2019-02-14 (draft) Cost of Government Commission minutes

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Cost of Government Commission February 14, 2019 meeting minutes Larson: That is why I also have the general suggestions where number 2 for general recommendations on page 2 where it says many financial difficulties with Hawaii County have been solved by other (?) who may be very willing to share their successful programs with Hawaii. Hawaii County should be open minded when looking for solutions to financial issues research implemented by other media (?) and other counties and states, should be the first step at solving the issues with Hawaii County not the last one after we have made mistakes and we are so buried. The planning department is horribly buried with reports of over a year in the planning department. That is dysfunctional that is completely dysfunctional and I don’t think there is very many people other than just the past year ones that say I got to get a plumbing permit to put in a sink, those things pop right through pretty quick they show up in a couple 3 weeks but comparatively that is pretty difficult for a construction, improvements modifications, tax rolls to move forward at any type of pace whatsoever to recover. What did the mayor say? 5 million in tax rolls we lost so recovering that what the current rate is, is probably going to be an extremely painful and long task and I hope that we would take some aggressive moves. On the mayors and councils part to alleviate that because we had a difficult enough time putting together this last budget. And that includes the 5 million dollar fall and the huge decrease in visitor ship and GT tax and so on and so forth this should ne the #1 and that is sort of why I put it as the number 1 best financial aid to the county on the report so I guess that is all I have to say on that. (39:22): I have a question, does the planning department put out some kind of criteria for what they would consider permitable. I mean it is like if I want to build something I go in there and I have my ID I have my plans but I haven’t maybe taken into consideration what the county will not approve. Ross: Yes there is all sorts of zoning rules and regulations those are well known by the people in the construction trade mostly their responsibility for that is with the their required architect the architect is required to plea an approvable drawing for the process and that is one thing that Hawaii county requires over and above a lot of other county’s in the united states that require a Hawaii county architect to approve those Hawaii architect to approve those (40:46): Who approves the variance is it planning or DPW? (40:53): If it is a zoning variance then the Planning director but Jones: Any other comments or questions for the Planning bullet (41:07): So what is the bottom line? For revenue enhancement expense, reduction Ross: It is revenue enhancement. I have no idea how to quantify it my statement was the result in county budget belief is only limited by the extent of the planning department and I guess the department of public works can allow the tax rolls to regrow and that is what it is they are allowing it to. Property tax rolls 9