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minutes 01-15-00Page 9 of 59
<br />IRVINE: Okay, I had just seen where we had this preliminary vote, and then we did change our minds.
<br />YUEN: It’s not really inconsistent with what was voted on. But at that time, when we voted, Planning was saying mandate it,
<br />and then I met with Planning, and I think John talked with them as well, and it seemed like what they wanted to do could be
<br />done just as efficiently by giving them the authorization to move people between Planning and Public Works, and perhaps
<br />even share people in areas so you can have different satellite offices and people might be cross-trained or cross-listed. And
<br />also acknowledging that they still would need implementing action by the Council and the Mayor, even if it was mandated.
<br />So, just take the language out that makes it seem like subdivisions have to be in the Planning Department, and then they can,
<br />by administratively, move functions back and forth more easily. So, I think that that’s where we ended up with that. But, that
<br />one there, I’ve never presented a final draft for the Commission to vote on and, and we’ll be doing that, I don’t know when,
<br />but pretty soon some time, I’ll do that one.
<br />RAY: Any more discussion on this department, or committee, or Commission of Environment? Okay, good. Well, I think
<br />we’ve made some good progress there.
<br />We have another member of the public who has shown up to submit testimony, so let’s go ahead and do that. Ginger Towle.
<br />Ginger.
<br />TOWLE: I’m here representing myself, however, I belong to a number of organizations in Kona; Kona Crime Prevention,
<br />Kona Property Owners Association, and West Hawaii Humane Society, and so forth. And I seem to be one of these people
<br />that people call to find out what’s going on, and ‘would you please tell those people certain things’, and the thing that comes
<br />to me from many people that said are you going to go to that meeting, is two main things that seem to be uppermost in
<br />people’s mind is they want a County Manager and they want non-partisan voting. And those are the two things they keep
<br />coming to me. And then I came because I want to be informed, and if I can help in any way. Unfortunately, most of the
<br />public don’t come forward. They tell somebody ‘would you tell those guys’. So, that’s my message and I feel that this is
<br />something that would be helpful to our county, and I think they feel that those two items would help County government run
<br />more smoothly. So, that’s my message.
<br />RAY: Just so you know, we’ve taken preliminary votes on both those items, and what that does, is it triggers our legal
<br />counsel to come up with some sort of language that, presumably, will produce a preliminary slate of recommendations, and
<br />then we’ll go out for public hearing and input and whatever, on those. And in regard to the non-partisan elections, we have
<br />voted to pursue that. In regard to the Council Manager form of government, we have voted not to pursue that, but we are
<br />discussing, and it’s on the agenda today, some pretty significant language changes in regard to the Managing Director
<br />position, to try to make that more of a City Manager type of position. So, if you’ll sit around, I’m sure you’ll be interested in
<br />that. So rather than go into the Council Manager, it would still be a Manager under the Mayor. The Mayor would still be the
<br />CEO, but that manager would, hopefully, be more of a City Manager type. And so, anyway, we’re going to be talking about
<br />that in just a few minutes.
<br />TOWLE: Good. I think what people have said is that they’d like the Mayor just to cut ribbons, but they’d like someone in
<br />there that has the experience to run the County. So, thank you very much.
<br />RAY: Marni.
<br />HERKES: Thank you, Ginger. I would encourage your friends to write letters if they don’t want to come in person. Also, I
<br />think that, in the interest of information, you should know that we are discussing a different structure of voting, of
<br />representation; 6-3 with 3 island-wide and 6 district specific. I’m in favor of that because West Hawaii doesn’t get the
<br />representation, and I live in West Hawaii, so I could say why I’m in favor of it. However, I wasn’t the one that proposed it,
<br />and we have several reasons, but it may be a good discussion item for your group, along with non-partisan and City Manager.
<br />Thank you.
<br />TOWLE: Thank you. If Marni doesn’t know the answers, then they call me.
<br />HERKES: They don’t call me because I’m on the Commission.
<br />RAY: I’d like to wait till Steve gets back before we go into the Managing Director. He should be back. Let’s take a brief
<br />recess.
<br />RECESSED The Chairman called a recess at 9:55 a.m.
<br />file://\\coh01\cohweb\council\charter_commission\minutes\minutes 01-15-00.html7/1/2011
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