2010-03-16 Merit Appeals Board Minutes

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he would not be available in April or June. The County requests that the hearing not be set in May, as one of Ms. Noda's key witnesses, Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Joyce Seelen, will be in trial the month of May. Ms. Noda also received information that Deputy Attorney General Julian White is requesting that it not be set in July. Because he had handled the previous case, and they did have a circuit court matter regarding this case, he prefers to continue to handle it rather than sending a substitute. In August, the employer's witness Dale Ross is not available, but if the Board is inclined to set it in August they'll make accommodations. Ms. Noda will prepare a declaration from Ms. Ross. The Board noted the extensive length of time between the filing of the appeal and the actual hearing, but Ms. Noda stated that when Mr. Reece called her yesterday, he did confirm that a date after July would be fine with him. It was decided that Ms. Noda would first check with her witnesses on the availability of Monday, August 16, 2010, at 10:00 a.m., for the hearing, and if that date is all right, the parties would proceed with that hearing date. DIRECTOR'S REPORT 1) Mr. Takahashi formally introduced the new Deputy of Human Resources, Sharon Toriano, who started on March 1, 2010. Ms. Toriano came from the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation where she spent 17 years first in Kona as the former HR director for the Kona and Kohala Hospitals, and most recently at the Hawaii Health Systems Corporate Office in Honolulu. Sharon is a resident of West Hawaii and brings much needed experience to the job. 2) The Department of Parks and Recreation has decided to unfund the County Band positions. Their budget that was submitted to the Council on March 1 did not include funding for both the East Hawaii and West Hawaii bands. The bands were made civil service two to three years ago and are going through formal reduction- in- force/layoff procedures. Mr. Takahashi's department is working with the Department of Parks and Recreation on this. One full -time HGEA employee is involved, which is the Band Director. The Band members are six - hour -a -week employees, who are excluded from V