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Home My WebLink AboutCOM 0521.002 2002-2004 A JM~r:~'~ ~~1y 4~•~'l j 7/i AL IU)NISHI CONS"DANCE R. KIRIU ('oiuvo (jerk Lcgis[alne dadtlnr .IAY MENDS ;.:y,:` c; J Uepary (~omrn= (jerk ~ os N• County of ~Hawai `i c ~ ~ Office of the County Clerk - ~ o 3~ .I upu~~i .SDree[ lliln. llu~saii 9h7?ll S Telephuite: (808/ Ih/-fi2i5 h~csiniile_ /808) JI>1-89/2 ~ _ CO _c N March 9, 2004 TO: Aaron S. Y. Chung, Chair and Members of the Committee on Finance FROM: Constance R. Kiriu, Legislative Aua~itgr'~:._ Jay Mende, Deputy County Clerk Rory Flynn, Fiscal/Program Review Auditor Rodney Oshiro, Legislative Analyst Susan Caseria, Legislative Assistant RE: Operating and Capital Budgets and Program Review Day One This is to transmit questions after reviewing Bill Nos. 237 and 238, relating to the Operating and Capital Budgets and Program. We apologize for the last minute submittal caused by the abbreviated review period. Accordingly, our questions/comments will be transmitted in phases-this one for the first day of the review. CAPITAL BUDGET With the exception of Fire's Naalehu Fire Station, Alae Cemetery Expansion, Kailua-Kona Senior Center, Replacement of Large Capacity Cesspools, West Hawaii County Building, several large capital projects do not provide O&M costs. These include the East Hawaii Regional Sort Station, Equipment Maintenance Facility for Environmental Management, Puna Police Station. • More details are needed for categories, such as Repair to Facilities (P,xisting Facility Impts)=$600,000, Repairs to Facilities (Culture & Recreation=$600.000; West/East Hawaii Drainage Impts $100,000 each. OPERATING BUDGET REVENUES 1. Account No.010-3202.03 (Building Permits) projects an increase of $300,000 from $1,500,000 to $1,800,000. Is this increase due to an increase in number of permits issued, fees, crnistruction valuation, or a combination of the three? (see related expenditure question) 2. Account No.010-3202.51 (Driver License Fees) projects an increase of $430,000 from $225,310 to $655,060. Is this increase due to an increase in number of licenses or fees? Comm. No. S~_ Ref. To:1'ressstad GL i2r;f. Uote ~"~A~--i~0~ 1 3. Account No. 010-3604.02 (Sale of Property) indicates a decrease (-$300,000). What properties remain to be sold? 4. Account No. 010-3609.10 (Reimbursements & Transfers-Fund Balance Previous Year shows an increase of $2 million. Is the policy to save or to spend the fund balance? If it is to spend, is solid waste the priority? 5. Account No.010-3401.46 (Environmental Management Dept Admin Charges) indicates a projected increase of $336,000. What was the cause of the increase? 6. Account No. 020-3104.01 (Highway Fund-Fuel Tax) indicates approximately $5? million increase. What is the back up plan if fuel tax increase is not adopted? 7. Why is the administration waiting until the end of April to forward the fuel tax increase proposal? It should be transmitted by the middle of March in order for discussion and justification to coincide with the budget review. 8. Account No. 030-3406.01 (Sewer Fund-Hilo Sewer Charges) indicates a decrease of $170,340. What is the cause of the decrease in revenues if anticipated average daily flow is the same as prior year (2J million gallons per day)? 9. FYI: Account No. 085-3408.01 (Solid Waste Fund-Landfill Tipping Fees) projects a $2.4 million increase and an increased General Fund subsidy of $2.4 million (Account No. 085-3609.1 I EXPENDITURES GENERAL 10. With the proposal to create 68 positions, excluding County Clerk (1), Fire (20 temps), what positions will be abolished? 11. Are there any plans to float another GO bond'? FINANCE Purchasine 12. Why does it take so long to purchase a new vehicle and under what objective does this type of action fall? Besides adding personnel, is there anything else that can be done to help facilitate this type or purchasing. It takes about'/: year for the vehicle to be delivered and the fiscal year is half over. 13. What are the advantages /disadvantages of the P-Card and how has it affected your operations? 14. If advertising bids in the newspaper are now optional, will it be discontinued and is there a corresponding decrease in expenditures? Treasury 15. There may be at least three additional improvement districts established in the near future. What will the division do to handle the work load? 2 Real Property 16. Have delinquencies increased? 17. What can be done, if anything, to lower average deviation of sales assessments? (see objective # I /highlights #2&3). 18. Please explain what "co-efficient of dispersion" means (see objective #2/Highlight #4 & 5). Are 14.02% and 16.50% positive or negative indicators? MISCELLANEOUS 19. What is the cause of the $188,000 increase in Unemployment Compensation (Account No. 010-591 1.91)? PLANNING 20. Long-Range Planning Objective # I (a): Strives for adoption of the updated General Plan, regional planning in districts with high growth rates, or comprehensive open space planning by June 2005. How will these be funded? Please identify expenditure accounts. 21. Infrastructure Planning Objective # I (b): "Develop a planning tool and process such as an official roadway map to plan major future roadways, develop multimodal transportation plans for districts with high growth rates, or initiate studies on impact fees or other innovative financing by June 2005." How will these projects be funded? Please identity expenditure accounts. 