2000-04-29 Charter Commission Minutes

Home

Transcript of Meeting of April 29, 2000Page 15 of 64 made by the County Council members. 3 & 4. PTP has not developed a position on these topics. 5. Department of Environmental Services: PTP supports the formation of this department and the appointment of a professionally qualified department head. 6. Planning Department Functions: PTP opposes any delegation of planning functions from the County Council to the Planning Department. Accountability for crucial development decisions needs to remain with elected officials who are answerable to the voters. 7, 8 & 9: PTP has not developed a position on these topics. 10. Planning Commission Powers: SMA Districts: PTP respectfully requests that the Commission drop plans for giving additional powers - And I do understand what you said, that you’re just writing in the existing powers, but - giving additional powers to the Planning Commission. Accountability for crucial development decisions needs to remain with elected officials. 11. Qualifications of Heads of Department of Public Works and Department of Water Supply: PTP respectfully requests that the Charter Commission drop plans to remove engineering qualifications for heads of these departments. While it is difficult to find engineers who are good managers, it is even tougher to find a non-engineering manager who can make competent technical decisions. 12 through 16. PTP has not developed a position on these topics. 17. Water Commission: PTP supports both proposed changes in the Water Commission. Water Commissioners should be nominated from each Council district and confirmed by the County Council. 18 & 19. PTP has not developed a position on these topics. In conclusion, PTP thanks each Charter Commissioner for their dedication. You have a big responsibility to decide what Hawaii Island voters will vote on. This is a precious island and in carrying out this task, PTP respectfully requests you to consider our positions and arguments with aloha. That ends my presentation representing Plan-to-Protect, and now I’d like to make some comments on my own. Right now, in the Planning Commission, they have the capability of making legislative changes which have the effect of law, and I understand from the discussion that went on, that you are not going to incorporate that right into the County Charter because of the adverse effect it’s having on the community. I would suggest that this is not sufficient. In fact, you need to strip the legislative powers away from the Planning Commission completely, and all legislative powers need to be located in the County Council where the elected officials are answerable to their constituents. So I think what you’ve done is maybe you’ve backed off of what you’re trying to do, but what you’re not doing is going far enough to remove the powers that have been authorized to the Planning Commission. And that would eliminate any confusion over who’s got what powers, and by whom. It would be a very restrictive situation. I do not believe that any Commission should have legislative powers. Only our Council should do that. Secondly, regarding Department Heads, I believe that no Department Head should be appointed by the file://\\coh01\cohweb\council\charter_commission\minutes\minutes 04-29-00.html7/1/2011