HomeMy WebLinkAbout2022 Report of the Cost of Government CommissionReport of the
COST OF GOVERNMENT COMMISSION
COUNTY OF HAWAI'I
October 2022
Table of Contents
PAGE
INTRODUCTION and COST OF GOVERNMENT COMMISSION
MEMBERS AND STAFF..................................................................
3
RECOMMENDATIONS BY PRIORITY AREA
L
PERMITTING / CONSTRUCTION .............................................
5
IL
ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT / SOLID WASTE /
WASTEWATER.....................................................................
11
III.
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY / AUTOMATION /
ELECTRONIC RECORDS / DIGITAL PAYMENTS ........................
14
IV.
CAR & VEHICLE COSTS / VEHICLE TYPES /
VEHICLE MAINTENANCE.......................................................
17
V.
PUBLIC ACCESS / OPEN SPACE / NATURAL RESOURCES (PONC)...
20
VI.
OPTIMIZING BOARDS & COMMISSIONS .....................................
23
VII.
REVENUE GENERATION IDEAS ................................................
25
ADDITIONAL
CONSIDERATIONS
I.
ADDING PUBLIC INFORMATION RESOURCES TO THE COUNTY ...
26
IL
COUNTY MANAGING DIRECTOR/DEPARTMENT HEAD HIRING ...
28
III.
PERSONNEL REQUESTS.............................................................
30
III.
VOLUNTEERS.........................................................................
31
IV.
VEHICLE REGISTRATION & LICENSING .......................................
32
APPENDIX........................................................................................ 34
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2022 Cost of Govemment Commission —County of Hawai'i - Final Report
Report of the
COST OF GOVERNMENT COMMISSION
COUNTY OF HAWAI'I
October 2022
INTRODUCTION
The purpose of the Hawai'i County Cost of Government Commission (COGC or
"Commission") is to study and investigate the organizations and methods of operations of all
departments, commissions, boards, offices, and other instrumentalities of all branches of the
county government and determine what changes, if any, may be desirable to accomplish the
policy of the County. At the end of eleven months of service, the COGC is to report its findings
and recommendations to the Mayor, the Managing Director, and the County Council (Council)
as per Hawai'i County Charter, Article V, Chapter 2.
The current Hawai'i County COGC was appointed and confirmed at the end of 2021
pursuant to Chapter 2 of the Hawai'i County Charter (2020). The Charter authorizes nine
members to represent each of the nine council districts in Hawai'i County. After each of the nine
members took their Oath of Office, COGC held its first meeting on January 27, 2022. At that
organizational meeting, Michael J. Konowicz, from District 9, and Neal Herbert, from District 1,
were elected to lead as Chairperson and Vice Chairperson of the Commission, respectively.
In March, the Commissioner from District 3 resigned due to unforeseen personal issues
that took up his free time. Soon after that resignation, the Mayor nominated a new Commissioner
that the Council subsequently confirmed. On April 22, the new Commissioner took her oath of
office and joined the Commission.
The Commissioners were supported by resources from the County. Jeannie Miskovich,
from the Office of the Mayor, served as Secretary. Malia Kekai was the original attorney
assigned to COG from Corporation Counsel; J Yoshimoto, Dakota Frenz, and Keyra Wong also
assisted COG throughout the year. Deputy Managing Director Bobby Command attended most
meetings and served as a liaison with County departments and leaders.
Through the end of September, COGC regularly met at least twice a month, always
achieving quorum.
Current Members:
Name Council District
Neal Herbert, Vice -Chairperson 1
Matthias Kusch 2
Chantee Shiroma 3
Madeline (Madie) Greene 4
Shannon Matson 5
Kenneth Obenski 6
Daniel Malakie III 7
Karie Wakat 8
Michael J. Konowicz, Chairperson 9
2022 Cost of Govemment Commission —County of Hawai'i - Final Report
To kick off the 2022 Commission, the COGC extended an invite to Mayor Roth and
Councilperson Kierkiewicz to speak at the first meeting after organization. The Mayor provided
advice and well -wishes while Councilperson Kierkiewicz shared experiences, best practices, and
recommendations for COGC to pursue based on her experience serving in the last assembled
COGC.
Soon after, the Commissioners defined priority areas to focus their attention. With
limited resources and time, it was felt that narrowing the scope into high -impact areas would be
the best approach for the COGC to pursue. It was determined that the primary focus areas would
be 1) permitting / construction / licensing; 2) environmental management / solid waste /
wastewater; and 3) information technology / automation / electronic records / digital payments.
A secondary focus area of car and vehicle costs / vehicle types / vehicle maintenance was also
created. Lastly, within a tertiary focus area, 1) water system efficiency / well and pipe
maintenance; 2) public access, open space, and natural resources (PONC) expenditures; 3)
roads / transportation / public works; and 4) optimizing number of commissions / boards.
As a courtesy to the Council, a communication was sent in April outlining these focus
areas. The Finance Committee invited Chairperson Michael J. Konowicz to speak to these focus
areas and return to COGC with their additional input and direction on May 3.
Throughout the year, COGC invited the directors of each department to share an
overview of their department, cost savings and efficiency opportunities within those
departments, and answer questions from each commissioner. COGC also invited other county
resources, such as the newly appointed County Auditor, to participate in meetings.
In April, Vice Chair Neal Herbert attended County budget meetings and reported a
summary to COGC. The County Finance department also provided copies of budgets and
answered questions of COGC throughout the year.
The community also participated with the COGC throughout the year. At several
meetings, community members participated in -person, provided written testimony, or appeared
before the Commission via the Zoom meeting platform.
To streamline the process of getting specific recommendations, the COGC established
Permitted Interaction Groups (PIGS) during the summer and used those insights and findings in
the Fall to come to conclusions captured within this report.
There was insufficient time and resources to evaluate both "water system efficiency and
well and pipe maintenance" and "roads, transportation and public works." Thus, those items
were dropped from the list of areas of interest to pursue in October 2022.
In tandem with the regular business of COGC, the COGC also noticed and held a Special
Hearing to update its Rules of Practice and Procedure. The previous rules were adopted on May
30, 2002 and referenced many outdated or irrelevant items. To modernize these rules, the COGC
went through the multi -month process to update and gain the necessary approvals to adopt new
rules. The new rules became adopted in August of this year and have been used since.
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2022 Cost of Govemment Commission —County of Hawai'i - Final Report
PERMITTING / CONSTRUCTION
RECOMMENDATIONS:
Review interpretation/modification of building codes to potentially allow provisional
permitting for pre -approved, licensed A/E, electrical, and plumbing firms and
contractors.
2. Continue permit reviews without pause or delay while waiting for discrepancies to be
corrected by applicants.
Consider separating out permits into different scopes to expedite approvals.
4. Update non-residential checklist to reflect the requirements for intake.
Develop permitting fees appropriate to the scale of building or permitting requested.
6. Consider developing a fee structure for low-income applicants.
7. Minimize unpermitted structures by reviewing /modifying current policies.
8. Develop measures for evaluation of the status of the permitting process that are
reviewed weekly to ensure compliance with timelines.
9. Consider implementing the following alterations to the County's Electronic
Processing and Information Center (EPIC) system:
a. Install EPIC kiosks that are more accessible to the public
b. Develop a queue for submissions
c. Consider the ability for contractors to have oversight of the permit process
d. Develop immediate notification to submitters when an error has been found
e. Develop a submission system for complaints
10. Review county code of recurring deficiencies to see alterations to the code that should
be made or if better training and review resources should be provided to the public
The Building Division Permitted Interaction Group (PIG) was enacted to determine areas
across departments that could streamline processes and procedures to provide effective and
efficient service. More specifically, the Commissioners in this PIG wanted to determine current
staffing issues, the efficiency of the current evaluation process, and the appropriateness and short
comings of the EPIC system. The Commissioners in this PIG began by sending a letter
(Appendix A) to the Department of Public Works (DPW) requesting feedback on identified
2022 Cost of Govemment Commission —County of Hawai'i - Final Report
initial areas of concern. DPW responded (Appendix B), noting a separate consultant contract
seeking a similar assessment of the permitting process. With the current assessment in place,
the PIG's ability to provide a complete assessment was limited as we did not want to interfere
with, or overlap, the consultant's tasks. Accordingly, we significantly pared down the extent of
our work as reflected in the following information, which may conflict with the eventual
consultant review or already being pursued by DPW. The Commissioners appreciated the
consideration of the departments to participate in the gathering of information while
determining areas for improvement.
EVALUATIONS & CONCLUSIONS
The Commissioners conducted an evaluation of the building permitting process to determine
how to incorporate efficiency and alterations in the process. The focus was on several areas: the
permitting process, the effectiveness of the EPIC system, public education, and oversight of the
entirety of the program.
Permitting Process
Evaluation: The permitting process was reviewed to determine faster permitting response
times for smaller scope projects and the consideration for potential provisional permits to
further reduce construction delays and permitting backlogs.
The only current code reference to temporary permits is for temporary structures in
Section 5-1-5 of the Hawaii County Code (2016 Edition, as amended). "Permit" means a
formal authorization issued by the authority having jurisdiction that authorizes
performance of specified work, pursuant to the construction code[.]" Must "formal
authorization" only mean a final permit? Why can't formal authorization also allow for
interim permitting under carefully stipulated rules? There are numerous architects,
engineers, designers, contractors with professional credentials or licenses whose
submittals are, with few exceptions, absent significant non-compliance with codes. Many
are already on the County's pre -qualified consultant list. Yet they are subject to the same
over -restrictive, detailed reviews as all other applicants. A responsible system where,
upon arrival of pre -qualified applicant submittals, the applications are reviewed for
completeness and cleared by Planning, then issued a provisional permit.
Conclusion: Having a conditional permitting process for qualified persons would greatly
expedite construction starts, save applicants money with faster completions, minimize
labor and materials cost increases, and provide many related benefits. Applicants would
assume all risks and penalties. They would still have to make adjustments/changes based
on County reviews throughout and until reviews are completed, with
construction/installation halted for significant health and safety issues. Such permits
would still be subject to code compliance and completion of plans review. Additionally,
consider time limitations and fee refunds when the permitting process is delayed.
The scope of the permit should be taken into consideration during review. Smaller scope
permits seem to be taking just as long, if not longer, than full new building permits.
Consider separating out permits into the different scopes to expedite approvals. For
example, have a foundation only permit so the contractor can start on the excavation and
footings, etc. Or separate out wall permits since those are typically done first. The risk
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2022 Cost of Govemment Commission —County of Hawai'i - Final Report
would still be on the permtttee to start the work without the rest of the permit being
approved.
EXAMPLE: Section 25-11-35 of the City of Austin Land Development Code -
TEMPORARY BUILDING PERMIT:
"The building official may issue a temporary building permit to authorize construction of
a portion of a building, structure, or building service equipment before the plans and
specifications for the entire project have been submitted or approved if the applicant files
information and detailed statements describing the activity to be performed and the
building official determines that the activity complies with this title. The permtttee under
a temporary building permit proceeds with construction at the permittee's risk. A
temporary building permit does not guarantee that a permit for the entire building or
structure will be approved. A permtttee does not acquire vested rights under a permit
issued under this section."
2. Evaluation: The current permitting process stops reviews until each deficiency, however
minor or administrative, is corrected and resubmitted which causes longer delays.
Applicants have said that the initial reviewer does not always continue reviews on same
application, with corrected returns sometimes assigned to a different reviewer. Also, the
new reviewer often does not accept the returned corrections, even though their revisions
satisfy the initial reviewer's requirements.
Conclusion: This situation might be resolved if the same reviewer stays with a given
application. Exceptions would be vacation, illness, vacancies. If not already in place,
reviews by all relevant departments should occur concurrently. A weekly meeting with
the County leadership, including the Mayor, should be developed to brief the shortfalls of
the department until it has reached an appropriate turnaround time. Provide a function on
EPIC to notify the applicant of errors as soon as the approval department makes
comments. Track drafting companies that consistently submit poorly prepared plans and
enforce restrictions disallowing future submissions if noncompliance continues.
Evaluation: The current permitting fee structure appears to be rigid and could be revisited
to consider the size of the project and special considerations for the project value range
for plumbing and electric.
Conclusion: Developing a fee structure similar to the process for plumbing and electric
where a project value range that correlates with the costs of a permit might be applicable
to other cases. Permitting delays are often due to staffing issues. Additional funding
should go to payroll to hire more people and reduce turnaround times.
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2022 Cost of Govemment Commission —County of Hawai'i - Final Report
4. Evaluation: Special considerations for low-income permitting fees should be discussed to
increase applicants and potentially reduce non -permitted dwellings. Fees are based on
valuation. Low-income type of permits are generally low in valuation. The current fee
structure charges permit fees based on Chapter 5, Article 7, of the Hawaii County Code.
For a $100k value, the fee would be $101 for review and $505 for the permit.
Conclusion: This would generate a growth in the housing development across the County
and potentially reduce the number of non -permitted structures. DPW is currently
evaluating a fee reduction; however, it is not in place.
Effectiveness of the EPIC system
1. Evaluation: Permit applicants are limited in their oversight of their permit. This creates
frustrations and delays in the permit process. Applicants often approach each department
with their frustrations taking time away from staff resources that could be working on
permits. EPIC kiosks are limited and not easily accessible to the public.
Conclusion: Consider installing EPIC kiosks across the County, including in or near the
County permitting department for applicants to track approval processes and notifications
of potential short comings in their permit.
2. Evaluation: The permitting process often experiences delays due to errors. When errors
are found, they further delay the approval process. Often the public seeks resolution at the
individual departments causing frustrations and interruptions in County workers' offices.
An easy to use and singular complaint systems appears to not be established in the
County.
Conclusion: As part of the EPIC system, develop a complaint submission system.
Designate a single source to handle complaints as to not burden the departments. Provide
updates in EPIC for applicants to track their complaints and receive feedback. Provide
services for the public to have questions answered. EPIC should be utilized for Q&A,
email submission on the County site should be available, weekly classes should be
available to speak with someone, and a phone hotline should be provided and answered
by someone to support a 24-hour turnaround to the public.
Evaluation: Common errors in the permit process are not being communicated to
submitters, further delaying the permit approval process. The County resources are
limited in what they are able to provide to the public and contractors.
Conclusion: Establish public training tools for the common errors found in the permitting
delay process. Have applicants complete a checklist with hyperlinked training for
common errors to ensure compliance and reduction in permitting delays. Establish a
support training web page on the County site that is easy to use for the public. Consider
providing a regular instructional class put on by a County employee for permit applicants
to attend. The class could include a short review of the permit for common errors to
expedite the process and build trust in the system.
2022 Cost of Govemment Commission —County of Hawai'i - Final Report
4. Evaluation: When permits are in the review process, the uncertainty of EPIC can create
frustration by not providing the submitter a timeline for approval. Often, submitters are
experiencing financial constraints and have contractors on standby awaiting the approval
process. Currently, there is only one lender who will do local construction loans,
specifically because of the timeline ambiguity with the permitting process. The EPIC
system does not provide an anticipated approval date, an idea of where in the queue the
permit is or any clear communication on the status of the permit. DPW response: Based
on inquiries, "Where am I in the queue?" is a frequently asked question and therefore on
our "to do" list. Since we are first working to get priority projects permitted, we do not
want to frustrate applicants whose projects are not prioritized without having a solution
for their delay. We simply need more staff and are actively recruiting Plan Reviewers.
We are also working to minimize the backlog in Permit Intake, the process during which
applications are reviewed for completeness or to seek temporary hires to draw down the
backlog.
Conclusion: Employ a tracking system on top of EPIC so applicants and DPW know the
number of permit applications in the queue, being reviewed, and provide a project date to
completion. Conduct a staffing assessment that includes appropriate experience
requirements that is briefed weekly until staffing issues are resolved.
5. Evaluation: Contractors are unable to view the status of permits in process due to project
naming, PROJECT / PROPERTY OWNER NAME, which hampers their ability for
future building planning.
Conclusion: Consider providing the ability for contractors to have visibility on permits so
they can develop a timeline for the project. Develop an email response system in EPIC
that immediately notifies contractors or applicants of errors when applying for permits. A
hyperlink option for a refund of fees should be provided in the response. Submitters
should also be able to add users like the owner or contractor after the fact, rather than
having to call the County to do it.
Public Education
Evaluation: The County has many unpermitted structures or additions that often lead
to fires and jeopardize public safety. Public permitting information on the website and
in person is limited and confusing for the common citizen.
Conclusion: Enforcement of unpermitted structures should be revisited to consider
stricter rules and penalties to improve permit compliance. If not already established,
develop a clearer road map that is easy to use.
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2022 Cost of Govemment Commission —County of Hawai'i - Final Report
2. Evaluation: Known errors found during the permit review and during inspection are
not easily known to permit submitters. This creates common errors to be repeated,
delaying the permit approval process and backlogging the system. It has been
mentioned the non-residential checklist does not accurately reflect what is required at
intake (e.g., code data, type of construction). Educational tools provided to the public
are limited and difficult to navigate. County Building Code requirements have
common errors that may have avenues for relief.