22. Are the following applications being processed in accordance with time requirements set forth by law: ohana permits, plan approval, subdivisions, change of zones, special permits, use permits, PUDs, farm dwelling agreements, e[c? Recommend program measures be tied to processing times as indicative of the level of service provided. 23. Program highlights state that a public access inventory and rules were developed. What is the public availability of the public access inventory? How does this dovetail with Chapter 34 or other laws? Have the rules been adopted? If not, what is the timeframe for adoption and implementation of Chapter 34, HCC? 24. According to Public Works program proposal, house number functions have been transferred to the Planning Department. What is the timeframe for submitting a house numbering bill to the Council? House numbering improves the delivery of county, state, federal, utility, and business services. 25. Grant notification and/or tnal reporting is incomplete for the following: 2001-2002 Federal and State CZM No notification or final report received. 2001-2002 Federal PY2002 SPR Program Final Report to Council due 10/30/02 2002-2003 Federal and State CZM No notification or final report received. 2002-2003 Flood Hazard Mitigation No notification or final report received. 2002-2003 Pre-Disaster Mitigation- 3 GIS Spatial Growth Model No notification or final report received. AGING 26. In the past, 7 of 9 positions were funded by the County, and 2 were grant-funded. This year proposes to fund the 2grant-funded employees with County funds. Why? Has a program been eliminated? What is the philosophy behind County-funded employees in view of the over $100,000 increase in grant revenues? 27. What is the number one problem facing the office and how is it being solved? 28. OCE has increased $159,000, specifically Miscellaneous Contract Services. Are we expanding services (i.e. Kapuna Care, Caregiver Network, Legal Services); adding new services (i.e. Senior Opportunities/Services, Information & Assistance), or decreasing services (Caregiver Program/Support, Partners in Elder Care, Public Information)? How is the increase being funded? FIRE DEPARTMENT 29. The recently released Fire Department Strategic Plan stated a program output goal of conducting a "Firefighter Recruit training of 30 new hires by March, 2004." Has that number of new recruits been hired and trained? 30. What is the number of trained firefighters needed to assure operational safety of all fire companies islandwide? 31. With the proposed filling of 30 new positions for the Kalaoa and Kilauea Military Camp stations, are there remaining, critical manpower shortages at other stations? 32. Aside from the new hires proposed for Kalaoa and KMC, the budget worksheets show a total of 92 other vacant positions. How serious is this pattern of understaffing and what strategic budget plan is required to fill vacancies in the coming years? 33. Has there been an analysis of combining fire and police dispatch services similar to Maui and Kauai Counties? PUBLIC WORKS Buildine 34. Program objectives # l: Complete the plan review of 90% of residential permits within 10 days. 6-month status report indicates plan review is taking between 3-5 weeks between East and West Hawaii, and that more staffing is needed to help with residential plan review and building and electrical inspections. With the increase in revenues generated by building, electrical and plumbing permits, what consideration has been given to adding another position to expedite plan review/inspections? The permit issuance relates to a number of issues: individual financing, code compliance or non-compliance, quality of life, and county revenues. From an employee risk management perspective, DPW indicates overtimes "is now in its second year and it is starting to take its toll. We need more inspectors especially on the West side of the island." 35. When and how did the house numbering function get transferred from Building to Planning? With the transfer of this responsibility, what effect will this have on the division and the position? 4 36. What is the status and action plan for submitting the comprehensive Building Code amendments? What issues are causing its delay? 37. Account No. 010-231-5232.06 (Protective Inspection) shows an increase of $199,000 for 8 vehicles. Please explain need. Eneineerin¢ 38. What plans are there for filling the 4 vacant engineering positions? 39. Please explain the increase of $ 110,000 in S&W since there has been no request for additional employees? 40. We note that there have been no grant revenues earmarked for the administration of federally funded projects. Could the County be reimbursed for the administrative functions required to perform the projects or do funds go totally for planning/design/construction contracts 41. Please explain the details of Flood Plain Management Program, its legal authority, and program budgeting. 42. Please show justification for all positions funded by fuel tax increase. 43. Are miscellaneous contracts expected to increase substantially due to the fuel tax increase? cc: Harry Kim, Mayor Dixie Kaetsu, Managing Director Bill Takaba, Finance Director Gary Takemura, Budget Administrator Chris Yuen, Planning Director Alan Parker, Executive on Aging Darryl Oliveira, Fire Chief Bruce McClure, Public Works Director 5