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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMIN FC 2020/08/04 2018-2020 Committee on Finance 37th Session Hawaii County Building 25 Aupuni Street Hilo, Hawaii August 4, 2020 CALL TO The regular meeting of the Committee on Finance was called to order at ORDER: 9:03 a.m. in the Council Chambers, Hilo, by Ms. Maile Medeiros David, Chair. ROLL CALL: Present: Ms. Maile Medeiros David, Chair (via videoconference from Kona) Mr. Aaron S. Y. Chung, Member Ms. Karen Eoff, Member (via videoconference from Kona) Mr. Matt Kaneali`i-Kleinfelder, Member Ms. Ashley L. Kierkiewicz, Member Ms. Susan L. K. Lee Loy, Member Ms. Rebecca Villegas, Member (videoconference from Kona) Absent& Excused: Ms. Valerie T. Poindexter, Member Mr. Herbert M. "Tim" Richards, III, Vice Chair STATEMENTS The Chair directed the Committee to proceed to the next order of business, FROM THE Statements from the Public on Agenda Items. PUBLIC ON AGENDA ITEMS: (There were none.) CHR. DAVID: Alright, then we'll just proceed with the agenda this morning. Mr. Clerk, can you read in, please, Communication 9.24? COMMUNI- The Chair directed the Committee to proceed to the next order of business, CATIONS: Communications. Comm. 9.24: MONTHLY BUDGET STATUS REPORT FOR THE MONTH ENDED MAY 31, 2020, FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE From Finance Director Deanna Sako, dated July 15, 2020, transmitting the above report pursuant to Hawaii County Charter Section 6-6.3(h). FC-37 August 4,2020 Vote on Comm. 9.24: Ms. Eoff moved to close file on Comm. 9.24. Seconded Filed by Ms. Villegas and carried by the following voice vote: Ayes: Committee Members Chung, Eoff, Kaneali`i-Kleinfelder, Kierkiewicz, Lee Loy, Villegas, and Chair David—7. Noes: None. Absent: Committee Members Poindexter and Richards —2. Excused: None. CHR. DAVID: Mr. Clerk, Communication 10.42. Comm. 10.42: REPORT OF CHANGE ORDERS AUTHORIZED: JUNE 16—30, 2020 From Finance Director Deanna Sako, dated July 7, 2020, transmitting the above report pursuant to Hawaii County Code Section 2-12.3. Vote on Comm. 10.42: Ms. Villegas moved to close file on Comm. 10.42. Filed Seconded by Ms. Eoff and carried by the following voice vote: Ayes: Committee Members Chung, Eoff, Kaneali`i-Kleinfelder, Kierkiewicz, Lee Loy, Villegas, and Chair David—7. Noes: None. Absent: Committee Members Poindexter and Richards —2. Excused: None. CHR. DAVID: Mr. Clerk, Communication 11.35. Comm. 11.35: REPORT OF FUND TRANSFERS AUTHORIZED: JUNE 16—30, 2020 From Controller Kay Oshiro, dated July 16, 2020. Vote on Comm. 11.35: Ms. Eoff moved to close file on Comm. 11.35. Seconded Filed by Ms. Villegas and carried by the following voice vote: Ayes: Committee Members Chung, Eoff, Kaneali`i-Kleinfelder, Kierkiewicz, Lee Loy, Villegas, and Chair David—7. Noes: None. Absent: Committee Members Poindexter and Richards —2. Excused: None. CHR. DAVID: Mr. Clerk, Communication 57.5. Page 2 FC-37 August 4,2020 Comm. 57.5: THIRD QUARTER CLAIMS REPORT: JANUARY 1 —MARCH 31, 2020 From Claims Investigator/Adjustor Clifford D. Victorine III, dated July 7, 2020, transmitting the above report pursuant to Section 2-9 of the Hawaii County Code. Vote on Comm. 57.5: Ms. Eoff moved to close file on Comm. 57.5. Seconded Filed by Ms. Villegas and carried by the following voice vote: Ayes: Committee Members Chung, Eoff, Kaneali`i-Kleinfelder, Kierkiewicz, Lee Loy, Villegas, and Chair David—7. Noes: None. Absent: Committee Members Poindexter and Richards —2. Excused: None. CHR. DAVID: Mr. Clerk, Communication 57.6,please. Comm. 57.6: FOURTH QUARTER CLAIMS REPORT: APRIL 1 —JUNE 30, 2020 From Claims Investigator/Adjustor Clifford D. Victorine III, dated July 7, 2020, transmitting the above report pursuant to Section 2-9 of the Hawaii County Code. Vote on Comm. 57.6: Ms. Eoff moved to close file on Comm. 57.6. Seconded Filed by Ms. Villegas and carried by the following voice vote: Ayes: Committee Members Chung, Eoff, Kaneali`i-Kleinfelder, Kierkiewicz, Lee