Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2015-01-15 Cost of Government Commission Minutes COST OF GOVERNMENT COMMISSION c/o Office of the Corporation Counsel, 101 Aupuni Street, Suite 325, Hilo, Hawai‘i 96720 1 MINUTES – UNAPPROVED January 15, 2015 – 10:00 p.m. Office of the Corporation Counsel Conference Room 101 Aupuni Street, Suite 325 Hilo, Hawai‘i 96720 Commission Members present: Susan Maddox, Chair Ashley Kierkiewicz, Vice Chair Douglas Espejo Delan Perry Glen Matsuda John Mitchell Also present: Katherine A. Garson, Deputy Corporation Counsel Jennifer M. Kualii, Secretary Shanell Sarsuelo (assisting/observing) 1. CALL TO ORDER The meeting was called to order by Chair Maddox at 10:05 a.m. 2. STATEMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC No statements from the public. 3. APPROVAL OF MINUTES (12-11-14 and 12-18-14) Motion and Vote : Mr. Perry moved to approve the December 11, 2014 minutes. The motion was seconded by Mr. Mitchell and all Commissioners present voted aye. Motion and Vote : Mr. Perry moved to approve the December 18, 2014 minutes. The motion was seconded by Mr. Mitchell and all Commissioners present voted aye. 1 These Minutes are unapproved as no further meetings of this Commission are scheduled. Hawai‘i County is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer 4.CORRESPONDENCE A. Comm. No. 2015-001 Letter from Bonnie S. Nims, Office of the Legislative Auditor Motion and Vote : Mr. Perry moved to file Comm. No. 2015-001. The motion was seconded by Mr. Mitchell and all Commissioners present voted aye. 5.DISCUSSION REGARDING SUBCOMMITTEE MEETINGS WITH VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES FOR THE PURPOSE OF GATHERING INFORMATION FOR THE FINAL REPORT A. Fire Department Mr. Matsuda met with Chief Darren Rosario on December 23, 2014. Mr. Matsuda asked Chief Rosario about the previous recommendation regarding the jet ski program. HFD Battalion Chief was sent to Kauai to meet with the Kauai Fire Department Ocean Safety Division as they are the only fire department to have an Ocean Safety Division (OSD). City and County of Honolulu’s program is under st Emergency Management. On Maui, effective July 1, OCD will come under the Maui Fire Department. HFD hired four (4) individuals on December 16, 2014 for the job and are being trained by the current staff on ocean safety to get their U.S. Life guard training certificate which takes about a month. HFD is working the City and County of Honolulu to receive training on the proper use of a power watercraft; they have to be state certified. Existing structures will be used for the storage of vehicles and transportation of jet ski equipment to different sites is essential to servicing the public when needed. By having these tools on site, they will be ready to serve the public for accident victims with quick response. There are two (2) programs planned, one (1) site will be at Spencer Beach Park in Kawaihae, which will be the headquarters, and the other at Pohoiki, Isaac Hale Beach Park. The County Council and Mayor agreed with the hiring of the four (4) employees for the jet ski program; however in their initial budget request, only two (2) positions were budgeted. Ms. Kierkiewicz asked if Pohoiki will definitely be one of the sites given the lava situation. Mr. Matsuda replied being that the interview was done in December; Chief Rosario said Pohoiki will be one of the sites. Ms. Maddox asked if the Fire Department has the equipment for the jet ski program. Mr. Matsuda said it’s been budgeted. Ms. Kierkiewicz asked if it’s in the upcoming budget. Mr. Mitchell stated in the County of Hawai‘i fiscal year 2014-2015 operating budget on page 5 and 6, it says funding was increased by $320,000 for salaries, equipment and miscellaneous cost to support a pilot jet ski program. Mr. Matsuda reported the following on vehicle use policy & procedures: · The Chief, Deputy, the Battalion Chiefs on duty and the two (2) fire prevention inspectors have vehicles assigned to them so they can respond to emergencies in a timely manner. 2  Letter dated January 2, 2014 from the Finance Director outlining the policy and procedures are followed specifically. Mr. Matsuda reported the following on overtime:  Afforded to fire personnel when and where needed. Time sheets are completed daily and hours are verified and approved by the supervisor confirming the overtime worked. Mr. Matsuda reported the following on finance:  Fire Department gets its revenues from grants written by the Fire Department, which are less than 10% and 3 ½% of real property tax revenues.  Since Chief Rosario took office in 2011, about two (2) fire trucks are replaced per year. To date, a total of at least eight (8) fire trucks have been replaced. This year, the fire trucks in Kea‘au and Honoka‘a will be replaced.  Cost savings are achieved by use of volunteer fire fighters in 15 different locations on the Big Island.  Chief Rosario suggested consolidating the Fire and Police Department’s mechanic shop to save on expenditures and could be located at the elderly housing located on Mohouli Street. Mr. Matsuda reported the following on technology:  Would like to have an MDX tracker as an additional tool to help fill out reports faster. It shows the location of fire hydrants and assists in recordkeeping for filing of reports.  Laserfiche is currently being used to record past records and memorialize them. Mr. Matsuda reported the following on staffing:  No duplication of services, activities and functions.  Would like to hire more personnel for Laupāhoehoe, Hawaiian Paradise Park, Waikoloa, etc. They currently have ten (10) vacant positions. Mr. Matsuda recommends exploring the feasibility of obtaining an MDX tracker to assist the fire personnel in locating clients in hard to find places and to help with the report filing and recordkeeping. The County of Hawai‘i Fire Department has been doing a good job in assisting the people of Hawai‘i whenever and wherever needed. Mr. Matsuda stated that prior to Chief Rosario taking office, the majority of the fire trucks were getting to be 20-25 years old. When Chief Rosario took office, he was given authority to purchase new fire trucks. Since 2011, every year two (2) fire trucks are purchased to replace the older ones to strengthen the forces. 3 B. Department of Liquor Control Since Ms. Kelly was not able to interview the Liquor Department, Mr. Matsuda spoke with Gerald Takase and reported the following on vehicles:  Liquor inspectors have different start and finish times because they must service their customers at all different times and hours when they are open and available. They use their personal vehicles and receive a car allowance of $600 a month. They are required to submit monthly mileage reports, which are verified and signed by the administrative officer confirming the usage of their vehicle. Currently, there are seven (7) liquor inspectors; four (4) in Kona and three (3) in Hilo. There are two (2) vacant positions; however they don’t plan to fill them right now.  The Liquor Director, administrative officer and licensing personnel are reimbursed mileage for the use of their personal vehicles. Reports are filed monthly, reviewed and approved. Mr. Matsuda reported the following on overtime:  Liquor inspectors have overtime due to the nature and times of when the inspections are conducted. Mr. Matsuda reported the following on finance:  Income is generated through licensing fees charged to vendors. The income is used to pay salaries and wages, operating expenses, etc. The Liquor Department is self-sustaining. Mr. Matsuda reported the following on technology:  As technology increases, they are slowly inputting data and would like to ultimately allow public access via the internet and are currently obtaining this.  They currently use Laserfiche to store documents.  They are constantly trying to streamline the processes and foresee the inspectors to have tablets to check the status of the licensees when investigating a vendor.  Liquor enforcement officers are provided a smartphone to use when doing investigations.  Clerks are constantly inputting the raw data. There are two (2) clerks in Hilo and no clerks in Kona. Mr. Matsuda reported the following on staffing:  Office personnel work hours are 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; liquor enforcement officers have two (2) shifts, 4:00 p.m. to 12:00 midnight and 6:00 p.m. to 2:45 a.m.  Liquor enforcement officers attend traffic safety meetings upon request. There is more training being done to the current staff to understand the process. 