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• and they were sent back, straight to the Hilo Post Office, and so they were counted at <br />meetings. We never even looked at them until that point, so it wasn't one person doing <br />this. It wasn't just me. It was the League of Women Voters, and we have several in <br />Waimea and Waikaloa, by the way. And we don't know who responded because we <br />just get them in an envelope and they don't have names. We didn't ask them to sign <br />them, so I have no idea of knowing, except that we received a lot of them. And if you <br />want us to have a public forum, I'd like that in writing, if you would, please, and how you <br />would support that for us because having a public forum, and taking on the role of what <br />some of this stuff you're doing, we might be able to attract a different set of audience <br />too, little less informal, perhaps, but we'd be happy to help you in any way like that. <br />RAY: Well, we would very much welcome your help and participation in <br />discussing any of these issues. And like you mentioned, the overall advocacy and <br />presentation of the public is going to be what's going to carry the day, so I think we're <br />all going to have to work together to make any changes. <br />One thing, and I'm going to give you the information on this. We have had a pretty <br />interesting model from Lexington, Kentucky. It's a city and county. <br />ISBELL: On Council Manager? <br />RAY: Yes. And they have a hybrid situation. They have, what they call, a <br />Chief Administrative Officer, which the comparison to the private sector is the Mayor is <br />still the CEO, the Chief Executive Officer, but the Chief Operating Officer is more a City <br />Manager type. Now, that person still is part of the Administration. He still is hired by <br />the Mayor, but the criteria and the approval by the Council. It's much more tied clearly <br />to a professional City Manager type. And I'm going to give you this information, but the <br />other one, since we were talking about neighborhood boards, another thing that they <br />utilize is that they have an Office of the Citizens Advocate, and the Council members <br />individually appoint someone to be on the Citizens Advocate Board. And it's a formal <br />Board that meets as an island -wide Citizens Advocate Board, as part of the process. <br />ISBELL: Is that like a complaint department? It sounds like it's a place that <br />you come to complain, but do you get anything done? <br />RAY: I don't know. <br />ISBELL: What can they do? <br />RAY: It does deal primarily, the description, with complaints, abuses, <br />irregularities, but also recommends substantive or procedural policies. But anyway, <br />we're just looking into that, so I wanted to mention it. I'm going to get you a copy of <br />this. We're having these made up. <br />22 <br />