Neighborhood Commission

ATTENDANCE:

COMMISSIONERS PRESENT:    Kalene Shim Sakamoto, Sally Amantiad, Karen Iwamoto, Benjamin Sanchez, Benjamin Gudoy.

STAFF:                Sheri Kagiwara, Ben Kama, Dean Chu.

GUESTS:    David Tanouye (Office of City Corporation Counsel), Debbi Glanstein (Kailua Neighborhood Board No. 31), Clifton Takamura (McCully-Moiliili Neighborhood Board No. 8), Lynne Matusow (Downtown Neighborhood Board No. 13), Tom Heinrich (Manoa Neighborhood Board No. 7), Elwin Spray and Terry Morris (Neighborhood Commission Office).

CALL TO ORDER: Chair Iwamoto called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m. A quorum was present.

INTRODUCTION OF COMMISSIONERS: Chair Iwamoto introduced the members of the Neighborhood Commission and Office staff, and David Tanouye from the Office of the City Corporation Counsel.

PUBLIC INPUT:

MINUTES OF THE NOVEMBER 13, MEETING _ Matusow requested clarification of Tom Heinrich's report on page 2, under Update on Commissioner Vacancies.

McCULLY-MOILIILI NEIGHBORHOOD BOARD VACANCIES _ Clifton Takamura reported that his Board filled one vacancy in subdistrict 1, two vacancies in subdistrict 2 and that two vacancies remain to be filled in subdistrict 3. Also, the Board will send letters to two members with excessive absences that they declare their intentions to remain members of the Board or the Board will take steps to declare their seats vacant.

REQUEST FOR WORKSHOPS ON NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN _ Debbi Glanstein noted that since the public hearings on the revisions to the Neighborhood Plan were concluded in June of this year and that the Neighborhood Board elections added new members who may want to submit comments, the Commission should hold workshops to provide them the opportunity to become more involved in the review process.

Glanstein also requested inclusion of an Office of Information Practices memo regarding restrictions on Neighborhood Board members into the revisions as well as use of Permitted Interaction Groups. David Tanouye, from the Office of the City Corporation Counsel, reported that these suggestions can be taken into consideration.

Glanstein also noted parliamentarian Steve Glanstein will be submitting comments on the parliamentary procedure section of the proposed revised plan, noting he has found some problems with sections that are incomplete or wrong. Chair Iwamoto welcomed input.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF NOVEMBER 13, 2001 MEETING: The following corrections were made:

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DECEMBER 10, 2001
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Page 3, under Update on Commissioner Vacancies, it should read “.though the Draft Revised Commission Rules have proposed such a restriction.”

Page 2, under Commissioner Members, it should read “.one of the required City Ethics Commission workshops.”

Shim Sakamoto moved and Sanchez seconded that the minutes be approved as corrected. The motion carried unanimously.

ANNOUNCEMENTS AND CORRESPONDENCE: Chair Iwamoto noted the receipt of a thank you letter from the widow of former Neighborhood Commissioner Jim Koshi, for the Commissioner's letter of condolences.

Shim Sakamto moved and Gudoy seconded that the correspondence be filed. The motion carried unanimously.

COMMISSIONER REPORTS:

COMMISSION CHAIR - No report.

COMMISSION MEMBERS _ No report.

NEIGHBORHOOD BOARD MEETING OBSERVATIONS _ Chair Iwamoto reported attending the last Palolo Neighborhood Board meeting and that the meeting was well-run, and that this Board is experiencing a problem with filling vacancies and acknowledged receipt of a letter from the Neighborhood Commission Office offering its assistance.

EXECUTIVE SECRETARY REPORT _ Executive Secretary Kama reported the following:

1.    The City Administration and the City Council are working on selecting candidates to fill vacancies on the Neighborhood Commission.

2.    Work is being done with Neighborhood Assistants to improve the writing of Neighborhood Board meeting minutes.

3.    He and staff member Terry Morris attended the last Kailua Neighborhood Board meeting and that this Board has expressed concerns about the quality of its Board's minutes.

