2025-08-26 Merit Appeal Board Minutes

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Merit Appeals Board August 26, 2025 MS. TOKIHIRO: Right. Correct, yeah—and there is certain criteria that they have to—kept up with the payments, et cetera. MS. BOND: Yeah. CHR. CABANAS: Gilbert? MR. AGUINALDO: I have a question. MS. SAKAMOTO: Sure. MR. AGUINALDO: That is pertaining to Housing. I think that the engage—having County employees stay because your guy’s benefits are, like, by just listening—I’m impressed. I’m an employer myself but the County’s more broad, right, the whole entire nine districts we have. But the housing that you talked about, I think it’s a big key factor for our County employees, like, Workforce Housing. I don’t know if there are any available land to do that. I know they have affordable housing—I don’t want to call them low income—affordable housing. But I feel that it’s—we have to engage more for County employees. Then why do they probably leave? It is not leaving because of—you guys give great benefits—maybe in a financial situation they’re in with existing homes they have for rent is high—is creating one program that it builds the outside developer that would—willing to build homes. I think that one would really lure a lot of employees, ‘cause I see—that was the first thing you talked about was housing and home improvement, yeah—if they have already a home that they need to improve because they’re getting older or family—that takes a lot. People going just move—other opportunities—maybe their wages are higher. They’re not going to look at their benefits, but I think it’s a great opportunity for our County. MS. TOKIHIRO: And I would agree, I think Workforce Housing is something that needs to be addressed, in addition to affordable housing and it’s—it would be for County employees but just in general, like, people that are working in—on the west side in hotels, right. And so, I think the island, in general, has a big need for that. And, hopefully, that’s something that the Administration can make progress with as far as future developments. But we do want to engage with the Office of Housing so that our employees know what benefits are available to them and what the options are, because it could even be participation in some of the other housing programs, right, that people may not be aware that they’re eligible for—and just understanding how the programs work, any income—what the income parameters are. But that’s a part of trying to get that information out there so that our employees do understand of things—understand what the County does, as Jenny mentioned—but then, also, understanding that they may be eligible for. Page 9