HAR §8-515-6. Application and approval procedure

(a) The annual application and approval cycle for chartering authority shall be no longer than twelve months. (b) The application and approval procedure shall provide for and include the following: (1) The submission of a notice of intent to apply for chartering authority to the board from each interested eligible entity; (2) The timely review of the notice of intent to apply by the board to determine eligibility, and notification by the board to the interested entity of its eligibility to submit an application for chartering authority; (3) The timely submission of a completed application for chartering authority to the board; (4) The timely review of the application by the board for completeness, and notification by the board to the applicant that the application is complete or incomplete; (5) If board deems the application incomplete, an opportunity for the applicant to make corrections and submit a completed application; provided that corrections are made expeditiously and no wholesale changes to the application are made; (6) Upon receipt of a completed application, the review and evaluation of the application by qualified persons, including but not limited to an in-person interview with representatives from the applicant to assess the capacity of the applicant; (7) An opportunity in a public forum for the public, including the applicant, to provide input on each application for chartering authority; (8) Following the review and evaluation of an application for chartering authority by qualified persons, issuance of a written report by the evaluators with a recommendation to either approve or deny the application; (9) An opportunity for the applicant to submit a written response to the written report from the evaluators, and an opportunity for the evaluators to reply, in writing, to the applicant’s written response, if applicable; (10) Following the written report, response, and reply, as applicable, approval or denial of the application by the board in a meeting open to the public. (c) The board shall execute an authorizing contract with each entity it has approved for chartering authority pursuant to section 302D-4(g), Hawaii Revised Statutes. (d) If an application is denied, the board shall notify the applicant in writing, served by registered or certified mail with return receipt requested, stating the reason therefor, with specific references to the adopted policies, criteria, or guidelines for evaluating applications for chartering authority. In addition, the board may also notify the applicant by electronic mail. [Eff FEB 18, 2017] (Auth: HRS §302A-1112) (Imp: HRS §302D-4)