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On page 13 Chapter 4, Planning Department -- -what I am about to discuss has to do with <br />several departments. Some departments actually have qualifications for the director or the <br />manager, the head of the department, and other departments do not. They seem to be rather <br />arbitrary. In the Planning Department, there are no qualifications to have any kind of a <br />planning background for that position. <br />MR. NAHALE -A: Ms. Ford, what chapter are you on? <br />MS. FORD: I'm on page 13, Chapter 4, Planning Department. I'll speak just generically <br />about departments rather than point you to a specific section. There are no qualifications <br />other than having five years training in a responsible planning position or a degree in <br />planning. Those are good qualifications, but sometimes that doesn't take place. Sometimes <br />we get people who have no qualifications. I'm not trying to oust anybody that might be in an <br />appointed position during this term. This would take place in a new administration. I would <br />like to point out, when you go through each section, that qualifications in some departments <br />are absolutely necessary. For instance, the Department of Environmental Management on <br />page 14 doesn't have any real qualifications for somebody who is trained as an engineer in <br />waste management or wastewater management; the same thing for Research and <br />Development. Public Works, on page 15, asks for a professional engineer, which is a great <br />qualification. I'm not so sure that a civil engineer wouldn't be equally qualified for that <br />position. Anyway, I'd like you to take a look at the qualifications as you go through these <br />sections, and try to set some up. We are now in the 21st century, and we need to get people <br />who really know their area of expertise quite well and can deal with it. That's where I'll stop <br />for today. <br />CHR. HAITSUKA: Alright, any questions for Ms. Ford? <br />MS. FORD: There's one other thing. In the section on recalls, I would like to suggest that <br />the percentage for recall petition be dropped from 25 percent of the total persons who <br />registered. I think the percentage should be lowered, and it should be of the voters in the last <br />general election. For instance, in this County we had slightly over 100,000 people who are <br />registered; but, Hawaii State and Hawaii County has one of the lowest turn -outs in any kind <br />of an election in the Country. If you had to do a recall, it would be very difficult to meet <br />these kinds of standards with the apathy that's in the County. When you look down on <br />impeachment, which is in Article XII, Chapter 2, in order to impeach an elected official, <br />"...malfeasance, misfeasance, nonfeasance, or maladministration..." you only need one <br />hundred qualified voters in the County. Something's really wrong when there is possibly a <br />criminal act involved, and it only takes one hundred people to get them up on impeachment <br />charges. You have to get 25 percent of registered voters in a district, or registered voters in <br />the County if it's a County election, in order to deal with a recall situation. These two things <br />are really quite out of context with each other. They're two different issues, but one is <br />extremely difficult to do and the other one is so easy as to be ridiculous. With that, I do end <br />my testimony. Thank you. <br />CHR. HAITSUKA: Any other questions? Thank you, Ms. Ford. Is there any one else from <br />the public here to testify? <br />0 <br />