REP FC 079 2019/11/05 2018-2020 - Laserfiche WebLink

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REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON FINANCE DATE: November 5, 2019 Re: Comm. No. 555/Res. No. 363-19 PLACE: Council Chambers Hilo, Hawaii TIME: 11:35 a.m. Council Chair and Members Hawaii County Council Hilo, Hawaii 96720 Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred Resolution No. 363-19, reports as follows: Resolution No. 363-19, transmitted by Finance Director Deanna Sako, via Communication No. 555 dated October 18, 2019, transfers/appropriates an appropriation out and from a designated fund account and credits same to a designated fund account. This resolution transfers $2,079,110.50 from the Finance Administration & Budget Salaries and Wages account and credits to various department's Salaries and Wages accounts, for overtime costs associated with the first quarter of Fiscal Year 2019-2020. Council Member Susan L.K. Lee Loy questioned Finance Director Deanna Sako regarding the approximately$1 million in overtime for the fire department. Ms. Sako responded that it is typical in any given year and that part of this amount also includes Emergency Medical Services (EMS). In addition, Ms. Sako noted that the fire department is short on employees at this time,however, as positions are filled at the various stations, it is hopeful that the overtime will be less. Ms. Lee Loy asked if the overtime is due to rank for rank or because of contractual bargaining unit agreements given that there were no disasters within that time period. Ms. Sako explained that some of it is attributed to the department's presence on Mauna Kea, and part of it is rank for rank,because when a firefighter is out sick or on vacation, the department has to cover the position rank for rank. Also, she noted that firefighters may be called back to work in times of a natural disaster. Council Member Herbert M. "Tim" Richards, III, stated he is bothered by the fact that there is so much overtime within the fire department. Ms. Sako responded that even if the fire department was not short staffed, and every position was filled, people would still have vacation and sick leave and their absence would have to be covered through overtime. Fire Chief Darren Rosario commented that they had been tasked with their overtime report and were 100 percent transparent. $1.6 million is a normal overtime amount for the department because the majority of overtime shown in the report is contractual overtime for things such as paid holidays. Chief Rosario explained it is divided it into controllable overtime and non-controllable overtime. When the contractual overtime is taken out, that leaves manageable overtime for the 470 plus employees which amounts to about $1,000 for the whole year per position. He also explained the overtime is driven by emergencies, search and rescue, and wildfires. In the long run it may look like overtime,however, FC Report No. 79