2021-12-09 Redistricting Commission minutes (9th Session)

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to move on while staff tries to work with you offline, and we'll try to get back to you. When you 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 that you are testifying on. Mr. Kauka? KAUKA: Thank you, Chair. Our first testifier is Jacob Aki from Common Cause Hawaii, followed by Brenda Ford. Mr. Aki, thank you. You may unmute yourself and begin. JACOB AKI AKL Aloha, Chair, Vice Chair, and members of the Commission. My name is Jacob Aki on behalf of Common Cause. Common Cause is a nonpartisan nonprofit organization dedicated to upholding the core values of our democracy and ensuring a fair and transparent reapportionment and redistricting process. Today we'd like to provide testimony on agenda item new business three (3), review and discussion of County Charter and Code sections that relate to redistricting. Common Cause recommends that the County Charter be amended to include an additional section that mandates the Commission to count incarcerated people at their home addresses as of the census date. We understand that this is something that many members of the Commission is working on, so we appreciate your folks efforts and your folks willingness to consider this particular issue. We would also like to recommend that County Charter Section 3-17 (e) be amended to revise the Commission's public hearing process. We appreciate that the Charter's mandate to hold at least one public hearing in each of the nine districts is there. However, we believe that these hearings should be conducted once a draft plan has been created and approved by the Commission. Not prior to completing a draft of the redistricting plan. We believe that by structuring the public hearing process in this manner, it will improve public participation and increase the amount of people coming to these meetings. But we do appreciate that in the County Charter there is going to be meetings in each district. But we do think there can be some work done in these particular areas. But we also would like to thank the Commission and the staff for also providing the materials. Not just for this meeting,but for all of your folks meeting in a timely manner. And if you folks have any questions, I am here to answer any questions or for any further comment. Thank you. KAUKA: Thank you. Commissioners, our next testifier is Ms. Brenda Ford. Hi, Ms. Ford. Please unmute yourself, and you may begin. BRENDA FORD FORD: I would like to comment on two things. Number two (2) on the discussion of council districts. The possibility of, I assume, more than nine council members or less than nine council members. I will only discuss the more than. Please remember that there's only, in both buildings, West Hawaii Civic Center and Hilo, there's only space for nine council members and those stations probably cannot be expanded. So, that's a small logistical error. And the second thing is adding more council members creates an 3