Committee weighs charter change to broaden qualifications for Hawaii County public works director; action postponed

The County Council Committee on Government Operations and External Affairs debated a proposed charter amendment, Bill 64, that would remove the requirement that the Hawaii County director of public works be a licensed professional engineer and replace it instead with a bachelor's degree in engineering, architecture, public administration or a related field (or a law degree) plus managerial experience.

The proposal, introduced by Councilmember James Inaba, drew extensive public testimony and a lengthy committee discussion about whether technical engineering licensure or managerial experience should be the controlling qualification for the department head. The committee ultimately voted to postpone further action on the charter amendment to the committee meeting on July 8, 2025.

Proponents and opponents made contrasting arguments about public safety, hiring practicality and departmental leadership. Several licensed engineers urged the committee not to remove the PE requirement, saying specific decisions affecting health and safety require licensed engineering judgment. Curtis Beck, introduced himself as a licensed professional engineer and said he was "opposed…