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Council confirms Laura Ocasio to lead new sustainability office after debate over qualifications, funding and lawsuit
Summary
Hawaii County Council voted 9-0 to confirm Laura Ocasio as administrator of the Office of Sustainability, Climate, Equity and Resilience (OSCAR) after members questioned her experience managing federal grants and raised concerns about an ongoing lawsuit in which she is a plaintiff.
The Hawaii County Council confirmed Laura Ocasio as administrator of the Office of Sustainability, Climate, Equity and Resilience (OSCAR) on Feb. 19, approving the nomination by a 9-0 vote.
Council members spent more than an hour questioning Ocasio and debating whether her background met a minimum-qualification clause the council had drafted for the post. Councilmember Heather Kimball said she drafted the qualifications to require experience “leading a major program in sustainability” and pressed whether Ocasio had managed budgets, staff and interagency coordination at that scale.
Ocasio acknowledged she has not yet been hired into the position and told the council she had not had occasion to assess every staff member’s skills in OSCAR because she has not formally started. She said the office currently has “at least three openings,” including…
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