Loy, Villegas, and Chair David—7. Noes: None. Absent: Committee Members Poindexter and Richards —2. Excused: None. CHR. DAVID: Mr. Clerk, Communication 62.8. Comm. 62.8: FOURTH QUARTER REPORT OF PERSONS EMPLOYED UNDER A CONTRACT FOR LESS THAN 90 DAYS: APRIL 1 —JUNE 30, 2020 From Human Resources Director William V. Brilhante, Jr., dated July 1, 2020, transmitting the above report pursuant to Section 2-12.5 of the Hawaii County Code. Motion to Close File: Ms. Eoff moved to close file on Comm. 62.8. Seconded by Ms. Villegas. MR. CHUNG: Maile? Page 3 FC-37 August 4,2020 CHR. DAVID: Yes? Chair Chung, go ahead. MR. CHUNG: Yeah, maybe if I can call Deanna up here. I don't know if she's the person to ask because this really is from Mr. Brilhante, from Human Resources. CHR. DAVID: Right. Thank you. Go ahead. (Note: At this time, Finance Director Deanna Sako came forward to address the members of the Committee.) MR. CHUNG: Again, you don't have to answer this. If you can, but. You know, I've been asked by certain, you know, several people about whether persons who are employed under these types of short-term contracts, right, 89-days right, basically, whether after their contract is over if they're entitled to apply for unemployment? MS. SAKO: Most likely, yes. There are a lot of different criteria with the unemployment office, so we don't know in the end what unemployment will do. It's not up to us to say whether they qualify or not, but some of them may go and apply. MR. CHUNG: And this is something that's created State law, right? MS. SAKO: The unemployment? MR. CHUNG: This 89 MS. SAKO: Oh, 89-day contract, yes. Correct, yeah. MR. CHUNG: Yeah. This kind of flies in the face of reason, really. I mean, and it's really magnified by this type of situation that we're going through, where a lot of full-time employees MS. SAKO: Yeah. MR. CHUNG: You know, longtime employees have been let go. Do you know if any persons who we've contracted with and who are no longer working have applied for—you don't have to say names or anything but do you know? MS. SAKO: Sometimes they do, but there's a minimum period they have to work, and that's what I can't remember. MR. CHUNG: Oh, okay. MS. SAKO: So a lot of them have not qualified. Many will go apply, but several will not qualify. And if they do qualify, they look back two or three years to look Page 4 FC-37 August 4,2020 at their work history, and the claims are prorated based on that. So if we hire somebody on an 89-day contract, and prior to that,the rest of the two-year period, the fact they were somewhere else, that employer would get most of the unemployment claim towards their account. MR. CHUNG: But if a person have recurring 89-day contracts over the last few years, it might count? MS. SAKO: It could count, but it has to be a consecutive period; and I want to say you have to have where it's six months, or nine months, or something. There's some minimum period. So most of the time, they don't qualify if it's only an 89-day contract. MR. CHUNG: Okay. Okay, but maybe we can find out from Mr. MS. SAKO: Yeah, we'll find out the exact term. MR. CHUNG: Yeah, alright. You don't have to follow up. I'll talk to Bill. MS. SAKO: Okay. MR. CHUNG: Thank you very much. CHR. DAVID: Thank you, Chair Chung. Anyone in Hilo have any questions? Seeing none, all those in favor,please say "aye." Vote on Comm. 62.8: The motion to close file on Comm. 62.8 was carried by Filed the following voice vote: Ayes: Committee Members Chung, Eoff, Kaneali`i-Kleinfelder, Kierkiewicz, Lee Loy, Villegas, and Chair David—7. Noes: None. Absent: Committee Members Poindexter and Richards —2. Excused: None. CHR. DAVID: Thank you, Mr. Clerk. Can you please proceed with Order of Resolutions? Resolution 698-20. ORDER OF The Chair directed the Committee to proceed to the next order of business, RESOLUTIONS: Order of Resolutions. Page 5 FC-37 August 4,2020 Res. 698-20: CREATES TWO NEW CULTURAL TECHNICIAN POSITIONS FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF