HomeMy WebLinkAboutComm No 0043.31 - Testimony - CA-26 - Qualifications for the Director DPWFrom: Lennie Okano-Kendrick <lokano@okahara.com>
Sent: Thursday, June 6, 2019 8:13 AM
To: Charter Commission
Subject: CA -26 Proposal to Amend Section 6-2.2
Honorable Members of the Hawaii County Charter Commission:
I would like to submit written testimony against CA -26 , the proposal to amend Section 6-2.2 of the County of
Hawai'i Charter 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. A registered professional engineer (P.E.) is ethically obligated to
protect the health, safety, and welfare of the public, and must always put the public's interest before others,
including personal, company, organizational, or political interests. This is the lens a Public Works Director
should be looking through when evaluating the critical issues that affect our community well-being whether it
be during normal government operations or in crisis times of high emergency.
Public Works are infrastructure projects, financed and constructed by the Government, for recreational,
employment, and health and safety uses in the greater community, and include buildings, transport
infrastructure, public spaces, and public services. On a daily basis, Engineers provide the expertise to improve
their communities through these types of projects, and earn the privilege to be licensed, registered professionals
only after demonstrating minimum educational qualifications, years of pertinent experience, and passing a
certified exam. I believe the County of Hawai`i Public Works Director should have these minimum
qualifications and experience. With the requirement for P.E. licensure waived, the County of Hawai`i risks
other factors influencing the decision-making process at high levels of Our Government.
Sincerely,
Lennie Okano-Kendrick, P.E.
Okahara and Associates, Inc.
ENGINEERING CONSULTANTS
200 Kohola Street, Hilo, HI 96720
Website: www.okahara.com
ph: (808) 961-5527
fax: (808) 961-5529
Email: lokano(&okahara.com
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Comm. No. 43.31