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process more transparent. And I think it was unanimously supported by the Commissions, as <br />well as the County Council. And it had been something that was attempted several terms before <br />but had gotten kind of convoluted and too confusing; the suggested bills had failed in the past. <br />But before I did introduce the bill, I worked with the Director and attorneys from both sides of <br />the issues on P.U.D.s, and we found that this would be a good bill. And I’m very grateful that <br />you are adopting the rules today for the Planned Unit Development. Thank you very much. <br /> <br />UNGER: Thank you. <br /> <br />WONDRA: Chairperson, my name is Allan Wondra, and I live in Pualani Estates here in <br />Kailua-Kona. Can we ask questions? <br /> <br />UNGER: Why don’t we go, why don’t we go ahead and testify right now? And you can ask a <br />question, and then we can bring it up at a discussion period later. <br /> <br />WONDRA: Well, the reason I ask is the presenter said one of their justifications for reducing <br />the public input was costs, reductions in costs for the, I was wondering what those costs are. <br />How many contested cases are there, and how many times does the public actually go into <br />excessive time to justify this change in procedure. Because it seems to me that the Sunshine rule <br />should — <br /> <br />UNGER: Yeah, I think that information is available. Ms. Jackson, do you want to comment on <br />that? <br /> <br />JACKSON: I will, yes. <br /> <br />HO: I will make one quick comment, though. The Sunshine Law does not apply — <br /> <br />WONDRA: I’m sorry — <br /> <br />HO: — the Sunshine Law doesn’t apply to contested case hearings, but — <br /> <br />WONDRA: Sure, but public input — <br /> <br />HO: Yeah. <br /> <br />WONDRA: — I should have said. I should have clarified myself. <br /> <br />JACKSON: We typically get about two on average contested case hearings per year, and if the <br />Commission decides not to hear the case, and they hire a hearings officer, the hearings officer <br />charges $150 an hour, and some of the most recent contested case hearings we’ve had range <br />anywhere from $20,000 up to $35,000 per hearing, and a lot of those costs is again the attorneys’ <br />fees as well as the transcript fees, and the transcripts are all, you know, the recordation of all the <br />testimony and all the cross-examination by the parties. <br /> <br />WONDRA: Thank you. <br />21 <br />EXHIBIT A <br /> <br />