Comm No 0043.11 - Testimony - CA-26 - Qualifications for the Director DPW

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From: Bruce Meyers <bmeyers@okahara.com> Sent: Tuesday, April 23, 2019 2:06 PM To: Charter Commission Subject: Comm. No 43.1: Transmitting CA -26, Draft 2 Hawaii County Charter Commission April 23, 2019 In regards to: Comm. No 43.1: Transmitting CA -26, Draft 2 for First Reading; Proposal to amend Section 6-2.2, relating to Qualifications for the Director of the Department of Public Works, to remove the requirement that the Director be a registered professional engineer and add that the required amount of years of administrative experience to be eligible for appointment as Director be related to the powers, duties and functions of the Department of Public Works; as submitted by commissioner Adams Honorable Members of the Hawaii County Charter Commission: I would like to submit written testimony against the proposed CA -26 Draft for amending the County of Hawaii Charter. A registered engineer (PE) is ethically obligated to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the public, and must always put the public's interest before all others, including personal, company, organizational, or political. This is the lens a public works director should be looking through when evaluating the critical issues that affect the well-being of our community. With the requirement for licensure waived, we risk other factors influencing the decision-making process at high levels. I realize that at times, it is difficult to find a person who is a registered PE who is willing to be the Director of Public Works but it is not close to being impossible. If this is a main reason why this measure is being proposed, I do not consider this as being a good reason. However, I do agree that the person should have so many years of administrative experience, even though it will likely make the search even more difficult. Thank you very much for your time and your consideration. Sincerely, Bruce K. Meyers, P.E. Hilo, Hawaii 96720 1 Comm. No. 43.11