Council likely to confirm
environmental nominee
The City Council appears ready to approve the controversial nomination of Frank Doyle to head the city Department of Environmental Services, which oversees landfill and sewer operations.
"I feel pretty confident the Council will vote to confirm," said Councilman Mike Gabbard, chairman of the Public Works Committee.
Questions over illegal dumping sites on Oahu led the Council to delay voting on Doyle's nomination for three weeks so members could seek answers. Doyle is slated to go back before the Council today.
Illegally buried smokestack debris and tons of large appliances were found near the incinerator at Waipahu Depot Road, which the city has since cleaned up. Last month, another dump site was found a few hundred yards from the Waipio Peninsula Soccer Park.
Councilwoman Ann Kobayashi, who led the charge three weeks ago to defer action on the appointment, said yesterday the cloud over Doyle's nomination appears to be dissipating.
"There might be a few wisps of clouds still there, but patches of blue are showing through," Kobayashi said.
Kobayashi said Council members don't know when the case of the Waipahu incinerator might be closed but there doesn't seem to be anything that points to Doyle's leadership that caused any of the problems.
"He's been really trying to get to the bottom of the whole situation," Kobayashi said.
Gabbard, who supports Doyle's nomination, said the questions that were raised were legitimate ones. "But the bottom line for me has always been that, is Doyle a man of integrity, honesty and is he the right man for the job? And for me, I think the answer to all three of those questions is yes."
Members of the Council also appeared satisfied with an opinion by the city Ethics Commission executive director stemming from allegations that were raised: Doyle had his city phone number and e-mail listed as contact information for him in his work with private soccer organizations.
Councilman Charles Djou, who voted last month for the deferral on Doyle's nomination, said Doyle made a mistake that he quickly rectified.
