Final - Digest of Charter Amendments

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maximum of thirty days, only when there has been a transition to a new mayor. 6. Safety Coordinator’s Office. In the present charter, there is an office of the safety coordinator which is responsible for workplace safety. Charter Amendment No. 6 would transfer the duties and staff of the office of the safety coordinator to the department of civil service and abolish the safety coordinator's office. 7. Qualifications of Department Heads. Under Charter Amendment No. 7, qualifications for the directors of parks and recreation and of research and development would be stated in the charter for the first time. Basically, they would require five years' relevant experience. The chief engineer's position would be renamed "director of public works." Five years' administrative experience would be required for the director of public works and water director. The qualifications for the managing director would be changed. The qualifications for the planning director would be changed so that of the required experience, at least three years would have been in an administrative capacity. 8. Police Department. Charter Amendment No. 8 would give the police department a general overall statement of the policies it should follow. The police commission would be required to review the operations of the department, and to perform an annual evaluation of the chief of police. 9. Water Department. At present, there is a county water commission, with nine members, who must generally be representative of the various geographical areas of the county, but without a specific residency requirement. Charter Amendment No. 9 would specify that one member shall be a resident of each of the nine council districts, and would rename the water commission the "water board." The director of the department of water supply would also be required to have a minimum of five years' administrative experience. 10. Salary Commission. Under Charter Amendment No. 10, the salary commission would set the salaries of all appointed directors and deputy directors of county departments and executive agencies. Currently, the salary commission sets the salaries of elected officials, and the county council sets the salaries of appointed directors and deputy directors. The charter would also specify that one member of the salary commission must be a resident of each of the nine county council districts. 11. Cost of Government Commission. Charter Amendment No. 11 would establish a cost of government commission, which would advise the county government on ways to achieve greater efficiency and effectiveness. It would consist of nine members, one from each council district, who would be appointed by the mayor and confirmed by the county council. The cost of government commission would be appointed every fourth year, at the beginning of the second year of the mayor's term, and serve for eleven months. 12. Hawaii Redevelopment Agency. Charter Amendment No. 12 would abolish the Hawaii Redevelopment Agency, and transfer its functions to the planning director, who would administer them through the planning department. At present, the Hawaii Redevelopment Agency has some authority to regulate development in the Kaiko’o redevelopment area, and in downtown Hilo. 13. Council Meetings in Kona. Charter Amendment No. 13 would require the full county council to have a meeting at least once every three months in either North or South Kona. 14. Liquor Commission Membership. Charter Amendment No. 14 would increase the number of liquor commissioners from seven to nine, and require that one member reside in each of the nine county council districts.