting, I'm not sure of the Commission's timeframes that they work with, within the timing, but you could set an end time and kind of work within the parameters if the Commission wants to. KOSSOW: Yeah, let's try to shoot for 12:00. How does everybody think about that? (A Commissioner responded away from the microphone.) Try? Okay. Ambitious? Only eight past right now. LOPEZ: The way we have been going is ambitious but let's try. KOSSOW: Dennis, let's try to do 12:00. KAUKA: Sure. Just to note, we would actually indicate that on the agenda for the public to try to expect that time. There's been some interest to know what the expected time that we are working with on these meetings are. KOSSOW: Okay, thank you. Alright, any other announcements? (No response.) ADJOURNMENT KOSSOW: Okay, thank you. Can I have a motion to adjourn? HUSTACE: So moved. KOSSOW: Motion by Mr. Hustace. LOPEZ: Second. KOSSOW: Seconded by Mr. Lopez. All in favor? Say aye. (Commissioners say aye.) All opposed? (No response.) Motion carries. We are adjourned. 12:09. LUL Mahalo. AKAMU: Aloha. 45 Respectfully Submitted, Nicole Bello, support staff to the Commission Approved on (date) Mr. Bronsten-Glenn Kossow, Chair Hawaii County Redistricting Commission 46 2021 HAWAII COUNTY REDISTRICTING COMMISSION DRAFT 4'h Session Thursday, September 30, 2021 County Council Chambers 25 Aupuni Street Hilo, Hawaii 96720 ATTENDANCE: Present: Ms. Stephanie Bath, Commissioner Mr. James Hustace, Vice Chairperson Mr. Stephen Lopez, Commissioner(via videoconference) Mr. Meizhu Lui, Commissioner Ms. Jennifer Yadao, Commissioner Mr. Dwayne Yoshina, Commissioner Also Present: Jeanette Aiello, Council Administrative Services Supvr. Relley Araceley, Legislative Info & Reference Tech Debbie Ka`ahanui-Hoyohoy, Elections Assistant Diana Mellon-Lacey, Deputy Corporation Counsel Cori Saiki, Elections Program Specialist I CALL TO ORDER: HUSTACE: Aloha kakou. Welcome to the 4h Session of the County of Hawaii Redistricting Commission. Today is Thursday, September 30''. My name is James Hustace, and I am your Vice-Chair. I'd like to start off with an announcement that I will read. Because of the Coronavirus COVID-19 emergency and State and Federal guidance on large meetings and gatherings and pursuant to the Mayor's proclamations regarding COVID-19, the Redistricting Commission meetings are currently not open to the public to attend in person and until further notice. Members of the public may view or provide oral testimony via the Zoom platform by requesting for this information as noted in our posted agendas. Thank you for your understanding. I will now call this meeting to order. The time is 9:34 in the morning. ROLL CALL HUSTACE: I'd like to begin with a quick roll call of the Commissioners to see who's here with us today. I can do the roll call here if that's okay. Please note if you are online or what chamber you are in. We'll start off with Commissioner Lui, "Present in Hilo," Commissioner Yoshina, "Present in Hilo," Commissioner Sumera-Lee, (No response), Commissioner Yadao, "Present," Commissioner Bath, "Present in Hilo," Commissioner Akamu, (No response), Commissioner Lopez, (No response), and Commissioner Kossow, (No response). ARACELEY: Chair, I apologize. This is Relley. We were not able to hear there we go. Commissioner from District 8, if you could just note that you are present. LOPEZ: Yes. Lopez from District 8 on Zoom. HUSTACE: Thank you, Commissioner. Good to see you on Zoom there. Okay, so that's a quick attendance there. Thank you, everyone. ANNOUNCEMENTS (Part 1) HUSTACE: Going to read a little bit more here. As a reminder, during this meeting we are working with Commissioners in multiple locations. The audio of the meeting is being recorded so as much as possible, let's try to avoid overtalk as it becomes difficult to later dictate the minutes. Please keep your microphones on mute unless you are speaking. And we ask that for members of the public who are turned in as well. Commissioners in other chambers, your microphone can be activated by pressing the button at the base. We won't be able to recognize you if the audio is not coming through so be sure to check that it's on before speaking. I'm the only one here in Kona today so for those in Hilo and over remote, we'll have to make a go of it so please speak out with the name that you need to be recognized and I'll do my best to navigate through this. I have to recognize you. If you request to speak, please state your name for the recording dictation and proceed. If you 2 don't state your name first, we may interrupt you to clarify who is speaking for the minutes. Thank you all. So, today we have a very quick agenda. We only really have one item on the agenda. And it should be noted that this session has been publicly announced to be an open training session to really familiarize ourselves with