2024-04-30 Fire Commission Minutes

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Hawaii Fire Commission Regular Session Minutes April 30, 2024 Page 10 temporary solution, as there have been attempts to establish a clerical pool from the Mayor's Office, but without success. Chair Kosaki proposed the idea of an assistant, to which Ms. Correa emphasized the necessity of having a backup. She raised concerns about unforeseen circumstances preventing her from attending meetings and questioned what would happen in such scenarios. Chair Kosaki then inquired about whether they should submit a request to the Mayor's Office. DCC Wong confirmed that they could send a letter outlining their concerns and requesting a backup secretary. She assured the commission that in the worst-case scenario if the secretary were unavailable during a meeting, she could figure it out, so the meeting could carry on. Commissioner Cushnie inquired if HFD has any secretaries or clerks who do not directly report to the chief. Chief Todd advised that the commission's secretary position is unique in that the funding comes out of the police department, but the secretary does not report within the police department's structure, which is like LEPC, which Gerald Kosaki sits on. LEPC's budget falls under the Fire Department, they manage that budget, but he doesn't report to him at all. Technically everyone else in the department may not directly report to him, but they are his employees and that's the issue. While the department could provide an employee to assist, the commission wouldn't be able to enter executive sessions due to potential conflicts of interest. DCC Wong suggested that if the Fire Department were to provide an employee, it could adopt a structure like that of the Board of Appeals, where the secretary falls under the Planning Department. In this setup, the secretary would report to the director of the Planning Department but would handle all secretarial and clerical duties for the board. Chief Todd pointed out that, unlike other boards, the Board of Appeals cannot replace the planning director. However, the Police and Fire Commissions have the authority to potentially replace the chiefs, which could lead to ethical dilemmas during executive sessions. Therefore, it is not ideal for the chiefs to have direct oversight of the commission's secretary. DCC Wong noted that in an ideal scenario, clerical support would be provided by the Mayor's Office or the Office of Management. Chair Kosaki inquired about the content of the letter to be drafted. He proposed whether they should request the assignment of a secretary for the Fire Commission or seek a backup in case the current secretary is unavailable. DCC Wong suggested including both requests in the letter, along with outlining the issues and expressing their desired outcomes. It was recommended to present recommendations and options for consideration, allowing the recipient to make an informed decision.