Conclusion: Establish a permit "Most Wanted List" that provides education to the
public on common errors and a formal submission checklist, or revamp of current
checklists, should be considered to correct issues before submission. Consider
reevaluating the County Code for common errors to make the requirement more
inclusive without jeopardizing safety.
Oversight of the Program
Evaluation: Potential concerns for the Building Division's ability to complete permits
may be constrained or delayed by other departments. The County permitting process
requires a single department to approve the permit before sending it to the follow-on
departments for approval. Permits often get stuck in a department due to errors hindering
the ability for other departments to review.
Conclusion: Considerations to develop an Internal Evaluation Program "IEP" that
analyzes quarterly the known gaps or deficiencies within the process. Findings should be
reported to department heads to implement remedial action plans to correct determined
deficiencies. Potential areas for evaluation should be staffing, processes and procedures,
and common errors restricting the approval process.
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2022 Cost of Govemment Commission —County of Hawai'i - Final Report
ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT / SOLID WASTE /
WASTEWATER
RECOMMENDATIONS:
County Council, the Office of the Mayor, and the Corporation Counsel should thoroughly
evaluate the County's contract with Hawai` i Earth Recycling which is clearly wasting
taxpayer dollars, is not producing the compost the contract describes, and isn't efficiently
processing the Big Island's green waste matter. The parties involved with this contract
should re -negotiate a deal that is a more fiscally responsible use of taxpayers' funds while
also being beneficial for the environment.
2. The answer to address some of our wastewater treatment plant issues lies in following the
wisdom, success, and example of Public/Private Partnerships (PPP) as Oahu has
implemented; as such, County resources should study those PPPs done elsewhere in the
state to mirror their success here. Careful consideration of how to work within the
confines of the Konno Decision should be pursued with the County, Corporation Counsel,
Union labor partners, and private entities.
EVALUATION:
We interviewed Division of Environment Management (DEM) Director Ramzi Mansour three
times and deployed a survey to DEM employees. (A summary of survey results can be found in
Appendix C.)
Throughout that analysis, the most egregious example of inefficiency is with the County's
handling of green waste matter through its contracted vendor, Hawaii Earth Recycling.
Through our review and interviews, we also learned that the County is not as innovative and
efficient as it could be with its waste facilities (solid waste and wastewater) in light of the Konno
Decision.
FINDINGS:
Hawai `i Earth Recycling Contract
During a previous administration, the County entered into a contract with Hawai `i Earth
Recycling (HER) to transform Hawaii County's green waste and food waste into compost for its
residents.
• This is a two-phase contract, Phase 1 — mulch operation and Phase 2 — compost
operation.
• The County has indefinitely deferred Phase 2, the compost operation, while it does an
evaluation of Hawaii Island's organic waste quantities.
• Thus, HER is not under an obligation to create compost at this time.
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2022 Cost of Govemment Commission —County of Hawai'i - Final Report
The contract, which is valid through 2036, guarantees Hawaii Earth Recycling a minimum
annual payment of 40,000 tons at approximately $105/ton. Further, each year the per ton price
will be increased by adding the Consumer Price Index (CPI) through 2036. In other words, even
if the County provided only 5,000 tons to HER, the County would still be required to pay the
40,000 ton minimum. The certified funds amount for this year's contract is $4,751,900.
According to DEM, the County provides 30,000-32,000 tons of green waste each year to HER.
That would mean at the current price, Hawai` i County would be paying 8,000 tons over what
was received and processed and paying approximately $840,000 more than should be paid for
services rendered.
While mulch is better than nothing, it is extremely wasteful to taxpayers to pay for volumes of
mulch that is not being produced.
Wastewater Processing /Kovno Decision Challenges
PPP, particularly in regard to wastewater processing, water -recycling, and water treatment are
areas where there may be an opportunity for private partnerships as well as networking between
our County/State/Federal delegations to troubleshoot and rapidly address our island's crumbling
wastewater infrastructure.
DEM Director Ramzi Mansour has discussed this with the Mayor but still expressed hesitancy
due to concerns surrounding the Konno Decision. Various groups have met with the Mayor and
DEM, even on the day of our Zoom with Director Ramzi, but according to the administration
there may be obstacles in the path forward that could get resolved by legislative amendments and
union and political support.
Our DEM Permitted Interaction Group has briefly explored the successes the City & County of
Honolulu was able to achieve in their leverage of private public partnerships to address
wastewater infrastructure upgrades needed, and we believe this is an area warranting more
review by the administration and County Council members. Award winning projects that were
done in spite of the Hawaii Supreme Court decision in Konno that keeps coming up as a
roadblock. Our committee recommends that our County look to the examples elsewhere in our
State as Konno has a loophole that allows leeway if the focus is not on customary and historic
services. Honolulu did a 12 million gallons per day (MGD) water recycling facility in `Ewa as
water recycling was not a historic service. The facility built with no taxpayers' dollars stood
apart from the nearby Honouliuli Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) and impacted no union
jobs. At the Sand Island WWTP, they met consent decree requirements in partnership with
Synagro Technologies Inc., which put in a digester for solids management. A soil amendment
product was produced for sale, which was not a customary or historic service. With Sand Island
moving to full secondary under the consent decree, another digester is being installed to handle
more volume. This resulted in no union lawsuit.
Mayor Roth has been approached by a couple of wastewater companies with very large
portfolios willing to invest in solutions for Hawaii County. We should find a way to say yes
while operating within the current confines and exemptions, if any exist, of the Konno decision.
One option to explore is lease to purchase. Hilo needs a new treatment plant and modular design
could eliminate the long procurement and design process while quickly bringing the plant into
compliance. Average daily flows are only 2 MGD and modular can go up to 3 MGD. A private
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2022 Cost of Govemment Commission —County of Hawai'i - Final Report
company under this approach can take taxable depreciation on the assets and then the County
buys it back at a greatly reduced price. Union employees continue to operate the old plant during
construction and take classes and certifications to operate the new equipment. With further
exploration, this is a handoff approach that may work within the Konno decision.
For County facilities facing legal action because they use injection wells, water recycling may be
the solution. At Kealakehe, for example, we could keep the existing R-2 facility in place under
union employees but consider contracting out the service for the R-1 upgrade and pipeline
distribution system. Revenue could then be generated from sales of recycled water where it
displaces potable water. This idea is similar to what was done in `Ewa on Oahu. There are
numerous examples and our permitted interaction group believes that the County needs to focus
on "out of the box" solutions to address our crucial wastewater infrastructure needs and stop
using Konno as an excuse for inaction.
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2022 Cost of Govemment Commission —County of Hawai'i - Final Report
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY / AUTOMATION /
ELECTRONIC RECORDS / DIGITAL PAYMENTS
RECOMMENDATIONS:
Increase the overall Department of Information Technology (DIT) budget from 0.77% to
4% of County budget.
2. Open up more full time employee (FTE) positions to increase the help desk capacity.
To attract and retain talent, we recommend the County engage to bring the pay ranges up
to competitive market rates.
4. Implement an equipment lifecycle management program to reduce costs through bulk
buying, equipment recycling, and planning.
5. Adopt the virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI). This solution would allow security
updates/ software upgrades/patches to be pushed out to the hardware/computers remotely.
Saving time and freeing up personnel to work on other priorities.
EVALUATION:
The DIT subgroup, or Permitted Interaction Group (PIG) as commonly referred, took a look at
the DIT with an eye on waste reduction and revenue potential. To do this, we used brainstorming
sessions, DIT Director Scott Uehara's April 2022 presentation, DIT question/answer
correspondence, Survey Monkey, and Commissioner Wakat's personal experience of 20+ years
in the Information Technology industry.
We looked at what it would take to create a standardized database across departments/ divisions
so all property and individual information can be shared across the County without the need to
maintain separate databases and teams. We found that in order to achieve the desired end result,
the DIT would need to hire more staff and potentially purchase both software and hardware.
Currently, the department is at capacity, with inability to increase the number of FTE positions.
The department has 21 positions (4 vacant), with 16 positions being technical.
It was suggested that there was waste in the way the payroll was dispersed. We were told that an
employee drove around to all the County offices to hand out paychecks/envelopes. The question
became could this be automated? Automation could be through direct deposit and emailed
paystubs. Hardcopy checks could be picked up or mailed. The thought was this could reduce
FTEs by one. We did not pursue this suggestion because it does not fall under the DIT.
Another suggestion was around ethics training. Can we eliminate the in -person facility intensive
environment by electronically delivering the training in small interactive consumable models that
span no more than 25 minutes each, which could allow folks to complete training during working
hours over a period of time? We did not pursue this suggestion because it does not fall under
DIT. However, DIT would host the module training files the employees access, if implemented.
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2022 Cost of Govemment Commission —County of Hawai'i - Final Report
Several suggestions from the brainstorming activity were similar in nature. All four suggestions
are good ideas, except for the fact the DIT is already at capacity with the inability to increase
headcount because of budget constraints. We did not pursue any of the following suggestions for
that reason.
• Initiate a paperless system for payments, registrations, reservations, and communication
with the public consistently throughout all departments.
• Accept credit cards countywide to complete transactions currently requiring "in person"
cash or check payments. Examples are for licenses, taxes, and renewals.
• Explore using technology to enhance resident access to info: transit tracking apps,
affordable housing waitlists, campsiteibeach permits.
• Launch a dashboard to show down -time for databases or file systems missing or not
available to the public. The hope would be to show a downward trend in public data
outages.
A final suggestion from the brainstorming activity was to implement a wireless, web -based, real-
time, preventative maintenance program for all County equipment. This suggestion sounds like a
virtual desktop (VDI) solution, where the County would push out the various updates/upgrades
remotely to the computers. We decided to move forward with this suggestion.
We sent out an electronic survey to the employees of DIT. Unfortunately, only one person
responded, yielding the results unusable for this report. (16 filled positions, 1 response.)
FINDINGS -
During a presentation by DIT Directly Scott Uehara on April 14, 2022, it was stated that the
County is having challenges recruiting qualified candidates and stated that the department was at
work capacity.
We took a look at DIT staffing, salaries, and work capacity. The DIT budget for FY 2022-2023
is 0.77% ($4,611,078) of the total County operating budget of $597,324,945. This pays for the
19 FTE union employees, and 2 FTE exempt employees. Of the 19 union positions, 4 were
vacant. This 0.77% differs from the industry recommendation that an IT department maintain an
average of 4.5% of the operating budget; or $26,879,622 in this case.
We looked at specific ways to attract new hires. One way was to explore internship programs
with colleges. We found that the department was already working with the University of
Hawaii, Hilo Campus to recruit, and has been approached by PACBLU. In the past, the
department has worked with Hawaii Community College. Because the DIT is already engaged
with internship programs, we decided not to pursue this area further.
Another way to attract candidates was through large sign -on bonuses. We found that the
department is hesitant to offer sign -on bonuses. The logic is that the bonuses offered to the
administration positions had a nominal effect, if any, on the number of applicants; therefore, it
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2022 Cost of Govemment Commission —County of Hawai'i - Final Report
would not affect application numbers for the DIT either. DIT management expressed hesitancy
to enact sign -on bonuses because of its potential it has to negatively affect workplace moral.
We did a salary comparison for the five DIT technical positions and found that in all cases, the
salary range was below market rate. (Fig.1).
NationvAde,JcbDescdprtion S al ary Comparison
lr t n Miationni S .tern IS Anaiyst V 63,324, 53,,K34 rni, s,
s�rl4 oom , 118,E,35 166,939 142,826.
uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuum uuuuuuVuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuVuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu
Inton•matiion S s.tems. Anaiyst rV 505,304 93,376 rni,si,
n S toms Anaiyest III52�04 4 77 r,1100i. is,
..... �. .................
sall4n r mi 5, t 3,7• 104,5315
Fig, t ., Otiery on uses @two pOib t.nn)st n eld'ki , tonal requirements, ll riig Mh the work OXpedeince
requireimenta For example, Ihnrd'rannab ri System Analyst V, 6 yrs work experience fi t chle or"s rde re ,,.
Looking at the capacity of the DIT help desk alone, we found that there are a total of 4 help desk
personnel who handle 8,000 tickets a year, and a 625 to 1 help desk ratio. For every one help
desk employee, there are six hundred and twenty five county employees to support. The industry
recommendation is 75 employees to 1 help desk personnel. When we add together the 625:1
ratio, 8,000 help desk tickets, and the additional duties of installation and configuration of new
computers and hardware on demand, it is evident that the help desk is at capacity and needs
additional staff.
Looking to reduce waste within the County, we turned our focus to computers and the supporting
hardware. We found that the County does not have an equipment lifecycle management
process/program in place. There is no formal way to cycle around the computers/equipment.
Instead, each department orders computers and equipment as needed. This causes the help desk
personnel to react on demand to install/configure the new computers/equipment.
We corresponded with Director Scott Uehara on this topic and he was aware of the need. He
estimated with 8 additional staff, and an additional $1.5M for equipment to his budget, it would
take 3 years to implement a full lifecycle. This would include changing the existing equipment
ordering process.
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2022 Cost of Govemment Commission —County of Hawai'i - Final Report
CAR & VEHICLE COSTS / VEHICLE TYPES / VEHICLE
MAINTENANCE
RECOMMENDATIONS:
Improve efficiency and cost savings by developing a comprehensive, software -based
system that tracks, consolidates, and optimizes inventory, use and maintenance of
vehicles and equipment.
2. Consider a centralized, main maintenance facility in Hilo, perhaps using County -owned
property adjacent to the Mass Transit Agency.
3. Consider developing a Countywide long-term fleet replacement projection and fleet
maintenance support. Fleet replacement projections should include budget analysis to
properly set aside financial resources and seek funding as appropriate.
4. Do more bulk buying of standard, common type vehicles and equipment to reduce spare
parts, training and servicing variations and related savings.
5. Do more lease -buy evaluations, including electric vehicle acquisition and maintenance,
for maximum economy.
6. Consider a full evaluation of the readiness of the County's first responders' vehicles with
a long-term financial plan established for continued readiness.
Two letters (Appendix D) were sent to all County departments having management,
operation, maintenance or procurement responsibilities for vehicles and heavy equipment.
Appendix E contains specific feedback from those who responded. Additionally, PIG
members visited various facilities and conducted in -person and phone discussions,
concentrating on four basic areas:
• Evaluate commonality of vehicle and equipment inventories;
• Compare maintenance staffing, equipment, and facilities;
• Examine potential ways to standardize and to combine procurement; and
• Review clean energy initiatives, EV charging and grants for experimentation and testing
EVALUATION:
A recent inventory lists 1,344 County -owned vehicles, including specialty and trailers, which the
majority are assigned to DPW. Many cars, SUV's and small trucks are similar in type and
function, purchased from a variety of suppliers such as Ford, Toyota, Nissan. Heavier vehicles
and special equipment have less commonality across departments due to specific needs, such as
Fire, Police, DPW divisions, Water Supply (DWS) and Environmental Management (DEM).
However, some service trucks are basic models that are outfitted differently.
Many vehicles appear to be underutilized, especially those parked at the Aupuni Center. While
some informal sharing or transferring exists, most are located and used solely by departments
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2022 Cost of Govemment Commission —County of Hawai'i - Final Report
and divisions to which they are assigned, notably Highway Division. This physical separation
makes it inconvenient to "carpool" for more efficient use and less idleness.
There is no central maintenance facility or staffing. DPW -Automotive Division repairs and
maintains most vehicles, but the Department of Environmental Management (DEM), Mass
Transit Agency (MTA), Water Supply (DWS) and the Fire Department (HFD) have separate
places, mechanics, equipment, tools and spare parts. Most servicing and staffing are in Hilo, with
outlying capabilities in Waimea, Kona, and Kau. Again, physical separation and differences in
vehicles and equipment are barriers to consolidation. Police Department (HPD) vehicles are
serviced by commercial vendors.
Each DPW division and other departments prepare and submit separate procurement requests for
their own needs. Items are generally put out for bids and purchased as requisitions come in
throughout the year with minimal bulk procurement of common vehicles, equipment, etc.
The West Hawaii Police Department has nine vehicles with the newest being a 2018 Ford
Explorer which already has over 100,000 miles. The remaining vehicles were 2008 or older that
had high annual maintenance costs. During discussion with police officers, they felt the quality
of the vehicles were a grave safety concern. The West Hawai `i Police Department uses over 60
personnel vehicles for daily operations. County wide, the number of used personnel vehicles is
financially beginning to show an opportunity for consideration to introducing more fleet vehicles
during shift work. A combination of personnel to fleet vehicles should be considered for future
implementation.
