MIN CHC 2009-10-09.tif - Laserfiche WebLink

Home

MS. FOLENA: Their input and their say and their concerns heard? MR. FUERTES: Yes. MS. FOLENA: That's why we had meetings in different people's homes, because a lot of people don't like to go to the formal meetings. MR. FUERTES: Thank you. MS. FOLENA: There were untold numbers of meetings all over, in every subdivision, in people's homes; there were 130 meetings. Rob Tucker can answer those questions. We have two of the outstanding movers and shakers here. MR. FUERTES: Alright, thank you. MS. FOLENA: You are welcome, sir. Budgetary independence of the office of the Legislative Auditor in order to dispel the conflicts of interest, we are very, very supportive of this. I can say that in a nutshell. Regarding public notice requirements for council meetings, there was a lot of flack about whether the public notice was right or wrong when the public notice of the June 16, 2009 meeting - -the first reorganization meeting - -that the notice was not given in due time. We support that change in Communication 43, no later than 4:30 p.m. on the sixth day before every meeting, whether they be Council meetings or Committee meetings. We do want the Standing Committees to be included in the County Charter. We are supportive of that. We do also want the live broadcasts of policy - making boards and commissions on the internet. We think that should be a definite requirement in our County because a lot of folks, as Mr. Fuertes has said, do not like to go to formal meetings. It is a lot easier to flip on your computer and watch it on the internet, so yes, and thank you. I think that's it. CHR. HAITSUKA: Thank you, Ms. Folena. Next we have Mr. Gregory Smith. Good afternoon, Mr. Smith. GREGORY SMITH (At this time Gregory Smith came forward to address members of the Charter Commission.) MR. SMITH: Good afternoon and thank you for letting me speak. I'll try to keep this as brief as possible. My very great concern of course is putting the elections at four years. I think the Council is very much, in my mind, where the rubber hits the road in local government. To have council people in a four -year term seems to me like they kind of lose touch. Maybe they get stuck in a groove, or they get influenced by too much. To me it seems that the two -year term makes the council members more answerable to the folks. Because if they do something outlandish or something they don't like, then they can vote them out; they do have the ballot and that is helpful. As far as the 2 %, I'm very much in support of this because I, and other people, have collectively worked many, many thousands of hours to get that 2% bill in. It had wide support island wide from all communities on the island. To have it just arbitrarily smacked down, because of what will probably be a short- 11