4 Mr. Matsuda reported the following on land:  The Liquor Department owns the office space at the Hilo Lagoon Centre.  They rent an office space at the West Hawai‘i Civic Center at a cost of $70,000-72,000 per year. Mr. Matsuda stated he does not have any recommendations for the Liquor Department; they are in the process of obtaining tablets for the inspectors and creating the database. Mr. Espejo asked why the office space in Kona was increased with having a small staff and paying $72,000. Ms. Garson said Liquor expanded their Hilo office space by taking part of the IRS tax office. Ms. Maddox asked if the $72,000 is the cost of the renovations. Mr. Matsuda stated the Liquor Department owns the office space in Hilo. Ms. Garson added Liquor Department purchased the additional space. Mr. Matsuda stated Liquor Department leases the space in Kona. Ms. Maddox asked Mr. Mitchell if item D on the agenda can be discussed before his presentation on County Council. Mr. Mitchell agreed. D. Department of Environmental Management Discussion regarding presentation on December 4, 2014. Ms. Maddox asked Mr. Matsuda to lead the discussion regarding Environmental Management. Mr. Matsuda said the recommendations are well stated. He clarified the possible recommendation regarding the implementation of the green waste fee program is for commercial and not residential. C. County Council Mr. Mitchell spoke with J Yoshimoto, Valerie Poindexter, Karen Eoff and Dru Kanuha over a period of time and reported the following on vehicles:  The Council Members have a $500 stipend, which is taxed. They also have the option of going with mileage reimbursement, which is not taxed. Most Council Members use the monthly allowance.  Most of the vehicle use mileage is when they have quarterly on site inspections at large projects within their districts.  The Council Members are aware of vehicle misuse perception.  Take home policy – HRS guides the take home policy  Understand teach department has a County vehicle take home policy and feel most staff members use vehicles in a prudent way. Mr. Mitchell reported the following on overtime:  Council Members feel a lot of employees are putting in more personal time than overtime.  Over time budget is very restricted and limited. 5 Mr. Mitchell reported the following on energy: · Energy issue with each Council Member went back to the photovoltaic panels on the West Hawai‘i Civic Center and other facilities are looking at increasing photovoltaic panels. It’s becoming more cost effective. · Biodiesel is something they will pursue for heavy equipment and hopefully for all vehicles. · They are trying to find ways to reduce the consumption of energy by going with LED lights; saves about $200,000 year. · Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) – there are 11 facilities on Mauna Kea; spending $75 million a year. Looking to add over 500 jobs between now and 2023. · Mr. Mitchell shared the hub idea. · The wind farms are bringing in large amounts of energy, there is the geothermal plant and NEHLA operating off of cold sea water · P3 – Private, Public, Partnership. Mr. Mitchell reported the following on finance: · They have admiration for the work the Finance Department does. · They believe P3 is where the financing is going to go to serve this island. · Ms. Poindexter feels there will be financial advantages if we allow more zoning for small farms. By allowing the small local farmers to farm, it will increase tax revenues. · Property taxes have gone down with people moving away. Mr. Mitchell reported the following on technology: · Ms. Poindexter felt a lot of technology can be based within communities. That technology needs to be put in the hands of the people within the community. There are neighborhood solutions with technology regarding the disposal of waste and handling it in a better manner. · There are concerns with Environmental Management. The County is paying for corporations and middle businesses to dispose of litter and getting nothing back. Mr. Mitchell feels Ms. Leithead Todd is in a tough position and she’s doing very well. Mr. Mitchell reported the following on staffing: · Ms. Eoff, Ms. Poindexter and Mr. Kanuha pointed out they need to be more transparent in neighborhoods and communities. 6.DISCUSSION/ACTION REGARDING PROPOSED RECOMMENDATIONS AND FORMAT AND CONTENTS OF FINAL REPORT A. Develop and implement a uniform computer mileage tracking system for all County-owned vehicles within significant departments [which do not currently have a tracking system] and/or Countywide. 6 Mr. Mitchell stated vehicle misuse was one of the top items and thinks it is just a perception. Ms. Maddox said for her, the key words here are uniform tracking system. Ms. Garson asked if this is the recommendation the Commission wanted to add language about misperception. Mr. Mitchell thinks it is more of an overview; a conclusion for the Executive Summary or an overview. Ms. Kierkiewicz asked Mr. Mitchell if he wanted to use it as a lead into this recommendation. Mr. Mitchell agreed and thinks the Commission should address every feedback. Ms. Maddox suggested addressing the misconception that vehicles are being misused by County personnel, to recommend development and implementation of a uniform computer mileage tracking system for all County-owned vehicles. Mr. Mitchell stated there is no uniform tracking system. Discussion held and recommendation amended to read as follows: Feedback the Commission received indicates there is a perception that County vehicles may be misused. To address this, the Commission recommends development and implementation of a uniform computer mileage tracking system for all County-owned vehicles. Motion and Vote : Ms. Kierkiewicz moved to approve the recommendation as amended. The motion was seconded by Mr. Mitchell and all Commissioners present voted aye. B. Explore the use of Mass Transit hubs for more rapid and shorter bus routes to improve service and possibly reduce repair and maintenance costs. Example: Create hubs in the Kealakehe/Airport area, Waikoloa area and Kona/Ocean View area. Explore and establish small to medium size mass transit hubs that are operated in a cooperative public-private partnership (P3). The mission of the hubs is to provide coordinated ride-share, vanpool and bus service in a user friendly location operated in conjunction with a private vendor who will help offset costs. The transit hub is in a central location such as the airport where people can catch a ride share, or a vanpool, or a bus into the town hub center. At this center would be a private vendor and from that hub you may catch another ride to the next hub center. The centers may range from 12 to 30 miles from each other depending on the needs of the community. The transit hub model is in place in similar communities in the US, Canada, Europe and Asia. Reducing traffic, pollution, drive time, fossil fuel consumption while providing smart transportation for our community is within reach. Mr. Mitchell worked with Ms. Kelly on this recommendation; the transit hubs looks like something Mass Transit will explore. He stated this recommendation is to give a general idea of what a hub is without being too specific. Ms. Garson suggested in addition to suggesting areas where hubs should be located, just describe how the hubs would work. Ms. Maddox suggested making it more general such as “to create transit 7 hubs in central locations.” Mr. Espejo thinks the hubs have to be located where most needed to generate ridership. Mr. Perry noted airports will have other issues that are going to complicate having hubs at airports. Discussion held and recommendation amended to read as follows: Explore the use of Mass Transit hubs for more rapid, shorter bus routes to improve service and possibly reduce repair and maintenance costs. For example, create transit hubs, operated as cooperative public-private partnerships (P3), in central public locations such as airports where people can catch a ride share, vanpool, or a bus into the town center. The transit hubs may range from 12 to 30 miles from each other depending on the needs of the community. The transit hub model is in place in similar communities in the US, Canada, Europe and Asia. Benefits include reducing traffic, pollution, drive time, fossil fuel consumption while providing smart transportation for our community. Motion and Vote : Ms. Kierkiewicz moved to approve the recommendation as amended. The motion was seconded by Mr. Mitchell and all Commissioners present voted aye. Meeting recessed at 11:33 a.m. and reconvened at 11:43 a.m. C. Explore revenue-generating ideas for Mass Transit hubs. Ms. Garson said if the Commission wanted to address generating revenue at the hubs, it could be added to this recommendation. Ms. Kierkiewicz asked if it would be addressed as an example or added to the recommendation. Ms. Garson suggested adding a sentence at the end of the recommendation that revenue-generating ideas for the hubs could also be explored. Mr. Mitchell thinks it is two separate things because P3 is not guaranteed to generate a profit, it could simply pay for itself. Ms. Kierkiewicz asked Mr. Mitchell if a separate recommendation should be created. Mr. Mitchell agreed. Discussion held and recommendation amended to read as follows: Explore revenue-generating ideas for Mass Transit hubs such as allowing location of private vendors on site. Motion and Vote : Ms. Kierkiewicz moved to approve the recommendation as amended. The motion was seconded by Mr. Mitchell and all Commissioners present voted aye. D. Declare to the public that Commission members find high levels of value in several, if not most, departments. We have found many employees eat lunch at their desks, arrive early and/or stay late and spend personal time and money in benefit to the County and its people. This seems to be normal, not unusual whatsoever. 