FINDINGS FROM DWS:
Common routine servicing needs; common parts that can be sourced and stocked; County
mechanics could become more familiar with a limited number of vehicle types versus a wide
array of vehicles; regular procurement of common vehicles/equipment could provide an
economy of scale and could possibly result in lower relative initial purchase costs. Combining
procurement could possibly provide an economy of scale and could possibly result in lower
purchase costs.
However, it is too difficult to predict and ensure these results, since the County does not control
or influence the supply inventory of vehicles and manufacturers' costs. In all likelihood, DWS
would continue to procure necessary vehicles based on our needs assessment, available budget,
and when the vehicles will be needed. DWS could potentially participate in a Countywide
vehicle bid if the timing works out. However, a memorandum of understanding between DWS
and the lead County Purchasing agency would be needed to define the framework for the
procurement.
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2022 Cost of Govemment Commission —County of Hawai'i - Final Report
Although use of electric vehicles may become more prominent, initial procurement and
utilization has presented some concerns:
• Of five EV vehicles purchased in 2012; only one remains in use.
• Lack of commonality makes pre -stocking spares impractical. Existing
maintenance staff will need special training, equipment and job reclassifications.
Planning for and stocking replacement batteries will be difficult and expensive.
Replacement batteries, which differ by electronic vehicle (EV) model, cost about
$8,000, shipping costs are roughly $4,000 once vehicle warranties (normally five
years) expire and take six weeks to arrive once ordered. No State disposal system
exists.
• Purchasing extended warranties directly from manufacturers at time of purchase
would be more cost-effective.
• There are not enough charging stations, and many existing ones do not work.
Overnight charging required. Heavy corrosion on island affects batteries, EV
charging stations (more and widely dispersed stations needed).
• HPD has doubts that EVs are not large enough, too expensive, and do not have
enough range prior to needing to be charged.
• County should avoid prototype testing and costs of EV, hydrogen, and other new
technology, purchasing and evaluating only proven vehicles.
• Leasing advantages - controllable costs, vendors would do maintenance, no
stocking of expense parts, no disposal concerns, easier and more flexible/timely
acquisition of replacements.
The county automotive repair garage is in Captain Cook, but 60 to 70 of our street legal fleet is at
the West Hawaii Civic Center. Any time a car needs a safety check, someone needs to drive the
vehicle from the Civic Center to Captain Cook and back. That is a trip of 40 minutes one way. It
is even more time consuming if the car needs servicing since two people have to go (one to drive
up there, and one to drive the other car back). Safety check trips could be eliminated by having
one person come down from Captain Cook once a month to safety check all cars that are due. If a
car needs some kind of minor repair such as a burned out bulb, then they can come down the
next day to replace it and issue the safety check. Saves gas and time and lost productivity.
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PUBLIC ACCESS, OPEN SPACE, AND NATURAL
RESOURCES (PONQ EXPENDITURES
RECOMMENDATIONS:
After speaking with members of the Public access, Open space, Natural resource
Commission (PONC) and related Maintenance Fund, Commissioners and long-time
advocates gave our COGC permitted interaction group (PIG) the following
recommendations to improve productivity and efficiency in the operations of this
Commission, the acquisition of new lands, and the Maintenance Fund:
1. Hire additional PONC staff.
2. Allow for more flexibility in meetings, both remote and in -person options should be
available.
Have twice per year submission dates for Maintenance Fund Grants and the 2% Land
Fund.
4. Seeking matching funds should be part of the job of the commission and ideally in
tandem with County of Hawaii Research and Development.
5. Continued allowance for `unwilling seller' properties to be part of the listed PONC
properties.
6. Update and increase transparency of the PONC website.
EVALUATIONS AND CONCLUSIONS:
1. Hiring of dedicated PONC Staff:
Hiring of two permanent and dedicated staff to assist the PONC Commissioners with
their duties and the related administrative tasks associated with land or easement
purchases, grant writing and maintenance of the PONC lands. One staff member,
provided for in the County Code, is paid by the Department of Finance and the other
position is paid for from the 2% Land Fund as voters approved in 2020. Currently,
personnel from the Finance Department are used on an ad hoc basis, where a dedicated
team would be significantly more effective in carrying out the goals and mission of
PONC/PONC Maintenance Fund.
2. Allowing for more flexibility in meetings:
As some expressed a desire for more frequent meetings and/or for a remote/virtual
meeting option, we believe that hybrid meetings should be an option. However, we also
see the value in having in -person meetings for truly allowing the Commissioners to be
engaged with public testifiers and for public service groups to present their case in a way
that has the most impact. We suggest that the option to meet more frequently via Zoom is
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2022 Cost of Govemment Commission —County of Hawai'i - Final Report
an option available to the Commission. This decision should be written in the new
proposed rules as an option for the Commissioners to decide, as their membership
evolves over time.
3. Twice per year submission dates:
Twice per year submission dates for Maintenance Fund Grants and the 2% Land Fund
may help with the backlog and allow the groups who need support in these funds an
opportunity to apply for this support and allow lands to be acquired more quickly to
satisfy landowners.
4. Matching Funds:
Seeking matching funds should be part of the job of the Commission and ideally in
tandem with County of Hawaii Research and Development. Having PONC staff (2
personnel) would likely be very cost effective, and significantly increases the success of
securing grants.
5. "Unwilling Sellers":
Currently, the PONC rules allow properties with'unwilling sellers' to be listed. The goals
of the PONC listings are to compile a list of properties that the public wants preserved.
There is no mention of willing sellers in any of the legislation. Since the list remains over
many years, and a property/easement is removed only if purchased, the current practice
of listing properties with 'unwilling sellers' property has the advantage of time.
Landowners' situations, goals or priorities change over time, which has allowed a number
of properties to finally move into escrow. Under the new proposed PONC rules, only
"properties with willing sellers" may be listed. This will likely create a much shorter list
and result in far fewer properties being listed. Being on the PONC list, does not have any
legal bearing on the landowner, other than the knowledge it has met the criteria as an
important parcel/easement for future purchase. Because the 2% Land Fund competes for
properties that can be sold quickly on the open market, the County could lose properties
that are important to the public, especially with the single application submission period
each year. Furthermore, there is a significantly greater chance a property of interest
would get listed for sale after the annual submission period and go into escrow to another
private buyer before ever being able to be submitted the following year.
6. Website updates:
We were informed that the website used to have most of this information easily
accessible, and our recommendation is that this would increase the public's ability to be
engaged and informed on PONC history and current activities. For transparency, the
following items should be readily available from the'Home' page of the PONC website:
a. Financial documents
i. Current and all prior years simplified income/expenses for land easements
and related information
ii. A separate page for the Maintenance Fund
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2022 Cost of Govemment Commission —County of Hawai'i - Final Report
b. List of all proposed properties and easements for purchase and an indication if the
property has a resolution passed by the Hawaii County Council to purchase/in
escrow process.
c. List of completed purchases (land and easements that have been secured)
d. Suggestion forms for land and easement acquisition.
e. Maintenance Fund community steward grant forms.
f. Process in which a parcel(s) or easement is nominated.
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2022 Cost of Govemment Commission —County of Hawai'i - Final Report
OPTIMIZING BOARDS / COMMISSIONS
RECOMMENDATIONS:
The Cost of Government Commission should be restructured and redeployed for better
results in the future or re-evaluated. Current timing of the deployment of the commission
is not sufficient nor practical.
2. There needs to be access into a secretarial pool for better clerical assistance.
Commissions responded that their secretarial support from the Prosecuting Attorney's
Office, the Planning Department, and the Mayor's Office were not sufficient. There also
needs to be more stability with Corporation Counsel representatives with the
commissions. Numerous commissions reported a revolving door with attorneys who
worked for their group, and guidance was not always the same from attorney to attorney.
It also took time to bring new attorneys up to speed on matters that they were not familiar
with. It would be more efficient to have the same attorney per commission per full term.
3. Overwhelmingly, hybrid meetings were strongly preferred. However, some commissions
meet in areas where they or community members have limited internet connectivity,
creating IT issues/challenges. There should be better IT support to standardize access to
the internet and streaming capability from everywhere.
4. Not all appointed commissioners actively participate in or contribute to commission
business. Some commissions also said they do not have equal representation and/or
participation from members across the island. Although quorums are generally being met,
several members miss meetings due to other commitments, travel, etc. The Mayor's
Boards and Commissions Application and nomination process should put more emphasis
on background and experience for desired positions and more closely examine
willingness and ability to prioritize attendance and constructive participation.
5. County Code should be changed to adjust for the Transportation Commission.
EVALUATION AND FINDINGS:
A letter (Appendix E) was sent to all County boards and commissions with specific questions.
Responses are shown in Appendix F.
Cost of Government Commission (COGC)
This COGC has struggled to meet its goals and objectives:
• COGC started a month late, leaving only 10 months to complete its mission.
• It took five months to gain a basic understanding of County organization,
procedures and to develop areas to evaluate. Letters requesting feedback from
departments, boards and commissions were not sent out until July.
• While several responses were timely, most were delayed or not received.
• New Sunshine Law and administrative rules created unnecessary bureaucracy and
delays. Contrary to most other commissions, the Mayor's office directly managed
and oversaw the COGC process. Too many County staff were involved
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2022 Cost of Govemment Commission —County of Hawai'i - Final Report
transmitting internal correspondence and being copied. More direct contact
between COGC and responders would have been beneficial.
• The new Permitted Interaction Group (PIG) process was cumbersome, confusing
and complicated communications and progress.
• Several different Corporation Counsel lawyers were involved with meetings and
advice.
• Required biweekly and special meetings were too frequent allowing little time to
prepare meaningful agendas and meaningful reports.
CONCLUSIONS:
Change the timing of term/deliverable to coincide with a non -lame duck legislative body.
Current report is delivered to County Council that leaves office within weeks unless they're re-
elected. Allow 2 years for the Commission to run during the middle 2 years of the Mayor's 4-
year term. This will allow acquisition of additional specific data and vastly improve report
recommendations.
If this recommendation is not adopted, we recommend that the County Council conduct a
thorough examination of this Commission's efficacy and value. Given the limited adoption of
past COGC recommendations, the significant workload and frequency of meetings compared to
other commissions and difficulties mentioned above, we question the Commission's further
need. Audits by contract or the County Auditor could be more useful and effective.
Transportation Commission
Prior to 2021, almost all taxi license applications, renewals and revocations as submitted by the
Mass Transit Agency (MTA) to the Transportation Commission (TC) were approved with little
or no discussion. The TC had practically no involvement or decision -making with County bus
matters and did not set rates as delineated in the County Code (see below). The lack of purpose
and usefulness of the TC was brought to the County Council's attention years ago; while there
was some concern, nothing was done to evaluate the TC's viability. Although "rubber-stamping"
of taxi license matters still prevails, in the past year or so, the TC Chair and TC has provided
valuable assistance/advice to the MTA and is much more involved in bus matters than previous
commissions.
Given the current, extraordinary Mass Transit Agency progress, and as long as qualified,
experienced and involved commissioners are appointed, the TC should remain in force.
An existing MTA clerk provides assistance to the TC; there is no full-time employee needed for
support. Special knowledge of MTA business is essential here.
Suggested County Code change:
Section 18-9 of the Hawaii County Code (2016 Edition, as amended) states, in part, that rates
are set by the Transportation Commission, and that the commission by order shall fix, prescribe,
and establish rates. However, while the Commission may review and recommend revisions
suggested by the Mass Transit Agency, the County Council actually authorizes/sets such
changes. This and other Code modifications are being reviewed by MTA.
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2022 Cost of Govemment Commission —County of Hawai'i - Final Report
REVENUE GENERATION IDEAS
RECOMMENDATION:
We propose that vehicles imported to Hawai` i be charged $6 per year of age at the time
of importation.
EVALUATION AND FINDINGS:
The Cost of Government Commission created a Permitted Interaction Group (PIG) to look at
opportunities for the County to generate revenue from its assets to improve the economic health
of County government.
This Revenue Generation PIG followed -up on a variety of proposals ranging from collecting fees
from using community pools and parks, Zoo admission, and selling advertising on mass transit
assets such as buses and bus shelters. To gain insights into what the County was doing and/or
planning to do, it met with Parks & Recreation Director Maurice Messina and John Andoh, the
Mass Transit Administrator.
Through our due diligence, it appears that the County has plans in place to collect revenue from
community park/pool facilities and the Zoo; plans also exist to sell advertising space on
inventory Mass Transit holds. It appears these plans will come to fruition within the next year.
One area that was not being met is covering all the expenses tied to abandoned vehicle disposal.
Each abandoned vehicle (AV) that cannot be resold costs the county hundreds of dollars to
dispose; most recently, this expense is approximately $600. The AV program collects $12 per
year as part of existing registration fees. With the median life expectancy of a vehicle roughly
11 years, the average collection is less than $150 per vehicle. Because many older vehicles arrive
in Hawaii and may have only a few years of useful life before they must be disposed, the
County lacks sufficient revenue to offset any AV expense these imported cars may produce. We
propose that vehicles imported to Hawai` i be charged $6 per year of age at the time of
importation. This would help compensate for the high probability that an older vehicle is close to
retirement age and could become an AV; even if it does not, such an additional fee will keep the
AV fund solvent for a longer period.
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2022 Cost of Govemment Commission —County of Hawai'i - Final Report
ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS
Adding Public Information Resources in Hawaii County
RECOMMENDATIONS:
1. In addition to the existing Public Information Officer position with Hawaii County
Police Department, a Public Information Officer position should be added to both Civil
Defense and Hawaii County Fire department to facilitate communications in any
incident, emergency, or disaster between each agency, between HI-EMA, between the
military on -island, between members of the public, and members of the press.
2. If it is not possible to add Public Information Officer posts within the Civil Defense and
Hawaii County Fire Department, the County should consider creating an Office of
Public Information that "owns" and elevates efficient communication between incident
and emergency resources on the island as well as news, health, and safety information
from the County to the press and public. Within the Office of Public Information, the
Mayor's Office, the County Council, Hawaii Police Department, Hawaii Fire
Department, and Civil Defense would each have a member to create dialog between each
entity, members of the press, and members of the public through community meetings,
special broadcasts, social media, and traditional media. These resources would also
interface with state and federal resources in a state of emergency or disaster to streamline
communication to meet the needs of the community.
EVALUATION AND FINDINGS:
In addition to interacting with members of the Mayor's Office, County Council, and members of
the public at large, one Commissioner attended a meeting with Civil Defense, Hawaii County
Police, Hawaii County Fire, Department of Land and Natural Resources, and the Public
Information Officer (PIO) for the P6hakuloa Training Area (PTA).
Through this interaction, it was clear the County was lacking appropriate resources to
communicate to the public effectively and efficiently about pressing safety issues.
While Civil Defense appreciated having a PIO during a portion of the 2018 Lower East Rift
Zone eruption event in Puna, as did the press, there is no full-time communication -savvy
resource there at this time nor budget to have such a resource. As such, communication is left to
incident leaders that are busy tackling the incident on hand. In a review of the 2022 Leilani Fire
that was generally contained to PTA land, Civil Defense was not even aware of the fire due to
lack of inter -agency communication with PTA and HFD for many hours, even as residents in
Waimea, Kohala, and Waikoloa reported the fire to other agencies. By not having
communication resources and plans within the agencies, Civil Defense was unable to
communicate to the public.
As with Civil Defense, Hawaii County Fire Department also lacks a PIO resource. Social media
pages are not maintained in real-time and there's little to no communication with the press and
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2022 Cost of Govemment Commission —County of Hawai'i - Final Report
other agencies during an ongoing incident because resources are tasked dealing with the
emergency at -hand.
Hawaii County Police Department does have a full-time PIO resource and of these agencies that
deals with emergencies, are the most communicative, pushing community TXTs and emails to
convey important information and alerts. HPD also interacts with members of the press regularly
to get information out to the community. However, the communication out of HPD and out
through to other agencies can be improved. During the September 2022 kidnapping incident in
Waikoloa, while a MAILE AMBER alert was issued, details came out slow and cell -phone alerts
lacked full details of who/what specifically to look out for and/or go to a website or social media
page for more specifics.
In addition to getting information out, there appears to be difficulty getting information in.
Firewise Committees and CERT members say they don't know how communication flows in/out
around emergencies and don't have dedicated resources within county agencies, especially Civil
Defense and Fire, to get information to/out from.
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2022 Cost of Govemment Commission —County of Hawai'i - Final Report
ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS
County Managing Director/Department Head Hiring
Recommendation:
Consider modifying the current system of Mayoral appointments of the Managing Director and
department heads to a more permanent employment arrangement hired by County Council
members to improve leadership/management stability, corporate knowledge, morale, continuity
and efficiency.
Evaluation:
While there are various reasons for frequent turnover within several key Hawai `i County
positions, (most notably DPW; six times in the past six years) one solution that our Commission
has discussed to address this County -wide inefficiency is to consider the hire of a long-term
Managing Director.
