2021-12-16 Merit Appeals Board Minutes

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Merit Appeals Board December 16, 2021 Okay, let's see. So, in summary, new notice requirements include email, mailing address for public testimony—which we already do. Include all public locations—we don't do that now, so if we do have remote participation then we're going to be able—we must provide the those other locations for the public to be able to view the meeting. Include how to access the meeting and provide testimony remotely that will be included in the notice, if we need to do that, and include what happens if the connection is lost. In addition, a quorum of board members must be visible and audible. Chair must announce all participating members at the beginning of the meeting, Board members must state who else is present if they're at a remote location and all voting must be done by rollcall votes. For the most part, we are following these procedures. Any questions? Office of Information Practices can provide further guidance on the Sunshine Law. There are different handouts regarding to the updates (SEE ATT. B). I think there's about three different handouts that I can email to you if you would like to look at the specific provisions that's submitted or provided by the Office of Information Practices, which oversees the Sunshine LawI can email those to you. But what you got today was the summarized version of the major changes. And so, for the most part, if we hold in-person meetings, it's pretty straightforward. If we do remote meetings, that's fine as well. We just need to add additional participation options for members of the public. Any questions? CHR. CABANAS: I have one, J. What would be the possible remote locations? MR. YOSHIMOTO: So, the remote location—well, I see—remote location could simply, as I see it, just be our Council Chambers here, right. So, we could invite them here, then I would view that this location to be sufficient. Another remote location could be Aupuni Conference Center things of that nature. Yeah. But I think in those situations as I envision it, the remote locations would be where the board is closing the meeting to members of the public in-person but allowing them to view it and participate in remotely. So, what the law wants to do, at least from what I understand that the policy is to make sure that members of the public who may not necessarily have access to internet at home, could go physically to someplace and view it. As I recall back during the early stages of the pandemic, the Puna Conference Room across there was used as a remote location where people would testify this is for the County Council—and they would testify there. There'd be a staff person monitoring to make sure the connection is good, no one steals the computer, things like that, right. And then, the Councilmembers would be here. So that could be a scenario. In that form it's different because they could not could they frequently have a lot of people come and testify on issues of concern to them, right, where Page 7