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MR. HARADA: If I am not mistaken, there is <br /> a section in the Charter that deals with this. I was just <br /> glancing over this before I came here, Mr. Cadinha, so I 'm <br /> not that familiar with what changes need to be made. My <br /> quick review before this meeting prompted me to make the <br /> statement that I would like to come back. <br /> MR. CADINHA: I have one more question. <br /> You sit on the Planning Commission and the Water Commission. <br /> Is that correct? <br /> MR. HARADA: As ex officio member. Rigeit. <br /> MR. CADINHA: What is, theoretically, your <br /> function there? <br /> MR. HARADA: As ex officio member, I do not <br /> have the right to vote and consequently, I view my <br /> attendance on those boards as one of advisory more than <br /> decision making in a true sense. I think that rule is a <br /> necessary one. That of being a member of the Planning and , <br /> Water Commissions. As an added note, I recall that other <br /> Commissions, especially the one in the City and County of <br /> Honolulu, some members of the administration who sit on <br /> these boards like the Director of Public Works would sit <br /> on the Water Commission. He does have a vote. Whether <br /> that is good or not, I 'm not that sure. I haven 't put that <br /> much thought into it. Primarily, our responsibility in , <br /> sitting on these board is to advise the total group in <br /> matters that relate to the Public Works Department and <br /> their coming up with the decision. <br /> MR. CADINHA: You are actually implementing <br /> whatever comes out of those two functions, right? <br /> MR. HARADA: That is correct. Either through <br /> myselfor a representative. <br /> MR. CADINHA: Has the coordination between <br /> Planning and Watenbeen good? Are there coordination <br /> problems? <br /> MR. HARADA: Nothing magnificient. The <br /> - <br /> usual ones that occur in any organization, but nothing that <br /> really affects our operation. <br /> MR. CADINHA: In other words, you don ' t see <br /> any problem at all with the status quo of having the Water <br /> Department completely semi-autonomous? That is what I 'm <br /> asking. As the Chief Engineer, how do you view this thing? <br /> MR. HARADA: My personal view is this. <br /> Because the Water Department functions as a Commission, <br /> under a commission form of government and with that goes a <br /> great degree of independence and the Charter so states , <br /> that this semi-autonomy may lead from time to time with a <br /> lack of coordination with the total county program. All <br /> the other departments fall under the mayor so we have direct <br /> -17- <br />