The county Ethics Board yesterday unanimously decided Leonard Rapozo Jr., a state Public Works Department employee, has no conflict of interest that should prevent him from serving on the county Police Commission. The determination carries the Intake Service Center Kaua‘i
The county Ethics Board yesterday unanimously decided Leonard Rapozo Jr., a state Public Works Department employee, has no conflict of interest that should prevent him from serving on the county Police Commission.
The determination carries the Intake Service Center Kaua‘i branch manager a step closer to County Council confirmation, which the mayoral appointee needs before he can officially join the volunteer seven-member commission.
If approved, Rapozo will replace departing commissioner Carol Furtado.
Kaua‘i Police Chief Darryl Perry joined the candidate at the Mo‘ikeha Building where they addressed questions from the Ethics Board.
“I’m trying to make our community better in whatever way possible,” Rapozo said.
He told the board that he has already secured go-aheads from the state Ethics Commission and his supervisors.
The chief also said the department did a background check on Rapozo and found nothing to preclude him from serving on the commission.
“We don’t have any concerns,” Perry said.
But the board should consider the perception of a conflict of interest when making its decision, Kapa‘a resident Ken Taylor said.
“There’s no reason to get yourself into that corner,” he told the board.
Rapozo, who has been involved with pretrial services for 21 years, said he does not work directly with the police.
The Intake Service Center’s clientele are individuals who law enforcement officers have arrested. The center gathers information as an “independent objective party” to make a recommendation to the court as to what bail should be set, he said.
In October, the state Public Safety Department recognized Rapozo as manager of the year.
His knowledge of the judicial process and the Intake Service Center’s operation makes him an asset to the department, according to the governor’s Web site, which states he is “very innovative” and always looking for ways to improve service.
For the past one and a half years, Rapozo has been assisting the state Intake Service Center with its community service program by flying to Kona twice a month. He was also involved from the inception of programs that now benefit the department’s pretrial offenders, such as the Ke Ala Hoku Program and the Makua Keiki Project.
Rapozo is a member of the Reintegration Committee and initiated Project Contempt, a program that helps the court alleviate the back log of bench warrants issued for non-appearance at arraignments in District Court.
Ethics Board Chair Mark Hubbard said he failed to find anything in the code of ethics, county charter or regulations that prevents a state employee from serving on a county commission.
“While there might be perceptions, there might be potentials — there’s potentials for everybody,” he said.
The board passed a motion 5-0 that reflects the no conflict of interest determination. Board member Matthew Higa’s absence was excused.
A letter indicating the board’s position will be sent to Councilman Mel Rapozo, who requested the opinion.
If Council approves the commissioner candidate at its Jan. 17 meeting, he will be able to start by the police commission’s first meeting this year, Jan. 25, at the Historic County Building.
The Ethics Board prepared to move into executive session after deciding the conflict of interest item. It did so in a meeting format change that is an effort to keep more of the meeting open to the public, but runs contrary to the county attorney’s recommendation.
Hubbard, the new board chair this year, asked members to decide in open session what executive session items on the agenda the board should take behind closed doors.
The board decided with 4-1 votes — Hubbard dissenting in each — that the four items on the agenda yesterday should be heard in executive session as slated.
After some 45 minutes behind closed doors, the meeting reconvened in open session and the board ratified its executive session actions.
Members voted to reaffirm their Nov. 8 decision to not consider for an opinion a complaint from Lihu‘e resident Ed Coll, who alleges that police mistreated him via an e-mail.
The board also refused to consider another request “to consider and discuss charges and/or discipline of an officer or employee as a result of a complaint filed by a member of the public.”
In other format changes for the volunteer board’s monthly meetings this year, Hubbard requested members filter questions and answers to public concerns through him.
Also, Deputy County Attorney Margaret Sueoka has asked the board to refrain from asking her any questions during open session.
The Ethics Board’s next meeting is 9 a.m., Feb. 14, at the Mo‘ikeha Building’s Liquor Commission Conference Room.
• Nathan Eagle, staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 224) or neagle@kauaipubco.com
