Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 6, Number 5, 1 May 1989 — OHA Board Business [ARTICLE]

OHA Board Business

By Ed Miehelman Public Information Officer

The Board of Trustees scheduled two business meetings for the month of April because circumstances prevented their holding the regular March meeting. The first meeting took plaee April 1. The other, scheduled for April 29, will be covered in next month's eolumn. Present for the April 1 meeting held at OHA's Honolulu office, were Chairman Kaulukukui and Trustees Akaka, Burgess, Ching, DeSoto, Kahaialii and Keale. Trustees Hao and Mahoe were excused. The following items were considered and acted on by the Board: Honokahua Agreement The Board unanimously accepted an agreement between OHA's ad hoe committee on Kapalua and Hui Alanui O Makena concerning burials at Honokahua, Maui. Among provisions of that agreement is a recommendation that there be no further osteological analysis of human remains at Honokahua. However, OHA and the Hui agreed that archaeological analysis, study and reports derived from already completed field or osteological data may eonhnue. Functional Plan The Board gave unanimous approval to an organizational plan recommended by its management consultants, Arthur Young and Company. The plan delineates the structure, functions, duties and responsibilities performed by various organizational units within the office. lt clarifies relationships and lines of authority and contains a comprehensive review of OHA position descriptions. Historic Preservation Task Force Budget A six-month, $10,130 budget was approved unanimously for OHA's Historic Preservation Task Force. The appropriation will eome from special funds if general operating funds are unavailable. The function of the task force is to review federal and state laws as well as city ordinances and recommend amendments to them in order to better protect Native Hawaiian cultural values in historic preservation decisions. By-Law Amendments The Trustees passed without opposition, on the first of two required readings, two amendments to OHA's by-laws. The first proposal would reduce from nine to seven the number of members on OHA's Committee on Operations and Development. The second would create a new standing committee to be called the Committee on Native Hawaiian Status and Entitlements. Final ratification of the by-law amendments is expected at the next Board meeting. Thrill Craft And Oeean Management Zones The Board adopted the following position statement with Trustee Keale abstaining: "The operation of thrill craft vessels within our Hawaiian waters are a definite threat to our marine environment and traditional Hawaiian fishing and shoreline use practices. These vessels have no plaee within the Hawaiian waters of our state. Our position would be to advocate on behalf of the total ban of these vessels within our waters."

Trustee Keale expressed eoneem about the number of Hawaiians who work in that industry and the fact that the proposed ban would be statewide. Operation 'Ohana Conceptual approval was given to "Operation 'Ohana" a proposal to identify all OHA beneficiaries. The Board voted unanimously to direct the administrator to further develop the concept. Washington, D.C. Legislative Counsel The Board unanimously adopted a recommendation from the External Affairs Committee to retain Paul Alexander, Esq. as OHA's Legislative Counsel in Washington. The three-month eontract will be considered for renewal on its expiration in June 1989. Alexander will report directly to the Chairman of the Board of Trustees. Hawaiian Monk Seal The Board expressed eoneem over published reports that attorney Hayden Aluli is considering using a "native Hawaiian rights" defense in the case of a man who is accused of killing an endangered Hawaiian monk seal. The trustees voted unanimously to inform Aluli that there is no evidence to link early Hawaiians with the practice of hunting or eating seals. Congratulatory Resolution Trustee Keale introduced a motion whieh was adopted unanimously to recognize Walter Smith, owner and operator of Smith's Motor Boat Service on Kauai, for his selection as Small Businessman of the Year. Executive Session The following items considered in executive session were ratified unanimously after the Board reconvened its open meeting: 1. Acceptance of Deputy Attorney General Francis Keeno's recommendation for a settlement offer in a pending civil suit. 2. Repeal of the existing employee handbook effective immediately. 3. Directing that Deputy Attorney General Charlotte Libman be asked to represent the Board in a civil matter because of the absence of the Board's previously retained private attorney. A determination must be made that no conflict would be created by such representation. 4. Approval of the Administrator's recommendation to hire Lynn Lee as Land and Natural Resources Specialist. 5. Requesting the Administrator to prepare a letter to the Governor for the Chairman's signature expressing the Board's eoneem on matters affecting the continual diminishing of the ceded lands trust. lssues to be addressed in the letter include the Kapalama Military Reservation, 01d Government Road at Diamond Head and the State Department of Transportation's proposal to transfer a portion of the Airport Fund to the Highway Fund.