COM 0124.028 2004-2006 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Our budget request of $6,264,053 includes $1,615,000 from federal and state sources (26%), $200,000 from federal and state forfeitures and $4,449,053 (7l from general funds. This includes conversion of five grant funded positions to County funded during the next fiscal year and two additional deputies to cover adult and juvenile drug court and increased Circuit Court caseloads in East and West Hawaii. It also includes a 6.4% increase in operating expenditures for the HITS case tracking software subscription, increases in rents, utilities, research subscriptions, and increased reserves for forensic analysis and reconstruction experts. While we are grateful for these increases there are still several critical items that are not included and require attention for which we request your support. These items are funding for a phone system and network switch for the new office, an account clerk, a clerical position for the Waimea office and a clerical position to support the Circuit Court Unit in Hilo. The current phone system is over ] 0 years old and has limited voice mail, expansion and upgrade capability. We desire to install a Voice Over [P system which shares computer network infrastructure resulting in cost savings and efficiency. The network switch requires replacement to improve transmission efficiency within the local and wide area network. Present switch transmission speed is l OMbps, far below the 100Mbps transmission speed newer personal computers are capable of. An account clerk is needed to assist the fiscal section with payroll and travel arrangements for witnesses, extraditions and staff. In 2004 we processed travel arrangements for 97 witnesses, 349 escorts, 174 prisoners and 130 staff, an average of 10 per week. This includes making airline reservation, processing meal allowances or per diem, reimbursement of allowable expenses and closing travel claims. The fiscal section of two staff also processed over $735,000 of general, grant and forfeiture expenditures and over $430,000 for state reimbursement which requires additional documentation. An additional clerk would also assist with payroll for the authorized 100 positions and allow that function to be performed within that section. Currently there is no breathing room and minimal back up in the fiscal section. The North Hawaii office currently does not have onsite clerical support. Assignment of a clerk III to Waimea would allow the clerk who presently covers North Hawaii to provide more assistance to the Hilo District Court unit. A legal clerk III is needed to support the Hilo Circuit Court unit. Presently four clerical staff support seven deputies. We have continued to proactively seek federal and state funding that support the main focus areas of the Office. Available funding, however, is decreasing due to changing priorities of the federal government. Programs affected include: Victims of Crime Act (VOCA), Violence Against Women (VAWA), Juvenile Accountability Block Grant (JABG); Title V Juvenile Delinquency Prevention, Local Law Enforcement Block Grant and Edward Byrne Memorial Grant programs. These cuts in addition to continued 2