2011-04-27 Cost of Government Commission Minutes

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line. It would be profit or loss. You can tell me all you want about empowering the community and your employees,outreach and education, social capitol. But what matters is did you or didn’t you make money? And with public service, our bottom line is did we or didn’t we help people? Did we or didn’t we provide critical programs and services? Did we or didn’t we get that project done on time and on budget? And in all of those three areas, I feel in spite of the budgetary challenges, in spite of the challenge ineconomic environment, I’m very proud of those initiatives. For example, we just opened up the West Hawai‘i Civic Center. Beautiful community and civic center. $50.5 million. Largest public project in the history of the county. Broke ground January, 2009, on taking office, instructed everybody this project comes inon time. This project comes in on budget. No if, but, ands. We’ve had a couple of healthy, spirited conversations with multiple parties along the way. That project came in on time,on budget. West Hawai‘i Emergency Shelter, the first emergency shelter built in West Hawai‘i, on time, within budget. Carol Ignacio said she waited 20 years for that. She said she had black hair when the project started. But I’m honored and privileged to serve. Born and raised on this island. I raised my three beautiful children here, coach here, teach here. I’m going to die here. It’s not a job, it’s a stepping stone to somewhere else. It’s an honor and a privilege, and I want to recognize that gift of leadership that I’ve been presented with for a short period of time. Are we getting it done? We secured $115 million to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act or ARRA. The State of Hawai‘i got $125 million for road and infrastructure. Of the $125 million, $46million or 38% came to Hawai‘i Island. I’m very proud of the advocacy. $11 million went for Hamakua road and bridge repair. $35 million to the Ane Keohokalole Hwy. in Kona. All the mayor’s laughed at me and said, Billy, this is use it or loose it funds. You have to plan, design, engineer, NEPA level EA 106 classification, a road in Kona? You know you’re going to hit burials. I said I know I’m going to hit burials. They said you’re never going to build a road. 40 years they haven’t built a road in Kona. We got it done in 12 months. Plan, design, engineer, NEPA level EA 106 classification, burial council approval even when we hit iwi kupuna and burials because we went and we talked to everybody ahead of time. We didn’t act like it was a surprise. We asked everybody and the kupuna or the ahupuaa, what do we do when we hit a iwi kupuna? And that project is moving. People in Hilo go, why the big deal about Ane Keohokalole Highway? What is that? I said, try imagine Hilo without Kilauea or Kinoole. That’s the Ane Keohokalole. Cause all you’ve got is Mamalahoa and Queen Kaahumanu. Then you got Kaiminani, Hinalani and Palani. That’s like having only Haihai, Mohouli and Waianuenue, and Kanoelehua and Komohana, nothing else. Imagine getting around Hilo. That’s why the frustration in Kona. But that’s projects that are moving. Projects that are happening. And it’s key. You know a lot of times we talking about budget, and I can rattle off the numbers because I memorized them, you know, because we sit constantly. That’s why it’s amazing. I sit with the smartest people I can find on this island for minimum of six months. Almost every week, where’re we at? What’s the tax appraisal? What can we cut? What’s the program? We restrict all hiring. You have to go through an expenditure review committee to buy something or to travel. We have a personnel review committee before you’re allowed to hire or fill a position. I have a whole list in here. I can go through all the cuts we’ve made and really bore you and tell you piece by 7