HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOMM. 054 a.
BIG ISLAND CHAPTER
HAWAII SOCIETY OF PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERS
P.O.BOX 942
HILO,HAWAII 96720
May 17, 1979
Mr. Kimiaki Sakata, Chairman
Hawaii County Charter Commission
County of Hawaii
Hilo, HI 96720 .
Dear Mr. Sakata:
The Hawaii Society of 'Professional Engineers, Big Island Chapter, wishes
to comment on statements made at the Sixteenth Session and Public Hearing
of the Hawaii County Charter Commission held in Hilo on May 1, 1979.
Specifically, we disagree with the opinions expressed by- Mr. Robert Santos,
Mr. Donald Yamada, and Mr. Robert Yamada regarding the Chief:Engineer of
the Department of Public Works and the Manager of the Department of Water
Supply. They stated that the two positions need not be filled by registered
professional engineers.
Mr. Akira Fujimoto has been misquoted. He did not say that he had not
made a single decision which required the abilities of an engineer. He
did say that being both structural as well as a civil engineer made the
• job easier because he understood the technical parts of his job and his
department.
We interviewed both Mr. Edward Harada of the Department of Public Works
and Mr. Akira Fujimoto of the Department of Water Supply to determine
their duties and responsibilities. As department heads, a large part
of their work is administration. They review and approve technical work
done by their subordinates, many of whom are registered professional engineers.
They are called upon to make testimonies and statements to public and private
sectors about County matters which concern their respective departments.
They also work with their peers in government and private industry. In
order to work effectively with theirsubordinates, the public and private
sectors, they must have credibility and respect as having the necessary
qualifications to understand and communicate the technical nature of their
jobs. A registered professional engineer does indicate that a person
is qualified technically in his branch of engineering.
As a professional engineer, Mr. Edward Harada is a member of the Statewide
Transportation Council, Resource Conservation Recovery Act, Public Works
Committee, and various engineering groups. His position as head of the
Department of Public Works is enhanced by these associations, most of which
would not be open to a lay person.
Mr. Kimiaki Sakata
May 17, 1979
Page 2
In summation, we believe that the people of Hawaii County will be better
served if both the Department of Public Works and the Department of Water
Supply continue to be administered by registered professional engineers.
The very nature of their work and their daily association and interaction
with their peers and staff makes it imperative that they not only be
technically qualified but professionally competent.
With respect and aloha,
Alvah T. Miyamoto, President
C1
Bryce J. Robinson, Chairman
Legislative Committee