Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout02/26/2014 Special Council Meeting minutes - Interviews SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING FEBRUARY 26, 2014 The Special Council Meeting of the Council of the County of Kaua'i was called to order by Council Chair Jay Furfaro, at the Council Chambers, 4396 Rice Street, Room 201, Lihu'e, Kaua'i, on Wednesday, February 26, 2014 at 8:34 a.m., after which the following members answered the call of the roll: Honorable Tim Bynum (present at 8:35 a.m.) Honorable Mason K. Chock, Sr. Honorable Gary L. Hooser Honorable Ross Kagawa (present at 8:37 a.m.) Honorable Mel Rapozo Honorable JoAnn A. Yukimura (present at 8:38 a.m.) Honorable Jay Furfaro APPROVAL OF AGENDA. Mr. Rapozo moved for approval of the agenda as circulated, seconded by Mr. Chock, and carried by a vote of 4:0:3 (Mr. Bynum, Mr. Kagawa, and Ms. Yukimura were not present). (Mr. Bynum was noted as present.) Chair Furfaro: I would then like to ask the Clerk to read Section (D) on public comment. Although there is not anyone here, I do want it read please. PUBLIC COMMENT. Pursuant to Council Rule 13(e), members of the public shall be allowed a total of eighteen (18) minutes on a first come, first served basis to speak on any agenda item. Each speaker shall be limited to three (3) minutes at the discretion of the Chair to discuss the agenda item and shall not be allowed additional time to speak during the meeting. This rule is designed to accommodate those who cannot be present throughout the meeting to speak when the agenda items are heard. After the conclusion of the eighteen (18) minutes, other members of the public shall be allowed to speak pursuant to Council Rule 12(e). There being no one present to provide public comment, the meeting proceeded as follows: Chair Furfaro: Thank you very much. On a housekeeping note, when we get into the second meeting of the day, I do have correspondence from Paula Morikami of Boards and Commissions as the Administrator, the formal request for us to defer the Cost Control Commission decision as it relates to Mr. Shimokawa. Today, we do have in this Special Meeting, our opportunity for an interview with the nomination of Bradley M. Maruyama for the Fire Commission. On that note, Bradley, may I ask you to come up please? SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING 2 FEBRUARY 26, 2014 INTERVIEW: FIRE COMMISSION: • Bradley M. Maruyama —Term ending 12/31/2015 There being no objections, the rules were suspended. BRADLEY M. MARUYAMA: Aloha and good morning Chair Furfaro, Vice Chair Chock, Councilmember Hooser, Councilmember Bynum, and Councilmember Rapozo. Chair Furfaro: Good morning. That was a great greeting. (Mr. Kagawa was noted as present.) Chair Furfaro: On that note, I do also want to point out that the Fire Chief is here for this interview. Bradley, may I ask you, we have your application for this Board in front of us, but could I first suspend the rules and ask you to give us a little background on yourself? I know you have quite an insurance background, but why do we not like you tell us all a little bit about yourself. Mr. Maruyama: Sure. My name is Bradley Maruyama, born and raised in Honolulu and I have been on Kaua`i now for seven (7) years. One of the first things that I wanted to establish when I moved here to Kaua`i was to be part of the community and being part of the community was being active. So, I have been active with the Kaua`i Chamber of Commerce now for seven (7) years, served as a board member, and been a Chair for Events and Activities Committee. I have also been active in the baseball community and been a Lihu`e recruiter for the Hawai`i Hotel & Lodging Association for the Kaua`i Visitor Industry Charity Walk. It is an honor to be in front of you folks today to hopefully be a part of the Fire Commission and volunteer more of my time to the Kaua`i City and County and to the people. Chair Furfaro: Well, thank you very much for that background. I too, originally from O`ahu, but that was forty-three (43) years ago. So, we will be fine with this seven (7) years in our community and very active with some of these volunteer organizations that you have talked about. Members, do we have questions for Bradley this morning? (Ms. Yukimura was noted as present.) Chair Furfaro: Vice Chair Chock, you have the floor. Mr. Chock: Good morning, Brad. Mr. Maruyama: Good morning. Mr. Chock: Thank you for being here. I just wanted to actually follow-up with a question, but state that I have known Bradley since he has come to Kaua`i. He has been very, very active. He is everywhere in terms of just sharing his aloha and also volunteering in many different ways. So, I am really appreciative. I think he has the capacity of really serving us well. My question SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING 3 FEBRUARY 26, 2014 was, and I noticed in your application here you wanted to focus on providing education to youth as well. Mr. Maruyama: Right. Mr. Chock: Where does this come from or can you talk about what it is you foresee in the Fire Commission and how to serve? Mr. Maruyama: As pertaining to the Fire Commission what happens is a lot of people volunteer because of obligation or for other motives, but