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<br />Mr. Balsis: Yes, so it being an open hearing, which I believe it would be the correct way to go <br />at this juncture. <br /> <br />Mr. Drutar: Yes, sir. <br /> <br />Mr. Balsis: Please continue. <br /> <br />Mr. Drutar: I’ll let my initial petition speak for itself. I apologize for jumping all over the <br />place in there a little bit, but, the point I was trying, or the question I brought up exactly the one <br />that Mr. Henricks seems to be addressing. It doesn’t get into any of the details, it’s whether or <br />not Ms. Crawford and the Department of Finance have the authority to do ethics investigations <br />and to determine those types of things. The only confidentiality thing I wanted to bring up is I’m <br />no longer employed with the County of Hawai‘i. I was not fired. I left. I gave 2 ½ weeks’ <br />st <br />notice and I terminated my employment on January 31. That was the only confidentiality thing <br />that I was really talking about. The rest of it I don’t think actually, the case, I agree with Mr. <br />Henricks that’s for a different party, if it gets that far. There’s a process for that which hasn’t <br />even been started by the Department of Finance which would include asking for a new formal <br />advisory opinion from you folks. So to get into the details of that is moot. I’ll let the statement <br />speak for itself, as my initial comments. <br /> <br />Mr. Henricks: I’d like to address this to Ms. Noda. Ms. Noda, now that you know… <br /> <br />Mr. Balsis: Ms. Noda, can you please come forward. <br /> <br />Ms. Noda: Sure. <br /> <br />Mr. Henricks: Now that you know what issue, I think that we should be looking at, are you <br />prepared to go forward on that issue today? <br /> <br />Ms. Noda: No. I was going to ask the Board for a ruling on Ms. Crawford’s request for a <br />formal hearing. Our position is it quite a complex issue regarding managements rights, the <br />departments rights, and the purview and the jurisdiction of this board. <br /> <br />Mr. Henricks: I understand . That’s why we’re not taking this very lightly. That’s why I said it <br />was a legal issue that has to be determined. What do, I’m not talking to just Ms. Crawford, I’m <br />talking to all the department heads. Do they have a right to make findings of violations under the <br />ethics code. Does any of them have that right or can they only make findings as to their own or <br />the County’s rules and regulations. You understand what I’m saying? <br /> <br />Ms. Noda: Yes I do. <br /> <br />Mr. Henricks: I know they have a right to do that. But do they have the right to step into our <br />area and say ok you have violated the ethics code therefore I can discipline you without taking it <br />to the ethics commission. Can they do that? <br /> <br />7 <br /> <br /> <br />