Council cold to Harris’
parks nominee
Members say former sugar executive
By Gordon Y.K. Pang
William Balfour Jr. doesn't meet the
minimum requirements for the jobStar-Bulletin
Two City Council members say they're not satisfied with the reasoning by Mayor Jeremy Harris' administration for appointing a former sugar executive to be parks and recreation director. William Balfour Jr., the nominee, is former vice president and general manager of Oahu Sugar Co.
Council members Steve Holmes and John Henry Felix say they respect Balfour as a businessman, but he has no experience in the recreational field.
According to the City Charter, a parks director "shall have had a minimum of five years of training and experience in a parks and recreation position or related fields, at least three years of which shall have been in a responsible administrative capacity."
City Managing Director Robert Fishman said Balfour's extensive career in agriculture qualifies him for the post.
Balfour, 65, spent 36 years with Amfac before retiring in 1994. Most recently, the Kauai native was president and general manager of Aloha Farms Inc., a banana operation on 300 acres of former Waialua Sugar lands.
"We manage about 6,000 acres of cultivated land of parks, median strips and other green areas," Fishman said.
"As manager of Oahu Sugar, he cultivated 19,000 acres, managed all the people and facilities to support that cultivation. Who could be better qualified?"
"I don't think a sugar cane field is the same as being in a parks and recreation field," Holmes said. "If he ran a chain of health spas or something . . ."
Felix said Council attorneys have suggested that the original resume submitted by Balfour would not qualify under Charter provisions.
"The big stretch is related field," Felix said. "I don't think sugar workers in the field thought being there was a recreational experience."
Felix said he's now received two resumes from Balfour. "That still doesn't satisfy me," he said.
Holmes noted that some Council members also questioned the qualifications of Balfour's predecessor, John D'Araujo, a retired career military officer with the National Guard.
"Gen. D'Araujo was able to successfully state that under his command was included parks and recreation facilities," Holmes said. "I think that was a little bit different situation there."
Felix said Balfour is "a very qualified executive." However, he said, "this is an issue of are we or are we not going to uphold the provisions of our City Charter or are we going to make a mockery out of it?"
Felix has introduced legislation that would lead to eliminating the Charter's job qualifications in favor of criteria determined by the City Council.
Harris has opposed the bill, claiming he has the right to hire whomever he wants within the Charter's descriptions.
Felix said Harris doesn't understand his bill, which "would give the administration the flexibility they're looking for."
People testified favorably about Balfour's nomination at a public hearing last week.
The nomination now goes to the Executive Affairs Committee for a hearing next month.
