Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 14, Number 7, 1 July 1997 — Details of vote on administrator [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Details of vote on administrator

Aloha kākou e nā 'ōiwi o Hawai i. In continuing effort to enhanee beneficiarytrustee eommunieahon, this is my fifth article of 46 and responds to a letter I got from beneficiary J. Takemoto of O ahu. This beneficiary says: " I have been following the situation regarding (former) Administrator Linda Colburn. I am referring to the article of May 23, 1997 whieh was in the Honolulu Advertiser. The article notes that the majority of trustees

voted to begin recruitment for a new administrator, but you and Machado and Springer voted no. Please clarify why." On May 21 the Budget & Finance and Pohcy Planning Committees of the BOT met on the "status of the administrator." Approximately 20 motions were introduced, one

by one. The first was to "accept the legal opinion tendered by Ms. Broder and Robert Morris, that OHA's Board of Trustees may proceed with the process to hire an administrator, to allow the initiation of the steps required for hire." Trustees Apoliona, Machado and Springer questioned statements made in the opinion, advised caution and recommended this sensitive situation be reviewed by legal counsel specializing in employment law. The majority voted to accept the Broder-Morris opinion. Trustees Apoliona, Machado and Springer voted no. Other actions followed regarding: publication dates, deadlines for recruitment notice, apphcation packet contents, administrator's duties and term, interviews June 26 and 27, procedures for administrator selection, interview questions, and July 1 announcement of hire by the Chair. The majority voted yes on these. Trustees Apoliona, Machado and Springer abstained. Another action item appropriated $10,900 for recruitment notice, a screening consultant for applications and eonhn-

gency for emergency costs that would be reported to the BOT. The majority voted yes. Trustees Apohona, Machado and Springer voted no. Final action of the joint committee was to "move ah items approved or amended and approved by this joint committee on this day, the 21 st of May, be read on the BOT Thursday, May 22nd agenda for final

rahhcation by the trustees, if they so desire." The majority of trustees voted yes. Trustees Apoliona, Machado, and Springer abstained. On May 22, the OHA BOT acted on the "status of the administrator" (reported in the Advertiser May 23). The motion called for "final ratification of the full Board, of the actions taken by the assigned joint committees of Budget and Finance and Policy and Planning concerning the authority and Drocedures to eall for

applications for an OHA administrator at their meeting on May 21, 1997...; appropriation of the sum of $14,500 to fund the necessary costs; and the Chair man's eah for the selection of the screening consultant...." The majority voted yes. Trustees Apoliona,

Machado ai;d Springer voted no. As a result c( the B&F and P&P Committees' action on May 21, 1997, and the BOT on May 22, recraitment for an OHA administrator was initiated. On June 9, the BOT, in the Commii*ee of the Whole, acted on items in Colburn's proposed severance package. The majority voted to separate Ms. Colburn from her position at OHA by 4:30 p.m. June 9 and to appoint an "acting administrator" effective June 10. Trustees Apoliona and Machado voted no. Action to provide Ms. Colburn a severance package to be effective after June 30 were taken. A majority including Apoliona, Machado and Springer voted yes. The COW was adjourned and a BOT meeting was convened. The BOT then combined all the approved action items of the COW into one motion ( i.e. items of Ms. Colburn's severance package request, the 4:30 p.m. June 9 separation, the appointment of the "acting administrator" and the offer of severance to Ms. Colburn effective after June 30). This received a unanimous vote. mi—n wm -i ■ II ilM ■ — i nn 1 i'l

T Ae &0 7 tAe h cot»(tiHed Att tAe Appoved Act<0 H itetmf o( tAe C0 W 4Hto one MotioH...

Trustee Messages OHA tnistees' ind.ividual views expressed do not necessarUy represent the official position of the Board of Trustees. OHA is not responsible for accuracy of these commentaries. The trustees weleome eommenL Write to Ka Wai Ola o OHA, 71 1 Kapi'olani Blvd. Suite 500, Honolulu 96813.

UAUHAH4 ApoLiOHA Trustee, At-Large