the online redistricting tool provided by ESRI for creating mapping plans. That link is noted on the agenda for today. The session is open to Commissioners and interested members of the public. But please note that no actions by the Commission will occur during today's session. Today is strictly a training session for the Commissioners to help them familiarize themselves with the platform and the application. As well as pose any questions to the Elections training staff if they may need help to go through the software there. We may have people online viewing us. And there may be people that chime in via Zoom. We will not be hearing any testimony today regarding any actions. Members of the public, if you have questions, please identify yourselves to the staff operating the Zoom platform and we will get to your questions when we can. Today, most of this will be led by our training staff and our staff with the Elections Office. That will be Cori and Debbie. They'll be leading most of this training today. A number of our commissioners are in the Hilo Chambers, so they'll be there in- person to assist you. And for Commissioners Lopez and myself here in Kona, we can be guided online as best as possible and ask questions when we can. Any questions from the Commissioners before wej begin today? (No response.) Okay, so I'd like to pass it over to Cori and Debbie with the Elections Division office to really start this conversation off and really go through step-by-step process of the software, the platform, and really help to answer any questions that the Commissioners may have. Mahalo. Please note, the training session was recorded and may be viewed on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQxDV FUwoM The training session begins 8:00 minutes into the recording. ANNOUNCEMENTS (Part 2) HUSTACE: Just as an announcement here, and a reminder. Our next meeting is scheduled for October 14''. And then for the public, this is also the deadline for plans to be submitted. So please, I hope this opportunity helped you. There are some YouTube videos that were shared on our past meetings that can help you with some of the steps as well in guiding you through submitting maps and making your maps for the Commission here. So, we appreciate you taking the time to do that and assist us and guiding us during this time. Any other announcements from the Commissioners? (No response.) I'd also like to thank the staff today. We had Cori Saiki, Debbie Ka`ahanui, Jeanette Aiello, and Relley Araceley joining us today to assist with the tech side of things and walking the Commissioners through some of these steps and helping answer the questions. So, we appreciate your kokua in helping us through this process and making it easier for us. I 3 want to thank the Commissioners for joining today, those online and those in Hilo. Thank you for being here in attendance and I look forward to seeing you at our next meeting. ADJOURNMENT HUSTACE: I welcome a motion to close today's meeting. YOSHINA: Move to close. HUSTACE: Thank you, Mr. Yoshina. Do I have a second? BATH: Stephanie, second. HUSTACE: Any objections? (No response.) Hearing none, today's meeting is closed at 11:34 a.m. Mahalo. Respectfully Submitted, Nicole Bello, support staff to the Commission Approved on (date) Mr. Bronsten-Glenn Kossow, Chair Hawaii County Redistricting Commission 4 COMMUNICATION 023 Mitchell D.Roth JNZV OF M, Elizabeth A. Strance Mayor �'. Corporation Counsel �o.��� .,, J S.Yoshimoto Assistant Corporation •+f�' NiMC i��\\ 'rE OF'N►' Counsel COUNTY OF HAWAII OFFICE OF THE CORPORATION COUNSEL 101 Aupuni Street,Suite 325 • Hilo, Hawai'i 96720 • Phone(808)961-8251 • Fax(808)961-8622 November 5, 2021 MEMORANDUM To: Bronsten Kossow, Commission Chairperson From: Diana M. Mellon-Lacey, Deputy Corporation Counsel Re: Creation of a 101h District A commissioner has raised the question regarding the possibility of the creation of a 101h district. The Hawai'i County Charter, which was revised in 2020 in accordance with Article XV Section 15-3 of the County's Charter, states in Article III Section 3-2 Composition and Terms: There shall be nine council districts, each of which shall be represented by a resident elected from that district. The creation of a 10th district would require a charter amendment in accordance with Article XV of the County Charter. This process involves the adoption of an ordinance by council, or a petition signed by qualified electors equal in number to at least 20% of the total ballots cast in the last preceding general election. The final step of the process involves placing the proposed amendment or revision on the ballot for the next general election. cc: Dennis Kauka, Redistricting Secretary Patricia Nakamoto, Elections Program Administrator Redistricting Commission Members Hawai'i County is an Equal Opportunity Employer and Provider