(BIVN) – Hawaii County Board of Ethics members went over a list of gift disclosure statements submitted by county officers and employees during a meeting last Tuesday in Hilo.

Board member Rick Robinson wondered about the disposition of the gifts that are given to officials. “Like, in the case of the one I’m looking at here,” Robinson said, “from the mayor … it says the handmade snakeskin Okinawan instrument, $500 in value. They don’t really give it to Harry Kim personally, they give it – in essence – to Harry Kim because he’s the mayor. He’s a representative of the county. So does that snakeskin Okinawan instrument remain with the county or does the mayor take it home and it becomes part of his personal assets?”

“I don’t know if any of you have been in the basement here” under the County building, remarked board member Ken Goodenow. “There’s a lot of stuff down there, you would be very surprised.”

Another board member suggested the basement should be referred to as “the archives”.

“There’s specific provisions in terms of gifts and donations accepted on behalf of the county,” said deputy corporation counsel J Yoshimoto, “and there’s a procedure for acceptance, so it is specified.”