2000-03-18 Charter Commission Minutes

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minutes 03-18-00Page 11 of 27 of personnel. SANTANGELO: And as far as signing off on plans, if you’re not a registered engineer, say hypothetically, like Ms. Irvine mentioned, if you have staff that are - PAVAO: They could sign it. SANTANGELO: They could. PAVAO: As the plans have to be signed by a registered engineer. SANTANGELO: And does that, in any way, erode your authority or your ability to - PAVAO: I would feel uncomfortable if somebody else is signing something for me that I’m responsible for. I need to know what I’m signing, what’s it for. IRVINE: I know this is a little bit out of your kuleana maybe, but is that true in Public Works as well, that registered engineers would have to sign certain documents? PAVAO: I’m certain it is. IRVINE: I see some heads nodding in back. Okay. RAY: Okay, thank you, Milton. PAVAO: Would it be beneficial for me to stay when you go through that, or is this - RAY: We’re just taking input today, so we’re not going to be discussing it further. PAVAO: Okay, thank you. RAY: Okay, Curtis Beck. BECK: Mr. Ray, Mr. Santangelo, Ms. Irvine, good morning. My name’s Curtis Beck. I am a Professional Licensed Mechanical Engineer, registered in the State of Hawaii since 1983, currently employed by Hawaii Electric Light Company. I’ve attached my card for identification only. I’m here to represent the Hawaii Society of Professional Engineers which I’ll refer to from now on as HSPE for brevity, being opposed to the proposal that the Heads of the Department of Public Works and Department of Water Supply be licensed in the State of Hawaii as Professional Engineers, or P.E.’s. First, I’d like to say that there’s some confusion in the terms ‘licensing’ or ‘registration’. They actually mean the same thing. I understand that the Board of Registration is trying to get away from the word ‘registered’ engineers and trying to go to the term ‘licensed’, so I’ll try to use the term ‘licensed’. Both of the positions, that is the two heads of the departments, require application of engineering expertise and skill in administering programs dealing with public health and safety. Some would say that these positions require more administrative and managerial skills than technical skills. HSPE believes they require all of these skills. Further, HSPE believes that engineers make excellent managers and they should be promoted to policy-making positions, especially when the management of the engineering functions is involved. Finally, the professional engineering licensure process gives the public confidence that the engineer in charge is competent and responsible, and will apply a disciplined, scientific approach to problem-solving in the real word. The HSPE feels that the Professional Engineer, the P.E., best meets the multi-faceted needs of these positions. We are aware that qualifications for similar positions around the country are diverse, far from uniform. We did go to the internet, to the site of the American Public Works Association, where they list positions that are available across the country, and we found that approximately 60% of the listings either required or preferred the P.E. licensure and the rest were silent on this, although many did ask for at least some technical or engineering qualifications. Nonetheless, HSPE encourages the County of Hawaii to retain P.E. licensure requirement for the two positions in question, as the county’s best means for safeguarding public health and safety, as well as for meeting the unique technical challenges in providing for quality, cost- effective public works and infrastructure on the Big Island. file://\\coh01\cohweb\council\charter_commission\minutes\minutes 03-18-00.html7/1/2011