HomeMy WebLinkAbout2006-12-07 Cost of Government Commission Agenda
COST OF GOVERNMENT COMMISSION
101 Aupuni Street, Suite 325, Hilo, Hawaii 96720
A G E N D A
Thursday, December 7, 2006 10:00 a.m.
Department of Liquor Control - ConferenceRoom
101 Aupuni Street, Suite 230
Hilo, Hawaii 96720
1.CALL TO ORDER
2.APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF NOVEMBER 20, 2006, MEETING
3.STATEMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC
4.APPROVAL OF ADDENDUM AND/OR SUPPLEMENTAL AGENDA
(if necessary)[NOTE: Addendum requires 2/3 (Roll Call) Vote]
5.PRESENTATION AND QUESTION/ANSWER SESSION BY THE
DEPARTMENT OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ON THE FOLLOWING
ISSUES:
a.Discussion and question and answer session relating to assisting County
departments with finding grant monies and monitoring grant compliance, as a
number of departments suggested that having an in-house grants person would be
helpful.
b.Do you have any ideas about what your department can do to save money while
not compromising essential services?
c.Do you see any way to consolidate services, activities, and functions of a similar
nature within your own department as well as with other departments?
d.Are there any services, activities, and functions not necessary to efficient conduct
of government that could be eliminated?
e.Can privatization help you? If so, in what ways? What would you privatize?
f.Can you suggest any modernization projects that might streamline your operations
in lieu of privatizing functions?
gDo you have any other ideas on how you can make your operations more
efficient?
6.DISCUSSION/ACTION ON ITEMS TO ADD TO FINAL REPORT BASED ON
PRESENTATION BY THE DEPARTMENT OF RESEARCH AND
DEVELOPMENT
Hawaii County is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer
7.DISCUSSION/ACTION ON ITEMS TO ADD TO FINAL REPORT BASED ON
RECOMMENDATIONS PROPOSED BY COMMISSIONER MELVYN
SAKAGUCHI:
a.Each department should have an easy-to-read budget which includes operating
funds, personnel costs (including the number of positions in thedepartment), cars
and facility maintenance costs. Additionally, there should be a clear statement of
the primary functions of the department. This information should be available to
allmembers of the department and to the general public.
b.The County should lease facilities used by County departments and agencies,
instead of building facilities.
c.Transfer all billing and receivable functions (utilities, property tax, etc.) as well as
payroll services to a private vendor.
d.Expedite the development of an island-wide public safety communication
network being initiated by the Police Department; allow private
telecommunicationcompaniestoinstalltransmissionequipmentonthetowersto
insure that all residents on the island have access to telecom service during
emergencies.
e.Establish a major award program (several awards of $5,000 to $10,000) for
County employees making suggestions to improve services and reducing costs,
possibly financed by companies doing business in the County.
f.Where decision-making on an issue such as continued use of private cars by
police personnel becomes very politicized and decision-making difficult,
consideration should be given putting the issue on the ballot and letting the public
make the decision directly.
g.Establish custodian residences at all major public parks.
h.Re-examine the functions of all departments; many departments appear to be
saddled with functions or responsibilities that dont fit and consequently these
functions are ignored or given a lower priority in the allocation of resources.
i.Second tier career administrators in the County should be encouraged (maybe
mandated) to change departments every ten years.
j.Provide opportunities for at least 5% of County employees to attend national and
regional conferences and go on visitations to other county governments of
comparable size over the next three years.
k.Every three years contract with the State of Hawaii Legislative Auditors Office
to conduct a management and program audit of all or selected County
departments to identify new practices or procedures which should be in place for
efficiency and cost savings.
2
l.Provide for the exemption of all advisory commissions from the Sunshine Law
provisions and rigorous quorumrequirements.
m.Pay all County commission/advisory committee members a nominal sum of $100
per meeting (longer than two hours; not longer than four hours).
n.Schedule an equal number of meetings of County-wide commissions and advisory
groups in West Hawaii and East Hawaii.
o.Establish a new County department to take a leadership role in promoting more
extensive use of computers, and telecommunications and internet, and managing
all technological resources and initiatives.
p.Lease all cars used by County officials and employees rather than purchasing
them.
8.DISCUSSION ON INCLUDING IN FINAL DRAFT OF REPORT THE
FOLLOWING RECOMMENDATIONS:
a.Department of Environmental ManagementRecommend hiring an additional
:
engineer (or exploring the position and having a long-term plan to fund it, or having
a long-term vision plan)
(per 7/6/06 minutes, p. 7).
b.Department of Environmental ManagementAcquire the Computerized
:
Maintenance Management System
(per 7/6/06 minutes, p. 8).
c.Department of Public Works (Building Division)Recommend providing them with
:
an adequate travel budget in which certification and training opportunities would be
available to staff
(per 7/20/06 minutes, p. 14).
9.DISCUSSION/ACTION REGARDING MERIT OR INCENTIVE AWARDS FOR
EMPLOYEES
10.DISCUSSION ON AND DRAFTING OF FINAL REPORT. THE PROPOSED
FINAL REPORT INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING RECOMMENDATIONS:
a.Department of Environmental Management (Wastewater): Recommend looking
into developing more opportunities in wastewater recycling, primarily for
environmental reasons but also to generate revenue
(11/20/06 minutes, p. 2).
b.Department of Environmental Management (Solid Waste):
(1)RecommendthattheSolidWasteDivisionreceiveadditionalclerical
assistance
(11/20/06 minutes, p. 3).
(2)Recommend that CDL truck drivers be separated from heavy equipment
operators,whoworkonlyatthelandfillsandshouldnotneedCDL
licenses
(11/20/06 minutes, p. 3).