8 Ms. Garson thinks this becomes part of the Executive Summary rather than a recommendation. Ms. Maddox would feel more comfortable if eat lunch at their desks and they arrive early and/or stay late is left out because it is not necessarily a measure of working during that time. Mr. Kierkiewicz asked if it is going to include spending personal money. Mr. Mitchell said certainly personal time. Mr. Maddox suggested removing that language. Mr. Mitchell noted personal time and resources is not so much about people bringing in their own resources versus money. Ms. Garson stated under union contract, the employee is compensated whether it is time off or money. Mr. Matsuda asked if employees are required to be compensated. Ms. Garson replied yes, under union contract; an employee cannot volunteer to do the job they normally do. Ms. Maddox said they are dedicated employees. Ms. Garson said personal time and money is benefit to the County. Mr. Espejo thinks that’s a good sentence to end the paragraph. Ms. Garson confirmed the Commission’s consensus that recommendation “D” is not a recommendation but would be included in the Executive Summary. All Commissioners agreed and no further action taken. Discussion held and language amended to be included in the Executive Summary. E. Fund three (3) positions dedicated to the protection of our County parks, beaches and recreational facilities from fire ants and spiders. Millions of dollars are at stake as the County has invested in family friendly parks and recreation centers, yet fire ants and spiders pose a very significant danger to these facilities. Mr. Mitchell said this recommendation came directly from Clayton Honma, Director of Parks and Recreation. Mr. Mitchell stated in going through the budgets, parks is one of the first and last things the Mayor talks about; family based recreation. When he asked about the Reed’s Bay facility, Mr. Honma said that was money extremely well spent because, when the families and tourists see that, they feel good about it. Mr. Honma was very specific about the fire ant and spider issues; they have $180,000 to get three (3) positions to fight the fire ant and spiders. Mr. Espejo asked if there was a specific reason they have three (3) positions. Mr. Mitchell replied that came from Mr. Honma; three (3) positions were funded in the budget two (2) years ago, each position is $60,000. Ms. Kierkiewicz asked if these positions are vacant. Mr. Mitchell replied they got funded but not permanently; they are not permanently in the budget. Mr. Honma wants these positions to be regular and should be sustained. Ms. Maddox clarified these positions to be funded permanent positions. Mr. Mitchell replied yes. Ms. Garson asked if the positions are created. Mr. Mitchell replied only on a temporary basis. Discussion held and recommendation amended to read as follows: Millions of dollars are at stake as the County has invested in family friendly parks and recreation centers, yet fire ants and spiders pose a very significant danger to 9 these facilities. Create and fund three (3) permanent positions dedicated to protecting our County parks, beaches and recreational facilities from fire ants and spiders. Motion and Vote : Mr. Mitchell moved to approve the recommendation as amended. The motion was seconded by Ms. Kierkiewicz and all Commissioners present voted aye. F. Examine "The Expanding Transportation Opportunities on Hawaii Island" comprehensive report authored by the University of Michigan sponsored by The Kohala Center, April 2014, and implement the report’s recommendations in the short, medium and long term as much as possible within budgetary constraints. Ms. Kierkiewicz asked if Tiffany Kai from Mass Transit is aware of this report. Mr. Mitchell does not know if Ms. Kai is aware of this report. He said it is the same thing with Warren Lee, when constituents are asking for these guiding reports that are issued and they are not aware of them, it scares him. When Ms. Kierkiewicz met with Ms. Kai, they did talk about this report and Mass Transit was going to look into it. Ms. Garson noted this Commission’s Report will be the recommendation for four (4) years, by that time, the Report will be four (4) years out of date. Ms. Garson asked if the Commission would like to make the recommendation more generic and maybe use as an example. She said it could be a recommendation but to insure that reports and studies done by outside entities are reviewed regularly. Ms. Kierkiewicz noted the report took a look at the island’s transportation system and made short- and long-term recommendations. Mr. Espejo suggested people examine it every two (2) years or so; get some urban studies; people from different universities come in and do the studies. Mr. Mitchell agreed. Discussion held and recommendation amended to read as follows: Regularly review all current research and studies related to transportation systems and implement relevant recommendations to improve Hawai‘i Island public transportation systems. For example, the April 2014 “The Expanding Transportation Opportunities on Hawaii Island” report published by students from the University of Michigan, sponsored by The Kohala Center, recommended establishment of a P3 rideshare-vanpool network. Motion and Vote : Ms. Kierkiewicz moved to approve the recommendation as amended. The motion was seconded by Mr. Espejo and all commissioners present voted aye. G. Mass Transit may be able to streamline the Hele On Bus system by identifying redundancies or unnecessary overlap in the current routing and scheduling system. Mountain View, Pahoa and Pahala, are served by one bus route and the very popular Mauna Kea State Park is without service. According to the report, the airports have limited bus service. 10 Mr. Mitchell said this came out specifically from The Kohala Center report and was mentioned in the report a couple of times. Ms. Kai was discussing how she’s looking at and trying to get rid of redundancies and implementing more bus routes across the island. Ms. Kierkiewicz asked if the Commission wants to say anything about increasing service in certain areas. Mr. Mitchell replied yes. Ms. Kierkiewicz said in her meeting with Ms. Kai, Mass Transit is taking a look at the current system and figuring out how to add routes to the Puna area since it is a growing community. They also talked about people being able to ride the bus to the airport and have to leave their cars there. Discussion held and recommendation amended to read as follows: Improve efficiencies in the Hele On Bus system by identifying redundancies or unnecessary overlap in the current routing and scheduling system, and add service in underserved communities. For example, Mountain View, Pāhoa and Pāhala are served by one bus route; the very popular Mauna Kea State Park and the airports are without service. Motion and Vote : Mr. Matsuda moved to approve the recommendation as amended. The motion was seconded by Mr. Perry and all Commissioners present voted aye. H. Recommend collaboration with Maui transit officials and look into incorporating some of their innovations that offer the best path forward for Hawai‘i County mass transit by utilizing Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Google Transit to enhance the quality of mass transit. Mr. Mitchell said this came through The Kohala Center report in regards to computer tracking of County devices. The