UPDATED 5/10/11 5:35 p.m.

Editor’s Note: On Tuesday, Civil Beat interviewed Honolulu Managing Director Doug Chin. View the complete interview below.

Civil Beat is launching a new series of interviews with newsmakers.

Join us at noon on Tuesday, May 10, live from the office of Doug Chin, the guy who actually runs Honolulu Hale on a day-to-day basis. He’ll be answering your questions on a live-stream interview below.

You can submit questions using our Facebook discussion below. If you don’t have Facebook, please leave your comment at the bottom of this article (make sure you are registered and signed into Civil Beat).

Honolulu reporter Adrienne LaFrance will be asking the questions of Chin, and you know she’s got good ones. But this is an opportunity to get your own questions in front of the powers that be.

Credit goes to Chin for coming up with the idea of better public access to officials.

He doesn’t know every minute detail about city government, but one thing we do know is that he has the trust of the mayor and can talk about the big issues.

Meet Doug Chin

Chin can often be found testifying before the City Council late into the night, meeting with other Cabinet members and fielding questions from reporters. The sight of Chin dashing down one of the wide hallways of Honolulu Hale is not uncommon: He’s a busy guy.

In his more than six months as managing director, Chin has demonstrated knowledge of the city’s inner workings. He’s helped the mayor hit a series of milestones on rail, present the administration’s first spending plan and manage response to a tsunami warning.

Chin’s critical role at City Hall is part of why we wanted him to help us launch our newsmaker series.

Chin isn’t new to city government. He spent more than a decade as Carlisle’s deputy at the Honolulu Prosecutor’s Office. Chin also worked as an attorney with the Honolulu firm Carlsmith Ball, representing corporations, real estate and insurance companies, and individuals. With Robbins and Associates, Chin defended hospitals, physicians and staff in medical malpractice claims.

He served as a minister at the Church of Christ in Honolulu from 1995 – 1998. Chin is director of American Judicature Society’s Hawaii Chapter, and sits on several local boards and task forces, including the University of Hawaii William S. Richardson School of Law advisory board; the Mental Health Transformation State Incentive Grant task force; and the Interagency Council on Intermediate Sanctions policy group.

Questions For Chin

Here are the initial questions we thought people might have for Chin. As soon as we get his written answers, we’ll post them here. Don’t worry. He’s no laggard. The guy is just really busy.

1. You’ve learned a lot about managing a city in a short time. What’s the biggest surprise along the way?

This is not actually a surprise, but since moving over to City Hall and getting to know people here, I’ve been gratified to see that the employees throughout the City are no different than they were at the prosecutor’s office or at the police department – by far the vast majority of City employees are conscientious, hard-working, talented and skilled individuals who believe in public service, and there is a great sense of ohana and pride that comes from working for the City & County of Honolulu.

2. What’s the most distinct difference between the culture of the prosecutor’s office and the culture at City Hall?

At the prosecutor’s office, there are basically two sides to a story – the prosecutor’s and the criminal defense attorney’s. Both sides show up in court to argue their cases and out of that, a judge or a jury decides what should be the right outcome. Here at City Hall, there are a lot more than two angles to an issue – more like ten or twenty! The challenge at all times is to listen carefully at all times and give due consideration and respect to everyone’s viewpoints.

3. What experiences have you had at City Hall that have changed the way you might approach things in the future?

In the area of public communications, I’ve gained a healthy respect for the importance of getting information to the public. That’s not the easiest task given the volume of City-related issues that come up each day, but the more we can help people who care at least understand the City’s position on a matter, the better.

4. What has been the most difficult problem you’ve had to deal with?

Presenting a balanced operating budget and a capital budget that accounts for tough economic times but also provides adequately for the future. People continue to worry about the economy. We must continue to work with the City Council and other interested entities to address concerns and move things in a positive direction.

5. What are you most proud of in your first six months?

I am most proud of the opportunity to work with the Mayor’s cabinet and the City Council. Every single day in the City brings new and significant challenges, and it is a pleasure to come to work and face these challenges with such a dynamic and talented group of people.

Submit your questions below. And see you online at noon on Tuesday.