2000-04-12 Charter Commission Minutes

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minutes 04-12-00Page 23 of 26 RAY: So, we hadn’t anticipated a change to the Code of Ethics so far, so this would be an additional amendment, right? So in that light, but we talking about taking out three or four things. HERKES: It’s additional because there’s nothing in our Code of Ethics that says government officials have to behave at all. KUROZAWA: Can I ask you a cynical question? HERKES: Sure. KUROZAWA: Do you think, if we put this Code of Ethics in there, that’ll make them be more ethical? HERKES: I think that it will call to their attention. I intend to use it in testimony a lot. IRVINE: That’s what I was going to say. I mean, other people will bring it up if they’re not meeting their obligations. RAY: Yes, Chris. YUEN: I was just mulling over something that Daryl brought up on the 6-3 Council, and just to mention – there’s been some discussion of ways to divide up the island in three so that they would not run at-large. The only other way besides using Senatorial Districts, you could have the County Reapportionment Commission divide up the island into three districts, and possibly, if it were the intention to guarantee at least one West Hawaii seat, to instruct them that, and I don’t remember the numbers of the districts but, say the districts represented by Wayland and Rath, or their approximate boundaries, would have to be one of the districts. RAY: Thank you. KUROZAWA: I have just a quick question, and I don’t want a long answer. We can talk about it next meeting, but for Chris to think about. Native Hawaiian issue. I’m sure we’re going to talk about it a little bit, but the reason I asked him ask the question was because I was concerned that if we have an exemption for Native Hawaiians, will there be a problem that Hawaiians will say well, I’m not going to pay taxes. While I’m thinking about this the next few weeks, that’s always a concern for me that if they’re exempted from the Charter, will that be an issue, depending upon the language, if it’s put into that? YUEN: I don’t see any rhythm or reason to exempt Native Hawaiians from the Charter. I don’t know what that would even mean. Native Hawaiians have the rights to vote and the privileges of a governmental service under the County of Hawaii in a non-discriminatory fashion. Although there was some very long answers to the question of the police and fire protection on Hawaiian homes land, I think the answer was that they did not think that the County had the authority to provide police and fire protection on Hawaiian homes land. If I were a owner of a home in Hawaiian Homes, I would be very concerned about that, and I would not appreciate someone suggesting that the County should not put out a fire at my house if it started to burn down. There are two things raised here. One was exempting Hawaiians generally, and then the second was exempting Hawaiian homes land. It is a clear implication of taking Hawaiian homes land out of the Charter that the County services would not be provided to Hawaiian homes lands any longer, nor would residents on Hawaiian homes lands have the right to vote. That’s what it would mean to take the Hawaiian homes out of the Charter. As I mentioned last time, there are gray areas over what the County’s jurisdiction in certain respects, like zoning, is over Hawaiian homes lands. However, in some other respects such as the power of the police, I think it’s quite clear that the police have exactly the same powers and duties to enforce criminal law on Hawaiian homes land as they do in any other neighborhood in the county. RAY: All right. HERKES: Mr. Ray, one more thing before you get through. The Liquor Commission staff stays for these late meetings. I know there’s compensatory things. We have the Chairman today. But I think it would be nice if we provided some kind of gift, or some kind of recognition, maybe a basket or something, for them just to say thank you. They have coffee for us. They’ve done a bunch of stuff for us. RAY: Good idea. Under New Business. Hawaii Redevelopment Agency. We’ve received testimony on that. Go ahead, Sue. file://\\coh01\cohweb\council\charter_commission\minutes\minutes 04-12-00.htm7/1/2011