PARKS & RECREATION Establishes one full-time and one half-time position to provide natural, cultural, and historical interpretive information of Waipi`o Valley and monitor vehicles accessing the road. Reference: Comm. 1017 Intr. by: Ms. David (B/R) Motion to Approve: Ms. Eoff moved to recommend adoption of Res. 698-20. Seconded by Ms. Villegas. CHR. DAVID: And I believe we have Mr. Sewake in chambers in Hilo, if anyone has any questions. So Councilmembers, do you have any questions regarding this resolution? Seeing none, alright all those in MR. CHUNG: Maile? CHR. DAVID: Yes? MR. CHUNG: So were on 698-20? CHR. DAVID: Yes. MR. CHUNG: Yeah, maybe if I can call Deanna up again. CHR. DAVID: Sure, go ahead, Chair Chung. MR. CHUNG: Sorry. CHR. DAVID: No, no. No problem, go ahead. (Note: At this time, Finance Director Deanna Sako came forward to address the members of the Committee.) MR. CHUNG: Deanna, you know, this obviously a very important task, right? But at the same time and given our situation MS. SAKO: Yes. MR. CHUNG: You know, we have to really you know, we're in a period of fiscal austerity really, right? MS. SAKO: Yes. Page 6 FC-37 August 4,2020 MR. CHUNG: And we should be looking towards that even not only now but, you know, going further. MS. SAKO: Yes. MR. CHUNG: Where are we going to get the money from this? MS. SAKO: So they're already budgeted. That we've been hiring them under contract for the last, I want to say, five years or so; and HR (Human Resources) is kind of like saying, "You can't keep doing the same thing on contract. You need to get a position for these people." So it's a cost we've already been incurring, and they are included in the budget for the coming year, in the current fiscal year. MR. CHUNG: Alright. So now they're going to be entitled to benefits and stuff, right? MS. SAKO: They were already. When you've worked more than six months or a certain period of time. MR. CHUNG: The same thing then? MS. SAKO: Same thing, it's not any different. MR. CHUNG: Okay. Okay, no effect on our budget whatsoever. MS. SAKO: There shouldn't be. MR. CHUNG: Now or going forward? MS. SAKO: Correct. MR. CHUNG: Okay, thank you. CHR. DAVID: Thank you for that, Chair Chung. And thank you, Director Sako. Anyone else have questions? Seeing none, all those in favor of approving Resolution 698-20, please say "aye." Vote on Res. 698-20: The motion to recommend adoption of Res. 698-20 was (Approved) approved by the following voice vote: Ayes: Committee Members Chung, Eoff, Kaneali`i-Kleinfelder, Kierkiewicz, Lee Loy, Villegas, and Chair David—7. Noes: None. Absent: Committee Members Poindexter and Richards —2. Excused: None. Page 7 FC-37 August 4,2020 CHR. DAVID: Mr. Clerk, Resolution 699-20, please. Res. 699-20: AUTHORIZES THE PAYMENT OF FUNDS OF A LATER FISCAL YEAR AND OF MORE THAN ONE FISCAL YEAR FOR A MULTI-YEAR LEASE FOR ONE COLOR COPY MACHINE FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT Authorizes the Mayor to enter into a five-year lease agreement with an approximate monthly cost of$112.50. The County would own the equipment at the end of the lease. Reference: Comm. 1018 Intr. by: Ms. David (B/R) Motion to Approve: Ms. Villegas moved to recommend adoption of Res. 699-20. Seconded by Ms. Eoff. CHR. DAVID: Any discussion or questions? Seeing none, this is quite self-explanatory, so all those in favor of approving Resolution 699-20, please say Ic aye. Vote on Res. 699-20: The motion to recommend adoption of Res. 699-20 was (Approved) carried by the following voice vote: Ayes: Committee Members Chung, Eoff, Kaneali`i-Kleinfelder, Kierkiewicz, Lee Loy, Villegas, and Chair David—7. Noes: None. Absent: Committee Members Poindexter and Richards —2. Excused: None. BILLS FOR The Chair directed the Committee to proceed to the next order of business, ORDINANCES: Bills for Ordinances. (There were none.) CHR. DAVID: And I believe that brings us to the end of our Finance agenda. Can I please have a motion to adjourn? Page 8