HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0400.004 2024-2026Dell H Otsuka
EMC Commissioner
District 3, Hawai'i County
otsukadell(@,gmail.com
September 15, 2025
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To: Hawai'i County Clerk o,
Re: Testimony on Bill 72 (Draft 2)
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INITIATES AN AMENDMENT TO ARTICLE VI, CHAPTER 10,
SECTION 6-10.3, OF THE CHARTER OF THE COUNTY OF HAWAI'I
(2024 EDITION), RELATING TO THE DIRECTOR OF ENVIRONMENTAL
MANAGEMENT
Aloha Chair and Councilmembers,
Mahalo for the opportunity to provide testimony on Bill 72. I respectfully oppose this proposed
amendment to the County Charter which seeks to remove a critical component of a qualification
for the Director of Environmental Management.
This bill removes the current,requirement for the Director to hold a degree in engineering or a
related technical field, and instead emphasizes administrative experience. While I recognize the
challenges in recruiting for this critical position, lowering the qualifications raises several
concerns:
1) Public Safety and Accountability - The Department of Environmental Management
oversees wastewater, solid waste, recycling programs and environmental compliance.
These are highly technical operations with direct impacts on public health and our
island's environment. Leadership at the top should bring not only management skills but
also the technical expertise to fully understand the impact to public safety and the welfare
of our residents.
2) Employee Morale and Retention - Many long-time employees already have the degrees,
certifications, and technical knowledge required to keep these systems running. Under
this proposal, they could conceivably end up training or guiding the Director who does
not share their technical background. This risks undermining morale and retention
among our most qualified staff— the very people the, County cannot afford to lose. As
has been shared to the EMC, retention has been an issue in this Department.
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Ref. To:
Ref. Date ?
3) Over Reliance on Consultants - Without technical expertise at the Director level, the
County may become more dependent on outside consultants, raising costs and reducing
accountability. Between 312022- 1112022, & 612023 over $12, 000, 000.00 was spent on
consultants.
4) Voter Impact - This amendment, if passed, will go before voters in 2026. It is essential
that the public understand the full implications: this is not about flexibility in hiring, but
whether the County is willing to reduce the professional standards for one of its most
critical departments.
For these reasons, I urge you not to move this bill forward. Instead, we should explore ways to
improve recruitment and retention within DEM. "Protecting our community and environment
requires raising standards, not lowering them - please keep those standards strong for the people
of Hawai'i County.".
Mahalo for your consideration,
Respectfully submitted,
Dell H Otsuka
EMC Commissioner
District 3, Hawai'i County