Laserfiche WebLink
Mr. De Lima commented that he supports Mr. Takahashi because, as <br />Mr. Takahashi had indicated, this is his career, and he invested so much energy <br />and time in this department. It's only right that the Board appoint someone <br />who has put in that time and energy to know the job and is prepared to take <br />over when called upon. This is Mr. Takahashi's time, and they should appoint <br />people who are in their community who have the education and experience to do <br />the job. Mr. Takahashi has always been someone who worked hard, and he <br />deserves this appointment. <br />Mr. Rowe commented that he knows Mr. Takahashi is qualified, but he <br />wanted to hear in his voice compassion for the job, and he did hear that. He <br />believes Mr. Takahashi will do a good job. <br />Chair Robinson stated that he has three questions he'd like to ask. First of <br />all, he asked to hear Mr. Takahashi's thoughts on filling the deputy director <br />position, inasmuch as they heard about the budget shortfall and the need to cut <br />back on staff. <br />Mr. Takahashi responded that he would like to fill that position. He <br />believes the department needs a deputy director to assist him in these <br />challenging times ahead. He will, of course, respect the administration's wishes, <br />and he will check with them to see if they will allow him to fill the position. <br />Chair Robinson's second question was on Mr. Takahashi's stance toward <br />workers' compensation. Years ago when they had worked on the Charter <br />amendment to get workers' comp transferred to the Human Resources <br />department, there had been a fairly substantial amount of workers' comp that <br />Mr. Ben and Ms. Charmaine Kamaka worked hard on reducing. Chair <br />Robinson asked whether Mr. Takahashi would continue as aggressive a stance <br />toward workers' comp to ensure that it's reduced. <br />Mr. Takahashi stated that he will continue to support Ms. Kamaka. <br />Ms. Kamaka is doing a fantastic job. It's through her efforts and the changes <br />she's made in that area that have resulted in a significant reduction in workers' <br />comp. <br />Chair Robinson noted that the Board received a lot of letters from the <br />unions supporting Mr. Takahashi. He knows Mr. Takahashi's job entails <br />negotiating with the unions on behalf of the County. Does Mr. Takahashi think <br />VA <br />