MIN CHARTER 2018-09-14 (2018-2020)

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Hawai`i County Charter Commission -3 September 14, 2018 Council Chair at that time and we had I don't know how many new members. Was it like five or six? It was a large amount, so I don't know if that made it any more difficult you know to continue a legislative process or policies that were still coming before the Council. The other item that they talked about was the two year appointments of department heads and them coming to either be reappointed in two years because since Council terms are at two years, then say if you get six new Council Members they had not had the opportunity to have questions or concerns be raised to department heads. So that was something that was talked about. Most recently and I think most importantly, is the Salary Commission to raise our salaries because we know that did not sit well with the community in the big jump. You know I sat in an H.R. (Human Resources) position and it's never heard of the percentage jump at one time, you know I—we used to do two to three percent jumps, sometimes even just 1.5% jumps. But this was, they felt they needed to catch up and again, that did not sit well with the communities but the, so, our constituents now are raising the bar on us at the level of our commitment to serve. But there is no consequence to it right? So you don't serve, you don't have a commitment, there's no consequence to it. So we got a raise in the salary, we don't have a consequence of "hey, let's work less", so our Council Rule 2, Item 9 and I brought that with me and I can read that to you on attendance because when we talk about getting that salary and people being unhappy, if we look at that rule, the Council Rule says "If a council member is unable to attend a meeting prior to written notice", uh, prior, um, let me go back. "if a council member is unable to attend a meeting prior written notice shall be given to the Council or Committee Chair Person with the reason for the absence clearly explained. Repeated absences from in person attendance by any Council Member may be cause for censure." So basically, it just sits there in the rules. There's nothing in the Charter. So basically we can give a tongue lashing or write it and have it on public record that we are not happy that the person is not participating or you know, in the policymaking on what they were voted in to do by their constituents, so after meeting with our Coip Counsel and looking at different Charters, I know Maui County I couldn't find anything about censure but in Honolulu on the Honolulu City and County, they have it in their Charter and it says "the Council may suspend without pay for not more than one month any member for disorderly or contemptuous behavior in its presence upon an affirmative vote of at least two- thirds of its entire membership." So they have a consequence to it, and I think that we were granted that salary. There should be a consequence if we are not being able to meet up to our commitment as our constituents believe we should be. So all I am asking is for the Charter Commission to look into a possible amendment for a censure rule and that's all 1 have for now and I am sure that other Council Members will reach out to you, and I think during some of your, Page 12