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I. OFFICE OF THE MAYOR

	Mayor Stephen K. Yamashiro was born in Honolulu and attended University Elementary School.  He graduated from Punahou in 1959 and the U.S. Army Artillery Officer's Candidate School, Fort Sill, Oklahoma in 1964.   In 1965, Mayor Yamashiro received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Hawaii and in 1969 he was awarded a law degree from Willamette University College of Law.  He has served as a State Deputy Attorney General, a County of Hawaii Deputy Corporation Counsel, and Hearings Officer for the Hawaii Public Emmployment Relations Board.  Mayor Yamashiro served on the Hawaii County Council from 1976 to 1990,   11 of those years as Chairman.  He became Mayor of the County of Hawaii on December 7, 1992.  He is married to Della E. Allison.
	William G. Davis, Managing Director, was born on Kauai and attended Cornell University.  He was employed with Interisland Resorts from 1957 to 1984 and managed the Naniloa Surf Hotel from 1966 to 1984 and the Kauai Surf Hotel from 1984 to 1985.  He then became Regional Vice President of Hemmeter Corporation from 1984 to 1986.  He was Senior Vice President of Hemmeter Partners from 1987 to December, 1992, when he was appointed Hawaii County Managing Director.
	Henry Cho, Deputy Managing Director, was born and educated in Kona.  He was employed with the State Department of Transportation, South Kona Highways Division, for over 37 years and received several state and community awards for his work.  His family business is H. Cho Enterprises, Inc., specializing in wholesaling and retailing of plumeria flowers and leis.  He has been an active member of the Kona Judo Club for 39 years, and also has been active in the South Kona Aloha Lions Club and the South Kona Catholic Churches.  Mr. Cho serves the County in the Kona Office.
	Rudy Legaspi, Executive Assistant, was born and educated in Hilo and attended the University of Hawaii at Hilo from 1958-1960.   He graduated from the University of Hawaii-Manoa Campus in 1962 with a Bachelor's degree in personnel management.  he served in the Hawaii National Guard and the U.S. Army.  Mr. Legaspi served as Hawaii County Legislative Auditor from 1969 to 1976 when he became County Clerk, a position he held until January, 1989.  He is a member and officer of numerous community organizations.
	Executive Assistant, Norman Olesen is an engineer and former licensed contractor.  He was educated at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia and Columbia University in New York City and holds a B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Civil Engineering.  Mr. Olesen spent twenty-four years with Kaiser Aluminum & chemical Corporation of Oakland, California as an engineering manager and field project manager where he was responsible for the construction, operation and maintenance of major plants in different parts of the country as well as overseas.  He and his wife Elisabeth are residents of Kehena in the Puna district where they have participated in community activities such as the Neighborhood Watch program and the Mayor's Parks and Recreation Committee for Puna.  A U.S. Marine Corps Korean Conflict Veteran, Mr. Olesen has been active with the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Post 3830 and the Democratic Party on the Big Island.
	Lohe Kaaloa, Executive Assistant, served four years in the United States Marine Corps and was a construction project coordinator.   He has been the sole proprietor of Big Island Masonry, Inc. and a martial arts expert and Panaewa farmer.  He has been involved in many Hawaiian organizations and works with hawaiian groups on community projects.

ROLE AND DUTIES

The Office of the Mayor provides direction, leadership and operational supervision for all Executive Branch departments and agencies and works in conjunction with the County Council to develop and implement policies and programs. The powers, duties and functions are authorized and described under Articles IV and V of the County Charter.

The Mayor must ensure the enforcement of all provisions of the County Charter, the ordinances of the county and all applicable laws.

A major responsibility is the development and submittal of an operating budget, operating programs, capital improvement budget, capital improvement programs and pay plans to the County Council in a timely manner as mandated by the County Charter.

It is also the responsibility of the Office of the Mayor to establish and supervise boards, commissions and advisory committees.

The Mayor reviews and ensures the execution of county contracts and other signed instruments.

As the Chief Executive Officer, the Mayor is the primary representative of the county and/or its Executive Branch. The Mayor's Office communicates county programs and policy to the public and various levels and branches of government.

STAFF

The Office of the Mayor currently has 17 full-time employees including the Mayor and four Civil Service employees.

Appointed employees (co-terminous with the Mayor) are:

William G. Davis, Managing Director
Henry Cho, Deputy Managing Director
Rudy Legaspi, Executive Assistant
Robert H. Makuakane, Executive Assistant
Russell Kokubun, Executive Assistant
Lohe Kaaloa, Executive Assistant
Marcia Reynolds, Public Information Officer
Myrle Kaloi, Private Secretary to the Mayor
Margie Lee, Private Secretary to the Managing Director
Marilyn Billena, Senior Clerk-Typist
Jeannette Vidgen, Senior Clerk (Kona Office)
Dr. Ernest L. Bade, County Physician
Dr. Alan C. DeSilva, County Physician
Dr. Curtis W. Lee, County Physician
Dr. James E. Mitchell, County Physician
Santiago Gose, Immigration Information Specialist

See "Division of Industrial Safety."

