Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0157.001 2006-2008 YY Oi EMILY NAEOLE ~ Phone: (808) 961-8267 Council Member FAX: (808) 961-89]2 HAWAI `I COUNTY COUNCIL County of Hawaii Hawaii County Building 25 Aupuni Stree! Hilo, Hawaii 96720 r~> 0 -..s T ' Q February 1, 2007 rr. MEMORANDUM 3 ra TO: Pete Hoffman, Chair and Council Members FROM: Emily Naeole, Chair Human Services and Economic Development Committee SUBJECT: FY 2007-2008 Nonprofit Grant Review Process This communication is to apprise Council Members, applicant nonprofit agencies and the public of the upcoming grant review process undertaken by your Human Services and Economic Development Committee. 1. FY 2007-2008 Nonprofit Applications As in the past years, copies of signed and eligible applications received by the Department of Finance will be forwazded to all Council Members in the form of a spiral-bound booklet. All supporting (orpre-qualifying) documents such as financial statements, current audit, IRS Forms 990 and 501(c)(3)tox-exempt verification, current liability insurance certificate, azticles of incorporation and by-laws will be maintained in the Depaztment of Finance, but shall be available for inspection. 2. Grant Review Process Publicly noticed site visits/interviews with eligible nonprofit applicants will beheld on March 15 and 16, beginning at 8:00 a.m. in the County of Hawaii Ben Franklin Building Conference Room, 333 Kilauea Avenue, Hilo, Hawaii 96720 and March 22 and 23, beginning 8:00 a.m. in Kona Council Office Conference Room (Kona Council Office, Kailua Trade Center, 75-5706 Hanama Place, Suite 109, Kailua-Kona, Hawaii 96740). In order to maximize efficiency during the nonprofit grant review process, I would like to use the same method of application review conducted for Fiscal Year 2006-07. ~ ~-1 Comm, No.~---- Ref. To: Ref. Date fEB Hawaii County is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer Before I make my recommendations regarding how I would like the site visit/interviews phase of the Grant Review Process to be conducted, I would be remise if I did not address the general provisions under which the site visiUinterview process is delineated: Chapter 2, Article 25, Section 2-139 (Procedure for awarding grants) states: "Site visitations of nonprofit organizations submitting complete applications may be conducted by the council and its designated staff, as deemed necessary by the chair of the appropriate committee, after January 31 but prior to final action on the operating budget by the council. Any site visitations shall be publicly noticed and conducted in a manner that allows flexible councilmember participation and designated staff support." Historically, the purpose of such site visits has been to inspect facilities as needed, inquire about program objectives and clarify any information not readily understood upon summary review of the application. Accordingly, a site visit is afact-finding undertaking, not a "meeting" or "decision-making" deliberation of a board. While conducting the site visits/interviews, Council Members must comply with Chapter 92-2.5, Hawaii Revised Statues, which states: §92-2.5 Permitted interactions of members. (a) Two members of a board may communicate or interact privately between themselves to gather information from each other about official board matters relating to official board business to enable them to perform their duties faithfully, as long as no commitment to vote is made or sought and the two members do not constitute a quorum of their board. (b) Two or more members of a board, but less than the number of members which would constitute a quorum for the board, may be assigned to: (1) Investigate a matter relating to the official business of their board; provided that: (A) The scope of the investigation and the scope of each member's authority are defined at a meeting of the board; (B) All resulting findings and recommendations are presented to the board at a meeting of the board; and (C) Deliberation and decision making on the matter investigated, if any, occurs only at a duly noticed meeting of the board held subsequent to the meeting at which the findings and recommendations of the investigation were presented to the board; or (2) Present, discuss, or negotiate any position which the board has adopted at a meeting of the board; provided that the assignment is made and the scope of each member's authority is defined at a meeting of the board prior to the presentation, discussion or negotiation. (c) Discussions between two or more members of a board, but less than the number of members which would constitute a quorum for the board, concerning the selection of the board's officers may be conducted in private without limitation or subsequent reporting. (d) Discussions between the governor and one or more members of a board may be conducted in private without limitation or subsequent reporting; provided that the discussion does not relate to a matter over which a board is exercising its adjudicatory function. (e) Discussions between two or more members of a board and the head of a department to which the board is administratively assigned may be conducted in private without limitation; provided that the discussion is limited to matters specified in section 26-35. (f) Communications, interactions, discussions, investigations, and presentations described in this section are not meetings for purposes of this part. [L 1996, c 267, §2; am L 2005, c 84, ~1] For the purpose of assuring compliance with subsection (1-A) of HRS Chapter 92, our HSEDC meeting of, Februazy 21, 2007 shall serve to notice "assignment" of the site visit study group convened by the Human Services and Economic Development Committee. I am recommending this site visit study group to be comprised of the undersigned HSEDC Chair, HSEDC Vice-Chair Angel Pilago (or his designated representative) and Council Legislative Assistants Barbara Hale, Maile David and Amy Miwa. This proposed site visit study group conforms to the requirements of HRS Chapter 92-2.5 subsection (b), "Two or more members of a boazd, but less than the number of members which would constitute a quorum for the board, may be assigned to: (1) Investigate a matter relating to the official business of their board (2) Present, discuss, or negotiate any position which the board has adopted at a meeting of the board." Pertinent information and findings gathered by the site visit group along with recommendations for the committee's consideration will be assembled in a single communication to Council Members prior to its committee meeting on April 17, 2007. A list of the scheduled interview/site visit dates and times will be provided to you prior to Mazch 8, 2007. Because the agencies will not be appearing before the full council or committee, if you have questions or concerns regarding one or more of the agencies, you may wish to participate in their interview(s) and/or site visit(s). In order to comply with the Sunshine Law, I request that each Council Member provide me sufficient notice of your intent to be present at any interview or site visit held during the period of Mazch 15-23, 2007. With the consent of the Chair and the Council, I wish to reserve the right to deny the presence of five or more Council Members at any interview/site visit. I hope this procedural announcement is helpful. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. Sincerely - -~--¢~t Emily Naeole, hair Human Services and Economic Development Committee EN/bh