Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 16, Number 4, 1 April 1999 — BOARD BUSINESS [ARTICLE]

BOARD BUSINESS

•$600,000 for Kula Ni'ihau o Kekaha (immersion) • Administrator's contract renewed THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES of the Office of Hawaiian Aftairs considered a lengthy agenda at its meeting on Kaua'i March 19. Nearly all the agenda items passed, including an appropriation of $600,000 for the renovation of the former Air National Guard armory site transferred to OHA in 1997 by the Department of Land and Natural Resources. OHA currently leases the property for one dollar to 'Aha Punana Leo whieh is using it for Ke Kula Ni'ihau o Kekeha, an immersion school for Hawaiian-speaking children from Ni'ihau who reside on Kaua'i. This phase of OHA's renovation of the armory will provide classrooms for upper grades and adult education, a kitchen that meets the state's certification requirements and facilities for aqua-culture and agriculture. The board unanimously approved the allocation. Release of the funds is subject to review of the lease/agreement defining the rights and responsibilities of the parties to it. Previous renovations to the armory site were financed through $300,000 in federal grants, $100,000 from the Consuelo Alger Foundation and $100,000 from a private donor. The board also voted to extend the contract of OHA Administrator Randall Ogata from July 1, 1999 through June 30, 2001. At press time, Mr. Ogata had three months remaining on his original two-year contract. Another agenda item, elaiifying the administrator's functions and authority, was approved on both readings (second reading occured March 22). Of the remaining agenda items, the board voted to • authorize the OHA administration to develop, implement and administer an Individual Development Account targeting low-ineome Native Hawaiians, to be funded by $500,000 in See BOARD on page 5

trust funds for a five-year period, provided that matching funds are secured from other sources and that administrative costs do not exceed 10 percent annually;

a resolution by the Native Hawaiian Historic Preservation Council addressing weaknesses in the Native Ameiiean Graves Protection and Repatriation Act; • submit to the Administration for Native Americans the names of Jackie K. Burke, James V. Gomez, John P. Keppler, III, Wendell Nunes and Donald E. Van Gieson to fill vacancies on

the Native Hawaiian Revolving Loan Fund Advisory Board of Directors; • approve the designation of Kalani Flores, Nathan Napoka and Toni Lei Han Palermo to the Providence - Native Hawaiian Partnership Committee per the settlement agreement for the return of the ki'i la'au; • defer the salary adjustment

for the eeonomie development officer; • approve an amount not to exceed $10,000 to the education division for planning and technical assistance for the education initiative under the direction of Gladys Brandt; • approve the amounts of $44,855.36, $6,127.68, $1,957.24 and $52,427.40 in connection with worker's compensation payment of

cases No. 2-96-41162, No. 2-95-41735, No 4-93-10065 and No. 2-87-36609, respectively; • instruct the OHA administrator to appropriate information on worker's compensation insurance carrier acquisition for the board's submission; • authorize an increase in the salary range for the eventual hire of a personnel manager to $52,380 - $62,010. " ■

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