COM 0589.009 2006-2008 - Laserfiche WebLink

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REQUESTS FOR LEGISLATIVE SUPPORT The Hawaii County administration requests support from the Hawaii State Legislature for the following measures: Other financial support 1. Loan fund for wastewater projects. The State has a revolving fund to enable the counties to obtain loans for wastewater projects. Because $65,000,000 from this fund was committed to the City and County of Honolulu, there is little or nothing left to cover even our highest priority projects. We ask that this fund be increased to reflect the great needs that exist. Because of the magnitude of the problem, I hesitate to ask for a specific sum. Hawaii County alone could use up to $53,000,000, and I am sure that the other counties have comparable needs. 2. Increase EMS appropriation for Hawaii County by $326,934 to cover new retirement contribution rates. This increase is the result of the enactment of Act 256 in the last legislature, which increased the standardized retirement contribution rates, beginning FY09, for firefighters (15.75% to 19.7%) and for HGEA employees (13.75% to 15.0%). The State DOH said it would attempt to have this added to its appropriation request, but recommended that we also include it in the County's request, since the numbers were submitted late by our Fire Department. 3. Reed Act, $2,000,000. In 2006, this Legislature appropriated $10,000,000 statewide (Act 190, 2006) for the four county workforce investment boards (WIBs). Of that sum, $1,900,000 came to Hawaii County. The Department of Labor, and' all involved with the Big Island WIB efforts, are justly proud of the initiatives that this money enabled, such as Going Home, our prison-to- community reentry initiative; Huiana, our island wide high school student internship program; and an initiative to directly serve and strengthen Hawaii County's work places through our business center and business service representatives. This year, we would like to ask that you appropriate another $2,000,000 from these federal funds, so that these initiatives can continue, and new ideas can be developed by the WIB partners, such as an expansion of our new disabilities consortium and its increased services to persons with disabilities- -particularly our youth; and expanding our Huiana and Going Home initiatives to serve more students and ex-offenders. Please also consider any comparable requests that come from our sister counties.