|
<br />minutes 04-01-00Page 1 of 22
<br />Back To: Home Page | Table of Contents | Charter main page
<br />
<br />HAWAII COUNTY CHARTER COMMISSION
<br />Transcript of Public Hearing of APRIL 1, 2000
<br />Cooper Center
<br />Volcano, Hawaii
<br />
<br />Members: J. Ray, S. Bess, M. Herkes, R. Higashi (from 9:24 a.m.), S. Irvine, G. Martin (from 9:32 a.m.), J. Santangelo (from
<br />9:08 a.m.)
<br />Absent: E. Alonzo, K. Balog, D. Kurozawa, G. Yoshiyama
<br />And 13 members of the public in attendance.
<br />CALL TO ORDER
<br />Chairman John Ray called the meeting to order at 9:05 a.m.
<br />RAY: I’d like to call the meeting to order. This is the 1999-2000 Charter Commission. We’re holding a public hearing today
<br />at the Cooper Center in Volcano, Hawaii. It’s Saturday, April 1st.
<br />INTRODUCTION OF CHARTER COMMISSION MEMBERS
<br />RAY: Commission members present at this time are myself, John Ray, Chair; Steve Bess; Marni Herkes; and Sue Irvine. And
<br />then we’re expecting several other Commission members.
<br />If you are wondering, we do not need a quorum to conduct these meetings. We voted on that, so if that’s an issue with you,
<br />we addressed that earlier.
<br />INTRODUCTORY REMARKS
<br />RAY: I’m going to make some brief introductory remarks, and then go through the Charter proposed Amendments. If
<br />anybody has to leave sooner, we’ll take testimony before I go through the amendments, if somebody has to get out of here.
<br />So, we’ve been accommodating people if they do need to leave earlier, so let me know if you have signed up to testify and
<br />you need to leave earlier.
<br />Basically a little background. The original County Charter was constituted in the late 1960's. It’s mandated in our County
<br />Charter that we review the Charter every ten years, so this is the third review that’s taken place in the history of the Charter;
<br />one in the early ‘80s, one 90s, so this is the third. Besides this process that’s taking place, there are two other ways that the
<br />Charter can be amended: By petition, amendments can be brought forth with signatures representing, I think, 20% of the
<br />registered voters in the prior election; and by Council ordinance which is pretty common. The County Council can vote to
<br />bring forth a Charter Amendment and then it appears, if it passes by six votes at three Council hearings, then it would appear
<br />on the next election. And all three methods of amending the Charter all appear at a General Election for the general public to
<br />vote on. So, in any of these cases, they’re just proposed amendments that go in front of the voters. So, that’s the process in all
<br />three cases.
<br />We’re an eleven member Commission appointed by the Mayor, approved by the Council. We have an appropriated budget of
<br />$130,000. The last Charter Review Commission expended $113,000. That was the one about ten years ago. Our chief costs
<br />are labor costs. We have a full time Administrative Assistant with a home office, Legal Counsel, meeting costs and public
<br />notice, and then fairly substantial printing and advertising costs to get the final product out for the public to understand, just
<br />general education, leading up to the election. To date, out of that $130,000 appropriated, we have expended a little over
<br />$50,000 and have about $80,000 remaining.
<br />file://\\coh01\cohweb\council\charter_commission\minutes\minutes 04-01-00.htm7/1/2011
<br />
<br />
|