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TELEPHONE: FACSIMILE: <br />808.96 1 .3727 808.935.8033 <br />INABA ENGINEERING, INC. <br />CIVIL ENGINEERING • LAND SURVEYING <br />273 WAIANUENUE AVENUE <br />HILO, HAWAII 96720 <br />April 24, 2019 <br />Mr. Douglass Shipman Adams, Chairperson <br />Hawaii County Charter Commission <br />County of Hawaii <br />25 Aupuni Street <br />Hilo, Hawaii 96720 <br />via email: charter.commission@hawaiicounty.gov <br />Subject: Comm. No 43.1: Transmitting CA -26, Draft 2 for First Reading; Proposal to amend Section <br />6-2.2, relating to Qualifications for the Director of the Department of Public Works, to remove <br />the requirement that the Director be a registered professional engineer and add that the <br />required amount of years of administrative experience to be eligible for appointment as <br />Director be related to the powers, duties and functions of the Department of Public Works; <br />as submitted by commissioner Adams <br />Honorable Members of the Hawaii County Charter Commission, <br />am submitting written testimony against CA -26, Draft 2, for the subject proposal to remove the <br />requirement that the Director of Public Works be a registered (Licensed) professional engineer. <br />The Director oversees the Department of Public Works which is staffed with many professional <br />engineers who are responsible for oversight, planning, design, construction and maintenance of <br />infrastructure projects such as subdivisions, roadways, bridges, drainage works, traffic safety, <br />and other public facilities. <br />A licensed professional engineer is ethically obligated to protect the health, safety, and welfare <br />of the public, putting public interest before personal, company, organizational, and political <br />interests. This is how a public works director should evaluate critical issues that affect our <br />community well-being. <br />Licensure assures a level of educational qualifications and competency based on breadth of <br />sound technical engineering knowledge and experience necessary to fulfill the requirements of <br />being a Director of the Department Public Works. <br />The requirement for professional engineering licensure should not be removed. <br />Thank you for the opportunity to provide written testimony on this item. <br />Very truly yours, <br />INABA ENGINEERING, INC. <br />K. Inaba, P.E. <br />President <br />F:\wp\1-I E I\COH-CharterCommission\20190424-CharterCommission.wpd <br />Comm. No. 43.17 <br />