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minutes 10-13-99Page 8 of 31
<br />and perhaps I’m so close that I can’t see the forest for the trees, but it is my opinion, based on my own
<br />experience as a member of the Council, but more importantly, as someone who has received comments
<br />from the community, that the community feels very strongly that the Council - I think that’s the right
<br />word - strongly that the Council is operating in a more bi-partisan or nonpartisan way, perhaps more
<br />than it ever has before. Personally, I believe that to be the case. I think there are very few votes that
<br />happen along party lines, and very seldom does the mention of a party come forward. So, I think in
<br />terms of cohesiveness, that the Council has come light years from where it was a few decades ago, or
<br />even a few years ago, when people were calling each other names in the press and there on the Council
<br />floor, and felt maybe we’re closer and maybe we’re at the time where we can be more cohesive.
<br />And finally, I’d like to say, although you haven’t mentioned it, I did talk to Mr. Ray about this when we
<br />came back from St. Louis, the last NACO meeting, that there are resources available who are able to
<br />provide contractual samples of how to go about this. Personally, I view it as an opportunity to have a
<br />more performance-base, outcome-base management system, as opposed to he said/she said, go see that
<br />person and, some of you have experienced this already. You spend a lot of time running around trying to
<br />figure out who is a decision-maker, so I think it’s very important that you utilize, or at least seek out
<br />information, from those resources. I mentioned one to Mr. Ray, the University of Georgia. One
<br />individual in particular, who is in charge of helping a lot of counties with setting up the contract. What’s
<br />critical is, of course, as you point out, is the policing, but the Council needs to understand what the role
<br />of this person, he or she, is going to be, and therefore, set up some parameters so it’s not a failed
<br />situation. And also there, I would say to you that I believe that it would be in the best interest of the
<br />public, as well as the Council, that we spend adequate funds to hire, if I may call it, a head hunter, a
<br />professional search person, to come up with the ideal candidate, who may well not be a person from
<br />Hawaii. We don’t have a corner on all the good ideas in the world. And second of all, I believe that this
<br />person should be very well paid. Very well paid. Probably a hundred thousand or more, so we can attract
<br />the right kind of person who will be accountable and will be able to take the necessary steps, but I also
<br />would say that the Council will play a critical role in this because the Council will be the body that
<br />establishes the policy and contracts with respect to this person, and it’s not going to be easy, but I
<br />believe it’s worth pursuing. Thank you.
<br />RAY: Sue, are you finished?
<br />IRVINE: Yes.
<br />RAY: Roland.
<br />HIGASHI: Would you support a Special Election to put this question before the voters before the next
<br />election, or would you be satisfied that it be settled in the next election and implemented four years
<br />henceforth?
<br />TYLER: At this time I do not support a Special Election, and I understand the reasons for considering
<br />one, because the person who would be elected Mayor would only serve, possibly, four years, should the
<br />Charter Amendment pass, however, I think -
<br />HIGASHI: The implementation would take four years before we could implement it.
<br />TYLER: Yes, of course it would take four years unless, of course, you put some provision in there that if
<br />it passed, they’d have to resign, but I can’t imagine that somebody would run under those circumstances,
<br />but hope springs eternal. I think my main reason is the cost, and I think you heard very clearly from
<br />personnel from the Elections Office, including our Clerk and others, that it’s almost an impossibility to
<br />do this in a timely fashion, based on the kinds of deadlines that the State imposes on the County. So, I
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