volunteering through my eyes, whether if it is with children or with the Fire Commission or for the community, I think first off, it has to be something you are passionate about and something that you are going to put a lot of effort into. So, prior to me accepting even the interview, I got to sit down with Paula and I asked questions of what the duties are. It interests me because being a part of the Committee, you have to be aware of what is going on with not only the people, but with the environment and the land. So, going over the duties of what a Fire Commissioner will be doing, I felt that I could put one hundred fifty percent (150%) of my effort into serving on this Commission. Mr. Chock: Thank you. Chair Furfaro: Do you have a question, Mr. Kagawa? Mr. Kagawa: Yes. Chair Furfaro: Go right ahead. Mr. Kagawa: I am losing my voice. Thank you, Brad, for volunteering to serve. I guess one of my concerns that I brought up to the Chief was that I wanted to ensure that our local applicants for the Fire positions, I think, had a better opportunity to make the interview process. For myself, I thought that half of the recruits being local were not enough. I felt that they were good paying jobs, good opportunities for our young, local residents and their children to have a really good and stable job. I just felt that the current numbers of about a half were not enough. I felt that. By "local," I meant locally born in Hawai`i. I did not mean local, only Kaua`i. So, that was where I was coming from. I was wondering if you maybe shared or would like to maybe look into how we can improve those numbers as well? Mr. Maruyama: Well, currently I am still not on the Commission, but hopefully when I do become part of it, I could voice or at least give some recommendations with the team when the times comes. Mr. Kagawa: I guess to share some insight, the main cut off for getting to the interview process is having a high test score based on intellect and test-taking skills; reading comprehension, basic math, etcetera. I just felt that if you had eighty-seven percent (87%) and you made the interview compared to somebody who made eighty-three percent (83%) or eighty-four percent (84%), does the intellect test make you a better suited Firefighter? I thought a Firefighter was more based on attitude and having the bravery to face these dangers and to assist the community when they come about, not taking a test on your aptitude. So, that was where I was coming from. I hope that maybe you can help me with those results. Thank you. SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING 4 FEBRUARY 26, 2014 Mr. Maruyama: Thank you. Chair Furfaro: Thank you, Mr. Kagawa. Any other questions? Councilmember Yukimura, you have the floor. Ms. Yukimura: Good morning. Mr. Maruyama: Good morning. Ms. Yukimura: Thank you for being here and for your willingness to serve. In your statement you say that "I currently support fire safety programs with the Fire Department?" Mr. Maruyama: Prior to me being asked to serve on the Commission, there were opportunities where Allstate gives these grants to non-profit organizations. Ms. Yukimura: Oh, I see. Mr. Maruyama: So, it is a grant. It is called "Good Hands in the Community." I do see that the Fire Department here does have that truck that shows fire safety to children and that brought interest to me. Prior, I was always given the opportunity for Allstate to donate one thousand dollars ($1,000) to the truck that shows fire safety. Ms. Yukimura: I see. It is something that engenders a lot of excitement and interest by the kids. It is hands-on. Mr. Maruyama: Right. Ms. Yukimura: So, I know that it has been a real big educational tool for the Fire Department. Thank you for your support. I was just curious as to how you did that. Mr. Maruyama: Thank you. Ms. Yukimura: I have no questions about your qualifications. Thank you. Mr. Maruyama: Thank you. Chair Furfaro: Mr. Bynum. Mr. Bynum: Good morning. Mr. Maruyama: Good morning. Mr. Bynum: Thank you very much for being here. I really just want to make a few comments and mostly thank you for your willingness to serve. I want to thank you for all you are doing in the community. A lot of us here watched the development of the Fire Department since the first Fire Commission was appointed and wonderful Commission. You are coming into a really diverse and great Commission. I think you are really going to enjoy it with the people that you are working with. The Fire Department has grown so much and is really SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING 5 FEBRUARY 26, 2014 competently run and is a model in many ways for the Administration of a good Department and is growing. So, to be a part of that is a real honor and I thank you for your service. Mr. Maruyama: Thank you. Chair Furfaro: Any other questions before I ask mine? Brad, first of all, I just want to say thank you for stepping forward and I also recognize your broad understanding of insurance and insurance activities as well. If I had to ask you one other quality that you could bring to the Fire Commission, what would you say that quality is? Mr. Maruyama: Well, I think coming from a background of playing a lot of team sports, I think being on a Commission is not going to be just