When the ballots arrive, Oahu voters will have a rare chance to show their aloha for the best lifeguards in the world. Voting “yes” on City Charter Question 3 will establish a City and County of Honolulu Ocean Safety Commission to provide independent oversight over the chief of the newly created Honolulu Department of Ocean Safety. This yes vote will put Ocean Safety on par with its sister city public safety agencies, the Honolulu Police and Fire departments, both of which have long had oversight commissions to ensure independence and transparency.

Support for Question 3 comes both from the Honolulu City Council (which unanimously passed Resolution 24-50, FD1 in May to put this question to the voters on the November ballot), and from Mayor Rick Blangiardi, who signed Resolution 24-50 at the same time he signed Resolution 24-103 to create a new stand-alone Ocean Safety Department. The mayor stated: “Our courageous City and County of Honolulu lifeguards race into the face of danger each and every day, in some of the most hazardous ocean conditions on Earth. They deserve our unwavering support and appreciation, because they put their lives on the line for all of us.”

How does an oversight commission help our lifeguards?

The Hawaii Government Employees Association (HGEA), the exclusive representative of the Water Safety Officers of the City and County of Honolulu, stated in its testimony to City Council in support of the creation of the department and this commission ballot measure: “A new Department would allow for greater autonomy, management, and oversight in water safety operations and funding, which in turn, would better support Water Safety Officers in serving local residents and visitors at our beaches.”

Additionally, our members find it necessary that the new department be overseen by a stand-alone commission, as it would provide greater accountability and transparency, similar to other public safety commissions.

As the Honolulu Elections website on the charter amendments explains: “This resolution will amend the Charter to create a five-member ocean safety commission within the OSD that will have the authority, among other things, to make recommendations on the OSD’s annual budget; review OSD operations and recommend improve- ments; perform annual evaluations of the ocean safety chief’s performance; hear citizen complaints about the OSD or its personnel, and recommend corrective actions to the OSD chief; and submit annual reports to the mayor and council on OSD activities.

“In addition, the position title of OSD ‘director’ will be replaced by the title, OSD ‘chief.’ The OSD chief will be appointed by the ocean safety commission and may be removed only after receiving the reasons for their removal and an opportunity for a hearing before the ocean safety commission. The OSD director appointed by the mayor will continue to hold the position on December 31, 2024, and will continue to serve as OSD director until the ocean safety commission appoints a new chief.”

The new commissioners, who will be unpaid and volunteers, will need to be approved by both the City Council and the mayor. With the dedication and knowledge of citizens of Honolulu serving as commissioners, the new Ocean Safety Commission will be a strong additional pillar in the structure of the new Ocean Safety Department. Our lifeguards deserve the support of the voters. We hope you will join us in voting yes on City Charter Question 3.

Bryan Phillips is a former North Shore lifeguard and union president; Brian Keaulana is an ocean safety expert; Keone Downing is with Save Our Surf.