Maui News was very specific on how the Maui Mass Transit system has been upgraded; they use computer based systems that are in place. He said The Kohala Center’s report felt that with a small amount of time, energy and effort, the Hawai‘i County’s transit system would be able to borrow from what Maui is trying. Maui uses a larger system and has a little more money in ridership which allows them to be able to try these things. What the County can do is look at it and borrow what would be most effective for our riders. Ms. Garson suggested taking the idea of the GIS and as an example use what Maui implemented. Mr. Mitchell agreed. Ms. Garson is concerned about collaboration with Maui Transit officials. Ms. Kierkiewicz said another good example would be Oahu’s “Da Bus” app. Ms. Kai is working with a high school sophomore who developed an app that tracks buses. Mr. Mitchell commented it seems these things are in place, the County has to find ways to implement in a cost effective way. Discussion held and recommendation amended to read as follows: 11 Explore use of Geographic Information System (GIS) and mobile tracking system apps to provide riders with real time updates which will enhance the quality of the Hele On system. For example, the City and County of Honolulu has successfully implemented “Da Bus” app which could be used as a model for Hawai‘i County. Motion and Vote : Ms. Kierkiewicz moved to approve the recommendation as amended. The motion was seconded by Mr. Mitchell and all Commissioners present voted aye. I. Examine and establish a public-private partnership (P3) with the County for a unique rideshare-vanpool network. Combining and coordinating existing County, business and private person resources with mild additional funding will likely have significant impacts on traffic, drive time, pollution, gasoline consumption and vehicle wear and tear. Mr. Mitchell said this is from The Kohala Center report; that the v-ride system is some of the language mentioned. Mr. Mitchell thinks they were not trying to endorse one particular program or group; he does not think there is that many public-private shuttles or rideshare programs, this simply is one of the very few that exists. Ms. Maddox noted it was referred to in the recommendation about the hubs; it talked about the hubs being provided in coordination with rideshare and vanpool. Mr. Mitchell thought it might be a redundant recommendation. Mr. Matsuda said it would be entirely new because it establishes a public-private partnership. Ms. Garson suggested including this with the hub recommendation. Ms. Maddox asked if it would be an example with the hub or an example in the recommendation that refers to The Kohala Center specifically. Mr. Mitchell said, because it is still P3, it is still rideshare based, there are strong similarities. He wrote this recommendation trying to be respectful to both sides and it is specific to vanpool-rideshare. Ms. Kierkiewicz asked if this could be one of the recommendations in The Kohala Center recommendation. Ms. Maddox said at this point, recommendation “I” will be removed all together and included in recommendation “F”. She said the Commission will need to go back and revote on the amended recommendation “F”. Discussion held and recommendation “I” removed and included into recommendation “F” to read as follows: Regularly review all current research and studies related to transportation systems and implement relevant recommendations to improve Hawai‘i Island public transportation systems. For example, the April 2014 “The Expanding Transportation Opportunities on Hawaii Island” report published by students from the University of Michigan, sponsored by The Kohala Center, recommended establishment of a P3 rideshare-vanpool network. Motion and Vote : Mr. Mitchell moved to approve the recommendation as amended. The motion was seconded by Mr. Perry and all Commissioners present voted aye. 12 J. Using current City & County of Honolulu and Maui County ordinances as a guide, explore a similar ordinance for Hawai‘i County that would require alarm systems to register with the County and provide a mechanism to assess service charges for repeated false alarms. Ms. Maddox stated this was a follow up with Chief Kubojiri. She thinks Ms. Kelly made the original recommendation about charging companies for repeated false alarms. Chief Kubojiri wanted to inform the Commission the City and County of Honolulu and Maui County both have ordinances and he is in favor of exploring that here on this island. He said they did have a lot of difficulty both Oahu and Maui getting it passed; there was significant business opposition, but he still felt there were ways to be able to craft something that made some sense. Ms. Garson suggested including the reference to the City and County of Honolulu as an example and to start with exploring the ordinance. Ms. Maddox said Chief Kubojiri shared with her the ordinances in the other counties. Ms. Kierkiewicz asked if alarm systems are not registered. Ms. Maddox replied not specifically registered here in the County. Discussion held and recommendation amended to read as follows: Explore passing an ordinance that would require alarm systems to register with the police department and provide a mechanism to assess service charges for repeated false alarms. City and County of Honolulu and Maui County have already passed similar ordinances. Motion and Vote : Ms. Kierkiewicz moved to approve the recommendation as amended. The motion was seconded by Mr. Mitchell and all Commissioners present voted aye. K. Reinstate in 2015-16 department operating budget, a line item to make phased purchases of "Blue & Whites" to replace current aging fleet. Ms. Maddox this is one of the things Chief Kubojiri talked about when they met. Ms. Kierkiewicz asked if this would be in place of giving police officers own. Ms. Maddox replied no, the Police Department already has a certain number of blue and whites that are well pass their service period, their usable life, and it was one of the first things that was taken out of their budget. Ms. Kierkiewicz asked when do the officers use the blue and whites. Ms. Maddox replied it depends on their rank. Ms. Garson thought sometimes they do it for visibility purposes like after Hurricane Iselle. Mr. Matsuda asked how many blue and whites. Ms. Maddox said Chief Kubojiri did not state how many, he wanted to be able to do a phased in replacement of the current fleet. Discussion held and recommendation amended to read as follows: Reinstate in the 2015-16 department operating budget, a line item to make phased-in purchases of “Blue & Whites” to replace current aging fleet. 13 Motion and Vote : Mr. Espejo moved to approve the recommendation as amended. The motion was seconded by Mr. Matsuda and all Commissioners present voted aye. L. Urge County Council to increase the current County fuel tax of 8.8 cents/gallon, to a level commensurate with other Counties, for the purpose of increasing funding available to repave roads in a timely manner. Ms. Maddox said this recommendation came from Warren Lee’s presentation when he talked about the inability to pave and repave roads and pointed out the County’s fuel tax is 8.8 cents which is significantly lower than all the other counties. Discussion held and recommendation amended to read as follows: Urge County Council to increase the current County fuel tax of 8.8 cents/gallon to a level commensurate with other counties, for the purpose of increasing funding available to repave roads in a timely manner. Motion and Vote : Mr. Matsuda moved to approve the recommendation as amended. The motion was seconded by Mr. Espejo and all commissioners present voted aye. M. To promote transparency in County government, recommend that each County department make public in a user-friendly format on a regular basis the professional audits, reviews and plans that assess, guide and steer County government debate and course of action. An example is the federally mandated 20-year transportation plan that does not appear in public debate and County officials seem unaware of. Likely, officials and the public are unclear or unaware of such research-based plans, reviews and assessments that can support debate and decision-making. Mr. Mitchell said it would save the next Cost of Government Commission an enormous amount of time if there are references or links to these reports on the website and that information should be readily available to the public. Ms. Garson suggested recommending the County website be updated to provide links. Mr. Mitchell thinks the website is difficult to navigate. Discussion