my voice or just another Commissioner's voice, but collaborating and having recommendations and advice that we could bring to the table to not only the Fire Commission, but to the County Council as well as to the Mayor of where we can better, where we can change, where we can adapt, or where we can grow. I think being a team member is not going to just be — I am going to try to bring some energy, some youth, and hopefully some good advice. Chair Furfaro: Thank you. Very nice answer. You reflect to team playing. Like in baseball, there is strategies going on all the time in the game besides the game. I mean there are things happening between the pitcher and the catcher, there is positioning of the outfield depending on the count and the number of outs and the base runners, and what is happening with the infield. The Fire Department operates like that, all depending on that kind of emergency they respond to and so forth. It really boils down to the team activity. So, thank you. JoAnn, I will give you the floor again. Ms. Yukimura: Chair's question raised another question in my head. As you know, the role of the Fire Commission is not just to support and see how the Fire Department operates, but also in the hiring and review of the Chief. Mr. Maruyama: Right. Ms. Yukimura: So, it has that oversight function and I mean, I do not think there is any question about the Chiefs qualifications, but as a normal course of good human resource, there is an annual review that is being done. Mr. Maruyama: Right. Ms. Yukimura: So, I am not even sure if the Fire Commission is doing that. I see Paula nodding here head. So, I am glad. In the past, the Commissions have not been really conscious of that responsibility and it was pretty haphazard as to whether an annual review occurred. I presume that you would be participating and also making sure that it happens. Mr. Maruyama: Yes. So, when I sat down with Paula prior to me accepting an interview, she did let me know that there is an annual review of the Fire Chief, we do go over the annual budget as a group in the Committee, the feedback is given back to the County Council and to the Mayor, and she also did let me know that we will be hearing the Committee with issues and complaints as well. SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING 6 FEBRUARY 26, 2014 So, I do understand that it is not just fun and games, but it is a Human Resources (HR) position of the Fire Chief. Ms. Yukimura: Excellent. Thank you. Mr. Maruyama: Thank you. Chair Furfaro: Are we finished with the questions from members? I am sorry. My apologies. Second time today? Are we finished with questions? Well, Brad, I would like to say that we certainly appreciate you stepping forward. We will be getting to our full Council agenda later today. Under the section of Resolutions, your name is before us for appointment to the Fire Commission. I will be supporting your appointment and I do want you to know that once we get to that section of the business, members of our staff will call you and Paula's office to let you know the outcome. Mr. Maruyama: Okay. Thank you. Thank you so much for your time. It is an honor. Ms. Yukimura: Thank you. Chair Furfaro: Thank you. There being no objections, the meeting was called back to order, and proceeded as follows: Chair Furfaro: Mr. Hooser, you have a question? Mr. Hooser: I have a quick question for the Fire Chief. Chair Furfaro: Sure. Chief, may we ask you to come up, please? There being no objections, the rules were suspended. ROBERT F. WESTERMAN, Fire Chief: Chair, for the record, Robert Westerman, Fire Chief. Mr. Hooser: Good morning, Chief. Mr. Westerman: Good morning. Mr. Hooser: Thank you for being here. I just had a follow-up question, on an issue that was raised. Is the Fire Department recruiting from the mainland? Do they recruit? Mr. Westerman: Well, when we put out the advertisement, the applications come from everywhere, yes. Mr. Hooser: Okay. Mr. Westerman: Of the fifty-three (53) persons that I have hired since I have been the Fire Chief, thirty-seven (37) of them have been directly SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING 7 FEBRUARY 26, 2014 local and about forty-eight (48) of them have been either outer island from us; O`ahu and Big Island because we transfer some Firefighters in from other Departments. Mr. Hooser: How many are hired from the mainland? Mr. Westerman: You know, I would have to go back and look at it. I think it is about four (4) since I have been there. Mr. Hooser: I mean that do not live here when they make their application, is my question? Mr. Westerman: I would have to go back and look. I do not recall that number because most of them, even if they are from the mainland, a lot of family here. So, they come with family or they come for family. Mr. Hooser: Right. Mr. Westerman: But I would say we probably interview ten percent (10%) at least from the mainland. Mr. Hooser: Okay, thank you. Mr. Westerman: But it is expensive for them to come over to even do the interview. Mr. Hooser: Right. Mr. Westerman: So, they have to take that chance. Mr. Hooser: Thank you very much. Thank you, Chair. Chair Furfaro: You are welcome. We are spreading this a little further than we should, but I am going to recognize