The National Association of Counties, of which Hawaii County is a member, has recently
reported that 43 percent of some 1,322 U.S. counties have an appointed administrator, this is an
increasing national trend. Most of these positions are county board/council appointed, with a
small number appointed by elected county executives. The benefits include:
1. The County Council, having broader, island -wide scope and experience, is potentially
better suited to hire a Managing Director to run the business of the County.
2. The Managing Director would hire department heads, potentially minimizing politically
motivated appointments and maintaining consistency beyond four year Mayoral terms.
Department heads would be employed for their expertise, education and experience and
similarly could be terminated, if warranted, without initiating a recall process for the
Mayor.
3. Longer tenures would bring consistency and a longer view of changes needed by the
County and the time to accomplish big projects like public works, wastewater, roads,
building hospitals etc. This could result in funds being more efficiently spent.
This arrangement existed at one point in Hawaii County's history and has been considered
across Maui and Kauai County recently to address the similar struggles they have encountered
of consistency and inefficiencies in their government structure. There has been disagreement as
to which system best serves its constituents. Personnel stability, management efficiency and
political influence remain major sticking points not heavily favoring either side.
Establishing a major, admittedly controversial revision to an approach such as delineated in
Appendix A may face significant political roadblocks, the most significant would be the need for
a charter change and the time required to implement if/when it were to be approved. There may
be other more tenable approaches that could be tried.
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2022 Cost of Govemment Commission —County of Hawai'i - Final Report
For example, identifying those positions most suitable for conversion to longer -term
appointments. Perhaps start by having the new Building Department head selected/hired by the
Council, one of three individuals proposed by the Mayor. This person would report and be
responsible directly to the Mayor/Managing Director, but would not be subject to removal by an
incoming County administration or changes in the County Council seats. State/County Civil
Service job descriptions and standards would apply, with selectees subject to stipulated
performance review, discipline and removal if appropriate.
At the very least, if no changes are made to our current system, each incoming Mayor should
strongly consider retaining existing quality personnel before appointing new ones.
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2022 Cost of Govemment Commission —County of Hawai'i - Final Report
ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS
Personnel Requests
RECOMMENDATIONS:
1. Evaluate impact of adding new permanent positions.
2. Include HR review of Form B-52.
EVALUATION AND FINDINGS:
There should be more fiscally sound evaluation of the long-term need for new positions, which
add to the ever-increasing personnel costs, which is a major budget item. For example, several
new permit reviewer positions were recently approved to help reduce the immense permitting
backlog, even though the new EPIC system is taking hold. What will all these additional people
do once permits are reviewed and approved in a more acceptable, timely manner? Will they
continue to be efficiently utilized? Would not temporary employees conforming to collective
bargaining rules have been a better interim solution, especially when any new hiring will not
help for many months given the difficulty in rapidly hiring permanent employees (people don't
want to work, competition with other businesses, high cost of living, etc.)?
Department heads use Form B-52 — Request for Council Action — to ask for new or additional
resources. These submittals should be checked by Human Resources before they are sent in for
approval to ensure they align with available Civil Service classifications and organizational
structure.
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2022 Cost of Govemment Commission —County of Hawai'i - Final Report
ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS
Volunteers
RECOMMENDATION:
1. Increase use of volunteers to reduce costs and backlogs
EVALUATION:
The County has several volunteer groups that assist and supplement staff:
The major force is the Fire Department volunteer program, where individuals receive extensive
training in return for their services.
The Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP), run by Parks and Recreation. Volunteers man
reception booths, assist with putting together events, fill in for answering phones and have other
clerical assignments.
Boy Scouts have helped with gym and bus stop graffiti clean-up, sanding, painting, trash
collection and weeding... supplementing County duties.
Although the County Prosecutor is a different leg of government and its chief executive is
elected by the people, the department uses volunteers in the areas of clerical, legal research,
victim assistance, domestic violence and youth -focused initiatives. And there are Community
Service workers who are ordered by a judge to devote time to county efforts.
There are also many summer interns, County Council assistants, AARP volunteers, those who
help during elections and some who do public area cleanup.
This volunteer support saves tax -payer money. There may be other areas where such assistance
can be used while avoiding conflict with union collective bargaining rules regarding County
employees. Examples might be manning information booths, answering phones, helping with
selection of board/commission members, and assisting the people who are queuing in lines at
County facilities. A good start might be assigning an ad hoc group to investigate new
opportunities.
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2022 Cost of Govemment Commission —County of Hawai'i - Final Report
ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS
Vehicle Registration and Licensing (VRL)
RECOMMENDATIONS:
1. Clarify web site information regarding renewal of REAL ID Gold Star driver's licenses
2. Consider new IT position
3. Evaluate increase in vehicle registration fees
EVALUATION:
Repeat documentation is not required for driver license renewal if the information is the same as
provided in -person during a previous issuance of a REAL ID Gold Star Hawai `i driver's license.
VRL staff are supposed to accept REAL ID licenses if there are no changes. New or additional
documents will be required if there is a difference in names or other key data since the REAL ID
was issued. New photos are still required, and applicants are advised to bring confirming
documents just in case. This procedure should be clarified on the County's website.
VRL had (as of late August) 9 vacancies in Kona (1-5 year turnover), 2 in Hilo. This, combined
with vacation and sick leave, creates delays and limited response to public inquiries. Difficult to
hire new employees. Need dedicated phone answerers, greeters. Main concern - website changes
are difficult, time consuming for staff, lack of training, and knowledge. IT helps as much as
possible, but a designated IT specialist in VRL would improve public service.
Hawaii County fees are lowest in the State. Vehicle registration fees could be raised.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Nation-wide security rules resulting from the 9/11 attack require permanent driver's license
issuing facilities to have special area access security and equipment which would be too costly to
upgrade Hawaii County offices. County instead issues temporary licenses, then all applications,
tests, documents and photos taken by the County are scanned and electronically "uploaded" to a
server. Permanent licenses are then processed and mailed directly to applicants.
Licenses can be renewed only by mail following procedures on the County's web site if a
medical report and certificate of eye exam is provided in lieu of testing at a County facility. A
new State -to -State system is coming soon to improve and expedite data exchange and minimize
duplication.
32
2022 Cost of Govemment Commission —County of Hawai'i - Final Report
Recent approved legislation (Act 159), which will take effect on January 1, 2023,
changes driver license renewal periods as follows: every 2 years for those ages 80 or older; every
4 years for ages 24 or younger and ages 71 to 79; every 8 years for ages 25 to 71. Renewal
frequencies are based on data, but in Hawaii, most accidents occur between the ages of 16 and
72 and may be attributed to health, inexperience, slow reaction time, etc. Hawaii and Rhode
Island still have stricter requirements for 80 and over. County eye testing machines are changed
out/upgraded frequently.
33
2022 Cost of Govemment Commission —County of Hawai'i - Final Report
APPENDIX
2022 Cost of Government Commission —County of Hawai'i - Final Report
34
APPENDIX A
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS
REQUEST FOR FEEDBACK
35
2022 Cost of Government Commission —County of Hawai'i - Final Report
Michael Kenowicz, Chair
Neal Herbert, Vice Chak
Mallhims, Kusch
MitcheU D. Roth Shiroma
Mayor mwk-hne (irvene
Kenneth Obtriski
Daniel Ma[akie III
K,arhe Wakat
County of Hawaili
Cost of A" 6 0
t rib
Governmen Cummission,
25 AAjpuni[ Sifeel, Swjj&2603, Hilla, liawaN %720, (6:691q91611 8�:j I
July 0, 2022
WA mmkingleaw
Stare Pause, Ading Direclor, Department of Public Works
RE: Feeftack solicited from RuMing Division Pecimilled Interaction Group
M-10
AS required !by law,, Ifie, 2'022 Cost of Government (CO,G) ornmission has been convened,to study and
investtate the organization, ainid methods, o(operaflon of'All departments, commissions, boards, offices and
other instrumentalities of all lbranches of the counity government, and deternniine what changes, it any, may
be desif Oe to ac=nplish the 0ounly"s pollcyto pforniole monmy, effidiern cy, and improve service in the
transaction of thin public business in the legislative and executive branches of the County.
A. "Building) IDivilsion Permilled Interavion group'„ which kW, udes the tondersigned COG
has been authorized lo: explore mking oommunication more efroent between employees of DPW with
each other" and the plublic; exarTdne ways to streamline the permitting process; exarnhe the apoicaMe
County 'Code provisions and Its impact on efflciency; and analyze perrniffing costs and exemoons,
Enclosedare specift questions to ronsideras you, review these points, We mquest your fedback on
these items or other related aspects pertainihq to the Budding Division you may wish, to discuss. A
rneeft with you within the next month willI be helpful in fulfillingi our maindate to report our findings and
recommendations to the Managing Director and the Councill in a timely manner..
Please contact Commissioner Herbert at 808,1936-1946 or by Ornait trp to aff ange, an
iniitiall meeting or if you have any questions,
'Thankyou for your participation; we Ilook forward to hearing from you,
Sincerelyi,
N-Pan, Mataki MaWheftl
Commissioner, DistAct 7 Commissioner, District I
�5'Chanitee 8hirorna
Comirnissioner,, District 2. Commitsioner. District 3
Enclosure
36
Permitting (bestions
L I's there a way to issue pro4sional permits to, fUnher reduce construction delays and permitting
backlog? This, may be ace table for pircifessignal design archilecWengineers and licensed
contractors, once planning; approval has been given and while plans„ specs are, under review by other
County departraemL,,. Discrepancies would be: provided to these entities as rev iews progress for
correction as construction proceeds, bit( without halting, such construction except for major Code
non-coonpliance or safety reasons. Designers, and contractors woold be fully responsible for making,
torredions and be subilect to financial penalties four non-compliance, Failure to do, so would result in,
certificates of occupancy not being issued until work passes final inspections, What Code Changes
would be required?
References, Ifawal'i County Building Code, Section 5-2-24, Modifications; Section 5-3-21, PeTunit
exemptions, City - of Austin, TX Code § 2.5911-35 - Temporary 'BuildingPermit
"The building official may issue a temporary building permit to aurthmize construction of a
portion ofa building, strucwre, (n building service equipment before the plans and specifivations
for the entire projw: have: been submitted or approved if Clue applicant files infortnation and
d'etailexl slatemeiils describing the activity to be performed and the building official determines
that the activity complies with this title,"
The pennittee under a teinporary building permit proceeds, with constmction at the pennittees risk.
A tem, pozary building permit d,oeg not guarantee that a permit for the entire building aTstructure
W01 be, *proved, A pemiuce does not acquire vested rightsunder a permit issued under this
section.
2, Similarly, can(should all permit reviews be completed before infortning appi ucant of discrepamies,
instead of intermittent advisories., wbich delay per mittinguntil applicant responds each time?
3. cali/should conditional permits be issued if X rimnihs pass without feedback, from DPW? Should
fees be refunded if applicant is subject to unnecmarily long delays orinaction?
4. Can abbreviated, quicker pcnnils be issued for minor situations such as additional screening or
Owtable window,MCs? Can perminn&I lower than Plan Reviewer approve these permits?
What is site current averagetime line for, lssucA permits,_add-runs„ new btij Ids,? Which reviews are
causing the biggest delays? Is, shortage of inspectors affimsing processing time?
6, Hom many, what kinds of unrers typically found during, review .. iechnical, administrativO
7'. Are permitting fees adequate to cover costs for processing? Can/should fees be lower for Iow-
income ap sum,,acce a plicants? SWAM owners toe compmated for permit delays that are Gut of pt b e
turnaround timeline by the county? Is there a (written) pathway to getting an unNnitived
budding/add ifiontstru cture up 10 Code?
8, Pennitting; prrvess has a projed val" range for plumbing and electric that correlates with the costs
of a peen' nit - do the building permits also have Outs type of rattgt?
9, Can the separate processing (review) fees and the issuance fees be combined in'to, one charge?
10. How many unpennitteds1rucoures exist? How are they cheque "ma naged by the County? Does
allowing such action create, a disincentive to get proper permils?'Code conformance: Wiould not be a
social issue. How many, fAcilifies breakdown ffires / elO
11, What's the extentArnpact, if any, of reviewer shortages in other, departmertits'- impact on DPW?
What slaffing, per department ww ould. be needed iu expedite the process,? What costs are as mated"'
12. Can/does same reviewer cover same applicant upon. re-subtrLittal?
37
13, What are the acommon question,,% made to, DPW about permits? Ilow ]on$ does, it take to resolve an
issue?
14. How are complainis handled,and what is the process, Frorn cornplainant to violator fs'irapp the
prob4cra?
15, Can/sMuld pre -authorized designs that nuet Code requirert eats be expanded to expulite
permitting?
Ism, Shoutd the inspection and crLJbrccmcm responsibilities, of the Planning, Department, new 13" Ming
Department, Real Proinvy Tax Division, Deparmem of Envirorimenial Management, and the
Department of Ifealth (as contracted to, the county) be consolidated into an inspection and
enforcenvent divisiot)?
17. How =ny inspectors do we, have serving eacil Big Istatoy ,distriul?
IS. Are inspection rtperu to owners in writing Vs Orail to minimize M, iscorarnuoleation and re-
imspections?'Are there any recurring, deficiencics that inyptetor's are seeing ni the field? lfw, are
there any awareness ineasures taking ptacO,
191, How mai.-iy deficiencies? Wfwt vylms are found 'w Ith imspeclions of pemitted structures?
20. Are special inspections, reqpi red. of perniftees redundant w oounty in petitions? FA)they help
expedite county inspections?
21, What are the amounVlypes ol-'Boardl o,�f Appeal varia�nces regarding, penilits?
22. What Public Training, J Advi.v)ries exist to h4hh.ght reasons for l3crtrutting delays. -JceA1bl* to,
designersVcontractors -quartexly bulle6nq'?
23, Is it feasible to employ a tracking system oil top of EPX'so applicatiLs and DPW Ino the number
of Inrrnit applications in the queur, bein,g reviewed, project day(s) Lo completion?
24, Couid an EPIC kiosk or two bo sitinited in the County pcTmit dqx for community use to reduce
erroirs and waft firnes 'for permils, altenwate clerks weekly for, assisfiqg people with the procxns?
ff.]
APPENDIX B
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS
PROVIDED FEEDBACK
39
2022 Cost of Government Commission —County of Hawai'i - Final Report
Nfit6cil D., Roth
Lm L Lard
COUTIN of �H�zt f1l, It I i i
DEPARTMENTOF PUBLIC WORKS
Aupu nil Cenler
101 Fawalvi SUON, SuiN 7, 11 ih, Plawail 9672fW 42.24
(�8089M .8121 ' VwN (Milk) 4,16114630
14E4f0RANDVM
1"a ("(151
Ameution: orthe Building Division them' timed ji%leracfion Group
From: S�ej`![Mll M, P�VUSC, Acling 'Nreckv6
Mac: July 14, 2022
Sitbject: DI)W/Builiding Divisiomi PenniUed Interaction (h,,(,tep
Aloba
Stephen Nt. PaNsr, P.L.
Aebog Dirvvfao
Al the reqUeNi of'ilie Mayor And Managing Dirvoor, Ilic Dupami-aent of Public, Wopks i:s presagly
working wiAi a j)r(flbs&io,n.,d c()ijskjjCant whosc Work ,cape is to issess the I.Wilding Permilfing sy.,�iejm It
rippears 1114a 111C C."CY.11 Cfmm,�issiojl is lixitiesting similai mf(wmiflon 1hat is beinghwiked al as pail, of'their
Attached is of thpe roJect (Uwlor whiich deu,'ids the work
AAP,od io, haw 140 rostills of - the, assessinicut on/hy SelAornher 115, 2022. (Plimasv note MID Lce Lord has
r-air ostcA that ifitic Mplpcct Charter (knurnom be rnadc PUIIHC tj:w. (,olmnission d[at lie he
contacoA Iri,or, la, the release)
We kindly Ftlj�UCSJ 11WI, 11ue COG conlimisMoners allow, US 1he Rime to work with 11w consoluant in
camplefing, their assigrimel:11,.. t[)C, iscompletc a jid rcjvo as gelICIMCII, we will sharQ, 1he
results Will) Clad Conm,iission. If' at 111M fill,rie lhe coninli'"it'jil hos ad,(Mioant questions, we: will jdadly
providv. respomes.
ShOUld YOU have kuiy qtimtions or cemicous, pluvs,e do i-iot licsitalo vi oinuikl nic
Thank yc�gi f6r your finic, and
cc: Managimig Director, Lco Lord
('bl"10yov ltw&i i is an VioNldo aodErviplo.yo
40
I, ICro I MOM
Project Details
Biusii�ness Neeid/Prpject Objectives:
A- ft,,,view ithe factorsof the Epic PenrOng System
Project Requirements:
lition/Deliverables:
Project Charter
kidx) ff, p Tiu, org
1,
41
Rolf
Kickoff
11 0, 1.