held and recommendation amended to read as follows: Regularly update the County’s website to provide easy-to-find links to the professional audits, review, and plans that guide County decision making. Examples include the federally mandated 20-year transportation plans and the International Association of Assessing Officers Technical Assistance Report Evaluating Property Tax Policies and Administrative Practices in Hawai‘i County (March 5, 2012). Motion and Vote : Mr. Mitchell moved to approve the recommendation as amended. The motion was seconded by Mr. Espejo and all commissioners present voted aye. 14 N. Highlight specific recommendations from the 2010-2011 Report of the Cost of Government Commission the County has implemented. Ms. Kierkiewicz pulled recommendations from Wally Lau’s letter and suggested including this in the Executive Summary. Ms. Maddox said Mr. Lau was responding to the letter that went to the Mayor’s office. Ms. Garson thinks Mr. Lau provided a comprehensive summary; as the Managing Director he is administratively in charge. Ms. Maddox stated the Commission appreciated the Managing Director providing this overview of the previous report; they did find it helpful. Mr. Mitchell commented it showed an effective use of their time and not having to reinvent the wheel; it is guiding and steering the Commission to make their recommendations. Discussion held and all Commissioners agreed to revisit this item. O. Recommend the Cost of Government Commission be convened annually as opposed to every four (4) years. Ms. Maddox asked Ms. Kierkiewicz if she still felt the Cost of Government Commission should be convened annually as opposed to every four (4) years. Ms. Kierkiewicz wanted to put this out there for all Commissioners because it seems like a lot of work to complete in 11 months. Mr. Mitchell thinks every four (4) years is too long. Ms. Maddox noted this requirement is in the County Charter. Ms. Garson suggested doing a Charter amendment if the Commission wants to change the term of the Commission. Mr. Mitchell thinks the Commission would be more effective if they had more time to accomplish their tasks. Mr. Espejo also included all districts be represented. He finds it disconcerting that Council Members could not find one representative in their districts. Mr. Mitchell noted two (2) districts are not represented. Mr. Perry said that made quorum an issue. Ms. Maddox noted in going back at previous commission reports, other commissions felt the same way; some had chairs resign and others were not able to follow through with their tasks. Mr. Espejo said if the neighborhood or community is so called involved, then they should find somebody within the community to be just as involved. Mr. Mitchell agreed. Ms. Garson noted for some people what it came down to was they didn’t want to sit on an advisory commission. If they were going to devote their time and energy, they wanted to see results and be empowered rather than advisory. Ms. Garson noted the utility of this Commission has diminished since it was initially formed and 11 months is too short because it takes that long to get the Commissioner’s up to speed. The problem with a two (2) year term for the Commission is by the time the report comes out; it is at the end of the Mayor’s term. The Commission has been lucky to have really good people; it’s difficult to do this job in 11 months. Ms. Maddox noted Ms. Garson gave her a little bit of background in terms of the Legislative Auditor, the increased authority for that function. 15 Ms. Garson said the powers of the Legislative Auditor were increased a couple years ago. She thinks the current Legislative Auditor’s office provides some of the functions the Commission was setup to do; it is a citizen board versus the Legislative Auditor, which is an appointed position. Recently, voters voted for a six (6) year term for the Legislative Auditor to help the office become more independent and operate across administration and Council terms. Ms. Kierkiewicz asked if it is not even worth it to even mention increasing the time frame in which the Commission meets. Ms. Garson replied these issues have been mentioned in other reports too so mentioning it in this report would be very consistent. Ms. Maddox asked if the proper place for this recommendation be under County Council. Ms. Garson suggested including it in the Executive Summary, and not as a recommendation, or in the conclusion. Mr. Espejo thinks the Commission shouldn’t convene if there are not nine (9) members. Ms. Kierkiewicz commented the Commission wouldn’t have adequate representation if they don’t have members represented by each district. She asked for suggestions in finding people to service. Mr. Mitchell suggested reducing quorum, if possible. Mr. Perry suggested starting earlier. Ms. Garson stated it is Charter and Sunshine Law based. Ms. Maddox stated the 2011 Commission started in its Introduction, a lack of willing and qualified volunteers left the 2010-11 Commission with only six (6) members, none of whom represented the leeward side of the island. She quoted from the report “…although it is difficult to say how this lack of representation may have affected the findings, it did hamper the Commission’s ability to gather a quorum for its meetings.” Ms. Maddox clarified this recommendation is on the agenda as a possible recommendation or conclusion; it will not be a recommendation, it will be included in the conclusion. Mr. Mitchell stated all Commissioners agreed with this purpose. Discussion held and all Commissioners agreed to revisit this item. Mr. Matsuda asked to skip down to items “AA”, “BB”, “CC”, “DD” and “EE”. Ms. Maddox asked if everyone would agree to skip down to items AA”, “BB”, “CC”, “DD” and “EE” having to do with Environmental Management. All Commissioners agreed. AA. Environmental Management Commission, like the Board of Water Supply, be given authority to set fees rather than having everything go through the County Council for codification in the County Code. The Commission meets every month with the Department, spends a great deal of time and attention on Department operations and is very familiar with County facilities. (12/4/14 meeting minutes, pg 7, BJ Leithead-Todd presentation) Mr. Mitchell thinks Bobby Jean Leithead Todd was concerned the County Council wasn’t familiar with the environmental issues. Ms. Garson said because the County Council are elected officials, it is difficult for them to raise fees; it is an unpopular 16 decision from an elected official to make which is why an appointed body like the Water Board looks solely at the interest of the department. Mr. Matsuda said he would accept it as written. Mr. Perry stated the Water Department is made to or can and has the capacity to break even or not to lose money. Ms. Kierkiewicz suggested saying grant Environmental Management Commission authority to set fees. Ms. Garson said it is a County Code amendment. Mr. Espejo asked if there will be a checks and balance system in place because having people on the commission set the rate, who would they answer to if they set the rate too high. Ms. Garson replied for rate increases, public hearings need to be held. She noted the Water Board does rate studies; it cannot just raise the rates. Ms. Maddox asked if the Water Board have a system of checks and balances. Ms. Garson replied statutorily they are supposed to; there is a statute that says you can for operations and CIP but there is a cap on how much you can have on reserve. Mr. Espejo noted if there is that kind of protocol with the Environmental Management Commission in making rate increases, he is in agreement with the recommendation. Mr. Mitchell said the Water Department serves over 41,000 customers and he agrees with Mr. Matsuda that as they move forward, they will take a look at the Water Supply language as a model. Discussion held and recommendation amended to read as follows: Explore the possibility of the Environmental Management Commission having the authority, like the Board of Water Supply, to set fees rather than the County Council codifying rate increases in the County Code. Motion and Vote : Mr. Matsuda moved to approve the recommendation as amended. The motion was seconded by Mr. Espejo and all Commissioners present voted aye. BB. Conduct study related to waste water rates, which were last adjusted in 2002, including a multi-year schedule of planned increases/adjustments. (12/4/14 meeting minutes, pg 4, BJ Leithead-Todd presentation) Discussion held and recommendation amended to read as follows: Conduct study related to waste water rates, which