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HomeMy WebLinkAbout12-12-17 Regular Session Minutes HAWAII COUNTY BOARD OF ETHICS MINUTES—REGULAR SESSION Tuesday, December 12, 2017 10:02 a.m. to 10:40 a.m. Hawai`i County Building 25 Aupuni Street County Council Chambers Hilo, Hawai`i 96720 Members and Staff Present: Kenneth Goodenow, Vice-Chair Douglass Adams, Member Rick Robinson, Member J Yoshimoto, Deputy Corporation Counsel Emily Hirayama, Secretary 1. CALL TO ORDER (10:02 a.m.) Mr. Goodenow: Call the Board of Ethics of the County of Hawaii to order...currently we've got three members...myself..Kenneth Goodenow...member Douglass Adams and member Rick Robinson present...moving on to the... 2. STATEMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC ON AGENDA ITEMS (10:03 a.m.) Mr. Goodenow: I see no one from the public...no one's registered I guess to give testimony so we will move on to number three. 3. APPROVAL OF THE REGULAR SESSION MINUTES OF NOVEMBER 21, 2017. (10:03 a.m.) Mr. Goodenow: Approval of the regular session minutes of November 21. Mr. Robinson: Motion to approval. Mr. Adams: Second. Mr. Goodenow: Alright it's been moved and seconded...any discussion? Seeing none all those in favor say aye...any opposed? Measure carries three to zero. Motion and Vote: Mr. Robinson moved to approve the minutes. Mr. Adams seconded the motion. All members voted aye. 1 4. NEW BUSINESS (10:04 a.m.) Mr. Goodenow: Moving on to number four...no new business. 5. UNFINISHED BUSINESS (10:04 a.m.) 10:04 a.m. a. Petition No. 2017-09: Request for informal advisory opinion from a County Officer or employee, to determine whether he can make his rental unit available to the HUD Section 8 program while employed as a case manager and inspector for the County Housing Department. [Closed hearing requested] Mr. Goodenow: Does the board secretary have any... Mr. Adams: Mr. Chairman...we have correspondence from... Mr. Yoshimoto: So it's a closed hearing requested right so we would not say the petitioner's name. Mr. Goodenow: Since we're not actually going into closed hearing where...should we go into closed hearing? Mr. Adams: Mr. Chairman I move that we...go into closed hearing for consideration of this petition. Mr. Goodenow: We have a second? Mr. Robinson: Second. Mr. Goodenow: All in favor say aye...all opposed no...hearing none the measure passes three to zero...we are now in closed session...we'll recess for a moment. Motion and Vote: Mr. Adams moved to go into executive session. Mr. Robinson seconded the motion. All members voted aye. 10:04 a.m. The Board moved into executive session. 10:05 a.m. The Board returned into regular session. Mr. Goodenow: I've been told that the petitioner has withdrawn his petition and therefore no further action is being taken on this item. 2 6. DISCUSSION REGARDING AMENDMENTS TO THE RULES OF PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE OF THE BOARD OF ETHICS OF THE COUNTY OF HAWAII. (10:05 a.m.) Mr. Goodenow: Moving on then to number six on the agenda... Mr. Adams: Mr. Chairman if I may... Mr. Goodenow: Yes. Mr. Adams: So we have...as we've have for a little while...this has been on under my bailiwick...made some progress in terms of putting this together but it turns out that...actually typing this up takes a little bit of time and so my plan such as it is...is to provide a working draft...word document to the corporation counsel so that this...so that a draft Rules of Practice and Procedures can be considered by the board in its agenda in 2018. It will included the items that we have addressed over several meetings and then the board can consider it in its due course. Mr. Goodenow: Okay...Thank you...any further discussion on this item? I don't think we need to do anything...just forward it and we'll put it on the agenda when we have it...thank you for your work in that matter...moving on to number seven...executive session. Mr. Adams: Mr. Chair I would move that we that the board move into executive session. Mr. Robinson: Second. Mr. Goodenow: Is there any discussion regarding the motion? Seeing none all those in favor say aye...any opposed? Vote is three to zero...we will now recess to go into executive session. Motion and Vote: Mr. Adams moved to go into executive session. Mr. Robinson seconded the motion. All members voted aye. 10:07 a.m. The Board moved into executive session. 10:32 a.m. The Board returned into regular session. 3 7. VOTING ON EXECUTIVE SESSION MATTERS 10:32 a.m. a. Review of the executive session minutes of November 21, 2017. Mr. Goodenow: May I have a motion to approve the executive session minutes from November 21. Mr. Robinson: So moved. Mr. Adams: Second. Mr. Goodenow: It's been moved and seconded...all in favor please say aye... Mr. Adams: I was just going to make the discussion item that these were reviewed in executive session. Mr. Goodenow: Thank you...I forgot discussion that time...any further discussion...seeing none...say aye...any opposed...three in favor...motion carries. Motion and Vote: Mr. Robinson moved to approve the executive session minutes. Mr. Adams seconded the motion. All members voted aye. 10:33 a.m. b. Review of Confidential Financial Disclosure Forms filed pursuant to Section 2-91.1(d), Hawaii County Code, by County board and commission members and designated County employees, where personal matters will be reviewed. Mr. Goodenow: Moving to review of confidential forms...we just note that we reviewed a form and approved it...is that what we do... Mr. Adams: Yeah there's a