1999-09-29 Charter Commission Minutes

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HAWAII COUNTY CHARTER COMMISSIONPage 14 of 51 TANAKA: I know that our department is a proponent of this and the Commissioners, the majority, decided to not support it so I’m in a strange predicament too. RAY: George. MARTIN: It’s difficult at times, I can see, and I’ve been in a position you’re in right now. On the position of the other cap, if it were to be implemented, do you think it would work? BALOG: Personally. MARTIN: I said, with the other cap on. Take it for what it’s worth. TANAKA: I think so, except that the one point that was brought up about the long range planning, and how it really integrates with having to be in a day to day process so you know what’s going on. You get the feedback from the community and so forth. I guess if there were, and I know if this happens, the staff from Planning Department will be transferred, yes? So, yes, with the proper training, with the proper selection of personnel going over, I think it could work, and with the proper people staying back to watch both sides, the long term planning as well as the day to day responses, yes. RAY: Just remember, this is our next agenda item and we’re going to have Planning Department and Public Works in and continue this discussion. Marni. HERKES: I just wanted to say, was there discussion in the Planning Commission about, say, the next five years, or were they dealing with what’s happened in the last five years? Because what we see is not much has happened in the last five years. What’s going to happen in the next five years is probably going to be very different. The Counties in the State are working very diligently on solving the duplication of services. They are also working on reducing regulations, encouraging more comprehensive planning, and the State Land Use planning, and things happening with Act 164 and they are trying to move the Commissions into making decisions. Was there discussion in that venue? Because when we’re talking about Charter changes, we’re talking about the future. We’re not talking about the past. We’re not talking about the fact that they haven’t set policies. We’re talking about setting up a system where they have to set policies, where they have to do some planning, and how they make their program measurements fit. So, when you’re looking at the kinds of changes that are probably going to come in the next five years, this position doesn’t make much sense to me. I’m sorry, but I’m having a real problem with those reactive stance rather than a proactive stance, I suppose. TANAKA: I can agree to that. Again, if I’m wearing an outsider’s hat, certainly agree with that. I guess my only comment to that is the question was posed to me, as a contractor, and being very familiar with the permitting process, I know what it’s like. You’re having to run around the Building Department or the County Building to the different agencies and then you’ve got to go over to Fire and you got to go over to Department of Health, so yes, this would reduce all of that. That time will become more efficient and perhaps, some of the Members are just not familiar with the process, and have these other concerns that brought it to that point. HERKES: Yes, thank you. RAY: All right, thank you, Mr. Tanaka. TANAKA: Thank you. file://\\coh01\cohweb\council\charter_commission\minutes\minutes 9-29-99.html7/1/2011