MWO Ma Pro M-Ok
M1zi,1FM7WA=11 I M11 I'll F11 1 11101m,47P.1111 F-1,11HEM111114,011 ill's] r.] In."M
kic,kaff pirnLarg
11 - Managing D rector"S firnei lFiscal,, Consultant oversight) Ensuring continued progress
2 - ConsultainVs work
3 - D Staff as inlormation, sources (fr= top to bottom of chain of Cornmand')
,4 - Planning Directoe'S time tof reviiew progress reports, provide needed oversight, ensure
inpullc6flaboration
'r 'gvf 14—w SEW&
Division, Deputy! Director, Planning De�pt. I rector,,,Ccnsu,,,,,,'Itarit)''I icipation may in1decrease.
6 - Community, stakehdders
Stakeholders List
Z
LEE LORD
STEVEN PAUSE
JULANN SONOMURA
1TIO.10GROF-11
ffim-
Managing Di�rector
NE���
Prt)j je-et: Cha rte ir
Role/Riesponsibility
donsultant Mgt., Fiscal! Migt,
Progress accountabillity,
St;-vi7 Zqy-f"�uWrvisor--e Dim
Dir and Deputy Div Director
Rldg. Staff' supervisor, Staff'
Buy -in, lhfo facHlitator
Bldg;. S supervisor, Staff
Buy4n,, Info faidlitator
2
AMA
17f"19 Kickoff
zgrelfl�
DAMES TINNER
Develiopers, Contractors,
l u iilld rs, IRealtor's
Consultant
R� Su�mmary Milestone Schedule
An
Milestone tone 3.
Date: TBD Mid o late, August
t�wi�t Project,
ftwjt'A�
kstlkoff pirvii-oirp,
o mii M ,
feedback, I or
Project e ,:
Approve directibn and,
quiames-ClIunwomicm-te
Perform
comm(unicatewO"ect
TeFairn
wvr-
af shaire stagies; thiat will followed,resources
Consultant andlysiis of lnformati n as it is provided by
jurl;sddibbonal staff and prepares ibiitw ll f ndibigs report for
Steve Il ,aus , IFollow up, telephone or video conferenice
vAth Steve Pause and other, relevant personnel to, &scuss
findings, IDate imay change at Steve's discretion.
Project Charter
P
43
SLOOM
TAff r-M ror, M—
k oc kc) ff, pin ll, ul ir g
review the report, consuftant will meet virtually at the
fuem,dictions'convenjence to discuss the report aind
amend as needed.
Preparb final finding's WholuW16ins, arid
Project Cons 1 del ration s
..........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
High -Level Risks:
Acceptance Criteria:
SM38=
L9
44
uu Kicko�ff
kickoff pirrfl.oirp
'co Coun,ty, S�taff will provide contact, information and, n,,ames, of mmun4stakeholders
Commun, , Stakeholders, Wit actively parflcipate
Staff vWth boots on, the g[mund, currently working ei process Wit actively fficipca ate in the ss ,pa
p1ro
of providinask discussing issues'WI improvemen'tscain be made
A - Concerns thatwe are aware, of'now that could be issues, Phase 2
4 VNN I
agreements.
2 -Chengingi the nu bar oe various ctass pof semice sitions is difficulftftimely o
I � 111111131 UNIT III IIIIIIII III
- i 1 1111 F MI.M. I' 1 .1 z10 M z
45
APPENDIX C
SUMMARY OF RESPONSES FOR
SURVEY ISSUED TO DEPARTMENT
OF ENVIRONMENTAL
MANAGEMENT EMPLOYEES
46
2022 Cost of Government Commission —County of Hawai'i - Final Report
Results complied below are from 14 respondents within the DEM Department. All
responses were received before the SurveyMonkey response link closed on July
25th, 2022.
Q1
What do you think your department does particularly well in
regards to management/interaction with other
departments/interaction and service to the
public/efficiency/productivity? These are all just ideas, feel free to
share any areas you think your department excels at.
Keep facilities up and running even with severe staffing shortages.
Operating our wastewater treatment facilities. The staff does a great job while being understaffed
and underfunded.
It's impressive we manage to continue to provide services when the rates we charge are
unsustainable to operate and maintain our infrastructure and facilities.
Not unique to my department, I believe all departments are too siloed. Especially these days
when staffing is such an issue, being short staffed puts an enormous burden on existing staff, not
wanting to get behind and wanting to do their normal good work. Morale suffers.
Overall, it is my observation that the administrative staff for DEM is very hard working - I
cannot comment on the staff in the field except for mine, in the Recycling Section.
My department out of necessity does quite a bit of cross training (staying within union guidelines
of course) necessitated by staff shortages - and I believe that benefits the department, which in
turn benefits the public.
Maintenance and operation of our old equipment under adverse conditions.
I think we have great customer service skills with customers and fellow co-workers.
Sharing of resources (labor, fleet, tools, contract vendors, etc.).
Give in to the complainers even though it's not within the departments responsibilities to appease
others and make the department or County look good
With regards to management: This current management is reactive, lacks to ability to ask for
understanding of programs, processes, policies. As for the interaction with other departments.
This current management will make obligations of its own divisions to assist other departments
with out first consulting with the divisions any its daily operational impacts.
47
2022 Cost of Govemment Commission —County of Hawai'i - Final Report
For the interaction and service to the public. With this current administration, the public is
"right" and the divisions need to make the accommodations. Because of this, there is little to no
efficiency, and productivity of the ground level employees are at its highest. The work level has
increased, because our awareness has increased.
Our Solid Waste Division within Department of Environmental Management helps other
departments such as DPW and P&R in regards to disposal of large quantities of refuse, assistance
in hauling aggregate, and removal of prohibited items within their base yards left from the public
at various county sites. As for the public, our division provides additional services such as
recycling programs for green waste, metals, white -goods, cardboard, glass, household hazardous
items and e-waste products. I wish our division could provide more recycling services in other
aspects to prevent illegal dumping but it comes to extra expenses in the budget. We are a
department that has the word "Environment" and we should do more to protect it.
SWD's core function is to safely and efficiently move rubbish from the collection sites (22
stations and 1 reload stations) to final disposal at the West Hawaii Sanitary Landfill. Despite
daily challenges with manpower and equipment, SOW is still able to provide that core function.
SWD was given the additional functions to manage recycling and abandoned vehicles which
added burden to the already heavy workload
Q2
What do you think your department's biggest struggles are? This
could include internal/external challenges including, but not limited
to: staffing, funding, overly burdensome restrictions or regulations,
inefficiencies, redundancies, waste, time management issues,
anything else?
Underfunded for decades therefore gotten into the habit of using consultants instead of using
permanent staff.
The rates we charge don't cover wastewater treatment plant and collection system maintenance.
There is a lack of transparency from the Finance Department and OEM's Business Services
Group, so we get denied access to money that was already approved in the CIP budget for
maintaining our wastewater infrastructure and planning projects.
Therefore, we cannot create the financial program requested by the EPA to show we are good for
matching grants or that we are working in good faith to comply with Federal Laws.
Pay is far below market value. We can't attract talent to the Department if they have to take a
23% pay cut. Those hired know they are not paid enough to give their all to the job.
Top on the list is the budget to perform the "must have" is insufficient as it is. The performance
of "nice to have" without the commensurate budget is an impossible task. Most recent example is
the enforcement of certain suntan lotion fell on SWD's lap.
Online payment, automatic payments, paperless options.
48
2022 Cost of Govemment Commission —County of Hawai'i - Final Report
Making doing the right thing difficult such as disposing trash at the transfer station and
recycling. Need to made easy as possible for people to adopt as a normal routine.
Finding funds to support and maintain facilities.
Doing the right thing within budget constraints. Current admin is creating lots of new positions
and hire staff that have no supervisors or guidance that these new employees admit they have
nothing to do or don't know what to do!
I believe our biggest challenge is funding which affects staffing and especially in Recycling,
services that the public wants, demands - and to some extent, rightly so.
By not instituting an actual user fee for residents, i.e. Pay As You Throw for rubbish disposal,
we are continuing to subsidize excessive generation of rubbish - no incentive to reduce, reuse,
recycle.
Also - and the entire country struggles with this is the lack bodies to fill the positions.
The inefficiencies we face (e.g. procurement process) are inherent in many of the government
processes that are a necessary part of the checks and balances required. They are complex and
burdensome and I believe sometimes this can appear to the public as drastic inefficiencies -
which is not untrue. I don't think it can be avoided. It does seem though that it could be
beneficial for an expert government processes to analyze how our systems and make suggestions
for County wide improvements. There is such a strong ethos of, "Well, that's how we've always
done it...." and that benefits no one when it comes to inefficiency.
On a more specific note, and perhaps our biggest obstacle for the Recycling (Waste Diversion)
Section, about the Solid Waste Division of my department, is the lack of conveyance to ALL the
solid waste workers that Waste Diversion, Recycling, Waste Reduction IS part of Solid Waste
management, and not just an annoyance created by the Recycling Section. This lack of
communication creates ongoing friction in our division. We, the Recycling Section, more or less
do not feel supported by the Division, just another extra thing they have to "help" us with.
Waste Diversion - sustainable materials management - is an inherent component of Solid Waste
Management.
Insufficient funding. insufficient staffing/high turnover. poor communication and decision
making. Direction, funding, staffing Personnel. Workers do not feel respected or listened to,
which leads to frustration and a breakdown in morale. Department office personnel and field
workers do not intermingle. I have never even met the department leaders since they came on
board.
Limited Budget. Necessary repairs on both rolling stock and capital assets have been deferred
due to budget reductions in the past. It is now time to "pay the piper" (equipment failures, poor
conditions).
Management: Management lacks an understanding of many processes which help to make a
government entity work and be successful.
49
2022 Cost of Govemment Commission —County of Hawai'i - Final Report
Management has an open door policy with almost anyone who has some idea to sell, without
going through the appropriate processes.
Staffing or understaffing of those who are in the HGEA unit, SR 17 level and below. The work
flow has increased (billing, invoicing, procurements) yet staff is not being hired or promoted.
Funding - FY 21 and FY22 was by far the worst level of administrative funding action I have
witnessed in 10 years. It is extremely difficult to continue to cut back a budget when expenses
continue to increase.
The biggest challenges our division faces is staffing because I believe some employees take
advantage of the sick leave but that's an issue the employer and the union needs to come to a
resolution. I wish both parties could come to an agreement where an employee must physically
work 40hours per week before overtime kicks in. Also, our division operates 7 days a week, 10
hours per day and only shuts down 3 days a year for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years.
With that being said, our equipment is constantly being over worked resulting in break downs.
We are not like other divisions that usually operate 8 hours a day, 5 days a week. Some of our
equipment is over 10 years old and majority of those parts are obsolete. In my opinion, our
division/department in whole need to look at leasing equipment so every 5 years, equipment can
be rotated out for new ones and a service package included to cut down on costs. Lastly, the
divisions should be able to control their own budget and not ask permission from finance to do
purchases. If a budget is set forth in the beginning of the fiscal year, it should be their
responsibly to manage their own budget. If the divisions exhaust their budget before the end of
the fiscal year and need more money, then it becomes a discussion between finance and the
director and/or division chief. The procurement process tends to take a long time for approval
when it comes to repairs or purchases especially when operations are limited in inoperable
equipment.
Q3
What projects that are in the works currently are you particularly
excited about and/or do you think will make a difference in your
productivity or efficiency or ability to serve the public?
Additional bodies have been approved (RTF).
SWD is heavily regulated by the State DOH and EPA. Meeting the requirements of 25 permits
with limited resources is a difficult task. There are projects that if implemented will make a
difference in your productivity or efficiency or ability to serve the public. Those projects will
need upfront capital to implement but the ROI is will pay for the upfront costs.
Repairing and replacing several wastewater treatment facilities.
Excited about the Waiohinu Transfer Station upgrade which will provide a better service to the
kau residences. Installation of a new refuse chute, stalls for metal/cardboard/glass/white-good
bins. Majority of our transfer stations across the island are out dated and need upgrades due to
increase in population. You need to figure out that these transfer stations were built decades ago
when the population was much lower than it is today. I know it takes time and money but if we
50
2022 Cost of Govemment Commission —County of Hawai'i - Final Report
can start making small progresses, the community will be happy knowing their tax money is well
spent.
Nothing. This admin could not pick up from where the previous admin left off. Feels like our
dept is going backwards
Interested in repair and replace projects
Creating a master contract and project schedule for DEM. Contract development and project
management tends to drag on and lack transparency. The process should be public so we can id
bottlenecks, provide support, streamline processes and id resource over allocation that leads to
burnout.
We are currently working of the Life Cycle Assessment to evaluate some of our recycling
programs. The results may or may not be received positively by the public, however we feel it is
important that decisions we make are in the best interest of the environment.
The project has had several delays due to staff shortages and unfortunate decisions NOT to fill
vacant key positions when they were first vacated.
Upgrading the Hilo wastewater treatment plant that will cost $170 million.
Q4
Anything else you'd like to share?
County needs to develop a financial program to fund wastewater program at least for a ten year
horizon.
SWD is an operation division that was given added functions through the years. SWD's very
limited technical staff will need to be augmented in order for SWD to perform the added
functions. SWD will need to create career path to change the current set up of just entry level and
chiefs' position so that there's a good mix of skill set to keep the division moving forward
Projects that do get done seem to be secret. Input from the workers is not gathered, or taken into
consideration. The end result has been that what we get isn't really what is needed. The WHSL
scale is a prime example of a project badly done. The people who are working should be asked
for input, and respected for it. Feedback isn't welcomed or received well by management. Not
much respect anywhere
Need funding to so can have permanent staff and stop using consultants.
Having online payments or automatic payments would greatly reduce the amount of phone calls
we receive and the amount of time spent in those calls.
To save money, need to do more continuous duties in house instead of hiring consultants. Using
too many consultants for duties that are needed to be conducted all the time.
Morale in the rank and file needs boosting. It is unnecessary to "give something" to "get
something". It is "very necessary" to support supervisors in managing their staff. There are 40 to
51
2022 Cost of Govemment Commission —County of Hawai'i - Final Report
50 employees for each supervisor. They don't feel heard. The good employees that come into
work everyday, work hard, stay positive, and perform as well or even better than expected lose
their morale when coworkers come late, don't put out the same work effort, and nothing happens
to them (the message this sends is that "its too hard to discipline"), and morale suffers.
This new admin does not believe in following the County procurement or HR process. Things
are being done as if we are a private company and they can bypass the system, over ride who is
recommended for hire and purchase things that look good while we have to sacrifice the things
employees need!
We should adopt County -wide (enterprise level) asset management, project management, permit
management and contract management software for streamlining procedures, improving
departmental communication and tracking operations. KPI metric should be established and
reporting should be required. We must be accountable for using these softwares at every level.
We need transparency and a County data/reporting strategy so we can improve and become more
efficient.
52
2022 Cost of Govemment Commission —County of Hawai'i - Final Report
APPENDIX D
OUTBOUND LETTERS SEEKING
FEEDBACK ON COUNTY -WIDE FLEET
53
2022 Cost of Government Commission — County of Hawai'i - Final Report
Mitchell D. Roth
Mayor
County of
Hawai `i
Michael Konowicz, Chair
Neal Herbert, Vice Chair
Matthias Kusch
Chantee Shiroma
Madeline Greene
Shannon Matson
Kenneth Obenski
Daniel Malakie III
Karie Wakat
Cost of Government Commission
25 Aupuni Street, Suite2603, Hilo, Hawai'i 96720 (808) 961-821 1
74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Hwy. Bldg C , Kailua-Kona, Hawaii 96740 (808) 323-4444
July 8, 2022
Via electronic mail (only) to the recipients listed below
RE: Feedback solicited from County -wide Fleet Permitted Interaction Group
Aloha,
As required by law, the 2022 Cost of Government (COG) Commission has been convened to
study and investigate the organization and methods of operations of all departments,
commissions, boards, offices and other instrumentalities of all branches of the county
government, and determine what changes, if any, may be desirable to accomplish the County's
policy to promote economy, efficiency and improve service in the transaction of the public
business in the legislative and executive branches of the County.
A "County -wide Fleet Permitted Interaction Group," (PIG) which includes the undersigned COG
Commissioners, has been authorized to explore the efficacy of standardizing maintenance of
vehicles and equipment across the County and sharing or pooling department/division vehicles.
Specific areas for discussion:
Z. Evaluate commonality of vehicle and equipment inventories;
2. Compare maintenance staffing, equipment, and facilities;
3. Examine potential ways to standardize and to combine procurement;
4. Review clean energy initiatives, EV charging and grants for experimentation and testing
We request your feedback on these items or other related aspects pertaining to the Department/
Division you may wish to discuss. A meeting with you within the next month will be helpful in
fulfilling our mandate to report our findings and recommendations to the Managing Director and
the County Council in a timely manner.
Please contact Commissioner Malakie by email at danielmalakiea-vahoo.com or 808-227-6295
to arrange an initial meeting, or if you have any questions.
