MIN CHARTER 2019-06-07 (2018-2020)

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Hawai`i County Charter Commission -12 June 7, 2019 First of all, that sewer treatment plant at Keaukaha, just as you have entered it, we relocated that plant to inside of the airport. We worked with the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), with the State Department of Health, numerous consulting engineers, firms that were brought in to do the design, and that included a lot of engineering decision making. Also you may not be aware of this, but the Saddle Road reconstruction and realignment, was initiated during our term. It was Mayor Carpenter's dream to have the highway connect East and West Hawai`i. Again, we worked with the Federal Highway System, we worked with Senator Daniel K. Inouye's office, and with the numerous consultants that did the design. And of course it occurred over years and years and years, so what we have is the completed highway. Then we had the siting of the new landfill, the one that you see in West Hawai`i along the Queen Ka`ahumanu Highway. That again, was initiated during our administration, working with the EPA, the Department of Health, the Hotel Association, and involved a lot of engineering decision making. Lastly I would like to point out among the seven projects, the building permit changes. We did changes to the building permit to make it easier for residents to get permits and to execute them more expeditiously. In doing so we worked with the Structural Engineer's Association of Hawai`i, we worked with the... the... building departments across the state, and also the Architects' Institute of Hawai`i. Three things that I would like to point out, or actually two out of the three that I feel that there must have been valid reasons why this requirement was put into the Charter so long ago, and something that is very, very pertinent as to why this position was so difficult to fill. There was thing they call a salary inversion okay, and basically what happens is that the subordinates in this department that report to this position, were making more than the director himself, okay. This was going on from anywhere from six to eight years or so, and that is a sure thing... a deterrent to finding an engineer to take a position when you are going to get paid significantly less than the people that report to you. This was corrected in January, 2018 by your salary commission. And lastly, I would like to close by... based on my experiences in working in engineering, there is only one other profession that I am aware of that could execute this job successfully. I thank you for your time and I hope you will consider removing this Charter Amendment. Thank you. CHR. ADAMS: Thank you Mr. Ono. If I could ask Ms. Harden please to come to the microphone. Mr. Boucher, you may. PETER BOUCHER: Proposal No. CA -26 in opposition. MR. BOUCHER: Good Morning Chair. Page 7