Senate approves Iwase as PUC chairman
Randall Iwase’s appointment as head of the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission was confirmed Tuesday by the Senate.
The former state senator has been acting chairman since being nominated in January.
Iwase told lawmakers last week that he plans to make public input a priority in reviewing NextEra Energy’s plan to take over Hawaiian Electric Co.
In a press release from the Senate, Iwase said, "I’m just so grateful to the senators for the confidence vote today and I’m going to try my very best, not just for the senators, but for everyone."
Longtime assistant is zoo’s new director
Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell announced Tuesday that longtime assistant Honolulu Zoo director Baird Fleming has been appointed new director.
Caldwell, during his State of the City speech, half-jokingly said he’s hopeful Fleming intends to be director for a long time.
Jeffrey Wilkinson resigned as director in January after less than a year on the job. Wilkinson was the fourth director to resign in five years. Fleming has served as acting director following the resignations of Wilkinson, Jeffrey Mahon and Manuel Mollinedo.
"We need a zoo director who is committed to staying for the long haul, who loves the place, who is not going to quit and then talk stink," Caldwell said, a reference to criticisms that were raised by Mollinedo, who questioned whether the zoo could be reaccredited due to what he viewed a lack of commitment from the city.
City Managing Director Roy Amemiya told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser after Caldwell’s speech that more than 20 zoo employees submitted a petition urging Caldwell to make Fleming, a veterinarian, their permanent boss.
Caldwell also announced the nomination of Gary Nakata as his director of the Department of Community Services. Nakata was deputy director of the department when he took the acting director post after Pam Witty-Oakland resigned in September.
Nakata’s nomination needs to be confirmed by the City Council. Fleming’s hire does not.
