November 2004 Home   Newsletters

December 2004

January 2005

President's Message (Jackie Parnell)
Monitoring Charter Review Commission Is Crucial (Jean Aoki)
League Party on January 21 (Mary Anne Raywid)
Council Watch (Evangeline Funk & Piilani Kaopuiki)
Landfills Can Be Desirable (Jackie Parnell)
Welcome New Members

Monitoring Charter Review Commission Is Crucial

Pursuant to the Charter amendment on mandatory charter review approved by Honolulu voters in the 2004 Election, the Honolulu Charter Review Commission will be convening on Monday, December 20, 2004 in the Committee Meeting Room, Second Floor, Honolulu Hale at 3 pm.

With 6 members appointed by the Mayor and 6 members appointed by the chair of the Honolulu City Council, and a 13th member appointed by the mayor with City Council approval, the 13-member commission will be listening to the suggestions and concerns of city agencies, neighborhood boards, and the general public, reviewing the current city charter, and coming up with proposals for amendments.

I think it is crucial for Honolulu League to not only monitor the commission meetings, but to be actively involved in advocating changes that will reflect our positions on many of the local issues. Having a committee monitoring the commission is also a very good way of keeping our members apprised of the proposals being considered, problems with some of the processes being followed by the commission, or laudatory improvements to practices and policies of the past.

Sunshine in Committee Meetings

Most of the deliberations, and probably some decisions, occur in the subject matter committees; yet during the 1991-92 commission meetings, these committees were never publicized, nor were scheduled meetings posted in public. I would suggest that the Honolulu League Charter Review Committee make this its first issue and work for open committee meetings.

In our files, the committee will find minutes of some of the meetings especially those held in 1992, and those of the Style Committee which was active toward the end, wording the commissions proposals properly and in the proper order. We have the various proposals that were suggested during the information-gathering phase of the commissions work and presented for comment at a workshop held for the public.

League Review of Charter

Prior to the convening of the 1991-92 Honolulu Charter Review Commission, Honolulu League appointed a League committee to review our position on local government. Its mission was expanded to include a study of other parts of the Honolulu City Charter as time allowed. At the consensus meeting held September 28, 1991, six new positions were added to our Position on Local Government. These ranged from opposition to terms limits for council members to supporting a small increase in the size of the council from the present 9, especially if at-large seats were to be added.

Discussions about our positions on local government and a review of the charter helped us in following the actions of the Charter Review Commission and in preparing our testimony on different issues.

AGENDA
Monday, December 20, 2004, 3 pm

1. Introduction of Members.

2. Oath of Office

3. Call to Order by Chair Pro Tempore

4. New Business:
a. Election of officers of the Commission
b. Decision of Meeting Times and Locations for the Commission
l) Announcement of Date and Location of next meeting.
c. Discussion and Decision on Staffing Requirements to Service the Commission
1) Discussion on the Budget for the Commission
d. Discussion and Decision on the Adoption of Rules of Practice and Procedure
e. Presentation by the Corporation Counsel on the Charter Commissions Purpose and Function, and Review of Activities of Prior Charter Commissions.
1) Overview of Commission Responsibilities
2) History of the Charter Commission
3) General review of activities of prior Charter Commissions (1972, 1992, and 1998 Charter Commissions)
4) Discussion of prior Charter Commission ballot questions

5. Adjournment

Jean Aoki
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