Vice Chair Chock and then Mr. Kagawa again. I do want to remind everybody that in 1957, the Territory of Hawai`i, Legislative Branch, acknowledged that we are the neighbor islands, not the outer islands. Mr. Westerman: Yes, sorry. Chair Furfaro: So, I want to reconfirm that please. Mr. Chock and then Mr. Kagawa. Mr. Westerman: My apologies to the legislature. Sorry. Mr. Chock: Thank you, Chair. Chief, I just had a point of clarification. I thought I read that transfers were now being prohibited. Is that true? Mr. Westerman: Not that I am aware of. Mr. Chock: Okay. So, people can take the test or get into the Fire Department in Honolulu for instance, and then later transfer to Kaua`i if they choose to? SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING 8 FEBRUARY 26, 2014 Mr. Westerman: They can apply to transfer. It has to be an agreement between the two (2) Chiefs; the losing Chief and the accepting Chief. Mr. Chock: Okay. Thank you. Chair Furfaro: Mr. Kagawa, you have the floor. Mr. Kagawa: Following up to Councilmember Hooser, give us if you can, maybe the past twenty (20) years or something. I am sure Human Resources can pull that up. I do not just want to talk here and say four (4) out of fifty-three (53) because I know that is not even close. It a lot more than four (4) out of fifty-three (53). Mr. Westerman: Well, we can provide that information to you. Mr. Kagawa: Yes, let us just put it up. Let us not pop numbers up because the numbers I heard actually were closer to fifty percent (50%) when I asked people how many were from the mainland, how many were from Hawai`i, and it was not five percent (5%) or ten percent (10%). It was a lot more. So, let us get that factual information back. My second question is, are you folks still highly weighing the score on the written test as a strong basis for who makes the interview process? Mr. Westerman: Yes, and that is a Civil Service rule. That is nothing I have control over. Mr. Kagawa: But you can expand the amount they interview to give our local kids a lot better chance? Mr. Westerman: Yes, and an example for this current class that is coming up, we added an additional five (5). It is called the Rule of Five (5) and then we added five (5) to that to get more off of the list. Mr. Kagawa: That is all my point was, is to give our local kids a better chance and please find ways to do that. Thank you. Chair Furfaro: Thank you, Mr. Kagawa. Any additional questions for the Chief? Chief, thank you very much. Mr. Westerman: You are welcome. There being no objections, the meeting was called back to order, and proceeded as follows: Chair Furfaro: Is there anyone else that wishes to speak? If not, as I mentioned to the candidate, we will be voting later today and we do want to start on time. I had published the order of the day for the upcoming meeting and I also am leaving at 5:30 p.m. today. So, I would like to start right at 9:00 a.m. when we come back for the next meeting. This Special Council Meeting is... Mr. Rapozo: Mr. Chair? I just want to make a real quick request that in light of what was discussed about the hiring and the application process, I am getting the same complaints with the Police Department as well. So, if we can get an agenda item in my Committee relating to the Police Department SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING 9 FEBRUARY 26, 2014 and Fire Department, public safety, to have HR here present to explain to us the Civil Service process and how we can maybe open up the opportunities for our local people. Chair Furfaro: Okay, and I guess the question before I go any further just so that you know, my intention is to write to the Board, in particular, Paula. I think you folks need to have some definitions of what is "local" first. No, serious. I mean, someone who was moved to Hawai`i at seven (7) years old and started to go to school in the second grade and got his Fire Science. Is he local because he was not born here or is he local because he was raised here? I want to get that defined and then I will be very happy to accommodate you. But let us get some definitions on kama aiana, local, transfers and then we will pursue that. But I want to make sure that we are all talking from the same definitions. Mr. Rapozo: I think for me, the concern is we have a lot of, and I use the term "local," but local is basically as Mr. Kagawa mentioned, a Hawai`i resident. But we have Kaua`i residents here that apply and get turned down. Then they go to O`ahu and they get hired and we are losing our residents to other jurisdictions, which I think is what I am interested in trying to stop. Chair Furfaro: But we will get these definitions clean first. Kaua`i born, raised, educated, local, State residents and so forth, residents transferred from other States. Just so that we are all on the same playing field, and I intend to follow-up on that and then I will be glad to reinstate some discussion with the HR Department to the extent we can. Okay? On that note, this Special Council Meeting is adjourned and we will be back in four (4) minutes please. ADJOURNMENT. There being no further business, the Special Council Meeting adjourned at 8:57 a.m. Respectfully s itte ED • ' s • T•04 0/' . Administrative Assis .nt : e County Clerk :aa