Thank you for your participation, we look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
/s/Dan Malakie /s/Neal Herbert
Commissioner, District 7 Commissioner, District 1
County of Hawaii is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer. 54
Mitchell D. Roth
Mayor
County of Hawai `i
Michael Konowicz, Chair
Neal Herbert, Vice Chair
Matthias Kusch
Chantee Shiroma
Madeline Greene
Shannon Matson
Kenneth Obenski
Daniel Malakie III
Karie Wakat
Cost of Government Commission
25 Aupuni Street, Suite 2603, Hilo, Hawaii 96720 (808) 961-8211
74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Hwy., Bldg C , Kailua-Kona, Hawaii 96740 (808) 323-4444
August 1, 2022
Via electronic mail (only) to the recipients listed below
RE: COG Commission letter dated July 8, 2022 — Feedback solicited from County -wide Fleet
Permitted Interaction Group
Aloha,
We have been asked to clarify the information requested in our July 8, 2022 letter. Here are some
specific questions to assist you in responding to our inquiry:
- What is current inventory of non -specialty (Le. fire trucks, custom police cars) vehicles
and heavy equipment?
- How is vehicle use/pooling managed, controlled; what is frequency of use (monthly or per
existing records)?
- What support facilities and staff are available for administration/maintenance?
- When can facilities, baseyards, equipment be visited by COG Commission?
- What vehicle/equipment procurement is planned and which existing items will be
replaced?
- Who prepares procurement requests?
- What are plans, available grants for experimentation, testing and conversion to EV vehicles
and charging stations?
At your earliest convenience, please contact Commissioner Malakie by email at
danielmalakiep_vahoo.com or 808-227-6295 to arrange an initial meeting, or if you have any
questions.
Sincerely,
/s/Dan Malakie /s/Neal Herbert
Commissioner, District 7 Commissioner, District 1
Recipients:
Moe Mesinna, Director, Department of Parks and Recreation
John Andoh, Mass Transit Administrator, Mass Transit Agency
Ramzi Mansour, Director, Department of Environmental Management
Talmadge Magno, Civil Defense Administrator, Civil Defense Agency
Keith K. Okamoto, Manager -Chief Engineer, Department of Water Supply
Kazuo Todd, Fire Chief, Hawaii Fire Department
Paul Ferreira, Police Chief, Hawaii Police Department
Deanna Sako, Director, Department of Finance
County of Hawaii is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer. 55
To:
Steve Pause, Acting Director, Department of Public Works
Maurice Messina, Director, Department of Parks and Recreation
John Andoh, Mass Transit Administrator, Mass Transit Agency
Ramzi Mansour, Director, Department of Environmental Management
Talmadge Magno, Civil Defense Administrator, Civil Defense Agency
Keith K. Okamoto, Manager -Chief Engineer, Department of Water Supply
Kazuo Todd, Fire Chief, Hawaii Fire Department
Paul Ferreira, Police Chief, Hawaii Police Department
Deanna Sako, Director, Department of Finance
County of Hawai"i is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer, 56
APPENDIX E
RESPONSES TO COUNTY -WIDE
FLEET PERMITTED INTERACTION
GROUP REQUESTS FOR
INFORMATION
57
2022 Cost of Government Commission —County of Hawai'i - Final Report
COUNTY -WIDE FLEET RESPONSES
HAWAII POLICE DEPARTMENT (HPD)
The Hawai'i Police Department currently utilizes a small number of "Blue &
White" marked police vehicles which are spread out among all districts
island -wide. Each of these vehicles is equipped with police radios, lights,
sirens, prisoner transport equipment, and safety equipment. While we do have
an on -site radio shop located at the South Hilo Police Station for the
installation and removal of all police radios and safety equipment, all other
maintenance to these vehicles is performed at various commercial automotive
shops.
The use of these vehicles is specific to the role that they are outfitted for, and
their use by other departments/divisions is not only against policy, it is also
highly impractical.
The remainder of our vehicles are police subsidized vehicles, which are
privately owned or leased motor vehicles that are utilized as police vehicles for
official business.
Should centralized maintenance facilities become available for County owned
vehicles, this would alleviate the need to utilize commercial facilities for repairs
and maintenance.
Lastly, while electric vehicles (EV's) may be trending as a clean energy
alternative, there is much debate regarding their use in law enforcement. It is
argued that they are not large enough, that they are too expensive, and that
they don't have enough range prior to needing to be charged. Should this
become an option for the County of Hawai'i in the near future, these are some
of the challenges that we may face when considering them for use.
FIRE DEPARTMENT
- What is current inventory of non -specialty (I.e. fire trucks, custom police cars)
vehicles and heavy equipment?
Fire Department doesn't have a pool of non -specialty vehicles (generally
speaking, there is sometimes a floater when a replacement vehicle is
purchased) Got 2 used P/U trucks from DPW this year; other used vehicles
from Oahu, Maui, but 20+ yrs old.
- How is vehicle use/pooling managed, controlled; what is frequency of use
(monthly or per existing records)?
We have no pooling, all vehicles are assigned to a specific purpose or person.
8 prevention bureau inspectors use 4 WD SUV's - now using chiefs car to
supplement.
- What support facilities and staff are available for
administration/maintenance?
0:
We have our own mechanic shop to handle repairs and maintenance
(Waiakea station). Some repairs are sublet by mechanics to local dealers
(Ford, Toyota). Some work overtime.
Should consider consolidating vehicle repair facility near Mass Transit facility
where County owns 30 acres... common parts, repairs, storage, equipment,
supervision, eliminate isolation/separation.
Should have one in Kona as well as Hilo... costs $1 K for commercial tow truck
to Hilo. Maybe combine with State facilities at Kona airport. New agreement to
service PTA vehicles for being pursued.
- What vehicle/equipment procurement is planned and which existing items will
be replaced?
Insufficient $ for new ones. We have about $1 million in a revolving line item to
purchase new vehicles. This is estimated to be about 20% of what is needed to
replace fire apparatuses at an acceptable rate.
- Who prepares procurement requests?
Fire administration prepares specification, finance handles procurement
process.
- What are plans, available grants for experimentation, testing and conversion
to EV vehicles and charging stations?
None. The only electric fire trucks have proven to have issues which make
them unsustainable. I would prefer hydrogen fire trucks over EV if we are
looking to the future.
Other
Dept is following up on recent audit recommendations. Review of cover
standards for Hawaii County underway.
Assign apparatus from high volume stations to low volume stations to extend
the usable life.
Vehicle replacement targets will help HFD better understand when it is no
longer cost-effective to maintain vehicles while providing budget justification.
Work with other departments to revise the County's Vehicle Use Policy,
specifically the refill gas section, to include provisions for electrically powered
vehicles.
Need proper specialized training facility/combine with police; burn building;
better if recruits train together, careers parallel, better knowledge,
communication, cooperation between departments; check State facilties.
Cross -train EMT's with firemen.
County Annual Report should include HFD report info/data... what was done,
results/improvements over time.
WATER SUPPLY
As a background, the DWS-County of Hawaii, is a semi -autonomous
59
agency established by the Hawaii County Charter. With our semi -autonomy,
we are required to annually set a balanced fiscal year budget based on
anticipated revenues (from the sales of water delivery) and expenses. Our
department does not receive any revenues or budget from the County of
Hawaii. In addition, DWS is recognized as its own purchasing agency and
DWS' Manager -Chief Engineer serves as the department's Chief
Procurement Officer (CPO), which is responsible for ensuring DWS follows
all applicable State Procurement Codes and policies. That being said, DWS
is always looking for ways to improve our procedures when there are
proven fiscal or efficiency benefits.
--Evaluate commonality of vehicles and equipment inventories.
Having common vehicles and equipment could provide the following benefits
Common routine servicing needs; common parts that can be sourced and
stocked; county mechanics could become more familiar with a limited number
of vehicle types versus a wide array of vehicles, regular procurement of
common vehicles/equipment could provide an economy of scale and could
possibly result in lower relative initial purchase costs.
- Examine potential ways to standardize and to combine procurement
Combining procurement could possibly provide an economy of scale and
could possibly result in lower purchase costs. However, it is too difficult to
predict and ensure these results, since the County does not control or
influence the supply inventory of vehicles and manufacturers' costs.
In all likelihood, DWS would continue to procure necessary vehicles based on
our needs assessment, available budget, and when the vehicles will be
needed. DWS could potentially participate in a County- wide vehicle bid if the
timing works out. However, a memorandum of understanding between DWS
and the lead County Purchasing agency would be needed to define the
framework for the procurement.
- Review clean energy initiatives, EV charging and grants for experimentation
and testing.
DWS has no current clean energy fleet initiatives. DWS investigated
participation in the State Electric Vehicle and Charging Infrastructure
Services contract with Sustainability Partners, but it wasn't financially
feasible to pursue, partially because DWS does not have a large inventory
of vehicles that can participate (sedans/suvs, which currently have an
electric equivalent). DWS plans to periodically revisit this contract as the
electric vehicle industry continues to develop and produce a wider variety of
electric vehicles.
- What is current inventory of non -specialty (Le. fire trucks, custom police
cars) vehicles and heavy equipment?
DWS currently has 146 non -specialty vehicles and heavy equipment.
60
- How is vehicle use/pooling managed, controlled; what is frequency of use
(monthly or per existing records)?
DWS typically assigns vehicles to a Division (i.e. Operations, Engineering,
Finance or Administration) once the vehicle has been procured and acquired.
Then the vehicle is typically assigned to a sub -group such as a Branch (i.e.
Water Quality Assurance & Control Branch) or Section (i.e. Field Operations
Section).
- What vehicle/equipment procurement is planned and which existing items
will be replaced?
DWS is preparing for a vehicle bid this fiscal year (July 1, 2022 to June 30,
2023).
- Who prepares procurement requests?
The respective DWS Division Head will prepare the appropriate
procurement requests and related bid documents at the justified time. DWS'
Contracts Branch assembles and advertises the bid documents and
coordinates the opening and awarding of bids.
DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT (DEM)
- How is vehicle use/pooling managed, controlled; what is frequency of use
(monthly or per existing records)?
Most pooled vehicles are used on daily basis
--What support facilities and staff are available for
administration/maintenance?
Solid Waste Division has two Construction Equipment Mechanic positions,
though both are vacant and difficult to fill. Most vehicle repairs and
maintenance are handled by DPW —Automotive.
- What vehicle/equipment procurement is planned and which existing items
will be replaced?
Admin: Small SUV — replaces CH1913; :Hybrid 4-door sedan — New for
new positions
Wastewater: Class 3 pickup — West Line; Class 3 pickup — East Mech;
Pre -owned trucks (4); Pick-up, % ton, 4 wheel drive; Pick-up, '/2 ton, 4
wheel drive (2); UV. 2 wheel drive (2);
Vehicle Disposal: 4x4 SUV; 4x4 pick-up. Solid Waste: Pick-up Truck;
Semi -Tractors (6); Walking Floor Trailers (4); Compacting Trailers (4)
- Who prepares procurement requests?
61
Each Division is responsible for submitting their requests and equipment
specifications.
- What makes/models are assianed to division
Various
- Who uses vehicles (how requested/assigned)
Operations staff are assigned vehicles with their daily assignments, others will
request as needed.
- Key security... who/how issued
May vary by Division, but generally, a supervisor or other trusted position
maintains the keys in a central location and assigns vehicles or issues keys as
needed.
- Refueling process... cards
Fuel keys issued by DPW Automotive for use at County fueling stations, keys
are vehicle specific and require a code and odometer reading
--What happens to used vehicles... are they still used after new ones arrive?
Yes, if still usable and needed
- Who disposes... can other depts get if needed?
Department initiates a disposal request, vehicle can be transferred to other
departments if needed otherwise they are generally placed on auction.
Any sharing of vehices with other div/dept
Each Div/Dept generally uses their own, but vehicles are shared when there is
a need and their own vehicles are not available.
FINANCE DEPARTMENT
- What is current inventory of non -specialty (I.e. fire trucks, custom police cars)
vehicles and heavy equipment?
Latest inventory lists 1344 County -owned vehicles, including specialty and
trailers.
- How is vehicle use/pooling managed, controlled; what is frequency of use
(monthly or per existing records)?
Vehicle and equipment use is managed by individual departments,
62
divisions... no apparent exchange or pooling.
- What vehicle/equipment procurement is planned and which existing items will
be replaced?
Financial lease vs buy discussions are underway. R & D is evaluating
usage/sharing by each department.
- Who prepares procurement requests?
Each department develops its own requests using Form B-202 - Request to
Budget New Equipment. Expense Review Board then evaluates need,
specifications for major items before placing in County budget plan. After
money is approved by County Council, Purchasing Div then prepares bid
documents and buys vehicles. Purchases are made throughout the year,
attempting to standardize. Bulk purchases are not made to lower costs. County
could review process to achieve better quantity savings and minimize vehicle,
equipment, tools and servicing equipment variety.
MASS TRANSIT AGENCY (MTA)
- What is current inventory of non -specialty (Le. fire trucks, custom police cars)
vehicles and heavy equipment?
Only a few SUV's for administrative use... all other vehicles are buses, service
trucks or heavy equipment unique to MTA needs.
- How is vehicle use/pooling managed, controlled; what is frequency of use
(monthly or per existing records)?
All vehicle use managed within MTA... no sharing or pooling with other
departments.
- What support facilities and staff are available for
administration/maintenance?
Some positions are being reclassified to cover maintenance of new electric
fleet because current auto mechanic wording doesn't include EV's. If future
study of man-hours shows in-house costs per operating hour to be significantly
higher than by contract (Roberts), then only way to possibly make more
cost-effective use of remaining auto mechanics would be to reassign them
within County.
- What vehicle/equipment procurement is planned and which existing items will
be replaced?
MTA is constantly revising bus and van purchasing and acquisition of used
transport from other counties to more accurately fit ridership usage and
anticipated needs. Grants are covering free bus fares thru 2023; some $ being
63
applied within agency. Roberts drives all buses at $80/hr and maintains its own
for $120-150/hr. Costs to County per passenger is about $18-23/hr.
- What are plans, available grants for experimentation, testing and conversion
to EV vehicles and charging stations?
Special bus EV chargers are planned. Third parties may be willing to install EV
chargers on county property at their expense and for their profit. Hydrogen
buses will be evaluated going forward.
CIVIL DEFENSE
- What is current inventory of non -specialty vehicles?
CD Command Post
- How is vehicle use/pooling managed and frequency?
Used for emergency response by Fire, Police and Civil Defense. Used when
needed by department.
- What support facilities and staff are available for dministration/maintenance?
CD staff officers maintain and deliver to emergency/incident.
- What vehicle/equipment procurement is planned and which existing items will
be replaced?
None
- Who prepares procurement request ?
CD administration
- What are plans, available grants for experimentation to EV vehicles?
None
DPW - AUTOMOTIVE DIVISION
- What is current inventory of non -specialty (I.e. fire trucks, custom police cars) vehicles
and heavy equipment?
Department of Public Works
Vehicle & Equipment Listing as of:
DIVISION
Administration
Automotive
8/19/2022
VEHICLE EQUIPMENT TOTAL
4 2 6
39 4 43
64
Building
68
5
73
Engineering
21
15
36
Highway Maintenance
191
149
340
Traffic
44
10
54
367
185
552
- How is vehicle use/pooling managed, controlled; what is frequency of use (monthly or
per existing records)?
Each County department/division separately manages their own usage, not an Auto Div
responsibility except for their assigned components. Silo effect... no apparent
sharing/cross-usage.
- What support facilities and staff are available for administration/maintenance?
Main base yard/auto shop in Hilo, others in Kona and Waimea. Each have own equipment.
Centralized admin in Hilo. DPW services all County vehicles/heavy equipment except Fire,
Police, Water Supply and Mass Transit, which have their own budgets and refueling
facilities. Centralized maintenance, although to a degree duplicative under current
arrangements, not practical or feasible as presently organized. Existing facilities,staff
maxed out. Computerized diagnosis used for repairs, but must pay for specialized
equipment and software (varies depending on vehicle manufacturer). Parts/tools
inventories not computerized. Items are paid for by Auto Div, except certain parts costs
are invoiced to other departments. County maintains coded access and records for
refueling. UPW relationship good.
- What vehicle/equipment procurement is planned and which existing items will be
replaced?
DPW fleet mostly 15+ years old; many require non -computerized diagnosis. This leads to
many different vehicle types being purchased which requires variety of servicing, repair,
parts. County should consider more procurement commonality where possible, with more
bulk purchasing for volume savings in both acquisition and maintenance expenses.
- Who prepares procurement requests?
Individual DPW divisions prepare their own procurement requests
- What are plans, available grants for experimentation, testing and conversion to EV
vehicles and charging stations?
