2000-04-29 Charter Commission Minutes

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Transcript of Meeting of April 29, 2000Page 22 of 64 Number 1. We’ve read some interesting articles, Letters to the Editor, regarding number 1 and I have been, at times, a strong proponent of non-partisan elections. I’m reconsidering my position on that. I’m speaking personally now because I’m just trying to think about this more clearly. But I’m glad you put it on because I know many people would like to see it on there. To strengthen the authority of the County Manager. I’m in favor of that inasmuch as you are not going to afford the voters the opportunity to vote on a County Manager/ County Executive type of situation. I think this may be an interim, may be a good way to see what happens. I am not in favor, not in favor, of creating a new department. Not in favor of that. I just think a new department is going to grow the size of government and the last thing we need is to have government get any larger any place in this state, unless something is commensurately reduced. Because we may not have enough police officers, as an example. I know we don’t in Kona, but I don’t think we need a lot more clerks, or we need more Administrative Assistants, and this kind. We don’t need that stuff. The person can either do the job or they can’t do the job, so I wanted to give you a half yes and a half no on that. RAY: Curtis, this is really just a restructuring of management. TYLER: I can see that. RAY: There are plenty of bodies and plenty of positions, it’s just a matter of how you use them and how you arrange them, so it will be subject to the Administration’s call, the Mayor’s call. But I don’t see any additional cost in government in the way that I envision, other than possibly the salary, bringing in a real City Manager type, and I would hope that you and everyone would support that if that’s the kind of position we really want. You know we’re going to have to pay for it. TYLER: Right. Of course, and we’re going to have to pay well for that too. But with respect to that, the Department of Management is the Executive Branch of government. That’s the Department of Management. We don’t need another department. And let me also say that if you’re going to put this language forward - RAY: By the way, this is the way that Maui County is organized. This is taken - TYLER: Okay. RAY: Well, I just wanted to point out to you, and I would argue of all jurisdictions in the state, they operate much more effectively than any other, and so it’s following that structure. TYLER: Okay, thank you. May I suggest that I go through my comments. If you have questions, fine. If you want to tell me what your position is, well that’s okay too, but otherwise I think we’re going to be here because some of you may not agree with me, with all due respect. But with respect to that proposal, you have Section 6-1.2 Managing Director, and you say ‘the Managing Director shall be appointed by the Mayor, confirmed by the Council, and may be removed by the Mayor’. It should say ‘with the approval of the Council’ or ‘if approved by the Council’. If you go through and you look at the Charter, you’ll see these things. Some places are ‘with the approval of the Council’; some, the Mayor can just tell them take a hike. It’s gone, and once again, it’s inconsistent, so I would suggest that you make it consistent with the language if you’re going to leave that one in. The Fire Commission. I have had many firefighters, members of Fire Department who have indicated that they really want to have the Fire Commission. I am sure you have heard this individually, and you file://\\coh01\cohweb\council\charter_commission\minutes\minutes 04-29-00.html7/1/2011