New Council Organizes & Assigns Chairs

[opihikao]

FYI: (*Snipped - More at link incl. video)

http://www.bigislandvideonews.com/2016/1...ns-chairs/


Just three hours after being sworn-in at Monday’s inauguration ceremony, the new Hawaii County Council took their seats in the Hilo Council Chambers and began to divide up the chairs for the various committees.

Assuming the role of Council Chair, Valerie Poindexter quickly led the nine members through a series of resolutions, shaping in roughly 10 minutes the structure for the next two years.

Karen Eoff was designated Council Vice Chair, and then rules of procedure and organization were adopted.

Then it came to the committees:

Maile David was assigned Finance Committee chair and Karen Eoff was assigned as Vice Chair.

Eoff was also named chair of the Committee on Planning, with Eileen O’Hara as Vice Chair.

O’Hara was also appointed as chair of the Committee on Environmental Management. Tim Richards III will be Vice Chair.

Richards and O’Hara will again pair up to head the Committee on Agriculture, Water and Energy. This time the roles will be reversed, with O’Hara as Vice Chair and Richards as Chair.

The Committee of Public Works and Parks and Recreation will have Jennifer Ruggles as Chair and Maile David as Vice Chair.

Ruggles will also chair the Committee on Public Safety and Mass Transit, with Karen Eoff as Vice Chair.

Maile David will chair the Committtee on Human Services and Social Services, and Sue Lee Loy will be vice chair.

Dru Mamo Kanuha will be chair of the Committee on Governmental Relations and Economic Development. Ruggles was named vice chair.

The new council is:

CHAIR: Valerie Poindexter, District 1
Aaron Chung, District 2
Susan Lee Loy, District 3
Eileen O’ Hara, District 4
Jennifer Ruggles, District 5
Maile Medeiros David, District 6
Dru Mamo Kanuha, District 7
Karen Eoff, District 8
Herbert M.” Tim” Richards, III, District 9

It is the first female super majority in council history.

[HiloPuna]

Looks like Aaron Chung, who in his words "doesn't share the same ideology", is completely out. He has more legislative experience than any of the other council members and receives not even a Vice Chair. I read this as the election of Ruggles and Ohara really changed the dynamics of the Council organization. You can see where Ruggles gets multiple Chairs, which is very curious for a freshman lacking in both experience and education (by that I mean higher level graduate degrees e.g. a law degree )

The other obvious message is Sue Lee Loy getting only one Vice Chair, and that of a minor committee. She has more actual planning experience than any of the other members, new or holdover. The Planning Committee team of Eoff and Ohara suggests that the General Plan will be de-emphasized and the CDP's will take precedence. They both have a long history of being in the "opposition", now they get to control the process. To be mindful of, Eoff was the other proponent of Concurrency besides Pete Hoffman.

What I really see here is a hard line by Poindexter and Eoff who now completely control the Council. I just don't see where there is anyone for the 4 on the outs to pluck away and reorganize (Chung, Kanuha, Richards, Lee Loy). Giving Davids Finance keeps her firmly in the camp.

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

You can see where Ruggles gets multiple Chairs, which is very curious for a freshman lacking in both experience and education

That surprised me too. It's a lot to oversee and manage using only on the job experience to make the decisions required.

“There's no such thing, unfortunately, anymore as facts." Trump spokeswoman Scottie Hughes

[opihikao]

HiloPuna, well stated. Mahalo, and Mele Kalikimaka! This will be interesting to watch unfold. Aaron Chung is a very akamai man, and Poindexter (who is a good woman) should make sure he is part of the discussion at all times.

HOTPE, I concur (re: Ruggles). We need to be maka'ala...Mele Kalikimaka to you!

JMO.