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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0717.033 2004-2006 ooJ~?Y.•` hew, „ ~t,i,,;,~ Patricia G. Engelhard Director Harry Kim ~ ~ Mayor ~ _ _yn :r ; -r Pamela N. Mizuno ,f• Of ~N•~ Deputy Director ~uuntp of ~a~ai' i DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION 101 Pauahi Street, Suite 6 • Hilo, Hawaii 96720 (808) 961-8311 • Fax (808) 961-8411 Opening Remarks for P&R Budget Hearing - 3/31/06 Thank you for allowing a few minutes to highlight our Programs and initiatives. With me today are Pam Mizuno, Deputy Director, Dee Ann Sadayasu, Accountant and James Komata, Park Planner. Over the lean years, we have submitted status quo budgets and encouraged community groups and individuals to help us with maintaining facilities. Throughout the island, we have had good response to our pleas and people have come forward to assist us, to the point where our Friends of the Park program is doing better than ever. We have wonderful partners like • Fred Blas who built and maintains Kahakai Park in Hawaiian Beaches and was recently nominated for a Jefferson Award and will be receiving it with Pam Mizuno next week. But Fred is not alone. We have Jean Curtis and the Friends of the Zoo, • Mike Robinson and the East Hawaii Rotary Clubs building Kuhio-Kalanianaole Park on Reeds Bay, • Skibs and Whitey who maintain Honolii Beach Park, • Every Fire Recruit Class does a project with us in Hilo, • We have Robin Lamson and the Friends of Kahuku Park in Ocean View, • Chris Hashimoto with KUPA at Hookena, The Lions Club at Higashihara Park in Kona, • Phil Tinguely, Ed Rapoza at the Friends of Waiaha at Honl's, Phil Tinguely will start the Outdoor Basketball Courts at Kailua Park soon. • We have the Hanato brothers at West Hawaii Veterans Cemetery, along with Richard Stevens who is reforesting the pu'u above the Cemetery, folks in Kohala who have helped at Kamehameha Park over the years. • We have Walter Mosch and the Little League group building dug outs at Honoka'a Park, • and the Friends of Honokaa Pool, which rerouted the circulation system to keep the pool operational. • This just names a few of those who help us. We have so many helpers that we are unable to get materials and supplies to them fast enough. Comm. No.-~ ••-?-.7.. Ref. Todp1O~*'~ 1~ Gi ~c Ref. Uate. ~(~lih The majority of our work over the next several years will be ADA improvements to our existing facilities. Our court mandate was to get the work done between 2000 and 2010. However, because of the construction boom we are battling with: 1) not enough design consultants to get the work out to bid, 2) consultants inexperience with ADA requirements, and 3) bids that are coming in much higher than initially anticipated. So, we have asked for an extension until 2013. Corp Counsel will soon be asking for funding for a consultant to assure the accessibility of our projects. Some of our more active areas are: • We will be acquiring Old Airport State Park soon, adding 85 acres to our inventory and doubling the acreage we are maintaining in North South Kona. We are asking for 6 new positions to cover that site and others in Kona. The Honu'apo Acquisition is moving ahead. • We recently acquired Honl's/Waiaha Beach Park. • Isaac Hale Beach Park at Pohoiki in Puna is out to bid now. • ADA improvements to Kailua Park are out to bid now. • Laupahoehoe Point Gym improvements bids have been opened. The apparent low bid is $235K more than anticipated. Coconut Island ADA and waste water system bids have been opened. The apparent low bid is $600K more than anticipated. However, in spite of the flurry of activity, our facilities continue to be inadequate both in numbers and in maintenance. We have at least two pavilions closed, one and Kolekole and another at Onekahakaha. We are unable to rebuild them and unable to tear them down because of the special handling that is needed for the materials used to build them years ago. Our older gyms need painting and re-roofing. Even our newer gyms have their problems. Aquatics will again run its very popular Jr. Lifeguard program and Novice Swim programs. We have four new lifeguard towers in Hilo and three in Kona with a fourth, for Kahaluu, which is here and soon to be installed. We are refurbishing another tower for Ahalanui in lower Puna. Then we will only need new towers for Magic Sands and Spencer Park. They are both functional for the present. Our swimming pools are also functioning, some of them just barely. We are unable to staff Konawaena but we keep trying. Kawamoto Pool -needs new filters and piping at a cost of about $300K. The pool basin also needs painting. NAS- Pool basin needs to be resurfaced and a new gutter system is needed that will recycle the water. Pahoa Pool - operating fine except every time the power goes out, the pump stops and the pool dumps a few feet of water. It takes time to refill the pool and get the pump primed. The power goes out an average of 2 times a month. Water Supply and others have tried to help with trouble County of NowaPi is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer. shooting. The plans have been sent to Hawaii Engineering in Honolulu so that they can propose a solution and a cost. Pahala Pool - finished overhaul in September. It is fine. Konawaena - Scheduled for refurbishing in our CIP @ $1.175 Mil KCAC- Contract for replacing the pumps has been let for $115K. The heaters/chillers need to be replaced. Kohala- Needs a complete overhaul Honokaa- Needs to be rebuilt completely. Laupahoehoe Needs a new basin. Recreation is expanding its summer fun program and has many interesting new programs such as the Night at the Zoo, featured earlier this week in the Tribune Herald, and an ocean learning over-nighter. Elderly Activities continues to provide chore services, transportation, referrals and nutrition for the frail elderly as well as bowling, softball, golf and hula for our more active elderly. We have the largest RSVP program in the state. We also provide work experience through the Senior Employment Program. Culture and Arts continues to run special programs such as the Cherry Blossom Festival and the Liliuokalani Festival as well as classes in art, dance and cultural pursuits. This fiscal year Culture and Arts produced the 100rh Anniversary celebration exhibit at Aupuni Center and at the King Kamehameha Hotel. We expect all of our vacant positions to be filled this year or in this coming fiscal year. Before the end of this fiscal year we will also be coming in for a budget increase to convert the Hawaii County Band and the West Hawaii Band to Civil Service status, effective July 1, 2006. That concludes our opening remarks. We will be happy to answer any questions you have now. County of Hawaii is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer.