HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0334.050 2024-2026Date: October 5, 2025
COUNTY CLERK
COUNTY OF ;3AWM
2025 OCT -b AN 8: 12
RE: Bill 64 before the County Council on Oct. 8, 2025
Aloha Honorable Councilmembers,
P/Connell
Dill 94
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I appreciate that you've chosen to revisit the important issue of updating the
qualifications for the appointment of the Director of Public Works as it appears
in the County Charter. The current definition is outdated and needs to be
modernized to ensure that a wider pool of candidates might be considered
who are appropriate for the relevant administrative duties at the County.
That said, the changes in Draft 2 to the first paragraph seem to be
appropriate in defining the type of education and experience needed to be
considered for this important position. Given that the structure of the
Department of Public Works currently allows for an Engineering Department
where individuals with various degrees in engineering, including civil,
mechanical, structural etc., are employed under the Head Engineer, I'm not
convinced that placing the additional requirements on the position of Deputy
Director of the Department of Public Works are actually warranted. The
person in the position of Head Engineer is already fulfilling the duties outlined
in Draft 2 related to the Deputy Engineer. As such, there really doesn't
appear to be a need to include Section 6.2.2 (b).
Without that additional language related to the Deputy Director, this revised
language of Bill 64 Draft 2 would expand the candidate selection and possibly
result in less turn over of this critical position. The last three mayoral
administrations have seen at least two persons in that position in a 4-year
term. Finding the right person is a direct result of having a good position
description, so once again I thank the County Council for their reconsideration
of this matter.
Mahalo,
Z/av O
Eileen O'Hara, Ph.D.
Resources and Environmental Economist
Comm.
Ref. To:
Ref. Date OCT - s 2az