5 EV vehicles purchased in 2012; only one remaining. Replacement batteries expensive
(—$8K), must pay $4K shipping costs once vehicle warranty (5 yrs) expires. Purchasing
extended warranties directly from manufacturers at time of purchase would be more
cost-effective. No State disposal system. 6 week delay to get new ones. Lack of
commonality makes pre -stocking spares impractical. County should avoid EV, hydrogen,
new technology testing... should purchase proven vehicles. Heavy corrosion on island
affects batteries, EV charging stations (more and widely dispersed stations needed).
DPW - HIGHWAY DIVISION
- What makes/models are assigned to division
65
4 vans admin; mostly Fords. Some forks lifts.
- Who uses vehicles (how reauested/assiane
Each section assigns their own; can get cross -use; some are special use;
vehicles/equipmentt usage - Hilo area - 80%+; 75 % in 7 districts; some mechs
in Waimea/Kona - 1 in Kau. On -call overseers/chiefs take home assigned
vehicles.
- Key security... who/how issued -lock boxes
Admin-supervisors control
- Refueling process
County facilities
- Is usage/mileage tracked/recorded
(m
- What is replacement plan/procurement process
Div does own in budget and procurement -DPW reviews
- What happens to used vehicles... are thev still used after new ones arrive?
Some are auctioned or transferred to another div-word of mouth (not often)
- Any sharing of vehicles with other div/dept
Some sharing with Bldg div. No EV's
DPW - TRAFFIC DIVISION
- What makes/models are assigned to division-
4 vans admin; mostly Ford. No EV. Some forks lifts
- Who uses vehicles (how requested/assigned)
Section assign -safety rotates; can get cross -use -some special-80%+ in use
- Key security... who/how issued -lock boxes
Admin-supers
- Refueling process
66
County
- Is usage/mileage tracked/recorded
No
- Who does procurement
Does own in budget and procurement - DPW reviews
- What happens to used vehicles... are thev still used after new ones arrive?
Auction or transfer to another div-word of mouth (not often)
- Any sharing of vehices with other div/deptt-
Share with Building Div
67
APPENDIX F
OUTBOUND LETTER FROM
BOARDS &COMMISSIONS
PERMITTED INTERACTION
GROUP REQUESTING
INFORMATION
68
2022 Cost of Government Commission —County of Hawai'i - Final Report
Mitchell D. Roth
Mayor
County of Hawai `i
Michael Konowicz, Chair
Neal Herbert, Vice Chair
Matthias Kusch
Chantee Shiroma
Madeline Greene
Shannon Matson
Kenneth Obenski
Daniel Malakie III
Katie Wakat
Cost of Government Commission
25 Aupuni Street, Suite 2603, Hilo, Hawaii 96720 (808) 961-8211
74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Hwy., Bldg C , Kailua-Kona, Hawaii 96740 (808) 323-4444
July 18, 2022
Aloha Chairperson of a Hawaii County Commission or Board,
As required by law, the 2022 Cost of Government (COG) Commission has been convened to
study and investigate the organizations and methods of operations of all department, commissions,
boards, offices and other instrumentalities of all branches of the county government, and determine
what changes, if any, may be desirable to accomplish the County's policy to promote economy,
efficiency and improve service in the transaction of the public business in the legislative and
executive branches of the County.
A Permitted Information Group of three COG commissioners has been authorized to explore the
following areas within your board/commission:
- efficacy/value of your commission/board;
- adequacy of your commission/board size and makeup;
- frequency of your meetings;
- limitations in meeting quorums;
- ability to achieve positive results;
- reduction or elimination of commission or board specific budgets;
- changing to a County commission/board-wide dedicated support staff,
- sharing of IT related technology platforms across commissions/ boards such as virtual meeting
technology;
- changes to County Charter, if appropriate.
Enclosed are some specific questions to consider as you review these points. We request your
feedback on these items or other aspects of your commission/board you may wish to discuss. A
meeting with you within the next month will be helpful in fulfilling our mandate to report our
findings and recommendations to the Managing Director and the Council in a timely manner.
Please contact Commissioner Neal Herbert at 808-935-1946 or by email nfherbert@twc.com to
arrange an initial meeting or if you have any questions.
County of Hawaii is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer. 69
Thank you for your participation; we look forward to hearing any feedback from you with
regards to your board/commission no later than Tuesday, August 9, 2022.
1. Can redundancy and waste be reduced by combining boards/commissions that are like
focused?
2. Is the size of your board/commission optimized? Is island -wide representation
optimized?
3. Has your board/commission retained its value to the community and achieved positive
results?
4. Is your meeting frequency optimized?
5. Has lack of quorums been a problem and affected effectiveness?
6. Is your board/commission conforming to the County Charter or should any
code changes to guidelines be suggested?
7. Would an audit of your board/commission be of any benefit?
8. Would employing a support staff of secretaries and lawyers for the exclusive use
of the Commissions and Boards so as to not distract the workload of other
county employees be prudent?
9. What suggestions might you have for using standard A/V equipment and resources
across boards and commissions, as well as standardizing how the community can
interact with each board and commission remotely and/or in -person? What equipment,
systems and facilities are you using in this regard?
10. Should all meetings be held both in -person (as permitted) and via Zoom (or
equivalent)?
Mahalo,
/s/ Michael Konowicz /s/ Neal Herbert /s/ Shannon Matson
Michael Konowicz, Neal Herbert, Shannon Matson,
Chair Vice -Chair Commissioner
70
County of Hawaii is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer.
APPENDIX G
RESPONSES TO BOARDS &
COMMISSIONS PERMITTED
INTERACTION GROUP
REQUESTS FOR
INFORMATION
71
Environmental Management Commission (EMC)/Dept of Environmental Management (DEM)
From Georjean Adams, EMC
Regarding the Environmental Management Commission, in general, I think we are
doing pretty well.
1. Can redundancy and waste be reduced by combining boards/commissions that
are like focused? No. I'm not aware of another commission with an overlapping
charter. However, there is a still standing Solid Waste Advisory Committee
(SWAC) whose charter was met (advising DEM on updating the Integrated Solid
Waste Management Plan 2019). 1 was on SWAC and have never received any
official closure notice. There has been no activity (cost) since the Council
approved the plan in early 2020, so maybe it's a moot issue?
2. Is the size of your board/commission optimized? Is island -wide representation
optimized? Yes. Having representation from each district is a good idea, as
issues vary by each. Unfortunately, EMC has been plagued by vacancies (only
missing District 3, right now, though).
3. Has your board/commission retained its value to the community and achieved
positive results? 1 think we've shown value by influencing the priorities and
direction of the DEM and supporting them with the Council.
4. Is your meeting frequency optimized? Once a month works well.
5. Has lack of quorums been a problem and affected effectiveness? We had a
tough time with an appeal hearing trying to maintain quorum - but mostly due to
Covid absences. Being able to Zoom has helped make quorum.
6. Is your board/commission conforming to the County Charter or should any
code changes to guidelines be suggested? 1 believe we are conforming to our
charter - although 1 find myself trying to keep EMC fucsed on DEM's jurisdiction,
rather than other issues that are the responsibility of DOH (eg private
cesspools). The only change 1 wish we had is driven by the state Sunshine Act
which prohibits us from brainstorming and collating information and issues
between meetings so we can be more efficient in laying out recommendations
for voting during public meetings. 1 admit I'm trying to do my first PIG and having
difficulty getting timely work product from members - which is a separate issue.
7. Would an audit of your board/commission be of any benefit? No.
8. Would employing a support staff of secretaries and lawyers for the exclusive
use of the Commissions and Boards so as to not distract the workload of other
county employees be prudent? We've been doing pretty well, although there has
been a lot of turnover in Corp Counsel in the last year or so. We have benefitted
from the experience our current counsel (Keyra Wong) has with other boards. Our
secretary (Peter Sur) is a gem, but he may feel a more dedicated assignment
could help.
9. What suggestions might you have for using standard AN equipment and
resources across boards and commissions, as well as standardizing how the
community can interact with each board and commission remotely and/or
in -person? What equipment, systems and facilities are you using in this regard? 1
defer to our secretary. We've been pretty successful with remote services, with
the possible exceptions of needing better audio quality from the DEM Director,
and our District 4 commissioner and the public in Na'alehu have connection
issues when using the phone for meetings. Being able to have a public meeting
site helps some, but it's still a long trek to Kona or Hilo for them. 1 wonder if it'd
help to be able to have participation at council members' district offices? Finding
an available room can be
challenging (again, 1 defer to our secretary).
10. Should all meetings be held both in -person (as permitted) and via Zoom (or
https://webmai1.spectrum.net/mail 1/2
72
equivalent)? Our commission prefers the Zoom option. It saves a lot of gas and
travel time. We get more public participation in our meetings as well. Plus we
have a video of the meeting for reference by everyone, including
commissioners who miss the meeting. Being able to offer in -person participation
helps for those with poor connections (at the cost of travel).
From Peter Sur, DEM on Question 9 above:
Some of the equipment 1 use is personally bought and some is supplied by
the County. Because each meeting room is different 1 bring everything in
the car and hope to figure it out in the hour between when 1 arrive on site
and when people start logging in to the Zoom. So far we have not had to
cancel for lack ofAVconnection, although we have had drop outs of up to a
minute or two due to a spotty connection. At minimum 1 can start a Zoom
with a laptop, an Ethernet cable, a webcam, and an HDMI cable to connect
to the TV screen. If the room has less equipment then 1 have to plan to
bring more. DEM's projector, if there is no TV screen, and also a sound
system, external microphone, wireless mics, a MiFi device from
Department of Information Technology, and so on.
Chair is right that finding a Zoom -capable room can be a challenge. DEM has
conference rooms at its offices in Hilo and Kona so we won't ever fully run out
of space, but they are not at the main county building locations, and so are less
convenient for the public to find, and cannot fit everyone comfortably if we
were to go 100 percent in person. That's the theory. In practice we usually have
only the District 4 commissioner attending every meeting in person. From a
cost of government perspective, Zoom saves the county thousands of dollars
due to unclaimed mileage.
Lastly, the system works because 1 have had a year and a half to figure it
out, but what if I'm not there? What if 1 get exposed to COVID? Is the
meeting just canceled? 1 am looking at going on a trip in late June 2023
and do not have a backup. In this case having support staff well versed in
hosting a Zoom — one in Hilo and one in Kona — would be useful. We could
see if IT would be up to the task, or you could recommend borrowing a
secretary from another department, in the same way that deputy
corporation counsels have backups.
https://webmai1.spectrum.net/mail 2/2
73
KAILUA VILLAGE DESIGN COMMISSION (KVDC) Cost of Gov Questionnaire Response -
Completed by Shaun Roth, KVDC Chair, July 25, 2022
1. Can redundancy and waste be reduced by combining boards/commissions that are like
focused?
Not for KVDC since it has a very limited scope, and it operates very efficiently now. It would
probably be a drag on any other board that it was combined with.
2. Is the size of your board/commission optimized? Is island -wide representation optimized?
If all seats are filled, then it is optimal. It can be more difficult to operate when there are vacancies.
More members would be cumbersome and would not necessarily improve representation or
performance. Fewer members would mean that some interest groups would not be represented.
Island -wide representation for this commission is not appropriate. The commission is made up of
people who live and work in the Kailua-Kona area.
3. Has your board/commission retained its value to the community and achieved positive
results?
I feel that this commission has been very successful with balancing the interests of many different
stakeholders. The commission has made its best effort to apply the village guidelines in a manner
that is fair and supports a positive atmosphere in the village. In some cases, the County's lack of
enforcement tools and resources ends up diminishing the potential results.
4. Is your meeting frequency optimized?
Yes. We don't have meetings when there is no business to conduct. If the scheduled meetings
were farther apart that would be a costly burden on village plan review applicants and would
encourage illegal work. The proper legal process needs to be easy for people to comply. The
amount of business per meeting typically allows the meeting to be completed in a very reasonable
time.
5. Has lack of quorums been a problem and affected effectiveness?
I think there has only been one time recently when business had to be deferred due to quorum. We
have had several occasions where we had to delay the meeting start due to lack of quorum. We
have had many meetings where we just barely make quorum. This is primarily due to unfilled
positions. Commissioner attendance is generally very reliable.
6. Is your board/commission conforming to the County Charter or should any code changes
to guidelines be suggested?
Yes, to conforming, no to changes needed. The commission set up works well. In the past there
has been some discussion about updates to the County sign code and code enforcement; these
issues don't directly have anything to do with the commission organization or operations
procedures. A while back there was some discussion about updating the Kailua Village Design
Guidelines; they are from the 1990s. It was quickly decided that this was a task that was clearly
outside of the commission's mandate and capacity. We also did not have a strong list of items that
people thought should be changed.
7. Would an audit of your board/commission be of any benefit?
No.
8. Would employing a support staff of secretaries and lawyers for the exclusive use of the
Commissions and Boards to not distract the workload of other county employees be
prudent?
The Planning Department staff currently help administer this commission. They are doing a good
job. There have been times when they have felt that Public Works was not being as helpful as they
could regarding sign applications. Recently though there has been acknowledgement from Public
Works that Planning has been covering for them and Public Works has stepped up and helped
when asked.
9. What suggestions might you have for using standard A/V equipment and resources
across boards and commissions, as well as standardizing how the community can interact
with each board and commission remotely and/or in -person? What equipment, systems and
facilities are you using in this regard?
After the initial COVID pandemic shut down the Kailua Village Design Commission meetings have
been remote only with resources available at the County facilities for commissioners or the public to
74
get onto the remote meeting. At the beginning there were several technical glitches that slowed
meetings down and made things a bit cumbersome. Once everyone got up to speed on the
technology meetings have been going very smoothly. In many cases the presentation of material is
superior to what was available at the in -person meetings. These remote meetings are all recorded
with both audio and video, so it seems that the meeting record keeping is also more complete that
the previous in -person only. In the current setup/policy for this commission public testimony is only
being taken prior to the meeting. Applicants can make live presentations and add information at the
meeting, but the public is only allowed to watch. Before the pandemic this commission typically had
very few occasions where public testimony was given at a meeting. I am guessing less than six
times since I have been on the commission. So, the availability of last-minute public participation
seems minor, however, ideally we would be able to go back to a policy where a member of the
public could sign up for testimony right before the start of the meeting similar to how it was back in
the in -person days.
10. Should all meetings be held both in -person (as permitted) and via Zoom (or equivalent)?
The Zoom meetings are more efficient in many ways. All the commissioners and applicants are
saving 40 minutes +/- of driving time and gas. There is less air conditioning load in the planning
department meeting room. Record keeping is better. Commissioners and applicants can attend
even if they happen to be outside the Kailua-Kona area on the meeting day. Hilo side County staff
can assist without driving over. Because the meetings are video recorded the public and go back
and look at it even if they were not able to attend live. The main drawback to Zoom is that the
quality of in -person meeting interaction is better than remote. Also, everyone does not have equal
access to high-speed internet and I don't know how the County Zoom set up accommodates those
with hearing or visual disability
75
PUNA COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PLAN -ACTION COMMITTEE (CDP-AC)
By Franny Brewer - on Puna CDP-AC Since 2018
1. Can redundancy and waste be reduced by combining boards/commissions that are like focused?
INot really lbecause it's IPuna specific. Wound Ike good to connect with other CIDIP"s around the
iislland- to get irnore Ilaterall involvement as many of them are having the same issues and are
dealliing with the same roadblocks or attempting to iiml Ilement similar 1programs. IMa lbe twice a year
iislland-wide meetiings coulld Ihelllp reduce redundancy and increase overaI1 efficiency to Ike able to
get CIDIP"s to work together and share ideas..
2. Is the size of your board/commission optimized? Is island -wide representation optimized?
INo, IPuna specific- but coulld definitely Ilhave moire upper IPuna representation to Ike inclusive of our
entire L.AIRGIE district. IDoesn't seem to Ike a 1priority for admiiniistratiion to fiillll the vacancies.
3. Has your board/commission retained its value to the community and achieved positive results?
Eruption focused due to (lava eruption iin 2018/recovery focused, it's lbeen an effective cllhannell of
cominn uniicatiion and lnfoinrnatiion to I ulbliic 1post-erul tiion. It Ilhas suggested and iiml Ilemented ideas
specific to the (lava recovery. Not sure what it was doling pre-erul tiion, and fiindiing it Ilhard to sllhiift
away from eruption and (lower IPuna focus. Frustrated lbecause some of their suggestions Ilhave
lbeen ignored lby the County/Pllanniing (Del aifinent, so sometiimes it feells Iliilke what its the
1point of the work they are doling. Solutions wound Ik e to malke sure there its follow through wiithln the
del aifinents/admiinlstratiion, and allso that they actually listen to the feedback that its sent to them lby
the commiittees/communiity and actually iiml Ilement it. ***County of IHawalili (Hazard IMitigation IPllan.-
done lby a 1private contractor but didn't consult with Ilocall experts on the Ilocall issues- didn't
include enough info, on the alllbiiz.iia issue, instead focused on I line trees that we don't even Ilhave
Ilhere. What its actually lbeiing done with these expensive and time consuming l llans lbeiing done lby
maiinlland contractors? These l llans coulld The useful, but iinstead they seem to The a waste of time
and money and not actually serving the l ulbliic or our l Ilanniing departments.
