HONOLULU — Mayor Rick Blangiardi’s plan for a new city Department of Ocean Safety has moved forward in the City Council but did not sail smoothly through Honolulu Hale on Wednesday afternoon.
During the Council’s Committee on Housing, Sustainability and Health meeting, many current and former City and County of Honolulu lifeguards offered in-person and written testimony to the panel, airing strong opposition to Blangiardi’s Resolution 103, which seeks an executive action to quickly create a new city department, likely with a mayor-appointed director and no oversight commission.
A majority of lifeguards who testified instead advocated for Council member Andria Tupola’s Resolution 50, which seeks a voter-approved charter amendment on the Nov. 5 general election ballot to decide whether Ocean Safety should be a separate city department with a chief and commission. Currently, the city Ocean Safety and Lifeguard Services Division is under the larger Honolulu Emergency Services Department.
The debate for a new Department of Ocean Safety also comes as Ocean Safety Division Chief John Titchen — a critic of the mayor’s plan — remains on paid suspension and under city investigation over an unexplained “personnel matter.”
Many who testified, like veteran lifeguard Aka Tamashiro, said they believe any new public safety department needed a commission.
“Yes, (Resolution) 50 or nothing, it’s that simple,” he said. “With the actions that have been happening recently we honestly don’t feel like we can trust the Mayor’s Office. We feel like it’s being forced, it doesn’t feel right … and if it’s not going to be right, let’s not do it at all.”
City officials say the mayor does not have the authority under the City Charter to create an oversight commission and must rely on the City Council to do so via legislation. The Blangiardi administration also says it supports a future oversight commission, but that it should be a voter-approved decision.
Wednesday’s debate follows lifeguards’ unanimous support for the creation of a new Department of Ocean Safety while overwhelmingly rejecting Blangiardi’s proposal on how to do that, according to a poll taken by their union over the weekend.
The Hawaii Government Employees Association Bargaining Unit 15 poll found 100% of the 111 members who participated supported creating a stand-alone Department of Ocean Safety, according to the poll. Of the 111 members who voted, 96 — or 86% — favored Tupola’s resolution, while four members, 3.6%, voted for Blangiardi’s resolution. Eleven members, nearly 10%, favored both proposals, according to the tally.
Not all city lifeguards who testified were against Resolution 103.
In written testimony for Wednesday’s meeting, lifeguard Joey Cadiz reminded “that our workforce is absolutely united on the need to create a department for Ocean Safety that is separate from Emergency Services.”
“I truly believe that Resolution 103 is the best way to give OSD the means to succeed. Standing up OSD right away with an appointed Director hastens OSD’s independence,” Cadiz wrote. “But just as importantly, this route comes with a tacit pledge of support from the administration, ensuring OSD of the mayor’s support in the critical first years of independence.”
City Managing Director Mike Formby said the city’s need for a new Ocean Safety department is not in question.
“The truth is though I don’t understand all of the (news) coverage, and all of the discussion that is happening about the intent of the city and the Mayor’s Office to move forward with the Department of Ocean Safety,” he said.
Formby asserted Resolution 103 will create the new department and avoids potential voter disapproval via a charter amendment.
“So if we’re all in agreement with what we want to do, why do we want to take a chance voters might say ‘no’ to a department?” he added.
Moreover, the managing director claimed rumors about the Mayor’s Office having already picked “a department head” for a new Ocean Safety sector were false.
“We do not work that way,” he said. “I’ve never had any discussion with anybody about them being a director of a future department of Ocean Safety.”
Formby noted he did have discussions with those who don’t want to be considered for the post, including Titchen.
“The current chief has told me in writing and has told me orally that he will not be considered for the department director or chief of the department when it’s formed,” he said. “I trust him and take him at his word when he says that, but we’ve had absolutely no discussion with anybody about who would be the director of the department when it’s formed.”
Ultimately, the committee voted to pass Resolution 103 to the full Council for further review.