were last adjusted in 2002, including a multi-year schedule of planned increased/adjustments. Motion and Vote : Mr. Matsuda moved to approve the recommendation as amended. The motion was seconded by Mr. Perry and all Commissioners present voted aye. CC. Explore possibility of giving Wastewater Division ability to separate costs of electricity or diesel fuel on consumers’ bills and to pass changes in those costs on to consumers. (12/4/14 meeting minutes, pg 7, BJ Leithead-Todd presentation) 17 Mr. Matsuda said he is agreement with the language with the exception to say there is currently no mechanism to pass on the electricity cost to the consumers. Ms. Garson asked if the wastewater rate was a flat fee. Mr. Matsuda thinks it is $27. Ms. Garson said because of the rate structure this cannot be done; presumptively it could be done but the rate structure would have to be changed. Instead of paying a flat fee, the electrical cost and surcharges would have to be calculated. Ms. Maddox noted that was one of the things Ms. Leithead Todd said; she cannot control electric rates, biodiesel rates or things like that. By separating costs it give the ability to budget based on fees and other additional costs. Mr. Matsuda asked if this is a feasible recommendation. Ms. Garson replied she thinks it would be feasible. Discussion held and recommendation amended to read as follows: Explore the possibility of separating costs of electricity or diesel fuel on consumers’ wastewater bills and passing those costs on to consumers. Motion and Vote : Ms. Kierkiewicz moved to approve the recommendation as amended. The motion was seconded by Mr. Mitchell and all Commissioners present voted aye. DD. Implement program of contracted small grinders at selected transfer stations to allow mulching in place, eliminating the need to haul green waste to Pu‘uanahulu Landfill, and making mulch readily available in remote communities. (12/4/14 meeting minutes, pg 11, BJ Leithead-Todd presentation) Ms. Maddox said this came directly from Ms. Leithead Todd. Discussion held and recommendation amended to read as follows: Implement program of contracted small grinders at selected transfer stations to allow mulching in place, eliminating the need to haul green waste to Pu‘uanahulu Landfill, and making mulch readily available in remote communities. Motion and Vote : Mr. Matsuda moved to approve the recommendation as amended. The motion was seconded by Mr. Mitchell and all Commissioners present voted aye. EE. Implement the green waste fee program approved for the County Code in 2005, as means of generating department revenue. (12/4/14 meeting minutes, pg 13, BJ Leithead-Todd presentation) Mr. Matsuda asked if it needs to specify it is for commercial. Ms. Maddox replied yes. 18 Discussion held and recommendation amended to read as follows: Implement the green waste fee program for commercial haulers approved for the County Code in 2005, as means for generating department revenue. Motion and Vote : Mr. Matsuda moved to approve the recommendation as amended. The motion was seconded by Mr. Perry and all Commissioners present voted aye. P. List of top ten County projects/initiatives that could impact the budget (i.e., LED street lights, possible waste to energy and more renewable energy projects). Ms. Kierkiewicz thinks the Executive Summary should list some projects that are cost savings over time and provide public benefit. Mr. Mitchell commented the Commission’s best recommendations have been from County people. Ms. Garson asked where the list of projects came from. Ms. Kierkiewicz replied she looked through the budget and pulled out what would provide cost savings over time. She listed the street lights, the wind farm, the solar arrays on County buildings, the new jet ski program, new parks including the one in the Pāhoa district which is the largest expenditure for recreational facilities, the Pana‘ewa complex and the fire stations at Makalei and Pāhoa. Ms. Garson questions the list because those projects are not happening right now. Mr. Mitchell said some are current and some are outdated. Ms. Kierkiewicz said to just acknowledge it in the different sections for the departments. Discussion held and Ms. Maddox stated recommendation “P” is being withdrawn it in its current form. Q. For the Introduction section of the final report, state the challenges the community faced. Ms. Maddox stated items for the Introduction were discussed in recommendation “P”. R. Develop a Countywide policy and plan to convert County vehicles to biodiesel wherever possible using a local producer, which will contribute to a diversified economy, sustainability for local agriculture through cultivation of biodiesel-related crops. (12/4/14 meeting minutes, pg 10, BJ Leithead-Todd presentation) Mr. Mitchell commented the County must reduce its dependency on fossil fuels. Ms. Garson said this recommendation is for the diesel but it is in the overarching theme. Ms. Maddox said, because it is the highest cost in the nation and the County is the largest consumer of electricity, all departments use energy in one way, shape or form it was decided it was an overarching theme. 19 Mr. Mitchell thinks the recommendation is clear enough. Mr. Perry commented he is cautious about biodiesel because there is only so much cooking oil around. Ms. Kierkiewicz said right now Big Island Biodiesel imports cooking oil from the mainland and turns that into fuel here. She also stated jatropha is being planted in Kea‘au. Mr. Perry does not think jetropha is an efficient source. Ms. Kierkiewicz said they are looking into algae, too. Meeting recessed at 2:44 p.m. and reconvened at 2:50 p.m. Discussion held and recommendation amended to read as follows: Given that a significant portion of all imported oil is used for transportation, expedite the conversion of the County’s fleet to electric vehicles and/or biodiesel wherever possible using a local producer which will contribute to a diversified economy and sustainability for local agriculture through cultivation of biodiesel-related crops. Motion and Vote : Ms. Kierkiewicz moved to approve the recommendation as amended. The motion was seconded by Mr. Mitchell and all Commissioners present voted aye. S. Automate internal forms, such as time cards, by implementing an e-time sheet system that allows the timesheet to pass electronically from employee through management to other departments could save hours of labor involved in current manual system. (Comm. 2014-081, Don Jacobs, Information Technology, 4/14/14) Ms. Kierkiewicz said she agrees with the way the recommendation is written because it came directly from Don Jacobs in his presentation. Mr. Espejo agreed. Discussion held and recommendation amended to read as follows: Automate internal forms. For example, implement an e-time sheet system that allows the timesheet to pass electronically from employee through management to other departments; this could save hours of labor involved in current manual system. Motion and Vote : Ms. Kierkiewicz moved to approve the recommendation as amended. The motion was seconded by Mr. Mitchell and all Commissioners present voted aye. T. Expand use of electronic signatures countywide as a secure and valid means of authorization to save money in paper, copying, handling and maintaining paper documentation where it is not needed. (Comm. 2014- 081 Don Jacobs, Information Technology, 4/14/14) Discussion held and recommendation amended to read as follows: 20 Expand use of electronic signatures Countywide as a secure and valid means of authorization to save money in paper, copying, handling and maintaining paper documentation when it is unnecessary. Motion and Vote : Mr. Espejo moved to approve the recommendation as amended. The motion was seconded by Ms. Kierkiewicz and all Commissioners present voted aye. U. Accept credit cards to complete transactions currently requiring “in person” counter payments of cash or check, such as licenses, taxes and renewals. (Comm. 2014-081, Don Jacobs, Information Technology, 4/14/14) Ms. Maddox noted this recommendation came from a community member or an employee. Ms. Kierkiewicz noted the Commission discussed this issue for the Motor Vehicle Division and thinks it is being redundant. Mr. Mitchell stated he doesn’t want to confuse the two (2) issues. Ms. Maddox said the one regarding vehicles; vehicle registration can be paid online using credit cards, that one is specifically related. Ms. Kierkiewicz said for people that go to the DMV, the DMV only accepts cash or checks. Mr. Mitchell thinks the DMW is working on that. Ms. Maddox noted under agenda item #7D, that