1999-07-07 Charter Commission Minutes

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Page 17 of 23 Commission. I don’t know how many people applied to be on the Planning Commission. I don’t know how many people applied to be on these Boards and Commissions. I do know that there’s a great shortage of volunteers for all of these Boards and Commissions. That is your fault as well as mine. If we don’t encourage people to apply for them, and the form is simple, it’s a one page form. It doesn’t take any time to fill in. Then the diversity is not going to be there. I know that the Mayor’s constantly looking for people. He gets to a point so therefore he probably is going to appoint people that he feels comfortable with. However, I do know that he’s appointed on this Commission, some very diverse people, not all friends of his. Because they applied. So when you talk about diversity of Boards and Commissions that’s a great goal but it is not happening because people are not volunteering. Nobody appoints people unless they volunteer. It is not an appointment per se. I get asked about four times a month and unfortunately this is one that I wanted to do but it’s a lot of time, as you know if you are with the Waimea Water Board. With all of us, it’s a lot of time away from your business. There doesn’t seem to be a great group of people that are willing to spend the time and I’d like to see how to make it easier, how to get greater participation, how to get more people involved in the process of government. I don’t feel it’s difficult to get involved. I think there’s a lot of different ways to get involved in discussion groups. The forestry issue is a wonderful issue to get involved, and water and they’re not confrontational. There’s a lot of great discussion things that are going on on the island but you don’t get diversity unless you get people volunteering. And we certainly have diversity on our County Council and they’re not going out asking people to apply for different Boards and Commissions. At least my understanding is there aren’t a big flood of applications. So I think that it behooves all of us to ensure that diversity. It’s our responsibility to ensure it. Not the Council or the Mayor. It’s really up to us to ensure the diversity so I encourage you to do it. Keep trying to do it. I’m trying but I’m not having a lot of luck either but I know you’re on Integrated Resource Planning too. RAY: George. MARTIN: I have a few questions in regards to Commissioners. Again, and I ask a question. I think I heard you say two different approaches to the same issue; one was appointed by the Council and the other was to have the Commissioners run for elected type position. Is that correct? BOCHE: That’s correct. MARTIN: Okay. I guess I’ll touch on both of them then. If in fact they are appointed by the Council as a direct individual and then confirmed by the rest of the Council, don’t you think possibly some quid pro quo would come into play whereas you want your person appointed, I want mine appointed. We’re going to have some situations that you may not have the right person there. BOCHE: Anything’s possible but I think that the Council Members generally have a lot of integrity and I hope that they do. And that may be true. The thing is I think one of the advantages, it’s one thing to have the Mayor searching, as he undoubtedly does, to find qualified and willing people which admittedly, it’s hard to do. I know myself, my geography is difficult and if I had to leave my business to attend Water Commission meetings on a regular basis. I mean I gotta drive to Hilo and not to mention County Council if heaven forbid, I should ever run for County Council. I mean it’s a real hardship because I have a more than full time business and so for myself, it’s real difficult but I would think that the local Council, the County Council Members would then be searching their district. If they had the power and they knew ‘okay, it’s my year to appoint a Member to the Water Commission, the Liquor Commission and the Police Commission’, they’re going to look around their district for the people that they know and who might be qualified and so you’re going to have more of a grass roots access to more people and maybe a little more broader circle. And a lot of people say, and part of my attitude is why should I apply? I know the Mayor’s not going to appoint me because I’ve testified in various situations against some of his proposals. I don’t expect that he would look on me favorably even if he knows who I file://\\coh01\cohweb\council\charter_commission\minutes\minutes 7-7-99.html7/1/2011