2010-11-03 Cost of Government Commission Minutes

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MR. TORIGOE: Well, it’s something that the business management to inaudible had their heads together and were able to get some recommendations to work with the IT people. It’s been, and frankly it didn’t pass a couple of years because of the economic difficulties that the entire county has been facing. Imagine trying to be in a position of writing the business services when your staff is in turmoil. You got a bunch of open positions. You got furloughs. You got departments that cut costs, cut your budget. Basically every thing, as I said, it’s kind of internal perfect storm in terms of the business section. It’s not just speech, it’s just a fact. MS. O’HARA: I know. It’s something of the history of that department. But it would be nice to see it turn around. We’re talking technology fix here. I mean other regions use these technologies in software per scale houses and integrating it into the billing. So it’s not new age or anything so it would be nice to see that developed. I have another question though, and it’s about the sewer. You described it and we have the new facilities now in Honokaa, and Liliuokalani that had been added to our capacity. But in terms of capacity, most of the people who flush their toilet on this island it doesn’t go into our sewer system. It goes into individual septic systems and your cesspools. Is that correct? Would that be a correct assumption? MR. TORIGOE: At the top of my head, I couldn’t tell you truly whether most is correct, but yes, a great many. MS. O’HARA: A great many. Do we, as a county, regulate our septic and grease haulers in any way? Do they have to be licensed? In other counties there is a licensing fee. MR. TORIGOE: Are you talking about just grease haulers? MS. O’HARA: Septic and grease haulers. And I think pumping truck services. MR. TORIGOE: There is permit required. MS. O’HARA: A permit required by the state, DOH. But the other counties require permit which is fee with inaudible. It also helps to regulate those services. MR. TORIGOE: Private haulers are required to have a valid permit from Wastewater Division to discharge the wastewater into municipal facilities. MS. O’HARA: So you do collect the permit fee? MR. TORIGOE: Yes. MS. O’HARA: Do you know what the rate of that is? MR. TORIGOE: I want to say it’s somewhere in the neighborhood of $30 or something like that. MS. O’HARA: Annually or one time? 20