motion so we move.... Mr. Goodenow: Okay may I have a motion.... Mr. Adams: We move the approval of the review of the...actually of the confidential financial form for...that was provided to us to review during our executive session. Mr. Robinson: Second. Mr. Goodenow: Any discussion...all those in favor say aye...any opposed...hearing none...motion passes three to zero. Motion and Vote: Mr. Adams moved to approve the review of the one confidential financial disclosure form. Mr. Robinson seconded the motion. All members voted aye. 4 10:33 a.m. c. Discussion with Deputy Corporation Counsel J Yoshimoto regarding a communication from a member of the public concerning a past petition. Mr. Goodenow: We don't need to do anything with that. 8. DISCUSSION REGARDING AMENDMENTS TO THE BOARD OF ETHICS MONTHLY MEETING SCHEDULE. (10:33 a.m.) Mr. Adams: So it would be motion to suspend the rules and move the meeting to a date that's not in conflict with your schedule. Mr. Goodenow: Alright do we need to give the date or... Mr. Adams: We do because we have to announce it. Mr. Goodenow: February... Ms. Hirayama: February 13...it's a Tuesday. Mr. Goodenow: Tuesday, February 13...how does that look for you guys... Mr. Adams: Looks wonderful for me... Mr. Robinson: So we're not gonna have one in January then..... Mr. Adams: There's a...it's already on here...were already had the January 9`h. Mr. Goodenow: And I'm having trouble with my calendar...okay great...can I have a motion to suspend the rules and adopt February 13, 2018 as the February meeting date for the meeting to be held at the Council Chambers here. Mr. Robinson: So moved. Mr. Adams: Second. Mr. Goodenow: Moved and seconded...discussion? All in favor say aye...any opposed no...motion passes three to zero. Motion and Vote: Mr. Robinson moved to suspend the rules and change the proposed regular scheduled meeting date to February 13, 2018. Mr. Adams seconded the motion. All members voted aye. 5 9. ANNOUNCEMENTS (10:35 a.m.) Mr. Robinson: I just got one question...why do we have this... Mr. Adams: That was for the petition that was withdrawn. Mr. Robinson: Okay. Mr. Goodenow: I have an announcement...the next monthly meeting of the Board of Ethics is scheduled for January 9, 3018 @ 10:00 a.m. at the Hawaii County Building. 10. ADJOURNMENT (10:40 a.m.) Mr. Goodenow: May I have a motion to adjourn? Mr. Robinson: Motion to adjourn. Mr. Adams: Normally motion to adjourn requires a second and I'm going to withhold my second pending some comments I'd like to make. Mr. Goodenow: Okay. How you wanna do it? Mr. Adams: Doesn't really matter to me...you're the Chair but since we've already moved on in the agenda...I'm going to withhold my second until we...until I have a chance to say something. Mr. Goodenow: Okay...the motion fails...we are still on number nine announcements. Mr. Adams: I'd just like to say a few things for the records given that this is my last meeting here on the Board of Ethics for the County of Hawai`i. This has been...you know I really appreciated the opportunity to serve...to be nominated and approved by the County Council...! appreciated the trust that was placed on me to perform in this volunteer role yet important and relevant to the governing of the County...we as a board often times are really the only place where in some cases the last place for members of...citizen of the County and sometimes outside the County to address concerns that they have with officers and employees of the County...it's a necessary part of maintaining trust in government and despite the fact that there are times when we wonder about the potential frivolous nature of some of these petitions that we see...the fact is that I will and I think I did always went overboard to hear them...I thinks it's sets an important precedent that anyone can come to these meetings and have their say about things that they're concerned 6 about within the County as a governing organization and so I'm very pleased I had the opportunity to do this since 2013...I'd just like to also mention that having the chance to serve with the members of this board all professional all immensely interested in willing to serve their fellow citizens in this way including Bernard Balsis who was our acting Vice-Chairman for a time, Judge Arnie Henricks, Glenn Hisashima, our current Chair Ku Kahakalau, Kenny Goodenow, our Vice-Chair, Rick Robinson, Dr. Shay Bintliff and Pilialoha Kalele...very happy to meet all of you and them and also the opportunity to serve with you has been really a highlight in my life and I really appreciate that and then of course the professionals that we have that support what we do...our attorneys...Renee Schoen, J Yoshimoto and Gary Murai for some of the things we have from Maui as well as the secretaries of the board...Mary Fujio, Emily Hirayama and Renee Lawrence when she comes in and so I just want to express my heart felt gratitude particularly at this time of the year as we look at another gift from Emily and just thank you for the chance to serve....I second the motion to adjourn. Mr. Goodenow: No we're still on discussion...I'd just like to add thank you Doug...thanks for all your work...it's been a great addition to our community...anything else...okay now motion to adjourn... Mr. Robinson: Motion to adjourn. Mr. Adams: Second. Mr. Goodenow: It's been moved and seconded...discussion...seeing none...all in favor say aye...any opposed...motion carries three to zero...the meeting is adjourned. Respectfully submitted: Emily Hiray a, ecreta 7