HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0334.029 2024-2026Riley William Smith, P.E.
65-1174 Kahawai Street
Kamuela, Hawaii 96743
(808),936-7129
rsmith@lanihau.net
August 29, 2025
Dr. Holeka Inaba, Chair
Via email: counciltestimony@hawaiicounty.gov
RE: Testimony in Opposition to Bill64
County Council Meeting —September 2, 2025
My name is Riley Smith, I am a licensed professional engineer in the State
of Hawaii. I am opposed to Bill 64, for the following reasons.
• Licensed professional engineers ("PE's") throughout Hawaii have
opposed in the past, and continue to oppose, measures that would
significantly weaken the engineering credential requirements for the
office of Director of Public Works in Hawaii County.
• My concern is focused on the public safety aspect of what licensed
professional engineers have obligated themselves to do.
• The Engineers Creed, with which all professional engineers are
familiar, and which is regularly recited by members at local, state,
and national meetings of the National Society of Professional
Engineers (NSPE), states in part that a professional engineer pledges
"To place service before profit, the honor and standing of my
profession before personal advantage, and the public welfare above
all other considerations." The "Order of the Engineer", an honorary
society to which many PE's belong, also holds the Engineers Creed
paramount in its guiding philosophy.
• The NSPE has for many years studied and documented the adverse
impacts of the "over -ruling of engineering judgement" by non -
engineers in situations where a critical technical analysis and
decision is required. There are many documented examples of
public disasters involving bridges, dams, highways, etc. where public
safety risks warned by engineers were over -ruled for non -engineering,
non -safety reasons. Trriost dramatic,.example'„ s the1'986 sp e
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There are many more examples.
• Professional engineers are uniquely qualified to make these
decisions due to their unique education, training, and skill sets.
• The goal of any set of credential requirements for the Hawaii County
Director of Public Works should be to hold the safety and welfare of
the public as of paramount concern, and should assure that
engineering judgement is appropriately taken into account in critical
public safety matters, and minimizes the risk that engineering
judgement in such critical cases is not "over -ruled".
Mahalo,
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Riley W. Smith. P.E.