THE CARROLL COX SHOW

Ms. Suzanne Case
Chairperson
Hawaii State Department of Land and Natural Resources

Aloha Ms. Case,

I am preparing for my radio show "THE CARROLL COX SHOW" airing on Sunday mornings on KWAI 1080 AM.

I am interested in a number of developments involving the recent selection of Mr. Bruce Anderson and other individuals to fill positions in DLNR.

I would like to respectfully ask your assistance in answering the following questions:

Did you personally ask or recruit Dr. Anderson to head the Aquatics Division?

Is there any truth to the representation that Dr. Anderson will be permitted to work only four days a week?

Is Dr. Anderson required to establish a residence on Oahu?

Will Dr. Anderson be allowed to collect per diem and travel fare during his stay on Oahu through the week?

Besides yourself, what are the names and titles of the individuals that served on the selection committee that selected Mr. Anderson?

Was Mr. Anderson hired as a contract worker or a civil servant?

How and who chose or appointed the selection committee?

Besides yourself and your deputy, what other actively serving state employee served on the selection committee? If any served on the committee, how many were administrators?

Did Mr. Eric Co serve on the selection committee?

Who chose and appointed him?

What criteria were used to appoint Mr. Co and the other selection committee members?

During the time Mr. Co served on the selection committee, who was he employed by?

Were members or employees of nonprofit organizations given the opportunity to serve on the selection committee? If yes, who are they and how were they notified, chosen or rejected?

Was Mr. Co ever employed by the Nature Conservancy during your employment at the Nature Conservancy? If yes, when and what was his title?

Does Mr. Co's employer currently have any formal working relationship with the Hawaii State Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR)? If yes, please identify the specific relationship.

Are there other individuals employed by Mr. Co's employer or other nonprofit organizations working with the DLNR under grant or contract? If yes, what are their names and positions?

What criteria were used to appoint Mr. Bob Nishimoto to serve on the selection committee?

How many State Aquatics division employees did the committee interview for the director's position?

Does Mr. Anderson's experience satisfy the requirements under Hawaii Revised Statutes? If yes, who made the determination and how was that determination made?

I would appreciate receiving answers to my questions before this coming Sunday.

Dr. Bruce Anderson applied for the position of Division of Aquatic Resources administrator and his name was selected from the applicant list. DLNR Chair Suzanne Case agreed that he will generally work four days each week on Oahu and one on Hawaii Island, with flexibility as needed. Since all of the DLNR divisions and their Administrators have statewide responsibilities this is an arrangement that reinforces the neighbor island perspective. The only residence requirement for employment with the State of Hawaii is to be a resident of the State of Hawaii. Like any state employee, if he is traveling on official state business he will be eligible for per diem and be reimbursed for approved out-of-pocket expenses. We don't typically release details of selection committees ; you can certainly make a Uniform Information Practices Act (UIPA) request and demonstrate the need for you to have this information. Dr. Anderson is a civil service employee and met the minimum requirement qualifications outlined in the job announcement. His selection followed all procedures as established by Hawaii Revised Statutes.

QUESTIONS ABOUT DLNR APPOINTMENT