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Council delays vote on charter amendment that would loosen technical degree requirement for Environmental Management director
Summary
After technical testimony and public comment, the council voted to postpone Bill 72 — a proposed charter amendment that would remove the explicit engineering‑degree requirement for the director of Environmental Management — to Oct. 8 to allow more focused drafting and options.
The Hawaii County Council on Sept. 17 voted to postpone Bill 72 (draft 2), a proposed charter amendment that would remove the explicit requirement for an engineering degree for the director of the Department of Environmental Management, and replace it with broader language emphasizing administrative experience and related fields.
Public testimony at the meeting included engineers and environmental professionals who said technical credentials matter for a department that oversees wastewater plants, solid‑waste operations and regulatory compliance. Del Otsuka, a past commissioner with the Environmental Management Commission, testified in opposition and said removing the engineering/technical degree requirement risks over‑reliance on consultants and could undermine public safety and employee morale. Other professional witnesses, including licensed engineers, told the council that engineering or closely related technical degrees provide essential knowledge for oversight of complex, technical systems.
Supporters of the amendment argued that expanding the qualification language would broaden the candidate pool to include experienced managers with technical and administrative backgrounds who may not hold a formal engineering degree but who possess relevant hands‑on experience.
Outcome and next steps: Councilmember Kirkowitz moved to postpone Bill 72 to the Oct. 8 meeting so staff could prepare alternate language to address concerns; the motion carried by voice vote (clerk announced 9 ayes). The postponement gives the council time to draft specific qualifying fields and to consider options that preserve technical competency while allowing managerial flexibility.
Why it matters: The Department of Environmental Management oversees wastewater treatment, compliance and other technical operations; several speakers described the potential cost and safety implications of leadership without a technical background. Councilmembers asked staff to return with clearer language that could preserve an engineering requirement while adding other acceptable qualifications or to define a set of related technical degrees and experience that would qualify a candidate.
