HomeMy WebLinkAbout08.11.22. COG Commission, Minutes. DRAF• -;. COST OF GOVERNMENT COMMISSION
c/o office of the Mayor, 25 Aupuni Street, Suite 2603 . Hilo, Hawaii 96720 •
COST OF GOVERNMENT COMMISSION
REGULAR MEETING MINUTES / August 11, 2022
INTERACTIVE CONFERENCE TECHNOLOGY (ICT): ZOOM WITH IN -PERSON
LOCATIONS FOR PUBLIC TESTIMONY PER AGENDA
[2:06 pm] III CALL TO ORDER
Chair Konowicz called the meeting to order with quorum.
ATTENDANCE
Present: D9
Michael Konowicz, Chair
D1
Neal Herbert, Vice Chair
D2
Matthias Kusch
D4
Maddie Green
D5
Shannon Matson
D6
Kenneth Obenski
D7
Daniel Malakie III
D8
Karie Wakat
Excused: D3 Chantee Shiroma
D7 Daniel Malakie III
Additional: Keyra Wong, Deputy Corporation Counsel
Pomaika`i Bartolome, Office of the Mayor
Jeannie Miskovich, COG Commission Secretary
121 STATEMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC
None
[2:09] [31 COMMUNICATIONS
8.10.2022 Transmittal of Hawaii County Cost of Government Commission Rules
of Practice and Procedure to Jon Henricks, County Clerk
[2:11 ] 141 APPROVAL OF MINUTES FROM JULY 28, 2022, REGULAR
MEETING
Comm. Obenski moved to approve the July 28, 2022, COG Commission Meeting
Minutes
Comm. Kusch Seconded the Motion
Discussion: The minutes will be corrected to show Comm. Wakat as present
Voice Vote: Ayes: (8) Unanimous
7/28/2022 Regular Meeting Minutes Approved
[2:33] [51 STATUS REPORTS OF PERMITTED INTERACTION GROUPS
5(a) BUILDING DIVISION . Report Submitted (attached)
5(b) IT — Report Submitted (attached) PIG will send survey questions through
Corp. Counsel to IT Director Scott Uehara for distribution./QR code access
5(c) DEM A Survey Monkey was shared with DEM employees - fourteen
responses were completed to date.
5(d) COUNTY FLEET Report Submitted (attached)
5(e) BOARDS/COMMISSION - Report Submitted (attached) Very few
responses. The PIG will send a follow-up letter with shortened deadlines.
5(f) REVENUE- Report Submitted (attached)
5(g) PONC - Nothing to report.
[2:20] [6] DISCUSSION, REVIEW, AND ACTION OF NEXT STEPS IN
ANALYZING PRIORITY FOCUS AREAS, SUGGESTED
SAVINGS/EFFICIENCY AREAS, AND REVENUE GENERATING
CONCEPTS
Discussion: Per the Hawaii County Charter, the timeline of the Commission is
eleven months,- through November 2022., with the report due to the Mayor,
Managing Director, and County Council by the end of October 2022.
Comm. Matson pointed out that the timeline of the Cost of Government
Commission is out of synch with the budget process as well as the County
Council membership. COG Commission recommendations may well be heard by
possible outgoing Councilmembers. Corp. Counsel Keyra Wong clarified the
process and deadlines to submit the recommendations to the Administration and
County Council.
Chair Konowicz asked that the Commissioners review the working document on
Cost Savings/'Priority areas, and each PIG, as well as each Commission as
individuals, identify focus areas of interest, and draft beginning recommendations
to discuss at the 8/25/2022 meeting.
Comm. Herbert posed the question of non -PIG items of interest to be looked at
on an individual Commissioner basis.
Comm. Kusch made a Motion for the Permitted Interaction Groups, and
Commissioners as individuals, to each prepare a draft of focus areas of interest
and suggested outcomes to submit for discussion at the 8/25/2022 meeting.
Comm. Obenski Seconded the Motion
Further Discussion: None
Voice Vote" Ayes (7) Unanimous
Motion for the PIG(s), and Commissioners as individuals, to each prepare a draft
of focus areas of interest and suggested outcomes to submit for discussion at the
8/25/2022 meeting PASSES
[2:52] [7] DISCUSSION ON ITEMS TO BE PLACED ON NEXT AGENDA
Chair Konowicz attended South Kohala Traffic Safety Committee Meeting with
Hawaii County Department of Public Works and State Department of
Transportation. Insurance reimbursements for damages do not go to the entity
involved; the payments are adsorbed into the State General Fund. Suggested this
as an additional possible focus area.
[8]ANNOUNCEMENTS
The COG Commission Secretary will be out of office through September 5, 2022.
Deputy Managing Director Bobby Command will be the point of contact for
Meeting Agenda preparation and posting, receipt and distribution of PIG reports,
individual Commissioner Reports, and Board Packet documents, meeting draft
minutes and Zoom meeting invitations.
[91 ADJOURNMENT
Comm. Herbert made a Motion to Adjourn
Comm. Obenski Seconded the Motion
Discussion: None
Voice Vote: Ayes: (7) Unanimous
Meeting adjourned at 2:55 p.m.
BUILDING DIVISION PIG REPORT -August 11, 2022
We reviewed what we might continue doing pending completion of the DPW
permitting consultant's contract.
Items discussed included contacting designers, architects, engineers,
contractors; researching similar counties, municipalities re permitting rules,
codes, inspections; contacting departments other than DPW that are involved
with permitting; and examining use of retired County employees for temporary
work to help finish EPIC data entry and process permit applications pending
hiring of additional permanent personnel.
After reviewing the consultant's project parameters, and without any contact
with them, it is difficult to know whether our efforts would be in duplication or
something outside of their scope. After considerable discussion, unless the
consultant wants our input, the Building Division PIG determined that our best
path forward is to wait for the consultant's full report on September 15th, 2022.
Aloha, please find the tech pig update for our upcoming meeting. Mahalo.
1. Decided on leveraging the same survey EVS used for the tech dept
2. Finalized additional questions for director.
Next Steps
1.Obtain attorney approval on survey questions before requesting survey be sent via survey monkey
2. Send correspondence to director with final questions.
3. Schedule next PIG meeting.
-- Karie Wakat
Cost of Government Commission PIG Status Reports
Department of Environmental Management
Members: Commissioners Herbert, Matson, Konowicz
Fourteen surveys were returned to the PIG from DEM employees. No other
meeting held yet.
COUNTY -WIDE FLEET PIG REPORT - AUGUST 11, 2022
No response to our August 1 letters to relevant departments.
/S/ Neal Herbert /S/ Dan Malakie
Reviewing Boards/Commissions
Members: Herbert, Matson, Konowicz
-Most Commission/Board Chairs did not respond to our letter/questionnaire;
comments were due back by August 9.
-Met via Zoom with Charlie Young, former Kona CDP Chair. Also heard back from
current CDP chair who expressed interest in sharing thoughts and concerns.
-Merit Appeals Board added our letter to their August 30 meeting agenda and we
will receive a response from them at that time.
-Met via Zoom with Zendo Kern and April Surprenant to get their thoughts on
interactions/efficiencies/inefficiencies of the CDPs with the windward/leeward
planning groups, and other related groups as it relates to planning. They are
surveying CDP Action Committees to gauge effectiveness and recommend
changes to make them more efficient; we've asked to get copies of those surveys
and results.
Revenue Generating Ideas
Members: Konowicz, Obenski
-Had a Zoom session with John Andoh to discuss the possibility and/or progress of
selling advertising on mass transit assets such as inside and outside of busses and
bus shelters.