MIN CHARTER 2019-02-08 (2018-2020)

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Hawai`i County Charter Commission -8 February 8, 2019 just listened to who comes out and who writes a letter. There is a silent majority that exists on this island that you are here to represent too and the idea that somehow you folks have just long-term vision and Administration just has short- term vision is just not true. One thing 1 have found on this island is that everybody cares. We all have children, we all have grandchildren, we all have family that we try to take care of. We may have a certain focus area, but I haven't found one cabinet member that I work with, that doesn't care about the future beyond our time in this Administration. We are all focused on trying to develop policy and programs that better the lives of our children and that certainly is why I took this job, to help create a future for my four- year- old that we want to raise here. So, you know, it's difficult. You have to screen out or think about everything that is corning in front of you and to balance that with what you know of this island and what are the best decisions. That's policy making. That's decision making, and it is not easy, so I really do appreciate your service here. I did come to talk about Communication No. 27, I can't remember what CA (Charter Amendment) 8 or something, which was a suggestion to require the Planning Director to have Hawaii land use experience, and if that was the case I wouldn't be sitting in front of you and being a Planning Director takes so much more than just land use experience. It takes the ability to manage a department, personnel issues as we always know is kind of the bane of our existence sometimes as managers, so you have to be a good supervisor. There's the ability to go out in the community to work on general plan, community development plans, and that doesn't necessarily take experience in Hawaii land use to understand how to work with the community and how to translate people's needs into a plan and to be able to listen to folks, truly listen, truly hear. You know, it is difficult enough for this island to compete with finding skilled folks to work and then to try to add that on in the County, trying to lower the pool of applicants that the Mayor can choose from, certainly would not bode well for the future of this island. I am already in this job. Me coming up here and advocating to oppose you know this requirement, is not self-serving in any which way. I am already in this job. But I could see down the road that you are only reducing the potential applicants and to single out the Planning Director which at least from my perspective, is a very important position within the cabinet. I don't think it is what you want to do, so thank you for listening to me today. CHR. ADAMS: Thank you. SAMMIE STANBRO: Proposal No. CA -7, CA -13, and CA -16 in opposition and Proposal No. CA -9 and CA -18 in support. MS. STANBRO: My name is Sammie Stanbro. I have been before you before. Again, I have been on commissions, I have done 12 years in your sitting around like you're sitting listening to everybody, it was at the two Mayor's, I was at their pleasure. I wasn't at their instruction and when I heard Harry talk to you guys at Page 15