3
(3)Recommend that contract terms be lengthened to multi-year terms
(11/20/06 minutes, p. 3).
(4)Recommend additional trainers for transfer station attendants to become
equipment operators, which would increase their ability to multi-function
(11/20/06 minutes, p. 4).
(5)Recommend that employees be subject to random drug testing, which is to
include current employees and not just new hires
(11/20/06 minutes, p. 4)
c.Data Systems Department:
(1)Allow Data Systems to become the central point for all PC/Peripherals/
Software purchases for the entire County of Hawaii
(11/20/06 minutes, p.
16).
(2)Utilize the Police Microwave system to replace the monthly recurring
costs of Frame Relay/DSLcircuits
(11/20/06 minutes, p. 16).
(3)Create a wireless network forthe major urban areas of Hawaii island, i.e.,
Kona, South Kohala, Waimea, Hilo, and Puna, to be used by the Public
Safety sector
(11/20/06 minutes, p. 16).
(4)Consolidate all analyst activities from other departments to come under
Data Systems (including analysts from the Police Department,
Prosecutors Office, Parks and Recreation, and the Office of Aging)
(11/20/06 minutes, p. 16).
(5)Standardize the PC, LAN/WAN security and internet policies across the
entire County of Hawaii network
(11/20/06 minutes, p. 16).
(6)Consolidate and standardize GIS applications (ESRI versus Intergraph)
(11/20/06minutes,p.16).
(7)GiveDataSystemstheauthoritytodevelopaninternetpolicyonwhoisto
have access, and who is not to have access, to internet web sites, and work
withalldepartmentsonformulatingthatpolicy
(11/20/06minutes,p.16-
17).
d.Finance Department:
(1)Suggest that all departments revisit their telecommunication costs and
verifythenumberoflineswithintheirdepartment
(11/20/06minutes,p.
16).
(2)Implement a five-day payroll lag
(11/20/06 minutes, p. 17).
(3)(Or appropriate department): Recommend that the County explore the
possibilityofleasingCountyvehicles
(11/20/06minutes,p.23).
4
e.Department of Public Works (Highway Maintenance):
(1)Recommend pursuing negotiations with the union to go to a 10-hour, 4-
day work schedule for employees
(11/20/06 minutes, p. 20).
(2)Recommend that County and State highways be condensed into one, with
the County handling all the maintenance of the State highways
(11/20/06
minutes, p. 20-21).
(3)(and Planning Department): Recommend exploring consolidating the
review of building permits (so two departments are not reviewing the
same thing)
(11/20/06 minutes, p. 23).
f.Police Department:
(1)Recommend implementation of the 311 County-wide information
telephone number
(11/20/06 minutes, p. 22).
(2)Recommend consolidating the Police and Fire Departments Dispatch into
one unit
(11/20/06 minutes, p. 22).
(3)Recommend taking the abandoned/derelict vehicle program out of the
Police Department and placing it with the Department of Environmental
Management
(11/20/06 minutes, p. 22).
(4)Recommend that entry-level police officers be compensated at a higher
level to help the County recruit and retain officers
(11/20/06 minutes, p.
22).
(5)Recommend the Department go ahead with its Mobile Data Terminal
program
(11/20/06 minutes, p. 22).
g.Planning Department:
(1)(and Public Works, Highway Maintenance Division): Recommend
exploring consolidating the review of building permits (so two
departments are not reviewing the same thing)
(11/20/06 minutes, p. 23).
(2)(and Department of Public Works, Building Division): Recommend
exploring consolidating the review of building permits (so two
departments are not reviewing the same thing)
(11/20/06 minutes, p. 23).
(3)Recommendthatitgivehighprioritytomovingforwardonthe
computerization of records and providing on-line services
(11/20/06
minutes,p.23).
h.PensionBoard:Recommend(orpassontotheMayor)studyingthenumberof
people that would be most effective to serve on the Pension Board
(11/20/06
minutes,p.23).
5
i.County Clerks Office: Recommend that each polling place have the ability to
accommodate out-of-district voters through electronic voting only
(11/20/06
minutes, p. 24).
11.DISCUSSION/ACTION REGARDING PRIORITIZING DEPARTMENTS/
BOARDS/COMMISSIONS OR ISSUES TO ACCOMPLISH THE MANDATE OF
THE COST OF GOVERNMENT COMMISSION
Includes discussion and action on the prioritization of the departments/boards/
commissions to be analyzed, and a timeline for accomplishing the directive. Also
includes discussion of items to be placed on the list of recommendations to be included in
the Commissions report.
12.DISCUSSION OF ITEMS TO BE PLACED ON NEXT AGENDA
13.STATEMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC
14.ANNOUNCEMENTS
The next meeting of the Cost of Government Commission is scheduled for Tuesday,
December 19, 2006, at 10:00 a.m., at the conference room at the Hilo Department of
Liquor Control, 101 Aupuni Street, Suite 230, Hilo, Hawaii.
15.ADJOURNMENT
NOTE: If you require an accommodation or auxiliary aid and/or services to participate in this
meeting (i.e., sign language interpreter, large print, etc.) please call 961-8304, x104.
NOTICE TO LOBBYISTS
If you are a lobbyist, you must register with the Hawaii County Clerk within five days ofbecoming a
lobbyist (Article 15, Section 2-91.3(b), Hawaii County Code).
A lobbyist meansany individual engaged for pay or other consideration who spends more than five hours in
any month or $275 in any six-month period for the purpose of attempting to influence legislative or administrative
action by communicating or urging others to communicate with public officials. (Article 15, Section 2-91.3(a)(6),
Hawaii County Code.)
Registration forms and expenditure report documents are available at the Office of the County Clerk-Council,
25AupuniStreet,Hilo,Hawaii96720.
6