Hawaii County committee splits over whether public works director must be an engineer; two charter amendments debated

A contentious discussion over who should lead Hawaii County's Department of Public Works — and how the county should choose that person — dominated the July 8 Committee on Government Operations and External Affairs meeting.

Bill 64, introduced by Councilmember Ben Inaba, would amend the County Charter to allow a candidate for director of Public Works to qualify with a bachelor’s degree in engineering, architecture, public administration, a law degree, or a professional engineering (PE) license and require five years of managerial experience including at least two years in public works or construction. Bill 65, introduced by Councilmember Heather Kimball, would create a county Public Works Commission with authority to hire and fire the director and provide oversight of the department. Both proposals were discussed together and drew sustained debate about public-safety risk, managerial skill sets, recruitment, and county hiring practice.

Why it matters: The director position oversees engineering, building permits and major infrastructure projects that affect public safety. Committee members and witnesses disagreed whether the county should insist on a PE license for the director, or instead broaden candidate qualifications to expand the applicant pool and prioritize managerial skills.

Committee discussion and testimony

Three public testifiers addressed the bills before the committee hearing. John Olsen (public comment) voiced support for a separate nomination earlier in the agenda. Hugh Ono, who testified in person, said…