Mayor Kenoi in the Hot Seat

[Rob Tucker]

Mayor Kenoi will be available today (Wednesday) from noon to 1 pm to take questions from the public on a Blog called the Hot Seat at the Honolulu Advertiser.

Here's the link: http://hotseat.honadvblogs.com/

I've already submitted two questions to him. I hope the moderator uses them. I look forward to some answers. Tiffany Hunt has a raft of questions posted too.

My questions are:

#7 Rob:
June 23rd, 2009 at 7:42 pm

The Puna Community Development Plan became law last summer and required you to name nine members to the Action Committee. Thirty six people applied and interviewed by the Planning Department last December. You have now had seven months in office and have failed to appoint this important committee as required by law.

Why?

#8 Rob:
June 23rd, 2009 at 7:51 pm

Regarding the divestiture of the 2% Land Preservation Fund:

It was suggested to you prior to passage of Bill 49 that the county treat the 2% Land Preservation Fund as a loan, to be paid back to the fund in better economic times. You ignored that proposal. It would have respected the intentions of the voters and met your short term budget needs. Why would that have not been a reasonable approach to acquiring the money from that dedicated fund?

[Rob Tucker]

Well, one of my questions was asked on the Advertiser Blog....

All the Q&A can be found here:
http://hotseat.honadvblogs.com/2009/06/2...lly-kenoi/

Here's My question and the Mayor's answer:

# Mayor Billy Kenoi:
June 24th, 2009 at 12:44 pm

Here's one posted earlier from Rob:
June 23rd, 2009 at 7:42 pm edit

The Puna Community Development Plan became law last summer and required you to name nine members to the Action Committee. Thirty six people applied and interviewed by the Planning Department last December. You have now had seven months in office and have failed to appoint this important committee as required by law.

Why?

+++
Mayor Kenoi

Thanks, Rob. Although there were some great candidates on the initial list, I am currently seeking applicants who will represent a broader cross-section of the community and I expect to have new nominations within the next couple of weeks.

Over the past few months I have reviewed applications and nominated new members to two new planning commissions, the Ka'u Community Development Plan Steering Committee, the Kona Community Development Plan Action Committee, and the North Kohala Community Development Plan Action Committee.

I look forward to finalizing our Puna Community Development Plan Action Committee members within the next couple of weeks.


The Mayor's answer concerns me a bit because a lot of time has passed and the process for application and selection of Action Committee members was established and had run it's course when Mayor Kenoi was elected.

According the the Planning Department Puna had thirty six applicants which exceeded every other district in participation. The application process involved written applications which were reviewed by a Selection Committee comprised of Planning Department staff and two selected residents of Puna.

That committee reviewed the thirty six applicants and interviewed a number of them resulting in eighteen names being submitted to the Mayor.

Today's statement is the first from the Mayor explaining why it has taken over half a year to do a simple thing. Or fail to do a simple thing more accurately.

Apparently he isn't happy with the applicants and wants to create his own process for selection.... in which case about forty people have wasted their time participating in a county program at the request and public solicitation of the county.

So it appears we will soon find out who Mayor Kenoi has located, by his own means and criteria, and I have to wonder just how appropriate it is to be reinventing the wheel on this process.

But then the Council is reinventing itself too and appears to be making up rules as it goes so I shouldn't be surprised I guess.

Time will tell.

[Guest]

Rob,
I wonder why he would turn a blind eye and a deaf ear to Puna, his very own district. Could it be because it was your question and you did not back him when he was running? Sounds pretty childish to me, Maybe it is that he hasn’t found the right “good old boy” to appoint. Why all other districts first and Puna last, ounce again Puna is suckling on the pacifier while others get mothers milk.

The Lack

The Lack Toons

[JerryCarr]

The Mayor's response to this does not satisfy me. The Puna CDP participants literally beat the bushes seeking broader participation in the process from start to finish, and that included candidates for the Action Committee. I have to agree with the Lack's suggestion that the right "good old boys" have not stepped forward. It will be interesting to see what we get in the way of appointments now.