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From: HULI Hawai'i
Sent: Monday, November 13, 2023 6:47 AM 2
To: Council Testimony • a "c
Subject: County board and commission meetings (Resolution 287-23)
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Aloha members of our Governmental Operations and External Affairs Committee,
Thank you for allowing me to testify. i`') L
I am urging the Mayor's administration to ensure virtual access for all County board and commission meetings, as
outlined in Resolution 287-23.
Currently, some boards and commissions have reverted to in-person meetings only since the pandemic ended.
Considering the modern options available to facilitate broader community participation,this forces residents to travel to
Hilo or Kona to testify, which is impractical and inequitable.
An unfortunate example is Kauai,where Zoom meetings and online testimonies have been eliminated as options,
limiting access for people across the board after COVID restrictions were lifted.This misuse of power suppresses and
marginalizes the people of Hawai'i.We should be enhancing, not restricting, resident involvement.
I request your support in championing the voices of our residents. Please encourage the Mayor's administration to
establish virtual access and recordings for review for all County board and commission meetings, making Zoom
participation a standard practice by law.
Mahalo for your time,
Maki Morinoue
Holualoa, 96725
"The secret of change is to focus all of your energy not on fighting the old, but on building the new." -
Socrates
HULI PAC - P.O. Box 168, Holualoa, HI. 96725 -www.hulihi.com
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Comm. No. titril L
Ref. To: PlebTK-
Ref. Date NOV 1 4 2023