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WATANABE:The reason I brought that up is because I knew it would have to be heard <br />in both districts so I knew we would have a hearing or it would be agendized over in the Hilo <br />side. But in similar fashion to the last time we had one of these amendments or proposed <br />amendments, I won’t be able to make the next meeting. So that means, you know, I’m sitting <br />here but I won’t be able to vote. So that’s why I asked if I could, you know, provide a proxy; but <br />I didn’t think there was a mechanism for that. <br />ALAMEDA:Very good. Thank you. I understand. Okay, Commissioner Siracusa? <br />SIRACUSA:I’m looking at the third paragraph in the Revised Background Report, the <br />one that lists all the various group living facilities that require a license from the Department of <br />Health. And I assume, correct me if I’m wrong, please, Director Yuen, that these are categories <br />that are part of the Department Health’s Administrative Rules? <br />YUEN:Correct. <br />SIRACUSA:And the definitions for them, therefore, are also part of the Department of <br />Health’s. So I’m wondering why did you choose to go this route, changing the definition of <br />“family” rather than just asking the Department of Health to change their definitions or to add <br />another category that they would license? Do you understand my question? <br />YUEN:Say more. <br />SIRACUSA:Okay. They’ve got all these categories -. <br />YUEN:Yes. <br />SIRACUSA:That require a license from them, adult residential care homes, special <br />treatment facilities, therapeutic living programs and developmental disabilities domiciliary <br />homes. I’m wondering why they didn’t go the route of just creating another category that would <br />require a license and setting up the various definitions and other requirements, rules and regs <br />covering it, why it has to come this way for us to change the definition of “family? <br />YUEN:Well, this has to do with the County’s limitation on the number of <br />unrelated persons that can live in a home, in a single-family home; and that is contained in the <br />definition of “family.” So we are carving out another exception that would let people in these <br />kinds of licensed homes, they’re licensed by the Department of Health, have up to eight <br />unrelated persons, plus program staff. Otherwise, they would be left at five. <br />SIRACUSA:I just don’t understand why we have to change the definition of “family.” <br />These people are obviously not family. And, so, why are we trying to force them into a <br />definition that doesn’t exist on the ground. <br />YUEN:Well, there’s a number of different ways this could be done, but the option <br />and there are some downsides with the other ways of doing them. One of the downsides of <br />listing the programs is that the types of programs they license can change over time. So that’s, <br />EXHIBIT D <br />5 <br /> <br />