County Physicians

County Physicians advise on medical matters, render medical opinions and conduct physical examinations as requested by the Mayor's Office and other agencies of the county.

The Immigration Information Specialist contacts and assists immigrants in the County of Hawaii, and serves as liaison on immigration matters of broad community concern, as well as individual problems of immigrants. The IIS provides assistance to any assigned clients through the Multi-Purpose Center and the Hawaii County Services Center in Kailua-Kona.

Committee on Children and Youth:

This committee advises the Mayor on issues affecting the welfare and development of Hawaii County's young citizens.

Six committee meetings were held during FY 1996-97.

In the area of young children, the committee oversees the Hawaii County Child Care Coordinator position. This position was created through a grant from the State and links the County of Hawaii to the Good Beginnings Alliance and the State's Master Plan for Early Childhood Education. The role of the coordinator included the formation of a regional council to create and implement a five-year County plan. This plan was completed in May of 1997. The coordinator position has received an additional year of funding. The committee also approved, for the fourth year, financial support for a delegate to attend the National Association for the Education of Young Children Conference in Dallas, Texas.

In terms of adolescents, a new subcommittee has been formed to address the needs of our teen population including issues such as transportation, vocational training, after school activities, and other topics to be generated by the subcommittee members themselves. The goal of this group will be to come up with a County plan modeled somewhat after the Early Childhood plan.

Hawaii County, through members of the Committee on Children and Youth, was represented during FY 1996-97 on the following committees:

The Governor's Advisory Council on Children and Youth
The Good Beginnings Alliance Board of Directors
Hawaii Kids Count

Committee on People with Disabilities:

The Mayor's Committee on People with Disabilities is a volunteer committee appointed by the Mayor to advise him on all matters related to people with disabilities. The committee's primary function is to review and make recommendations and provide guidelines to improve the quality of life for people with disabilities in the County of Hawaii.

The committee held six meetings during Fiscal Year 1996-97 and the following are activities that occurred and accomplishments:

• The committee continues to provide disability education to children in elementary schools by sponsoring "Kids on the Block" puppet performances both in East and West Hawaii.

• The committee works with the County Parks & Recreation in providing aquatic pool lifts in each County pool facility.

• Improving public transportation in both East and West Hawaii continues to be a concern since it affects employment, shopping, doctor appointments, etc.

• The committee works with the Mass Transit Agency on the Request for Proposal (RFP) for a County Coordinated Public Transit Plan.

• The committee has addressed the concerns of the deaf and hard-of-hearing regarding the difficulty they have accessing emergency services.

• The committee has networked with various organizations in the community on mutual areas of interest, legislative efforts and accessibility concerns.

Committee on the Status of Women:

Mandated by the Hawaii Revised Statutes, this committee advises the Mayor and the Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women on a wide range of women's issues. The committee held ten meetings during Fiscal Year 1996-97.

For the third year, the committee was the major organizing force for Women's Health Month on the Big Island. Ten Brown Bag lunch talks were held featuring the following women healers: Dr. Gay Barfield, Mary Santa Maria, Mahealani Kuamo'o-Henry, Leina'ala Brown-Dombrigues, Kaikilani Oyama, Kathleen Ing, Maile Yamanaka, Abbie Napeahi, Lois Fopiano, and Joan Safajek. The talks were held at the Zen Center of Hawaii's room in the Y. Hata Building in downtown Hilo and were co-sponsored by Hui Ho'ola O Na Nahulu O Hawaii, a project of Drug Addiction Services of Hawaii in collaboration with the State Department of Health's Alcohol and Drug Abuse Division. An average of 20 people attended each presentation.

The committee also rented a booth at the Hawaii County Fair in September. Brown bag lunch speakers manned the booth as well as groups such as the American Lung Association, American Cancer Society, American Heart Association, and the Domestic Violence Inter-Agency Team.

The committee updated its listing of services for Emergency Help for Women, Their Children and Partners.

The committee sponsored its Annual "Real Women" Creative Writing Competition in March in conjunction with Women's History Month.

The committee updated its co-sponsorship guidelines and co-sponsored the following activities through the year:

• Women's Financial Information Program.

• "Take Our Daughters to Work Day."

• Domestic Violence Performances for West Hawaii Schools.

• Women's Health Day at the North Hawaii Community Hospital.

The "First Female" Project was finally completed and is awaiting the completion of the printing. This project honors the first females on the Big Island in various professions traditionally held by males.

The committee continued to work with the Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women via its representative from the Big Island on the commission. The Executive Director updated the committee on the commission's accomplishments, challenges and the county committee's role on the commission at a one day retreat.

The Clerical Services Center provides secretarial, clerical and staff assistance to the Office of the Mayor and other county agencies. The Center assists the public with information about government and other community services, receives and refers complaints, issues disabled parking placards.

Complaints Received

Disabled Parking Permits Issued

Assignment/Work Data

BUDGET

The Mayor's Office operating budget for Fiscal Year 1996-97 was $910,964.

This included funding for the Clerical Services Center, Committee on People with Disabilities, Committee on Children and Youth, Committee on the Status of Women and the four County Physicians.

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