4. Is your meeting frequency optimized?
(bard to meet wllhen coordinating 5 1peoples schedules and if even OINIF of them can't malke it then
they don't Ilhave a quorum.
5. Has lack of quorums been a problem and affected effectiveness?
Yes/no- only 5 currently on the commiittee. It restricts the albiilliity of the grout to meet since they onlyl
Ilhave the exact numlbeir for quorum.
6. Is your board/commission conforming to the County Charter or should any code changes to
guidelines be suggested?
It its conforming as fair as she its aware. IPllanniing staff are veiny ((bent full and conscious of Sunshine
Law. (Have lbeen meetiing virtually with iin-person option for Ilh lbriid/pulbliic testiimony.
7. Would an audit of your board/commission be of any benefit?
INo, lbecause no expenses/lbudget.
8. Would employing a support staff of secretaries and lawyers for the exclusive use of the
Commissions and Boards so as to not distract the workload of other county employees be prudent?
Yes, of course, but only if staff with some sort of sway iin the administration wound The useful.
9. What suggestions might you have for using standard A/V equipment and resources across
boards and commissions, as well as standardizing how the community can interact with each board
and commission remotely and/or in -person? What equipment, systems and facilities are you using
in this regard?
It's lbeen done wellll- good l ulbliic access and meetiings run wellll.
10. Should all meetings be held both in -person (as permitted) and via Zoom (or equivalent)?
Hybrid its good.
76
TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION
Meeting with Michael O'Laughlin, Chair
Adequacy of your commission/board size and makeup.
9 districts. 2 vacancies recently filled, now fully appointed.
Frequency of your meetings.
Every 3 months is adequate, no missed meetings in past year. Agendas and
minutes are now posted online.
Limitations in meeting quorums.
Quorums met in at least last 6 meetings.
Ability to achieve positive results.
Significant improvements in Mass Transit and public awareness in past year.
Reduction or elimination of commission or board specific budgets.
None suggested at this time.
Would employing a support staff of secretaries and lawyers for the exclusive
use of the Commissions and Boards so as to not distract the workload of other
county employees be prudent?
An existing MTA clerk provides assistance to the TC; there is no full-time
employee needed for support. Special knowledge of MTA business is essential
here.
Can redundancy and waste be reduced by combining boards/commissions
that are like focused?
Probably not given specific function/responsibilities.
Would an audit of your board/commission be of any benefit? Not at this time
77
COMMITTEE ON STATUS OF WOMEN
From Farrah -Marie Gomes, Chair
1. Can redundancy and waste be reduced by combining boards/commissions that are like
focused? Absolutely. Our committee struggles with adequate administrative support from the
department that is assigned to us, Office of the Prosecuting Attorney. They appear to be very busy
as evidenced by the attached emails. It is a constant struggle to be productive and gain efficiency in
working with this office.
2. Is the size of your board/commission optimized? Is island -wide representation optimized?
Size of board is optimized. Island -wide representation is not. Prior administrations attempted to
appoint members from districts across the island. However, the current administration has
appointed based on who submits their application first, which puts us in the situation of having 7 out
of 9 members from Hilo.
3. Has your board/commission retained its value to the community and achieved positive results?
Yes, value to community is something that our committee ensures happens, even if it means
committee members purchasing items out of pocket because we cannot get them procured through
the County.
4. Is your meeting frequency optimized? Yes, once a month is a good frequency for our committee.
5. Has lack of quorums been a problem and affected effectiveness? In the past and usually when
members near the end of their term, this has been a problem. This could be avoided if the
administration was prepared to make appointments as soon as terms end. However, this hasn't
been our experience.
6. Is your board/commission conforming to the County Charter or should any code changes to
guidelines be suggested? No code changes are recommended at this time.
7. Would an audit of your board/commission be of any benefit? A financial audit is not necessary
since our budget is only $10,000. However, a Business Process Analysis or some other similar
evaluative process could probably benefit the County is identifying what is needed and how that
can be provided to maximize community member contributions to the boards/commissions
processes. Something like that would clearly show that the CSW is working hard to ensure that our
responsibilities are met, but we do not get reciprocal support from our assigned department.
8. Would employing a support staff of secretaries and lawyers for the exclusive use of the
Commissions and Boards so as to not distract the workload of other county employees be
prudent? Yes, this would help with the challenges described above and included in the attached.
Also, we have been through four different lawyers just this past year. (Malia Kekai, Dakota (Cody)
Frenz, Sinclair SalasFerguson, Suzanna Tiapula)
9. What suggestions might you have for using standard AN equipment and resources across
boards and commissions, as well as standardizing how the community can interact with each board
and commission remotely and/or in -person? What equipment, systems and facilities are you using
in this regard? Zoom has worked well for the most recent months.
10. Should all meetings be held both in -person (as permitted) and via Zoom (or equivalent)?
In -person when it's safe, but always available via Zoom to increase accessibility to the public.
78
VETERANS ADVISORY COMMITTEE
From Michael Doolittle, Chairman
1. Can redundancy and waste be reduced by combining boards/commissions that are like focused?
We have over the past 5 years brought the VAC into the present day need of Veterans and a more
representative committee.
2. Is the size of your board/commission optimized? Is island -wide representation optimized? It may
be possible in some areas to combine Commissions, but not for the Veterans Advisory Committee.
This is a committee looking at the lives of Veterans, and how we address the issues they face.
3. Has your board/commission retained its value to the community and achieved positive results?
Yes
4. Is your meeting frequency optimized? Yes
5. Has lack of quorums been a problem and affected effectiveness? We have not had any difficulty
in having a quorum for our meetings
6. Is your board/commission conforming to the County Charter or should any code changes to
guidelines be suggested? We have over the past 5 years updated and revised the statutes & codes
of our committee
7. Would an audit of your board/commission be of any benefit? 1 doubt that an audit of our
committee would be of any value
8. Would employing a support staff of secretaries and lawyers for the exclusive use of the
Commissions and Boards so as to not distract the workload of other county employees be prudent?
1 am not sure that having dedicated staff support for our committee would be of any benefit. The
Parks & Rec staff that supports us now, has a combined responsibility for oversight of the Veterans
Cemeteries
9. What suggestions might you have for using standard A/V equipment and resources across
boards and commissions, as well as standardizing how the community can interact with each board
and commission remotely and/or in -person? What equipment, systems and facilities are you using
in this regard? Currently we hold our meeting via Zoom, this eliminates the need for meeting rooms
and actually promotes maximum attendance. 1 would encourage all committee meetings to be held
remotely.
10. Should all meetings be held both in -person (as permitted) and via Zoom (or
equivalent)? 1 would encourage that whenever possible hold meetings via Zoom.
79
PENSION BOARD Walter Lucas, Chair
This board's charter covers non -civil service entities. With recent law changes, the only group left in
this category is the County Band. Once the existing 10-12 non -civil service band members retire,
the Pension Board itself will serve no purpose and should be eliminated.
80
Mitchell D. Roth
Mayor
County of Hawaii
Michael Konowicz, Chair
Neal Herbert, Vice Chair
Matthias Kusch
Chantee Shiroma
Madeline Greene
Shannon Matson
Kenneth Obenski
Daniel Malakie TIT
Karie Wakat
Cost of Government Commission
25 Aupuni Street, Suite 2603, Hilo, Hawal'i 96720 (808) 96t-8211
74-5044 Ane Keohoktllolo Hwy., Sldg C , Kaivua-Kona, Hawai' i 96740 (808) 3234444
July 18, 2022
Aloha Chairperson of a Hawaii County Commission or Board,
As required by law, the 2022 Cost of Government (COG) Commission has been convened to
study and investigate the organizations and methods of operations of all department, commissions,
boards, offices and other instrumentalities of all branches of the county government, and determine
what changes, if any, may be desirable to accomplish the County's policy to promote economy,
efficiency and improve service in the transaction of the public business in the legislative and
executive branches of the County.
A Permitted Information Group of three COG commissioners has been authorized to explore the
following areas within your board/commission:
- efficacy/value of your commission/board;
- adequacy of your commission/boafid*ze and makeup;
- frequency of your meetings;
- limitations in meeting quorums;
- ability to achieve positive results;
- reduction or elimination of commission or board specific budgets;
- changing to a County commission/board-wide dedicated support staff;
- sharing of IT related technology platforms across commissions/ boards such as virtual meeting
technology;
- changes to County Charter, if appropriate.
Enclosed are some specific questions to consider as you review these points, We request your
feedback on these items or other aspects of yourcommissiOn/board you may wish to discuss. A
meeting with you within the next month will be helpful in fulfilling our mandate to report our
findings and recommendations to the Managing Director and the Council in a timely manner.
Please contact Commissioner Neal Herbert at 808-935-1946 or by email nfherbert@twc-com to
arrange an initial meeting or if you have any questions.
county ommvai`i is an Equal, opportunity Provider and Employer.
=;k' 81
Thank you for your participation; we Iook forward to hearing any feedback from you with
regards to your board/commission no later than Tuesday, August 9, 2022.
1. Can redundancy and waste b' reduced by combining boards/commissions that are like
focused? Yes
2. Is the size of your board/commission optimized? Is island -wide representation
optimized? Yes
3. Has your board/commission retained its value to the community and achieved positive
results? Yes
4. Is your meeting frequency optimized? Yes
5. Has lack of quorums been a problem and affected effectiveness? No
6. Is your board/commission conforming.to tbp County Charter or should any
code changes to guidelines be suggested? Yes
7. Would an audit of your board/commission be of any benefit? No
8. Would.employing a support staff of secretaries and lawyers for the exclusive:use
of the Commissions and Boards so as to not distract the workload of other
county employees be prudent? H
9. What suggestions might you have for using standard A/V equipment and resources
across boards and commissions, as well as standardizing how the community can
interact with each board and commission remotely aAor in -person? What equipment,
systems and facilities are you using in this regard?
lo. Should all meetings be held both in person (as permitted) and via Zoom (or
equivalent)? Yes. Howe ve�,._dpe to like of cell phone service in South Kona along with internet this
makes it very difficult to use Zoom..
Mahalo,
Isl Michael Kono icz Isl Neal Herbert /s/ Shannon Matson
Michael Konowicz, Neal I°lerbert, Shannon Matson,
Chair Vice -Chair Commissioner
County ofHawai i is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer.
82
Liquor Adjudication Board
Dwayne Mukai, Chair
Sidney Fuke, Vice Chair
Michael Hughes, Board Member
Howard Kelly, Board Member
Arthur Taniguchi, Board Member
Mitchell D. Roth
Mayor
Lee E. Lord
Managing Director
Robert H. Command
Deputy Managing Director
Gerald A. Takase
Director
DEPARTMENT OF LIQUOR CONTROL
Hilo Lagoon Centre, 101 Aupuni Street, Unit 230, Hilo, Hawai'i 96720-4261
Phone: (808) 961-8218 Fax: (808) 961-8684
E-Mail: cohdlc@hawaiicounty.gov
FROM: Gerald Takase, Director
Department of Liquor Co01
Liquor Commission
Dawn Raymond, Chair
Ronald lbarra, Vice Chair
Doug Espelo, Commissioner
Laurisa Nishimoto, Commissioner
Allen Salgive'a, Commissioner
Riley Smith, Commissioner
Paula Thomas, Commissioner
Jennifer Yadao, Commissioner
Vacant, Commissioner
low
1. Can redundancy and waste be reduced by combining boards/commissions
that are like focused?
We don't believe that the Liquor Adjudication Board and the Liquor Commission
should be combined because they perform entirely different functions and
responsibilities.
2. Is the size of your board/commission optimized? Is island -wide representation
optimized?
In regard to the Liquor Commission, yes and yes, because representation comes
from all nine districts of Hawaii County. In regard to the Liquor Adjudication Board,
the size seems to be sufficient and represented island -wide.
3. Has your board/commission retained its value to the community and achieved
positive results?
Yes. The Department of Liquor Control works with applicants, licensees, and
community concerns, therefore making decisions as a Commission very positive.
M.
Hawai'i County is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer
Cost of Government Commission
Page 2 of 3
August 9, 2022
4. Is your meeting frequency optimized?
In regard to the Liquor Commission, yes, we believe the frequency is fine. There are
manageable items on the agenda each month.
We need to be responsive to the community, and to hold an applicant hostage by us
not having a meeting impacts them, so we agree that monthly is good.
And, the other thing that the Department does that works really well is that the staff
are willing to approve things that we ratify later, and not hold up an applicant when
they're compliant with the intent of the rules, we think that's very good.
In regard to the Liquor Adjudication Board, meetings are held as needed.
5. Has lack of quorums been a problem and affected effectiveness?
ZO
6. Is your board/commission conforming to the County Charter or should any
code changes to guidelines be suggested?
Yes, we are conforming to the County Charter.
7. Would an audit of your board/commission be of any benefit?
M
8. Would employing a support staff of secretaries and lawyers for the exclusive
use of the Commissions and Boards so as to not distract the workload of
other county employees be prudent?
No. We don't perceive from our experience that a pool of lawyers and secretaries
is necessary.
Cost of Government Commission
Page 3 of 3
August 9, 2022
9. What suggestions might you have for using standard AN equipment and
resources across boards and commissions, as well as standardizing how the
community can interact with each board and commission remotely and/or
in -person? What equipment, systems and facilities are you using in this
regard?
We suggest increased standardization and support from the County for use of AN
equipped meeting rooms, to enable access to ICT capabilities for remote participation.
Facilities being used currently are the Liquor Control Hilo Meeting Room, Kona
Council Chambers, and Building G Meeting Room in Kona. Equipment being used
are recorder, laptop, webcam, microphones, speakers, projector/screen, and
conference phone.
10. Should all meetings be held both in -person (as permitted) and via Zoom
(or equivalent)?
Yes. We think the way our meetings have been going has been good, by giving
meeting attendees the option to attend in -person or virtually is nice and has been
working well.
Act 220, effective January 1, 2022, has given the Boards and Commissions the
ability to meet in person or electronically, and should take care of this problem.
We also need to be cognizant of the cost to the County and to the public too, so we
support hybrid meetings.
t79.R
Mitchett D. RDtk
mayor
County of Hawai `i
Merit Appeals Board
Aupuvd cewter * 10-'auaht street, suite 2 * Ftito, Fiawai•i9C,72a
* Fax
Gabrtetta M. Cabanas
Chair
Met Ventura
vice -Chair
September 7, 2022 Sent via email only
Mr. Michael Konowicz, Chair
and Members of the Cost of Government Commission
25 Aupuni Street, Suite 2603
Hilo, HI 96720
Aloha, Chair Konowicz and Members of the Cost of Government Commission:
Thank you for reaching out to the Merit Appeals Board ("MAB") to request our input on
what changes, if any, may be desirable to promote the County of Hawai`i's policy to
promote economy, efficiency, and improve service in county government.
MAB met on August 30, 2022 to review and discuss the July 18, 2022 letter from the Cost
of Government Commission ("COGC"). Below are our responses to the questions
posed.
1. Can redundancy and waste be reduced by combining boards/commissions
that are like focused? Response: No. The authority of the MAB comes from
Hawaii Revised Statutes 76-14 and the statute does not allow for MAB to
integrate with another board or commission.
2. Is the size of your board/commission optimized? Is island -wide representation
optimized? Response: Yes to both questions.
3. Has your board/commission retained its value to the community and
achieved positive results? Response: Yes.
4. Is your meeting frequency optimized? Response: Yes.
5. Has lack of quorums been a problem and affected effectiveness?
Response: No.
Chair Konowicz and Members of the Cost of Government Commission
September 7, 2022
Page 2 of 2
6. Is your board/commission conforming to the County Charter or should any
code changes to guidelines be suggested? Response: Yes, MAB conforms to
the requirements of Hawaii County Charter Section 7-1.2 and Hawaii Revised
Statutes 76-14. No changes are needed.
7. Would an audit of your board/commission be of any benefit? Response: No.
8. Would employing a support staff of secretaries and lawyers for the exclusive
use of the Commissions and Boards so as to not distract the workload of other
County employees be prudent? Response: No.
9. What suggestions might you have for using standard AN equipment and
resources across boards and commissions, as well as standardizing how the
community can interact with each board and commission remotely and/or in -
person? What equipment, systems, and facilities are you using in this regard?
Response: MAB uses the Hawaii County Council room for meetings as well as
Zoom for remote accessibility. We recommend consideration be given to
utilizing an automated transcription service to reduce the amount of staff time
needed to draft the minutes for each meeting.
10. Should all meetings be held both in -person (as permitted) and via Zoom (or
equivalent)? Response: Yes.
Sincerely,
Gabriella M. Cabanas, Chair
Merit Appeals Board
GMC: gy
c: J Yoshimoto, Assistant Corporation Counsel