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minutes 02-09-00Page 4 of 41
<br />RAY: Salary Commission -
<br />TYLER: Oh, the Salary. Excuse me.
<br />RAY: In terms of the salaries that they’re able to set. We’ve got testimony on that this evening. We’re recommending
<br />substantial changes to the description, and not only the Managing Director but the whole Executive Section in the County
<br />Charter, reorganizing that. New language regarding the Legislative Auditor, in fact, changing that to the Legislative Research
<br />Office, rather than Legislative Auditor. Term limits only as how they would work in the 6-3 recommendation; 6 single
<br />member districts and 3 Council at-large. A number of fairly minor Department Head qualifications; the two significant ones
<br />being taking out the qualifications for Registered Engineer in Department of Public Works and the Water Department. And
<br />they’re the major ones.
<br />TYLER: Okay. I had read about some of these.
<br />SANTANGELO: Point of information, Mr. Chairman. There was one discussion about the Police Commission, and there was
<br />a part where it goes to hearing, and we weren’t going to put that in with the Fire, and we were possibly considering taking
<br />that out of the Police. It still make it cumbersome to dismiss the Chief, but it make it a lot easier than it is now.
<br />TYLER: Okay, thank you for that clarification. I appreciate it. In any case, what I wanted to say about the Fire Commission
<br />and the Police Commission, and what I saw in this Department of Public Safety, was, I think, when Commissioner
<br />Santangelo was on the Council, we had talked about a possible Public Safety Commission. I think Council member Leithead-
<br />Todd had mentioned something about this when the idea of the Fire Commission came up. I’m not here to suggest that one is
<br />better than the other. I know that at the time this came forward, one of the major considerations for me was how this would
<br />impact the budget. What were the costs going to be? Was this going to be doubling the costs or were we going to take half the
<br />fees from the Police Commission and put them into the Fire Commission, and I don’t know if you’ve considered that.
<br />Perhaps you have. But I know there are many, many members of the Fire Department who are quite strongly in favor of a
<br />Fire Commission. At least they have contacted me.
<br />RAY: Just so you know, we have looked into it in regard to how the City and County operates, which implemented a Fire
<br />Commission some few years ago, and I can’t remember the exact figures, but it’s relatively minor, the costs.
<br />BESS: $12,000, I believe.
<br />YOSHIYAMA: Initially, and $3,500 annually.
<br />RAY: That’s the cost to run a Fire Commission, City and County of Honolulu.
<br />TYLER: Oh, really?
<br />HERKES: They do it with their staff.
<br />TYLER: Wow. Well, Hear! Hear. Can we do this for the Police Commission too?
<br />HERKES: Could have some good ideas here. You’re right.
<br />TYLER: Good work. It’s nice to have the taxpayer citizens on this Commission. That’s great. Well, thank you. Of course, the
<br />Council, and I’m sure this Commission has also, received complaints about the Police Commission, and the perceptions, right
<br />or wrong, about some things that are done, or not done. And I don’t know the intricacies of this. I’ve never been brought up
<br />before the Police Commission. In fact, I’ve never attended one of their meetings, but certainly, the Council members have
<br />been recipients of complaints from time to time. And I guess my only comment about this, the Police Commission and the
<br />Fire Commission, is that they be the old kiss formula. Keep it simple and do the work that needs to be done. And to the extent
<br />that there’s some problems, well, let’s fix them. To the extent that things are working well, let’s not throw them out. And as I
<br />say, I’m not as well versed on this as some members of the public who, I know, testified regarding this.
<br />With respect to Item number E. and the Salary Commission, I’m inclined to agree with Mr. Pierson, that if we can’t stand the
<br />heat, we’d better get out of the kitchen. And I can see why a Salary Commission was put forward to distance the elected
<br />officials from setting their own salaries, but we have been known to vote on things at least as controversial, or more so, than
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