LIHU‘E — With the 2010 election now just around the corner and the chances of a county manager measure being placed on the ballot dwindling by the day, proponents of an overhaul to Kaua‘i’s system of government continue to hound
LIHU‘E — With the 2010 election now just around the corner and the chances of a county manager measure being placed on the ballot dwindling by the day, proponents of an overhaul to Kaua‘i’s system of government continue to hound the Charter Review Commission.
The November recommendations by the commission’s Committee on Governance recommended that the committee be continued, but in the months since, four new members have joined the body and have yet to move in that direction or offer their thoughts on such a proposal.
At Monday’s monthly meeting — held in the Mo‘ikeha Building’s Room 2A-2B, where Planning Commission meetings are held, rather than in Council Chambers due to renovations at the Historic County Building — a smattering of concerned citizens, perhaps twice as many as attended the February meeting, offered testimony in support of a communication from county manager proponent and “nitpicker” Glenn Mickens.
“To date neither the County Attorney nor the Boards and Commission office have provided any assistance in authoring a county manager measure,” Mickens wrote, offering a detailed, lengthy summary of years of attempts to get the proposal on the ballot.
“In the ultimate analysis it is up to the people whether they want a county manager form of government for our County. But the people are entitled to be given the choice to make that decision and the active involvement by your commission is needed to make that happen,” he wrote.
Chair Carol Suzawa, often turning to former Chair Sherman Shiraishi and the body’s legal counsel, cut off a number of speakers, asking them to stay on the subject of Mickens’ communication and follow the state Sunshine Law rather than delving into the merits of a county manager system of government.
Following the testimony, the commissioners had few questions for Mickens and other proponents, and received the communication. The decision of whether to include a full airing of the county manager proposal, including the Committee on Governance’s recommendations, on a future meeting agenda will be up to Suzawa.
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• Michael Levine, assistant news editor, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 252) or mlevine@kauaipubco.com.
