1999-08-25 Charter Commission Minutes (2)

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minutes 8-25-99Page 13 of 60 RAY: If you want to briefly discuss it today, that’s fine. HERKES: I’d like to briefly discuss it because the League of Women Voters is circulating a questionnaire on Neighborhood Boards and I think, or at least I’ve been told, it’s going to be an important part of their yearly agenda, and so I’d like to start a discussion on what it would be like. I’d like to know a couple of questions. How many people does each Neighborhood Board represent? You’ve told us that you interact with them and you have four in your district. You interact with them rather well or sometimes well probably, and sometimes not so well, but everybody on a Neighborhood Board is elected, I understand. FELIX: Yes, they’re elected by sub-districts so they represent a district within a district. HERKES: With how many people in each district? FELIX: It could be 500, it could be - ARAKAWA: It could be 500, it could be 5000. FELIX: And the size of the Boards varies quite dramatically. HERKES: Who decides? The Neighborhood Board Commission? FELIX: It’s based upon the sub-districts. ARAKAWA: The Neighborhood Commission does. FELIX: Yes, there is a Neighborhood Board Commission and it’s based upon population and sub-districts. Neighborhood Boards, I think, can serve a very useful purpose but it can be a double edged sword. I think they have to clearly understand what the parameters of their responsibilities are. Often times, they go beyond communities’ concerns into issues like Y2K, abortion, and it’s almost - ARAKAWA: Margery Bronster’s - FELIX: Margery Bronster. I think it can be made very clear what the parameters are and the fact that they are advisory. I had a recent conflict with the Hawaii Kai Neighborhood Board which is a very vocal, well organized Board, on the East Honolulu Development Plan, and the majority of them voted against adopting the plan that I was supportive of, and that every community association in East Honolulu supported, because of the influence of a very strong Chair. The council adopted the East Honolulu Development Plan unanimously, going contrary to what the Neighborhood Board recommended, so I think it has to be made very clear what their parameters are, and the fact that they are advisory, and that isn’t always the case. HERKES: Who are they advisory to? ARAKAWA: The government. FELIX: To the Mayor - ARAKAWA: It could be State Government, the council. If there’s something - HERKES: Any government? Whoever asks your opinion, you can give it. file://\\coh01\cohweb\council\charter_commission\minutes\minutes 8-25-99.html7/1/2011