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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0774.035 2018-2020 COUNTY CLERK COUPU OF HAWAII PSCEIVED Time Farrah-Marie Gomes, Ph.D. 3 DaLte___,UN 0 4 2020I i Aloha Chair Chung, Vice Chair Eoff, and members of the Hawaii County Council: Thank you for the opportunity to submit testimony. I write in strong support of Communication 774.12, an amendment to Bill No. 144, Draft 3 to increase the County's operating budget by $10,000 thereby allowing the Committee on the Status of Women to receive a $10,000 allocation to continue providing programs and resources in alignment with its mission to promote equality for women and girls in the County by acting as a catalyst for positive change through advocacy, education, collaboration and program development. I have been a member of the Hawaii County Committee on the Status of Women {CSW} since 2012, where I had the privilege of serving as recording secretary from 2013-2015 and chair from 2015-2017. 1 am honored to now be serving a second term as chair. Please note that due to the current pandemic and a combination of Governor and Mayoral proclamations, the Office of the Prosecuting Attorney, to which the CSW reports through, canceled the CSW's May meeting so we did not have the chance to vote on official testimony. Therefore, the testimony I present here is reflective of my own personal views and opinions. Several of my colleagues have submitted testimony about the importance of the CSW as they see it from their multiple perspectives. That is powerful testimony that speaks volumes about the value of the CSW to its partners and most importantly to the population of Hawaii Island residents that we seek to serve -women. That testimony stands on its own merit. To honor your role as a Council with the task of voting on a budget and to provide you with a slightly different but equally important perspective, I offer another approach for my testimony since I recognize this amendment is asking to add to the County's operating budget at a time when the discussions have been about making significant reductions across the board. Representing the County There was no discussion with the CSW prior to the complete elimination of their already nominal budget in the proposed FY 21 County operating budget. It is unclear whether the decision makers fully understand the breadth and depth of the Committee and the value that the CSW adds to the County and the community. At this point, it is not necessary to know exactly who or what department initiated the action, because what matters most right now is that we have time and opportunity to rectify this. Thankfully, the CSW was notified after the budget was zeroed out but before final vote, which allowed the Committee to take necessary, albeit reactive, steps to try and preserve the small amount of funding that has allowed members to have the type of impact and reach in community that it has. I express an abundance of thanks to Councilwoman Poindexter who listened to the concern and herself immediately leapt into action by introducing this amendment. The County of Hawaii should be honored to have an active Committee on the Status of Women representing local government on foundational and core issues at a grassroots level, reaching pockets of communities that often times are forgotten or overlooked when government has to deal with the mainstream first. Zeroing out the tiny budget for a committee that helps build integrity and credibility for the County is no way to show appreciation for the hard work and dedication of the committee members or to recognize the value added to community in the process. Comm. No.. 1 Ref,To: Ref.nate jQN -- 4 20 'Ali 1(� yrm-l"� �iwT T710A In-Kind Contributions -----'- - The CSW iscomprised Vf9DlmmberevvhovoUnLear8)eirUmoandoervomsVvh8nagreeng to serve on this County committee. The Committee meets monthly for an average of 1.5 hours each time. For illustration purposes only, | am using the minimum wage amount of $10.60 to highlight in-kind contributions. Please note that members of the Committee have careers that include real estate agent, certified accountant, senior-level education administrator, and health care educators, so the hourly wage amount used in the calculations below should really bemuch higher. Based onanaverage 7members attending each meeting, onthe extremely low end, CSW members collectively provide at least $1,335 of in- kind contribution to Hawai'i County based solely on times spent meeting on a monthly basis. (7 members 1.5 hours per meeting X 12 meetings X $1U.GO = $1.335.00) It is at the monthly meetings where sub-committees provide updates about the various projects of the Committee, gather input and feedback from other members, and conduct official business. Outside of the monthly meetings is where the heavy lifting occurs. All resources produced by the CSW are developed by members and/or in partnership with community organizations like the U4vvai'i State Commission on the Status of Women, YWCA Havvai'i Island, 2onbs Club of Hilo, AAUVV, and health clinics around the island. Standing committees and projects include CSW Brochure, Teen Dating Violence Prevention, Real Women Writing Competition, Family Services Dinectory, Human TnaOickinB, Equal Pay. Haxvai'i Island Women's Leadership Forum and Status of Women Report. Using a similar calculation as obove, with eight sub-committees that meet outside of monthly meetings for at least 2.5 hours per month, that's another$7,632 of in-kind contributions to the County. (8 committees X3members oneach committee X2.5hours >( 12months >( $1U.GO = $7.O32} Combined, CSW members provide a/minimum $8'0O7.0UVfin-kind contributions based on their time alone. No value can be put on the amount of expertise that members provide, yet ironically, it is because of their expertise that they are appointed by the Mayor to the Committee. CSW members bring their time, expertise and their work ethic to the table. I ask the County to recognize this in-kind contribution and sweat equity of the membership. To ask the Committee to continue doing the great work they do without the nominal financial resources to get the products into the hands of those who need it the most because they are the most vulnerable in our community would be demoralizing for e dedicated group of individuals who many themselves have overcome personal and systemic barriers to get to where they are today. | humbly share that | amone ofthem. Return onInvestment Recognizing the amount and quality of programs and resources put out by the Committee on the Status of Women should be a point of pride for Hawai'i County. This proposed budget amendment helps to validate once more that the work of the CSW is in fact not just important and needed, but valued bythe County, who et the end Vfthe day can beproud ofall ofthe support that it deploys through its offices and departments. This proposed amendment helps restore some justice into the process and will allow Hawai'i County to continue receiving a high level of return on its investment into the Committee on the Status of Women. Maha|ofor this opportunity to provide testimony, N� Farrah-Marie Gomes, . h.O.