HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0942.001 1998-2000 • •
October 30, 2000
To: Honorable Jame Arakaki Chairperson and Members of the County Council; cfr C%
From: Art Sanbei
Re: Resolution 327, creation of plumber position w /in Parks Maintenance . -
Late last week I learned of this resolution that was introduced by P &R administration toy
create a new full-time plumber's position w /in our division. Having served a s / apervi or ofo
P &R's Building Maintenance Section since January 1995, I have intimate knowledge ate'
understanding of the true state of affairs regarding plumbing needs w /in our departme nit. ¶D
Until May 1998 when our division was reorganized, the plumber was under the o 0
supervision of my position. O ---
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The purpose of my writing this memo is to convince you that to create such a position nuld j
only serve to bloat the county's payroll w/ an unnecessary employee. This concerns me
because as a taxpayer I loath seeing public monies squandered in what is deemed =.to be cp -
wasteful, thoughtless and unjustifiable expenditures. In order to obtain a clear picture of the
existing condition, please know the following:
1. In our division, tasks are assigned through work orders. A form is completed and
submitted by anyone who recognizes or desires a need for repairs at his/her respective
facility or area of responsibility. These forms are dutifully recorded in the Parks
Maintenance office and those assigned to the Building Maintenance section are also
recorded in our own logs.
2. Typical plumbing work orders. Most work orders are for minor repairs e.g., leaking
faucets, or clogged fixtures, running toilets, stripped faucet handles, replacement of
toilet seats, faucets, shower heads, various types of valves, pressure regulators, toilet
flush handles, repair of pipe leaks, etc. These are all one -man, in -and -out jobs, many of
which can be accomplished w /in a single work shift. Those jobs which would merit help
include replacement of service piping and facility rough -ins where trenching and other
labor;type jobs are required. One of the largest jobs accomplished in recent times, for
example was replacement of water pipes at the Alae Cemetery. Machine operators, truck
drivers, park caretakers, laborers, a Building Maintenance Repairer were made available
for support. The plumber's primary job was layout, making up stand pipes and making
connections with couplings. A similar job, but of much smaller scale, was accomplished
at Kolekole Beach Park with the same type of help provided. The point is that one
plumber was all that was required and jobs of this scale are far and few between. Also,
once done, these new plastic and copper pipes will last for generations because they do
not corrode as the old galvanized piping does. Retrofitting with modern pipes at various
facilities has been on -going as the need arises. There are still some facilities which need
to be tended to but as progress is made, the number of work orders needed for pipe
leaks due to corrosion should approach zero.
3. Nature of emergencies. A clogged or leaking fixture does not create an emergency
situation. These can be individually shut down while other lavatories and toilets are still
available for public utilization. A ruptured water main or clogged waste line, on the
other hand, does constitute an emergency situation in that no fixtures are available for
use and the restroom facility must be shut down. The only time two plumbers would be
a plus in this situation would be if there were two separate but simultaneous
emergencies. It would be interesting to learn when or if this has ever happened. In my
time in the county, over 13 years, I cannot recall a single such happening. It would be
much cheaper to hire a contractor to handle one of the problems should this ever occur,
Comm, No. / L I 2 - • O o /
File No P o 5
ltd. To: P / c ,. ,
Ref. Date OCT 3 0 2OOb
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rather than carrying a second plumber and his tools, equipment and vehicle on the
payroll and budget.
4. Vandalism. One of the frustrating aspects of working in Parks Maintenance is dealing w/
the senseless acts of vandalism which adds to the work load. To witness the repetitive
destruction wreaked upon facilities which you work so hard to maintain can be
extremely disheartening. Parks Maintenance has taken steps to curb vandalism by
installing locking metal gates at entrances of problem facilities. This, together w/ vehicle
gates and a campaign to raise the public's awareness of the problem should help to lesson
the work load in this area.
5. The bottom line. As noted in point #1 above, work orders are recorded in a log
maintained w /in the Building Maintenance Section. The following hard facts should give
you the clearest picture of the actual work load on the plumber's position:
• For the period of about 3 years, from October 3, 1997 through October 10, 2000, one
thousand, one hundred thirty one, (1,131) work orders were received. These were
assigned numbers P-6646 to P -7776 in the logs, in case you want to requisition for a
copy of the appropriate section of the log through Parks Maintenance. Of these, 927
were assigned to our plumber based in the S. Hilo baseyard. The remaining 204 work
orders were completed by our Building Maintenance Repairer in Kona and a few were
cancelled for various reasons. Based on 21 work days per month, this breaks down
to 1.23 work orders received per work day. ONE POINT TWO THREE.
Some hard and direct questions need to be answered before the creation of this new position
is allowed to happen.
• What plumbing repairs and projects need more than one knowledgeable and skilled
employee to complete the required tasks'?
• What is the problem in having the plumber request assistance from others w/ limited
skills? Can you detail problems w/ the help that was experienced by the plumber in the
past? In a work force of hundreds of persons is it not possible to find competent help? Is
reading a tape rule, turning wrenches, trenching and lifting that complicated?
• Given the statistic of 1.23 work orders received per work day and understanding the
nature of the vast majority of these work orders, please explain how a backlog of repairs
and installations —this 'tremendous overload " – has accumulated in the past two and a
half years. Please provide a list of these pending jobs and their dates of origination.
• Where and when has lack of timely response to a plumbing work order negatively
impacted P&R activities or facilities?
• What kind of 'technical support" is lacking which contributes to the plumber's
frustration? Would this new position provide 'technical support"?
• Why would there be an Increasing need" to repair, replace and upgrade plumbing
systems as they get older'? Isn't maintenance and repairs performed as needed? The rate
of repairs and need for upgrade should lessen as new, modern pipes and fixtures are
installed as is being done at the present time.
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