Kwoj jab aikuj testify ak kenono nan participate ilo government. Itok nan juon public meeting — menan nan lale im rongorong wot — ej civic engagement. Guide in ej kwalok ta nan expect naat kwoj attend-i juon government meeting ilo Hawaii nan jinoin.
Kwoj konaan wot lale? Men eo ej completely fine. Kwoj maaron attend-i jabdewot public meeting einwot juon observer. Ejjelok sign-up en aikuj, ejjelok speaking en expect. Jokwe, rongorong, im iakwe naat kwoj konaan.
Ta meeting ko kwoj maaron attend-i?
Hawaii law ej ba meeting ko rein rej aikuj open nan kwe. Sunshine Law (HRS Chapter 92) ej require bwe aolep meeting ko an state im county board, commission, im council ko ren open nan public. Men in ej include:
- State Legislature committee hearing ko
- County council meeting ko im committee meeting ko
- State board im commission ko (Land Use Commission, Board of Education, Board of Water Supply, im elap lok)
- Neighborhood board ko (Oahu)
- Planning commission ko, zoning board ko, im advisory committee ko
Sunshine Law ej administer jen Office of Information Practices (OIP). Elane kwoj believe bwe juon meeting ear improperly close nan public, ak juon agenda item ear kenono kaki ejjelok proper notice, kwoj maaron contact-i OIP ilo (808) 586-1400 ak visit-i oip.hawaii.gov. Jela elaplok kin am transparency right ko.
Civi.Me ej track-i elonlok jen 400 council ko rein. Browse-i meetings directory nan lo juon ej cover juon topic kwoj care kaki.
Mokta jen meeting eo
Lo meeting eo
Meeting notice ko rej aikuj post at least jiljino raan mokta. Kajojo notice ej include raan, iien, jikin (ak virtual link), im agenda. Kwoj maaron lo meeting notice ko ilo:
- Civi.Me meetings directory
- Relevant government website eo (county council, state board, im elap lok)
- State eo an eHawaii public meeting calendar
Review-i agenda eo
Agenda eo ej kwalok eok ta ko renaaj kenono kaki. Ej usually post ibben meeting notice eo. Skim-i mokta jen kwoj etal bwe kwoj en jela ta nan expect. Elane juon agenda item ej reference-i juon bill number, resolution, ak report, kwoj usually maaron lo document eo ilo juon wot website.
Check-i nan virtual option ko
Elap meeting ko kiiio rej lewoj remote attendance ilo video ak phone. Meeting notice eo naaj kwalok elane virtual participation ej available im lewoj connection detail ko. Men in ej bwe elaptata useful nan neighbor island ri-jokwe ro rej attend-i Honolulu-based meeting ko.
Ta nan expect naat kwoj itok
Setup eo
Government meeting ko rej usually hold ilo juon conference room, council chamber, ak hearing room. Member ro an board eo ak committee eo rej jokwe ilo maan. Ewor juon section nan public seating. Itok jet minute maat — jet room ko rej bun nan popular item ko.
Sign-in
Elap meeting ko ewor juon sign-in sheet iturin door eo. Sign-i ej usually optional nan observer ro. Elane kwoj konaan testify (kenono), ej usually ewor juon separate sign-up sheet — ak elane kwoj lale wot, kwoj maaron skip-i.
Ewi wawein meeting eo ej flow
Elaptata government meeting ko rej follow juon predictable structure:
- Call to order — Chair eo ej open-i meeting eo im confirm-i enough member ro rej bed nan hold-i meeting eo
- Approval of minute ko — Member ro rej approve-i record eo an meeting eo mokta
- Public testimony — Nan agenda item ko rej open nan public comment, community member ro rej maaron kenono (usually 2-3 minute kajojo)
- Old business — Item ko rej continue jen meeting ko mokta
- New business — Item ko rekaal nan discussion ak vote
- Report ko — Update ko jen staff, subcommittee ko, ak agency ko
- Announcement ko — Meeting ko rekonaan itok, event ko, ak deadline ko
- Adjournment — Chair eo ej close-i meeting eo
Order eo ej vary kab jen body eo. County council meeting ko rej usually elaplok formal. Neighborhood board meeting ko rej elaplok casual im conversational. Legislative committee hearing ko rej focus almost entirely ilo juon specific bill ak set in bill ko.
Naan ko
Government meeting ko rej koba procedural language eo emaaron feel unfamiliar. Eini jet naan ko kwoj naaj rongorong:
- “Motion” — Juon formal proposal jen juon member. “I move to approve item 5” ej mean rej propose-i bwe board eo en take action ilo item eo.
- “Second” — Juon bar member ej agree nan consider-i motion eo. Ejjelok second, motion eo ejab proceed.
- “Quorum” — Minimum number an member ro rej aikuj nan body eo en officially conduct business.
- “Tabled” — Juon item ej postpone nan future discussion.
- “Executive session” — Juon closed-door portion an meeting eo. Men in ej allow wot nan specific legal reason ko — einwot personnel matter ko ak pending lawsuit ko. Public eo rej kajjitok ren step out temporarily.
- “Public comment” ak “public testimony” — Portion eo an meeting eo ia community member ro rej maaron kenono.
Tip ko nan attend
- Kwoj maaron iakwe ilo jabdewot iien. Kwoj jab committed nan bed nan aolep meeting eo. Elane am item of interest ear kenono kaki, ej fine nan iakwe.
- Boki note ko. Jeje jabdewot mein ej interest-i kwe, ej confuse-i kwe, ak ej surprise-i kwe. Men in ej jiban kwe follow up tok juon.
- Jab feel pressure nan kenono. Observe ej valuable. Kwoj maaron attend-i jet meeting ko mokta jen kwoj decide nan testify. Elap regular community participant ro rear jino kab lale.
- Meeting ko remaroon jap. County council meeting ko jet iien rej run jet awa. Boki dren. Committee hearing ko rej usually jidiklok.
- Bwe respectful. Keep-i am phone ilo silent. Jab interrupt-i proceeding ko. Clap ak boo ilo iien testimony ej generally discouraged.
- Kajjitok tok jen. Elane mein ej confuse-i kwe, approach-i juon staff member ak board member tok jen meeting eo. Elaptata rej happy nan kwalok.
Tok jen meeting eo
Meeting minute ko rej publish tok jen kajojo meeting — usually iloan jet wiik. Minute ko rej official record kin ta ear kenono kaki, ta motion ko rear koman, im ewi wawein member ro rear vote. Kwoj maaron lo minute ko ilo relevant government website eo.
Elane mein eo ear kenono kaki ilo meeting eo ej concern-i kwe, ewor am option ko:
- Submit-i written testimony mokta jen meeting eo ekonaan itok
- Jeje nan am representative kin issue eo
- Attend-i meeting eo ekonaan itok nan follow up kin ewi wawein item eo ej progress
- Kwalok am jiran ko kin ta kwoj rongorong — bwe elaptata elane ej affect am community
- Elane kwoj believe bwe meeting eo ear violate Sunshine Law — nan waanjonak, juon item ear kenono kaki eo ejjelok ilo agenda eo, ak public ear exclude ejjelok legal basis — kwoj maaron file-i juon concern ibben Office of Information Practices
Neighborhood board meeting ko — jikin eo ejemman tata nan jino
Elane kwoj ilo Oahu im kwoj jab sure ia nan jino, attend-i am neighborhood board meeting. Ewor 33 board rej cover kajojo part an ene eo. Meeting ko rein rej informal, rej usually hold kajojo allun ilo jota ilo juon school cafeteria ak community center, im rej cover local issue ko rej directly affect am neighborhood.
Lo am board ilo Neighborhood Commission Office ak browse-i neighborhood board ko ilo Civi.Me meetings directory.
Ready nan elaplok?
Jela ewi wawein testify Getting started guide Lo juon meeting Am right nan jela