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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMIN HSSSC 2013/12/03 2012-2014 Committee on Human Services and Social Services Stn Session West Hawaii Civic Center 74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Highway, Building A Kailua-Kona, Hawaii December 3, 2013 CALL TO The regular meeting of the Committee on Human Services and Social Services ORDER: was called to order at 4:18 p.m., in the Council Chambers, Kona, Ms. Karen Eoff Chair. ROLL CALL: Present: Mr. Karen Eoff, Chair Ms. Valerie T. Poindexter, Vice Chair Ms. Brenda Ford, Member Mr. Greggor Ilagan, Member Mr. Dru Mamo Kanuha, Member Mr. Zendo Kern, Member Mr. Dennis "Fresh" Onishi, Member Ms. Margaret Wille, Member Mr. J Yoshimoto, Member STATEMENTS The Chair directed the Committee to proceed to the next order of business, FROM THE Statements from the Public on Agenda Items. PUBLIC ON AGENDA ITEMS: (There were none.) CHR. EOFF: Madam Clerk, can you please read Bill 150 into the record? COMMUNI- The Chair directed the Committee to proceed to the next order of business, CATIONS: Communications. (There were none.) HSSSC-8 December 3,2013 ORDER OF The Chair directed the Committee to proceed to the next order of business, RESOLUTIONS: Order of Resolutions. (There were none.) BILLS FOR The Chair directed the Committee to proceed to the next order of business, ORDINANCES: Bills for Ordinances. Bill 150: AMENDS CHAPTER 2 (ARTICLE 13) AND CHAPTER 11 (ARTICLE 1) OF THE HAWAII COUNTY CODE 1983 (2005 EDITION, AS AMENDED), RELATING TO THE COUNTY HOUSING AGENCY AND THE OFFICE OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT Amends the Hawaii County Code to: (1) clarify the powers and duties of the Housing Agency; (2)recognize the Office of Housing and Community Development(OHCD) as the administrative office charged with ensuring availability of adequate housing accommodations for Hawaii Island; and (3) clarify the powers and duties of the Housing Administrator, who oversees OHCD and the general administration and operations of the County's housing programs. Reference: Comm. 1147 Intr. by: Ms. David (B/R) Motion to Approve: Ms. Ford moved to recommend passage of Bill 150 on first reading. Seconded by Mr. Kern. CHR. EOFF: And we're waiting for Steve Arnett, so in the meantime I'll open it up for discussion. Ms. Ford. MS. FORD: Okay. This will be really quick. This is a clean-up bill to reflect the reality of how the Office of Housing works and get this cleaned up. Steve will come in here in a few moments. But I will tell you that this has taken months. We have discussed this with HUD (Housing and Urban Development), we have discussed this with Corporation Counsel Amy Self, we've had a group meeting with all of the major players in the Office of Housing, including Steve Arnett, and we all agree that this is it. Now, Steve was going to come in. He's got a couple minor changes, and I said, I'll take care of them. Come in months before the next Council meeting. The Council meeting, first reading. So we'll get on those on the record. Really, all we need to do is pass this and send it to Council because the things that he's changing are really quite minor. And that's it. Thank you. Please vote. CHR. EOFF: Thank you. Ms. Wille. Page 2 HSSSC-8 December 3,2013 MS. WILLE: Do we really need to hear from him, if everything is minor? MS. FORD: No, we really don't. Trying to be polite. MS. WILLE: You're trying to be polite. I know you've changed this though. I think that's sort of—from your original bill, that would have made—taken— deleted our authority and move the Housing Department over to agencies. CHR. EOFF: Ms. Ford, would you like to clarify? MS. WILLE: Just to explain. And also, you eliminatedI had a proposed amendment, by the way, back there on that one. And I will wait to talk about that, when it comes up at the next meeting. But if you could just explain why you made the major from your previous bill. MS. FORD: Yes. The previous bill had some errors in it. We've had to—we talked to Housing and Urban Development, the U.S. Government, and found out that there was a requirement that we have a Housing Agency. So rather than eliminating that as we wanted to do and just us leave as, you know, basically a committee. We have to maintain the Housing Agency; therefore, we the Council Members are the Board of Directors of that Housing Agency, and Steve's department implements the policies of this board. So we did change it to reflect the law, the federal law, and also what is going in reality. CHR. EOFF: Any other discussion? Council Member Ilagan. MR. ILAGAN: Thank you, Madam Chair. I just wanted to say that I would like to hear Administrator Arnett's opinion before I would pass this through. Thank you. CHR. EOFF: Ms. Ford, is he still coming? MS. FORD: I just called him and told him, "Hurry, now." You know, he's on his way. And he's here physically in the facility. CHR. EOFF: Okay. Mr. Kanuha, do you have something? MR. KANUHA: It was on the same lines. I don't really have a problem with this. I'm going to support it, but I definitely would like to hear from the administrator about this before I make my decision. MR. ONISHL Madam Chair, I was going suggest maybe you can recess for five minutes. CHR. EOFF: Okay, we'll take a five-minute recess. Thank you. Recess: At 4:25 p.m., the Chair called for a recess. Page 3 HSSSC-8 December 3,2013 Reconvene: The meeting reconvened at 4:29. CHR. EOFF: I'm calling our Human Services and Social Services back to order. And Office of Housing Steve Arnett. (Note: At this time, Housing and Community Development Administrator Steve Arnett came forward to address the members of the Committee.) MR. ARNETT: I apologize for coming late. I was told that I had an hour, but didn't. The bill in front of us is a collaboration of Ms. Ford, my department, Corporation Counsel, and the Section 8 Housing Division Head. I want to thank Kathy Garson because she took a look at it the last couple of days and caught a couple of things that we'd like to have some minor changes in this bill. I think there are four. They're very, very minor changes that we'd like to include them. Other than that, the bill in its present form, I'm fine with. So, I wanted everybody to know that. CHR. EOFF: Thank you. Are there any other further questions from the Council Members? Ms. Ford. MS. FORD: Please leave that with me, and I will make sure it's taken care of. MR. ARNETT: Yes, I will. MS. FORD: I just want to make sure everybody's happy, and now that Steve said is exactly what I said. Thank you. CHR. EOFF: Council Members, so we can take a voice vote and move this to Council for first reading, at which time Ms. Ford will present the minor changes to us. MR. ARNETT: Yes. CHR. EOFF: All in favor of approving Bill 150,please say "aye." Vote on Bill 150: The motion to recommend passage of Bill 150 on first reading (Approved) was carried by the following voice vote: Ayes: Committee Members Ford, Ilagan, Kanuha, Kern, Onishi, Poindexter, Wille, Yoshimoto, and Chair Eoff—9. Noes: None. Absent: None. Excused: None. Page 4 HSSSC-8 December 3,2013 ADJOURN- There being no further business, at 4:30 p.m., Mr. Kern moved to adjourn the MENT: meeting. Seconded by Mr. Kanuha and carried by the following voice vote: Ayes: Committee Members Ford, Ilagan, Kanuha, Kern, Onishi, Poindexter, Wille, Yoshimoto, and Chair Eoff—9. Noes: None. Absent: None. Excused: None. CHR. EOFF: We are now adjourned. COUNTY CLERK Page 5