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Merit Appeals Board <br />January 16, 2025 <br />CHR. CABANAS: Thank you, Ms. Tavares. Okay, so, Mr. Kaye, do you want an open or <br />closed hearing? <br />MR. KAYE: (Inaudible.) <br />CHR. CABANAS: Open. Okay, great. I'd like to, again, introduce the Board members to you <br />and our Legal Counsel. I'm Gabriella Cabanas, the Chair; Gay Mathews, to my left, is the <br />Vice -Chair; and to her left is Suzi Bond, member of the Board. So there are three Board <br />members. We do have quorum. <br />Our Legal Attorney is appearing via Zoom, Mr. James Halvorson, with the Office of the <br />Attorney General. He is our attorney for the appeal hearing. <br />I'd also like for the record —will state who is present in the Council Chambers this morning. <br />Our Secretary -Reporter seated in the back of us, Ms. Glynis Yamada; we have Mr. Jonah Kaye, <br />the Appellant; his Attorney, Mr. Ted Hong, Esquire; representing the County is Ms. Sherilyn <br />Tavares with the Office of the Corporation Counsel; we have Sommer Tokihiro, the Director of <br />Human Resources; we have Mr. Kaye —John Kaye, sitting in on the hearing; and we also have <br />the Deputy Fire Chief Volpe, sitting in on the hearing. <br />Okay. Our Deputy Attorney, James Halvorson, will be participating via Zoom. Both parties are <br />present and introductions will be —have been made. <br />This hearing is on the appeal filed by Mr. Jonah Kaye. The issue in this case has been identified <br />as Number one —Did the Employer, the Fire Department of the County of Hawaii, violate any <br />statutes, regulations, rules, or personnel policies regarding the following actions pertaining to <br />Recruitment and Examination. And Number two, if the answer to the above is "yes" then what <br />remedy can be awarded by the Merit Appeals Board? <br />Are there any questions or disputes concerning the Board's jurisdiction over this matter? <br />Mr. Hong? <br />MR. HONG: None. Thank you. <br />CHR. CABANAS: Thank you. Ms. Tavares? <br />MS. TAVARES: No. <br />CHR. CABANAS: Thank you. Do you have —do both parties have any statements or concerns <br />in regard to the issue in this case? <br />MR. HONG: On behalf of Mr. Kaye no. I will just note as an administrative matter that <br />Counsel for the department and I have agreed to stipulate both of our exhibits into evidence. <br />Page 24 <br />