4.    He attended the last Kaneohe Neighborhood Board meeting and Board Chair Morita resigned as Chair and Board member Danny Smith resigned as a member. Chair Iwamoto noted Smith and the Board has been at odds with the Chair on the priority of placing the police and fire department representatives early on the agenda. Kama noted that this issue came to a head at the Board's last agenda planning meeting.

The Board has filled vacancies with all members present at the last meeting. Also the Board is considering revisions to its subdistricts.

5.    The McCully-Moiliili Neighborhood Board has not had a problem with having a quorum present at its meetings to the degree that was previously reported to the Commission. Since this year's June meeting, the Board has only failed to have a vacancy present at its November and December meetings. A flyer about the vacancies was sent to residents, and as was reported earlier by Takamura, several of them have been filled.

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6.    Flyers have or are being sent to areas of the Palolo, Liliha/Alewa/Puunui/Kamehameha Heights, and Kalihi-Palama Neighborhood Boards where vacancies exist. Liliha is also considering amendments to its petition.

Chair Iwamoto noted that the vacant seats on the Neighborhood Commission also need to be filled to better enable it to do its job. Chair Iwamoto also noted that both the Administration and the Council have to impress upon the candidates, the importance of being able to attend the Commission's meetings. Chair Iwamoto thanked the members of the Commission for attending its meetings and especially tonight's meeting to enable it to meet the required six times this year.

UNFINISHED BUSINESS:

NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN REVISION EFFORT UPDATE _ Tom Heinrich reported that the Second Draft Revised Neighborhood Plan 2002 will be completed soon. He welcomed comments such as those from Steve Glanstein on parliamentary procedure.

Heinrich reported that the Second Draft Revised Neighborhood Plan 2002 will be a single document formatted in sections, the Second Draft with a clean text; note sections identifying the source of the old or new section; and a parallel section comparing the Rules of the Neighborhood Boards and the Rules of the Neighborhood Commission; a section of comments; and a Ramsyered format comparing the 1986 and 2002 versions.

Questions, answers and comments followed:

1.    Matusow noted the lack of follow up meetings since the conclusion of the public hearings to that interested persons can learn what input from the hearings will and will not be included in the Second Draft. Heinrich reported that the Second Draft will contain a comment section which will explain what was and was not added from the input received at the public hearings. These drafts will be submitted to the Neighborhood Plan Committee for review and submission to the full Commission.

2.    Chair Iwamoto reported that the Commission intends to hold a workshop for the Commissioners, and a Neighborhood Plan Committee meeting to provide updates, and the public would be welcomed to attend.

Matusow noted that the Commission has to review the document and make a decision on it before the Drafts go to public hearings.

NEW BUSINESS:

PROPOSAL TO DIRECT THE EXECUTIVE SECRETARY TO MAKE ARRANGEMENTS FOR PUBLIC HEARINGS TO BE HELD AND THAT THE LEGAL NOTICE FOR THE PUBLIC HEARINGS BE PUBLISHED AFTER THE SECOND DRAFT REVISED NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN 2002 IS AVAILABLE FOR PUBLIC REVIEW _ Heinrich reported that the workshop for Commissioners and the Neighborhood Plan Committee meeting need to be held, and the Commission needs to reach agreements on the Drafts before hearings are scheduled. Discussion followed. Shim Sakamoto moved and Amantiad seconded to defer this matter. The motion carried unanimously.

CONSIDERATION OF THE PROBLEM NEIGHBORHOOD BOARDS WITH NUMEROUS VACANCIES AND DIFFICULTY IN MEETING THE EXISTING QUORUM REQUIREMENT _ This matter was previously discussed during earlier portions of the meeting.

COMMITTEE REPORTS: None.

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MINUTES OF REGULAR MEETING
DECEMBER 10, 2001
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SCHEDULING OF NEXT REGULAR MEETING DATE _ The next meeting is scheduled for January 8, 2002, 6:30 p.m. City Council Chambers.

ADDITIONAL ANNOUNCEMENTS: None.

ADJORNMENT: Shim Sakamoto moved and Amantiad seconded that the meeting be adjourned. The motion carried unanimously. The meeting was adjourned at 7:30 p.m.

Submitted by,

Dean Chu
Neighborhood Assistant

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