MIN CHC 1989-01-25 - Laserfiche WebLink

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BETHEA : . . .we can record your, record your testimony--any way that you would like to run it. If you want to go on with a statement and then let us ask questions after you' ve finished the statement or, if you would prefer, as questions occur to us, to ask them. What would be your choice? IBARRA: Okay. I ' d like to first give a brief overview of how the present form of government was enacted and then cover what is our present structure of organization under the County Charter, and , since I don' t speak long , like some attorneys , you can ask questions as we. . . as we go along. Feel free to ask questions. Before I begin, I ' d just like to point out that for your familiarization, there are certain references that you might want to look at as far as the background of our County government , how the Board of Supervisors were informed prior to this County going into an executive-legislative type of government. And these references are the State Statutes, Chapter 62, Chapter 46, 64--excuse me for jumping around but they pertain to different sections--and 50, 52, 46 and 62, and these are the basic. . . BETHEA : 50 and 52? IBARRA : 50, 52, 62, and these. . . BETHEA: We ' re skipping section 64? IBARRA : Yes. These sections establish the Board of Supervisor in all of the counties , especially the County of Hawaii. For example , Section. . .Chapter 62 established the Board of Supervisors in the County of Hawaii, which at that time consisted of seven members. One was the Chair, as Mr. Greenwell can tell you, six members and Chapter 64 then established the department[s] under the Board of Supervisors which were the Fire Department, Public Works, Recreation Commission and also the Hospital Commission. Chapter 62, which created the Board of Supervisor type of government, also authorized a clerk, auditor, County attorney , treasurer and Chief of Police . And generally , the power of the board was to exercise general supervision and control of public affairs of County, and supervision of all subordinate officers. And the Chairman was elected, .presided at the meetings and had general supervision of the County affairs and managed the departments. And all this subject to the Board ' s approval. So that was the old form of government, as an overview, for the Board of Supervisors. And, of course , in. . .beginning in 1963 when a Charter Commission was formed and. . . One reference I left out was the minutes of that Charter Commission, such as yourselves , when they discussed what form of government the County of Hawaii should have, and the minutes are available at the Legislative Auditor ' s Office. I ' ve looked at them, and it ' s very interesting and they ' ve done a lot of research on the forms of government. And you might want to see why they selected the strong mayor versus the city manager or maintain the Board of Supervisor type of government. It ' s all in the minutes . 26