COM 1092.000 2020-2022 - Laserfiche WebLink

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For the interaction and service to the public. With this current administration, the public is "right" and the divisions need to make the accommodations. Because of this, there is little to no efficiency, and productivity of the ground level employees are at its highest.The work level has increased,because our awareness has increased. Our Solid Waste Division within Department of Environmental Management helps other departments such as DPW and P&R in regards to disposal of large quantities of refuse, assistance in hauling aggregate, and removal of prohibited items within their base yards left from the public at various county sites. As for the public, our division provides additional services such as recycling programs for green waste, metals,white-goods,cardboard, glass, household hazardous items and e-waste products. I wish our division could provide more recycling services in other aspects to prevent illegal dumping but it comes to extra expenses in the budget. We are a department that has the word"Environment" and we should do more to protect it. SWD's core function is to safely and efficiently move rubbish from the collection sites (22 stations and 1 reload stations)to final disposal at the West Hawaii Sanitary Landfill. Despite daily challenges with manpower and equipment, SOW is still able to provide that core function. SWD was given the additional functions to manage recycling and abandoned vehicles which added burden to the already heavy workload Q2 What do you think your department's biggest struggles are? This could include internal/external challenges including, but not limited to: staffing, funding, overly burdensome restrictions or regulations, inefficiencies, redundancies, waste, time management issues, anything else? Underfunded for decades therefore gotten into the habit of using consultants instead of using permanent staff. The rates we charge don't cover wastewater treatment plant and collection system maintenance. There is a lack of transparency from the Finance Department and OEM's Business Services Group, so we get denied access to money that was already approved in the CIP budget for maintaining our wastewater infrastructure and planning projects. Therefore,we cannot create the financial program requested by the EPA to show we are good for matching grants or that we are working in good faith to comply with Federal Laws. Pay is far below market value. We can't attract talent to the Department if they have to take a 23%pay cut. Those hired know they are not paid enough to give their all to the job. Top on the list is the budget to perform the "must have" is insufficient as it is.The performance of"nice to have" without the commensurate budget is an impossible task. Most recent example is the enforcement of certain suntan lotion fell on SWD's lap. Online payment, automatic payments,paperless options. 48 2022 Cost of Government Commission—County of Hawai'i -Final Report