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answer them at this time. <br />RAY: Okay. Are there questions? Ms. Irvine. <br />IRVINE: I think one of the thoughts about two Planning Commissions was <br />that the Planning Commission was overworked. I know they used to meet until <br />midnight and whatnot. Do you feel overworked? <br />TANAKA: We made a change after last year. We have gone from one <br />meeting a month, alternating between Hilo and Kona, to two meetings a month now, so <br />we meet once in Hilo and once in Kona every month. it's worked out really well. I think <br />all of the Commissioners will agree that it's been the better approach. Our agendas are <br />a lot lighter now. We meet from 9:00, on the average, till about 12:00, so I think staff <br />has ample time to put together the background and recommendations for us. I think the <br />Commissioners have ample time to review the information so it's worked out well. <br />There still is a good workload, though, and I think that's one of the reasons, in talking to <br />Mr. Legaspi, that we don't have the ninth Commissioner, in that there's not a whole lot <br />of people coming forward to volunteer for this Commission. <br />IRVINE: I can see that. I think the other issue was maybe more home rule <br />for the West side of the island. People there feel that they don't have a say in things as <br />we do here on the East side. Do you have any feeling for that? You're not from there, <br />TANAKA: Well, I am. I'm glad you brought that up. I have a residence over <br />there and when people tell me, you have a residence here but you're really not from <br />Kona. Yes, I was born and raised in Hilo but 1 think my personal investments, as well <br />as my business investments, in Kona are a lot higher than they are in Hilo, so I have a <br />lot at stake, from a personal standpoint as well as a business standpoint, in Kona. <br />Again, it comes to representation. Yes, we're kind of larking in that we don't have a <br />second Commissioner from Kona, although I could fill in that position easily. I have a <br />home up on the slopes of Holualoa. So it really comes down to the review process. I <br />think maybe the public needs to be involved in knowing who the Mayor is appointing, <br />and if there are any concerns, that they should bring it up with their Council <br />representatives. And I hate to bring up Mr. Balog again, but we witnessed that, the <br />power of the County Council. The mechanism is there. It's unfortunate that it <br />happened that way because I thought he would have been a good servant to the Board <br />of Appeals, but be lucky that you have him on your Commission. <br />RAY: Other questions? Mr. Martin. <br />MARTIN: You made mention of the Mayor, per se, the existing system he <br />appoints Council, then approves, or in some cases, disapproves. You made a <br />4 <br />