2023-08-24 Fire Commission Minutes

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Hawaii Fire Commission Regular Session Minutes August 24, 2023 Page 9 NEW BUSINESS Correspondence No. 23-02: Salary Commission's inquiry to the appointing authorities concerning proposed salary adjustments for fiscal year 23-24: Chair Kosaki mentioned that Chief Todd has provided responses to questions 1 through 6 from the Salary Commission. He then invited the members to ask any questions or share their comments on this matter. Commissioner Magsalin pointed out that they need to discuss the salary, however, the previous attorney mentioned that they could invite an HR representative to guide them, as it's been challenging for the commission to come up with a decision. DCC Tiapula clarified that Chief Todd has addressed questions 1 to 6 in the letter, and the commission's input regarding question number 7 is now open for discussion. The Fire Commission would then draft a formal letter to the Salary Commission. Commissioner Magsalin inquired about the possibility of inviting an HR representative to provide guidance. DCC Tiapula confirmed that they could do so and mentioned that they also have the authority to discuss salary adjustments. Chair Kosaki proposed including this topic on the agenda for the next meeting and suggested inviting an HR representative to assist in navigating the process. Commissioner Luke inquired about the type of letter they needed to draft, specifically if an informal one would suffice. In response, DCC Tiapula clarified that a formal letter was required. Ms. Correa sought clarification on what exactly the Department of Human Resources (DHR) was expected to present. Commissioner Magsalin expressed her uncertainty about the chief's current salary, making it challenging to reach a decision. She noted that it seemed the Salary Commission was seeking a prompt response. Ms. Correa provided the commission with the chief's current salary and explained that the Salary Commission was simply requesting the Fire Commission's opinion on whether salaries should remain status quo, increased, or decreased. Ultimately, the decision rests with the Salary Commission, and they are only seeking input. Vice Chair Wolf inquired about whether there was any historical data on salary adjustments from previous years. Chair Kosaki responded that DHR would most likely have that information. Commissioner Mattos asked if the salaries of chiefs from other counties are public information chief's salaries are public information. Chair Kosaki confirmed that such information is indeed public. Chair Kosaki further clarified that they would like DHR to provide the salary history for their own chiefs over the past decade and request salary data for chiefs in other jurisdictions.