2006-07-20 Cost of Government Commission Minutes

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developed a form that realtors need to submit to buyers, with information about whether the road is maintained by the County, so the buyers will know about it in advance. Mr. Nakasone also said he prepared an estimate on what maintaining the roads in limbo will cost. He does not know if the Council has reviewed the information yet. However, his Division is preparing themselves for the prospect of taking over the roads in limbo and buying equipment. They will need to spend money to develop the roads in limbo. The Chair asked whether it made sense to Mr. Nakasone to consolidate the Highway Division into the Traffic Division. Mr. Nakasone said if you look at it on paper, it seems to make sense. However, he does not feel they should pay someone more money to oversee them in a system that is not broken. It might work to share clerical resources, but the functions of the two divisions are very different. Mr. Joseph asked whether anyone in the Highway Division is assigned the regular use of a County vehicle, and he said that he and the five overseers are. The cars are needed to respond in emergencies. They also have to carry cell phones and pagers. If they have to use the equipment on their non -work time, they get stand -by pay. The commissioners had no further questions, and Mr. Nakasone said he had one: Why was he there? The Chair explained that it is the COGC's task to evaluate as many departments as they can, the whole County if possible, so they can make suggestions to the Mayor or the Council on what would make the various departments more efficient. The COGC is trying to determine how to better the efficiency of the County, which is why they asked the departments for suggestions. Mr. Nakasone said he is the wrong guy to ask. If he is given a budget, he will work within the budget. He sometimes will make sacrifices for the following year. He says he feels responsible for his employees and wants the best for them. He wants them to feel they are doing something good that will benefit their family and friends. He said that whenever a new mayor takes office, they may go back a couple of rungs on the ladder, or they may go up a few rungs with another mayor. He sometimes feels the managing director should not be an appointed position. The job should be to make sure the County functions as it should. Performance needs to be extended. He would like to see, in all divisions, a standard of performance. His division has a standard of performance for everything they do. Some divisions only do six or seven projects during the year, yet they ask for more employees. Because you ask for new employees, you should have a standard. There needs to be a level you have to try to reach. If an employee is not doing his job, why hire another one to help? The one who is not doing the job should be checked out. There should be standards for all employees so that no matter who becomes mayor, the standard won't go backwards. Mr. Nakasone said the managing director should have that position. Each department has a director and a deputy director, and the deputy should be a civil servant. This would keep the standard of performance there. It is not good when both have to step down when a mayor leaves, as two more people have to come in and learn the job all over again. By the time they learn it, it is their turn to step down. He believes deputy directors and managing directors should be in the system. There should be standards of performance for everyone, no matter who becomes mayor. 7