The chairman of the Honolulu Charter Commission has resigned from the panel after taking a job with the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation.

Jesse Souki will be HART’s director of planning, permitting and right-of-way beginning Nov. 30.

Souki, in an email, said that he had considered remaining on the commission.

"However, given the commission has a few HART proposals and rail is a lightning rod for passionate opinion, I thought it better to make a clean break," Souki said. "HART and the commission’s work (are) too important to be sidetracked."

Souki said he may still go to the commission to testify, as a member of the public, "on issues important to me like climate and good governance."

The commission meets once every 10 years to review the City Charter for possible changes to improve the efficiency of operations. It decides on proposed changes for Oahu voters to consider in Charter amendment questions on the general election ballot.

There are four proposals the commission is considering related to HART, including whether to create a single entity that would operate TheBus, Handi-Van and rail operations.

The current commission began meeting in March and Souki was elected by his peers to be chairman in April.

Souki is leaving his position with the Imanaka Asato law firm, where, according to the company’s website, he specializes in land use, zoning and entitlements law. His practice areas included leading the firm’s Transit Oriented Development Group, "which facilitates development around the proposed Honolulu Rail Transit project’s transit stations" and helps clients gain government approvals.

He is a onetime director of the state Office of Planning and former deputy director for the state Department of Land and Natural Resources.

His HART job will pay between $115,000 and $129,600. Souki was one of three finalists interviewed for the job, said HART spokeswoman Jeanne Mariani-Belding.

Souki’s departure requires Mayor Kirk Caldwell to find a replacement commissioner. Commission Vice Chairman David Rae will be acting chairman until the panel selects a new chairman.

Jesse Broder Van Dyke, Caldwell’s communications director, said the administration is looking for someone to fill Souki’s post as soon as possible.