|
MR. TORIGOE: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
<br />CHR. HAITSUKA: We are going to go back to Chapter 2, Department of Public Works.
<br />We have Mr. Lee, Warren Lee.
<br />(Note: At this time, Warren Lee, Director, Department of Public Works, came forward to address
<br />the members of the Commission.)
<br />CHR. HAITSUKA: Good afternoon, Mr. Lee, does the Department of Public Works have
<br />any comments regarding Chapter 2 of the Charter?
<br />MR. LEE: Good afternoon. No, what I just reviewed in Chapter 2 - - -I'm not sure what the
<br />Commission has on Chapter 2, but I'm here to answer any questions.
<br />CHR. HAITSUKA: Do any of the Commission members have questions for Mr. Lee
<br />regarding Chapter 2 of the Charter?
<br />MS. JARMAN: I just have a question. Why does the director have to be a registered
<br />Professional Engineer, do you think? This should be an Alapaki question, because he could
<br />say, "You don't have to be a registered Professional Engineer, can't you just be a director."
<br />So, Alapaki, ask the question for me. I'm sorry, go ahead.
<br />MR. LEE: The Department of Public Works currently has about six divisions. One of the
<br />divisions is what we call the Engineering Division. The Engineering Division primarily does
<br />design work, and they review the plans of other professional engineers that submit the plans
<br />for approval to either the Building Division or the Engineering Division. So, when you are
<br />reviewing plans for a consultant, the consultant needs to submit registered engineered
<br />stamped drawings. Whether they are electrical, mechanical, civil, structural, nuclear, or
<br />whatever it is, there is a registered engineer system. It's the same thing with architects, they
<br />are registered.
<br />When you have engineers under you in the department, what they need to do to get the
<br />registration is, first of all, you need to get a Bachelor's Degree or equivalent experience.
<br />Then, you need to take what we call the first of the two exams, which is an Engineer in
<br />Training exam, often referred to as the EIT. That is generally taken by a college graduate
<br />right after getting a Bachelor's Degree. Then, you need three years experience in a particular
<br />field, such as Civil Engineering or Structural Engineering, to take the State license. Some
<br />states have reciprocating agreements, where, if you are licensed in one state, you can be
<br />licensed in another state. For example, we have engineers that may be practicing, and have
<br />clients in Hawaii, that are actually registered in the state of California, and vice versa, and in
<br />Hawaii, engineers that are registered in Hawaii who have licenses in other states. The point
<br />I am trying to make is that we have engineers in the department, and to be eligible to be a
<br />registered engineer, you need to take the test and pass the test. Part of passing the test is to
<br />have qualified by passing the EIT, which is the first test, and having worked under a
<br />registered engineer to be eligible to take the exam. That's why the head of the department,
<br />because you have engineers under them, should be a registered Professional Engineer.
<br />23
<br />
|