recommendation was previously approved regarding the use of debit and credit cards at DMV. Mr. Mitchell said one (1) is for DMV and one (1) is for licenses, fees and taxes. Discussion held and recommendation amended to read as follows: Accept credit cards Countywide to complete transactions currently requiring “in person” cash or check payments, such as for licenses, taxes and renewals. Motion and Vote : Mr. Mitchell moved to approve the recommendation as amended. The motion was seconded by Mr. Espejo and all Commissioners present voted aye. V. Continue to expand and expedite use of web-based services and commerce, allowing the public to conduct business via the internet to reduce lines and improve interactions with the public. (Comm. 2014-081, Don Jacobs, Information Technology, 4/14/14) Discussion held and recommendation amended to read as follows: Continue to expand and expedite use of web-based services and commerce, allowing the public to conduct business via the internet to increase convenience, reduce lines and improve interactions with the public. Motion and Vote : Ms. Kierkiewicz moved to approve the recommendation as amended. The motion was seconded by Mr. Espejo and all Commissioners present voted aye. 21 W. Continue efforts to consolidate duplicative IT systems among/between departments to improve IT support and service, increase efficiency of information sharing and reduce costs. Centralize support and decision making for IT related to the overall network backbone, e-mail, internet access, anti-virus support, software updates and licensing. (Comm. 2014-081, Don Jacobs, Information Technology, 4/14/14) Ms. Maddox said this recommendation came from Don Jacobs. Mr. Mitchell said Mr. Jacobs talked about different platforms and programs, different people getting different licensing fees and anti-virus; this is very specific with what Mr. Jacob said about brining it all together under one umbrella. Discussion held and recommendation amended to read as follows: Continue efforts to consolidate duplicative IT systems among/between departments to improve IT support and service, increase efficiency of information sharing and reduce costs. Centralize support and decision making for IT related to the overall network backbone, e-mail, internet access, anti-virus support, software updates and licensing. Motion and Vote : Mr. Mitchell moved to approve the recommendation as amended. The motion was seconded by Mr. Perry and all Commissioners present voted aye. X. Explore ways to streamline and expedite the process for position revisions and department reorganizations. Several department heads indicated they had invested more than two (2) years in reorganizing department functions and positions, leading to inefficiency and inability to implement program improvement goals. Ms. Kierkiewicz asked if the Commission has jurisdiction over this or is this union related. Ms. Garson replied it’s both; department reorganization is not necessarily a union matter. Ms. Maddox noted in two departments she talked too, they have been working for more than two years to do staffing reorganizations. Discussion held and recommendation amended to read as follows: Explore ways to streamline and expedite the process for position revisions and department reorganizations. Some department heads indicated they had invested more than two years in reorganizing department functions and positions, leading to inefficiency and inability to implement program improvement goals. Motion and Vote : Mr. Mitchell moved to approve the recommendation as amended. The motion was seconded by Mr. Espejo and all Commissioners present voted aye. 22 Y. Explore ways to maximize use of the facility, including implementation of meeting room use fee. (Office of Aging) Ms. Maddox said this recommendation came from Ms. Kelly and the reason she made this recommendation is the Office of Aging has a large meeting room and a couple smaller rooms that are available for use. She is not sure how many know the rooms are available for use but questioned whether there are ways to maximize the use of those rooms. Mr. Mitchell stated this is normal; a lot of the State buildings will hold community group meetings and pay a very small nominal fee. Discussion held and recommendation amended to read as follows: Explore ways to maximize use of the Aging and Disability Resource Center, including implementing of meeting room use fee. Motion and Vote : Mr. Perry moved to approve the recommendation as amended. The motion was seconded by Mr. Mitchell and all Commissioners present voted aye. Z. Implement fees to cover sewer connection inspections, building permit reviews and administrative (annual) cost of septage hauler discharge permits. (Comm. 2014-086, Response from BJ Leithead-Todd, 7/24/14) Ms. Maddox stated since it relates to fees, does it need to go to Council. Ms. Garson replied yes, this goes with the fee issue. Discussion held and recommendation amended to read as follows: Explore the possibility of implementing fees to cover sewer connection inspections, building permit reviews and administrative (annual) cost of septage hauler discharge permits. Motion and Vote : Mr. Mitchell moved to approve the recommendation as amended. The motion was seconded by Mr. Perry and all commissioners present voted aye. FF. Expedite purchase of upgraded computers for Legislative Auditor department staff. (11/6/14 meeting minutes, pg 4) Ms. Maddox asked Mr. Espejo if he recalled his conversation with the Legislative Auditor about upgrading computer equipment for the entire staff. Mr. Espejo recalled the Legislative Auditor was working on it and said probably within a two (2) to three (3) year period. Mr. Mitchell said to clarify that each employee has his/her own work desk and computer and in addition, there is one common computer used to access the County’s network. Mr. Espejo noted the department is working on archaic equipment. Mr. Espejo said the employees would like to work remotely from home at times with the ability to sign in and sign out. 23 Ms. Kierkiewicz asked if Mr. Espejo made the recommendation because the computers were slow. Mr. Espejo replied their one (1) centralized computer is really, really slow. Mr. Espejo found out that within the County, all departments have different platforms; for IT, everything does not go into one (1) central computer, which is the biggest problem. Ms. Garson said some do and some don’t because if they are offsite and renting a facility it might be something different. Mr. Espejo agreed with expedited purchase of upgraded computers. Discussion held and recommendation amended to read as follows: Motion and Vote : Mr. Espejo moved to approve the recommendation as amended. The motion was seconded by Mr. Mitchell and all Commissioners present voted aye. GG. Allow Legislative Auditor department staff to work remotely, with access to centralized information system, to improve efficiency. (11/6/14 meeting minutes, pg 4) Discussion held and incorporated into item “FF”. HH. Create a Kailua-Kona Mass Transit base yard to save downtime while responding to trouble calls, increasing efficiency to the public. Currently the only base yard is in Hilo requiring mechanics to be dispatched to respond to breakdowns island-wide. Kailua-Kona base yard would allow buses to be repaired in West Hawai‘i rather than being towed to Hilo. (Comm. 2014-080 recommendation from T. Kai, 4/3/14) Discussion held and recommendation deleted. 