REP GOEAC 053 2025-07-08 2024-2026

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GOEAC-53 Page 5 July 8, 2025 Communication No. 334.2 was not approved, 3 ayes and 6 Members Inaba, Hustace, Kaneali`i- Kleinfelder, Kierkiewicz, Onishi, and Villegas voting in opposition. Member Kaneali`i-Kleinfelder requested a reconsideration regarding the vote on Communication No. 334.1, which was seconded by Member Kierkiewicz. A vote taken to allow for reconsideration and was approved, 6 ayes and 3 Members Hustace, Galimba, and Kimball voting in opposition. Mr. Brilhante said that it has been a challenging process to find qualified applicants and explained that the search for candidates was on -going, but the position was not attractive enough to engineers due to lower than private company salaries and lack of job security as it is an appointed position. He added that they were reluctant to seek out -of -State candidates because of the concern that they might not stick around or have the connection with the community. Member Kimball asked additional questions about the process. Member Inaba objected that it was out of the scope of the discussion on the amendment. Mr. Brilhante said that he didn't have full details of recruitment efforts available, but that he would work to obtain them. Chair Kagiwada asked that those details be provided to the full Council. On the revote of Communication No. 334.1, the amendment was not approved, 4 ayes and 4 Members Inaba, Kaneali`i-Kleinfelder, Onishi, and Villegas voting in opposition and Member Kierkiewicz absent. Member Kaneali`i-Kleinfelder said that for a Department of roughly 600 employees, it is much more important to have people skills rather than engineering degrees or licenses and that he will be supporting this bill. Member Onishi asked Ms. Tokihiro how to change the minimum qualifications of those working under the Director of DPW to also not have a requirement of engineering licensure. Director Tokihiro said that it would be an internal amendment proposed by the Department to change the qualifications that would need to be reviewed by Human Resources. Member Onishi said that Maui and Kauai don't have requirements for these positions and suggested that we were going overboard with our requirements. Ms. Tokihiro said that since the Division Chiefs are handled within their class specification system it is handled differently than the Directors. Member Onishi asked if there would be conflicts within the Department if some of the Division Chiefs were licensed and the Director was not. Ms. Tokihiro pointed out that the Director of the Department of Environmental Management is not required to be a licensed engineer, but some of their Division Chiefs and Deputy Division Chiefs are. Member Onishi stated that he was in favor of a Commission being created. GOEAC Report No. 53