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Ms. Nicholson asked who is involved in long -range planning efforts, whether it involved <br />only department heads or the department as a whole. Ms. Beck said that as part of the Technical <br />Services staff, she herself does long -range planning for CIF's. She also projects out her staffing <br />needs for each fiscal year to see how many projects can get done that year. She puts this <br />information on the CIP list, which goes to the Council to request approval. She does not know <br />the specifics on how the other DEM divisions plan. She just does her job and reports to the <br />department head with her plan. <br />Ms. Nicholson asked if the director integrates all the plans from the divisions, and Ms. <br />Beck said yes. <br />Ms. Nicholson asked whether there was a lot of overlap between the divisions in terms of <br />physical or personnel resources. Ms. Beck explained that Technical Services is supposed to <br />provide staff resources to support the Wastewater and Solid Waste divisions. She said she is <br />suggesting to the director now that all the engineers come under Technical Services so that they <br />can more efficiently address projects from each division, rather than having an engineer in Solid <br />Waste and another in Wastewater. She said when projects are in separate divisions, it is hard to <br />know what each other is dong. If they were all in the hub of the wheel, it would be easier to <br />control. <br />Mr. Sakaguchi asked why computerization is taking so long, that the left and right hands <br />should know what each other is doing. Every department seems to be stuck in some way. Some <br />do not have equipment, while others have software problems. Ms. Beck said she did not know <br />how to answer that. <br />Mr. Sakaguchi said that with a good computerized system, there is no reason the DEM <br />can't deal with a consultant who lives in London. He explained that every day he spends two <br />hours correcting English papers from students who are 9,000 miles away. He does not need to <br />see the students. <br />Mr. Sakaguchi asked what kind of projects the DEM needs six engineers for, and Ms. <br />Beck said for CIF's, new projects. She said there are projects that have been pushed back, such <br />as sewering parts of Hilo. Mr. Sakaguchi questioned whether there would be enough work for <br />six engineers over the next 25 years, as once a project is done, it is done. He said you could <br />privatize by going with consultants, and this way would not have to keep engineers busy if they <br />don't have the work. <br />Ms. Beck said the engineers are needed mostly to catch up, but said that there is a lot of <br />development happening on the Kona side. Mr. Sakaguchi said that much of the development is <br />self - contained, with their own private systems. The Chair said that it depends where a <br />development is on the grid. If it is on the grid, it has to tie in. <br />Mr. Sakaguchi asked why Waikoloa has its own system, and the Chair explained that <br />Waikoloa is way off the grid, nowhere near a County sewer system. <br />7 <br />