7. PREVIOUSLY APPROVED RECOMMENDATIONS SUBJECT TO LANGUAGE REVISION FOR THE FINAL REPORT A. Explore a flexible schedule model for employees. (Recommendation approved 12/4/14 meeting) Ms. Maddox asked Ms. Kierkiewicz if she had any suggested language for this recommendation. Ms. Kierkiewicz replied the Commission could cite R & D as having a successful model; they seem to be happy with what they are going. Ms. Garson said it is not necessarily a model; an employee can get flex time if they get specific approval. Ms. Maddox noted the Office of Aging has a lot of events on the weekends and employees coordinate their schedules during the week to be able to do that. Mr. Mitchell stated the County Council has a carry over where an employee can accumulate flex time; they are currently addressing this issue and want to eliminate this concept of carry over. 24 Ms. Garson stated this recommendation was part of the discussion regarding 4 day/10-hour work week. Mr. Perry posed this question to the Water Department and they are willing to try; it might be worth checking into. Ms. Kierkiewicz suggested the recommendation to include reference to a 10-hour/4 day work week. Discussion held and recommendation amended to read as follows: Explore a flexible schedule model for employees, including a 10-hour/day 4 day/week schedule. Motion and Vote : Ms. Kierkiewicz moved to approve the recommendation as amended. The motion was seconded by Mr. Mitchell and all Commissioners present voted aye. B. Modify overly burdensome form policies within County Departments to increase the flow of communication (Recommendation approved 12/4/14 meeting) Example: Explore the implementation of employee punch clocks. Ms. Kierkiewicz said an example was that instead of physically routing documents for signatures, it would be routed electronically. Ms. Garson noted recommendation “E” also relates to using technology for online contracts and forms. Discussion held and recommendation amended to read as follows: Modify overly burdensome policies related to forms within County departments to reduce the amount of paper being utilized and increase the flow of communication. Motion and Vote : Ms. Kierkiewicz moved to approve the recommendation as amended. The motion was seconded by Mr. Mitchell and all Commissioners present voted aye. C. Pursue placing property liens for unpaid water bills in addition to current tools, which would cut down on suits and court time and costs, shorten collection times and afford customers due process through an administrative hearing. (Recommendation approved 11/6/14 meeting) Ms. Garson said there was a bill in the legislation last year related to this recommendation and they are going to reintroduce it this year. Ms. Maddox stated the recommendation from the Commission would be to support legislation to place property liens. Mr. Mitchell agreed. Discussion held and recommendation amended to read as follows: Support legislation to place property liens for unpaid water bills in addition to current tools, which would cut down on suits and court time and costs, shorten collection times and afford customers due process through and administrative hearing. 25 Motion and Vote : Mr. Espejo moved to approve the recommendation as amended. The motion was seconded by Mr. Perry and all Commissioners present voted aye. D. Explore use of debit and credit cards at the Department of Motor Vehicles. (Recommendation approved 12/4/14 meeting) Ms. Maddox said people cannot use debit and credit cards at the window but can renew car registration online. Discussion held and recommendation amended to read as follows: Explore use of debit and credit cards at the Department of Motor Vehicles. Motion and Vote : Mr. Mitchell moved to approve the recommendation as amended. The motion was seconded by Ms. Kierkiewicz and all Commissioners present voted aye. E. Continue to update policies and procedures to expand and accelerate use of technology related to processes for online contracts and forms and use of electronic signatures. (Recommendation approved 11/6/14 meeting) Mr. Mitchell said this recommendation is a little redundant. Ms. Garson stated this is related to contracts and forms and asked if the Commission wanted to delete the reference to electronic signatures. Mr. Mitchell agreed. Discussion held and recommendation amended to read as follows: Continue to update policies and procedures to expand and accelerate use of technology related processes for online contracts and forms. Motion and Vote : Mr. Mitchell moved to approve the recommendation as amended. The motion was seconded by Mr. Espejo and all Commissioners present voted aye. F. Implement jet ski program within the Ocean Safety Division of the Hawai‘i County Fire Department. See Communication 2014-063 for more detailed cost breakdown; 4/17/14 agenda) Powered Water Craft (PWC) (2) $12,000 each $ 24,000 Equipment for PWC $7,800 $ 7,800 Personal Equipment (2) $600 each $ 1,200 Salary for Water Safety Officer (2) $40,000 each $ 80,000 Training Cost $3,000 $ 3,000 Maintenance $15,000 $ 15,000 Total start up cost: $131,000 (Recommendation approved 11/6/14 meeting) 26 Mr. Mitchell commented he would like the Commission to acknowledge all responses received from the departments. He noted the Finance Department performs admirably and does a fantastic job. Mr. Mitchell stated the Finance Department brings the County great value and the residents of the County should be pleased with their efforts and quality of work. Discussion held and recommendation amended to read as follows: Implement jet ski program within the Ocean Safety Division of the Hawai‘i County Fire Department. Motion and Vote : Mr. Perry moved to approve the recommendation as amended. The motion was seconded by Mr. Mitchell and all Commissioners present voted aye. G. Allocate funds from the general operating budget to purchase personnel/HR software to accurately and efficiently manage County employee/personnel records/actions and time sheet submission/payroll processing. (Recommendation approved 11/6/14 meeting) Ms. Maddox noted this recommendation was previously approved. Discussion held and recommendation amended to read as follows: Allocate funds from the general operating budget to purchase personnel enterprise software to accurately and efficiently manage County employee personnel records, actions, time sheet submissions and payroll processing. Motion and Vote : Mr. Mitchell moved to approve the recommendation as amended. The motion was seconded by Mr. Perry and all Commissioners present voted aye. H. Implement smart card payment system for Mass Transit in place of tickets and monthly passes to improve cash handling procedures and increase efficiency and accuracy. (Recommendation approved 11/6/14 meeting) Discussion held and recommendation amended to read as follows: Implement smart card payment system for Mass Transit in place of tickets and monthly passes to improve cash handling procedures and increase efficiency and accuracy. Motion and Vote : Mr. Mitchell moved to approve the recommendation as amended. The motion was seconded by Mr. Espejo and all Commissioners present voted aye. I. Implement a countywide vehicle pool program, using computer/internet reservation system to reduce the number of department fleets and gain improved efficiency of vehicle use. (Recommendation approved 12/4/14) 27 Discussion held and recommendation amended to read as follows: Implement a Countywide vehicle pool program, using compute/internet reservation system to reduce the number of department fleets and gain improved efficiency of vehicle use. Motion and Vote : Mr. Mitchell moved to approve the recommendation as amended. The motion was seconded by Ms. Kierkiewicz and all commissioners present voted aye. J. Continue to improve County of Hawai‘i communications with public (Recommendation approved 12/4/14 meeting) Discussion held and recommendation amended to read as follows: Continue to improve County communication with public through continued enhancements to County website, use of social media and presentations at periodic community meetings scheduled around the island. Motion and Vote : Mr. Mitchell moved to approve the recommendation as amended. The motion was seconded by Mr. Perry and all Commissioners present voted aye. K. Explore combining the East and West Hawai‘i County Bands or contracting to non-profit to oversee. (Recommendation approved 12/4/14 meeting) Mr. Mitchell thinks the money is better suited going to Hilo, Waiākea or Honoka‘a high school bands. Ms. Maddox stated the draft recommendation doesn’t mean that is where the money is going. Discussion held regarding contracting the County band to a non-profit to provide musical services. Discussion held and recommendation amended to read as follows: Explore combining the East and West Hawai‘i County Bands. Motion and Vote : Mr. Espejo moved to approve the recommendation as amended. The motion was seconded by Mr. Mitchell and all commissioners present voted aye. L. Expand designers, lumberyards and contractors’ program of permit “pre- approval” related to package homes. (Recommendation approved 11/6/14 meeting) Ms. Maddox noted this recommendation came from Public Works. Discussion held and recommendation amended to read as follows: 28 Expand list of designers, lumber yards and contractors approved for the package homes “pre-approval” program. Motion and Vote : Ms. Kierkiewicz moved to approve the recommendation as amended. The motion was seconded by Mr. Espejo and all Commissioners present voted aye. At 3:43 p.m., Ms. Maddox recessed the meeting. The meeting will reconvene at 9:00 a.m., at the Office of the Corporation Counsel Conference Room, 101 Aupuni Street, Suite 325, Hilo, Hawai‘i. Respectfully submitted: Jennifer M. Kualii Jennifer M. Kualii, Secretary 29