Bill 160... adding "truthful" to the ethics code?

[Rob Tucker]

I testified at a CoH Finance Committee hearing at the council chambers on Eileen O'Hara's Bill 160 which is to add language to the Ethics Code to require truthful and factual communications from the county to the public. I was very interested who, in an election year, would find objections.

Aaron Chung.

Mr. Chung was very nervous about just what "truthful" might actually mean. He didn't want to be seen as being against truth but intended to vote against the measure. Next up to bat was Valerie Poindexter. She had similar concerns. I'm not a news reporter so I am not going to try and quote everyone accurately.

Maile David was leaning no.

Susan Lee Loy had a question for Joe Kamelameha (Corporation Counsel) about would it be untruthful for Parks and Rec to issue a statement that some park might reopen on, say, Oct. 1 and that proved to not be the case.

Joe Kamelameha, lawyer that he is, rambled along not quite saying much but predicted that injecting a requirement for county employees to be truthful would unleash a torrent of complaints (imagine that).

Listening to their debate, which was healthy, sharpened my instincts on how to testify next time.

Valerie Poindexter (VP), Jen Ruggles (JR) and Eileen O'Hara EOH) said that my complaint was not the only one they know of. They have been hearing these complaints for years and years. Bad information has a bad effect on taxpayers. Lost time is lost money. Things like that.

A suggestion was made that the language might be best focused on the Building Department alone maybe. VP, JR and EOH felt that a standard should be set county wide.

A suggestion was made to postpone the bill to allow for sharper language. This is not bad. Perhaps "county employees and officers shall communicate all information regarding code and county policy with the public equally on a truthful and fact based basis"?

Anyway, there will be another hearing on the subject. You Punawebbers are invited to weigh in with the council too. Email is easy. When I hear of the next hearing I will let you know. You can testify on camera from a number of local locations.

There is a chance there might be something in the Trib tomorrow. Maybe/maybe not.

Vaalerie Poindexter <valerie.poindexter@hawaiicounty.gov>
Aaron Chung <aaron.chung@hawaiicounty.gov>
Susan Lee Loy <sue.leeloy@hawaiicounty.gov>
Eileen O'Hara <eileen.ohara@hawaiicounty.gov>
Jen Ruggles <jen.ruggles@hawaiicounty.gov>
Maile David <maile.david@hawaiicounty.gov>
Dru Kanuha <dru.kanuha@hawaiicounty.gov>
Karen Eoff <karen.eoff@hawaiicounty.gov>
Tim Richards <tim.richards@hawaiicounty.gov>

Mahalo to Eileen O'Hara for putting Bill 160 in.