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Home My WebLink AboutCOM 0038.010 2020-2022 /9WHTC, COMM by Monday Jan 3,sign up to testify with Jean.Muramotoohawaiicounty gov e-mail to aaron.chung@hawaiicounty.gov maile.david@hawaiicounty.gov matt.kanealii-kleinfelder@hawaiicounty.gov ashley.kierkiewicz@hawaiicounty.gov heather.kimball@hawaiicounty.gov µ sue.feeloy@hawaiicounty.gov holeka.inaba@hawaiicounty.gov tim.richards@hawaiicounty.gov rebecca.villegas@hawaiicounty.gov counci/testimony@hawaiicounty.gov testimony opposing Comm 38, appointment of Ikaika Rodenhurst to Public Works Director for Hawai'i County Council Public Works and Mass Transit Committee 9:45 AM Tuesday, January 5, 2020 from Sierra Club, Hawai'i Island Group Although Ikaika Rodenhurst is a respected engineer and community member, he does not appear to be the right choice for Public Works Director. First, he does not appear to have administrative experience in government or private business. The County Charter requires that the director have "...a minimum of five years of experience in an administrative capacity." (section 6-2.2) The Charter Commission, and voters,judged the administrative requirement to be so important that they voted to add it to the Charter in 2000. (1) Second, the Public Works Director is responsible for seeing that individuals and businesses comply with regulations aimed at preventing hazardous construction, preventing flooding and erosion, and protecting the environment. However, at times people find the regulations onerous and seek to circumvent them. Enforcing these regulations may put Mr. Rodenhurst in the uncomfortable position of making life more difficult for many businesses and individuals who made large donations to his campaign for County Council. Or he might have to recuse himself from so many actions that he could not fulfil his director responsibilities. Campaign donations from business interests included $4,000 from out-of-state addresses, $12,500 from O'ahu, and almost $11,000 from Hawai'i Island. (2) It appears Mr. Rodenhurst did not attract any financial support or endorsements from local organizations concerned about protecting the environment—while his opponent was endorsed by three such organizations. (3) As we weigh proposals for more development, the playing field needs to be level for those of us who are working to protect our environment and a sustainable green economy. (1) CHARTER AMENDMENT QUESTION [brackets--delete] underlines—add Comm. No. Ref. To: F1M1z1 Ref. Date—JAN 5 2021 [Chief Enginuur] Director. The [chief engineer] director of public works shall boappointed bythe mayor, confirmed by the council and may be removed by the mayor. The [chief engineer] directo shall be a registered professional engineer. The director shall have had a minimum of five Vears' experience in an administrative capacity. EXCERPTS FROM CHARTER COMMISSION MINUTES (discussion of requiring administnative, but not engineering, background) 8ESS both with respect hoWater and Public Works, there was concern about whether or not we should require a person to be an engineer...I think there's an overriding concern, and that is that we provide for the best management material possible, and independent of being an engineer or not, is this person capable of managing a department. So, on the one hand, we want professional expertise. On the other hand, we don't want to limit that professional expertise to o professional area, We'd like to provide for management skills... Maybe that's what we should be focusing on, is management expertise rather than gearing it to a professional in that field. HERKES |' dlike tVsuggest that the core onnnpetenuiea... | think those are some kinds ofguidelines that a lot of companies use in team building skills, and leadership skills, and communication skills, and those kinds of basic professional needs. December 4, 1999 minutes, pp. 45-40 RAY I talked to several people about this and the general opinion was that these jobs are more administrative in nature, really, and I thought one of the best sources was I talked to Donna Kiyosaki. She was our Chief Engineer and she' s also with the Water Department, and Board of Water Supply. She's the Deputy Director there, so she's served in both, and she said that it seemed to make sense to her that these positions were more administrative in nature. Some of the other points. I think Milton Pavao made the pwint, he wasn't pressing really hard that it had to be a registered enginuer, but the point he made was that it keeps more of a less qualified, or a political appointee, from being put into the position. He just made that comment. H|GASH|: |tjusthas to boa registered political appointee. RAY: And then somebody else made the comment inPublic Works that alot ofyour division chiefs are registered engineers. Sornstimen, if person doesn't have the pnasonoo or lmedemhip, that they tend to, sort of, try to take advantage of them, like I' m more professional than you, or whatever, but I don't think that's a problem with someone who's o strong administrator. | think they can doo| with that pretty easily, if you've got the right person. February 5, 2000 minutes, pp. 80-81 should the qualifications for the ... director ofpublic works be strengthened byrequiring administrative experience? July 12,2DDOminutes,pp. t5-26underline odded (2) OUT-OF-STATE DONORS $1.500—donors associated with Kona Development Partners...........California $1.DO0— Howai'iOperating Engineers Stabilization Fund................ .Co|ifornio $1.DOU—onOperating Engineers PAC �................... ..... .. .. .,,.Ce|ifornio s5O0—American Resort Development Association PAC.... ...... ...Washington, DC O'AHUDONORS $2.5OO —ompinyaesotRodonhurst'scompany, Bowers and Kubota...Honolulu ^ � $2.50O— Hawa[iCarpenters Political Action Fund..... ........—.........Honolulu $2.000— Huwoi'iLaborers PAC...................... .........— ....... ....Honolulu $2.00U— International Longshmrmand Workers Union...... ................Honolulu $2.000— Plumbers and PipefhtemPAC........... ............ .......... —'Hono|u/u $1,500— International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers PAC............Honolulu $1.00O—anAFL-CIO committee..................................................Honolulu $SOU—employee ofMark Development............................ .........Honolulu H|bJDQNAR8 $4.O0O— people associated with Puna Rock Company....... ................Hilo $2.5OO— Hawai'iIsland Contractors Association Political Fund.............Hilo $2.00O— Green Point Nurs»hes—...— ...............___................... Hilo $1.178—employee of TokaninaConstruction................ ................Hilo $6O0—Garden Exchango .......... .... ----------,,,—� HUo .$6UO—employee of Dkohonaengineering company....... ................Hilo (3) ENDORSERS of Rodenhurst's prevailing opponent were (with quotes from their websites) Sierra Club: ^exp|oro. enjoy, and protect the planet" PonnHewe[iInitiative: "empowering people-driven political leadership 1machieve economic, eooia|, and environmental justice" 350 Hawai'i:"doing what we can to fight climate change in our piece of the world." We ask that you consider the requirements in the County Charter, and oppose the nomination of MrRodenhunt, Ginmano|y, Deborah VVanj, Chair, Siena Club Hawai'i Island Group