2005-04-12 Board of Ethics Minutes regular mc

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KK: Well my thoughts on that was, if we do allow you to do this, still there would be fingers pointing —hey how come they can do it and we can't do it, you know. CHAIR: So, Karl, it's just like if someone in Planning, or Public Works, or any other department, comes and says I'm also committed to doing pro Bono work- KK: - -well not necessarily pro Bono, but you know, how come they can get an exception? I fully understand where you're coming from. I've read this thing backwards and forwards, but I just —kind of a rhetorical question down the line, down the road, just be aware that somebody might point fingers. CHAIR: Well perhaps he can point fingers at us, as a reviewing agency and presumably the Mayor —has the Mayor been brought in on this discussion at all? ASHIDA: No CHAIR: - -is it appropriate, do you think? ASHIDA: I don't see whyI mean, he is both our appointing authority. He's yours and mine. As a general rule, Mayor Kim tends to be very hands off on boards and commissions. He's very good in that way—he appoints and, even with departments, I can count on one hand the number of times he's been to my office, and it's normally to say merry Christmas. No, really —he's very good, he's very hands off. He lets the appointees really do their work. CHAIR: Well you made the point, the salient point was that he does count on boards and commissions, us, as the watch dog. KK: You know, with my skeptical kind of thinking, I thought that it might be passing the buck to usoh, the Board of Ethics said it's okay, so it must be okay, but I'm just looking down the road. This kind of thinking might come up. CHAIR: I'd like to ask the question, Mr. Kim, has this come up on Maui? JDK: No. CHAIR: Elsewhere? For any of the attorneys, has this come up elsewhere, been an issue in other counties? 12