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Home My WebLink About2026-04-23 Merit Appeals Board Agenda C. Kimo Alameda, Ph.D. Gabriella M. Cabanas Mayor Chair William V. Brilhante, Jr. Suzi Bond Managing Director Vice-Chair Merrick Nishimoto Deputy Managing Director County of Hawai‘i Merit Appeals Board Aupuni Center  101 Pauahi Street, Suite 2  Hilo, Hawai‘i 96720 (808) 961-8361  Fax (808) 961-8617 AGENDA Date: April 23, 2026 (Thursday) Time: 9:00 a.m. Place: Hilo Council Chambers - Hawaiʻi County Building, 25 Aupuni Street, First Floor, Room 1401, Hilo, HI 96720 Members of the public may attend this meeting either in-person at the meeting location or via ZOOM: Join ZoomGov Meeting https://www.zoomgov.com/j/1604502752?pwd=fFuuOlfc778dUb0aJqvMtBB6v8sLFC.1 Meeting ID: 160 450 2752 Passcode: Apr23MAB Dial In: Phone No.: 1 669 254 5252 Meeting ID: 160 450 2752 Passcode: 17664734 The members of the Merit Appeals Board will attend this meeting in-person at the Hilo Council Chambers and via Zoom. The meeting shall be automatically recessed for up to thirty (30) minutes to restore communication when audiovisual communication cannot be maintained with all members participating in the meeting and with the in-person location identified in this agenda. The meeting may reconvene when either audiovisual communication is restored, or audio-only communication is established after an unsuccessful attempt to restore audiovisual communication. If it is not possible to reconvene the meeting as provided in this section within thirty (30) minutes after an interruption to communication, the meeting shall be automatically terminated. Gilbert J. Aguinaldo, Member Hawai‘i County is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer. Merit Appeals Board April 23, 2026 1) Call to Order 2) Addendum to Agenda (Requires four votes and must comply with Hawai‘i Revised Statutes § 92-7(d)) 3) Statements from the Public on Agenda Items – Oral testimony may be presented to the Board either at the outset of this meeting or immediately prior to the applicable agenda item. 9:00 A.M.: HEARING RE COMMUNICATION NO. 25-09 Executive Session: The Merit Appeals Board anticipates convening one or more executive meetings regarding the matter listed below, pursuant to HRS Sections 92-4, 92-5(a)(2) and 92-5(a)(4), for the purpose of evaluating an officer or employee of the County of Hawaiʻi, where the consideration of matters affecting privacy will be involved and consulting with the Board’s attorney on questions and issues pertaining to the Board’s powers, duties, privileges, immunities, and liabilities. A 2/3 vote of the members present pursuant to HRS Section 92-4 is necessary to hold an executive meeting.  Communication No. 25-09, received on November 14, 2025, from Appellant, appealing a Recruitment and Examination action by the Hawaiʻi County Human Resources Department; and  Communication No. 25-09.01, received on January 22, 2026, from Ryan K. Thomas, Deputy Corporation Counsel, on behalf of Appellee, regarding Appellee’s Pre-Hearing Statement; Witness List; Exhibit List; Exhibits “A” – “M”; and  Communication No. 25-09.02, received on January 22, 2026, from Appellant, regarding Appellant’s Written Statement and Submission of Exhibits. 4) Approval of Minutes  March 20, 2026 (Regular Session) 5) Director’s Report A. MAB Quarterly Reports: January – March 2026 o Administrative Services Division o Classification & Pay Division o Equal Opportunity/ADA Division o Health & Safety Division o Personnel & Organizational Development Division o Recruitment & Examination Division o Workers’ Compensation Division 2 Merit Appeals Board April 23, 2026 B. MAB Monthly Divisional Activity Report: April 2026 o Administrative Services Division o Classification & Pay Division o Equal Opportunity/ADA Division o Health & Safety Division o Labor Relations Division o Personnel & Organizational Development Division o Recruitment & Examination Division o Workers’ Compensation Division 6) Communication(s) (None.) 7) New Business (for discussion and appropriate action) (None.) 8) Unfinished Business (for discussion and appropriate action) FY 2025-2026 Annual Performance Evaluation of the Director of Human Resources (HR) Process; and FY 2025-2026 Human Resources Employee Survey o Proposed timeline to distribute surveys and deadline for responses o SurveyMonkey questions for FY 2025-2026 (Line Department Survey) o SurveyMonkey questions for FY 2025-2026 (Employee Survey) o Merit Appeals Board’s Evaluation Tool for the Director of HR for FY 2025-2026 o Define target audience/survey participants Executive Session The Merit Appeals Board anticipates convening one or more executive meetings regarding the above matter, pursuant to HRS Sections 92-4, 92-5(a)(2) and 92-5(a)(4), to consider the hire, evaluation, dismissal, or discipline of an officer or employee of the County of Hawaiʻi, where considerations of matters affecting privacy will be involved and consulting with the Board’s attorney on questions and issues pertaining to the Board’s powers, duties, privileges, immunities, and liabilities. A 2/3 vote of the members present pursuant to HRS Section 92-4 is necessary to hold an executive meeting. 9) Announcements 10) Schedule Next Meeting Date The Merit Appeals Board will convene its next meeting on Tuesday, May 12, 2026, at 9:00 a.m., at the Hilo Council Chambers, Hawaiʻi County Building, 25 Aupuni Street, First Floor, Room 1401, Hilo, HI 96720. 3 Merit Appeals Board April 23, 2026 11) Adjournment Auxiliary Aid and/or Service: If you need an auxiliary aid/service or other accommodation due to a disability, please contact Glynis Yamada at (808) 961-8361 or by email at Glynis.Yamada@hawaiicounty.gov as soon as possible. Requests made as early as possible will allow adequate time to fulfill your request. Upon request, this notice is available in alternate formats such as large print, Braille, or electronic copy.  Submitting Written Testimony: The Board encourages the public to submit thoughts, comments, and input via written testimony. To ensure timely delivery to Board Members prior to the meeting, written testimony should be submitted before 12:00 noon on the business day prior to the meeting by: (1) email to Glynis.Yamada@hawaiicounty.gov, (2) facsimile to (808) 961-8617, or (3) mail to the Merit Appeals Board at 101 Pauahi Street, Suite 2, Hilo, Hawaiʻi 96720-4224. All written testimony, regardless of time of receipt, will be part of the permanent record.  Board Packet: Pursuant to Hawaiʻi Revised Statutes Section 92-7.5, the board packet provided to members of this board for this meeting is available for public inspection during regular business hours at 101 Pauahi Street, Suite 2, Hilo, Hawaiʻi 96720.  Lobbyist: If you are a lobbyist, you must register with the Hawai‘i County Clerk within five days of becoming a lobbyist \[Article 15, Section 2-91.3(b), Hawai‘i County Code\]. A lobbyist means “any individual engaged for pay or other consideration who spends more than five hours in any month or $275 in any six- month period for the purpose of attempting to influence legislative or administrative action by communicating or urging others to communicate with public officials.” \[Article 15, Section 2-91.3 (a)(6), Hawai‘i County Code\]. Registration forms and expenditure report documents are available at the Office of the County Clerk-Council, 25 Aupuni Street, Hilo, Hawai‘i 96720. 4