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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCHC 1990-03-20 DPW COUNTY CHARTER REVIEW wi BERNARD K. AKANA mayor • HUGH Y. ONO /Niv°c ., • ChiefEngtneer J.• •-° .., DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKSBRUUCC oev Er>otneer •. ., �ad,,.• CE CC. McCLURE C. Tom. ..; I3 COUNTY OF HAWAII -25 AUPUNI STREET-HILO,HAWAII 96720-TELEPHONE(8081961-8321 March 20, 1989 MR ROBERT E BETHEA CHAIRMAN AND MEMBERS COUNTY CHARTER COMMISSION 101 AUPUNI STREET #235 HILO HI 96720 SUBJECT: COUNTY CHARTER REVIEW Thank you again for the opportunity to address the Commission on March 8th. As requested, our suggestions are as follows: Section 6.2-2. Chief Engineer My re-evaluation concludes there is no need to include the Deputy Chief Engineer, as his status is covered under Section 4-5(a) . Therefore, no change is necessary. Changes in Organizational Structure In response to inquiries from commissioners, we respond as follows: ° Wastewater Division performs the following functions: sewer system operation and maintenance, service fee collections and fiscal administration, and sewer projects administration. The options available are as follows: o Create a Wastewater Management Department independent of other departments. Some counties have created separate wastewater authorities. o Assign the division in entirety to the Department of Water Supply. o Remain as is with Public Works as its own division. We have purposely excluded the alternative of, assignment to the Department of Health, as_ being anti-home rule. I have attached. force-field analysis for two of the above alternatives. - a County Charter Commission Page 2 March 20, 1989 ° Solid Waste Division performs landfill operation and maintenance and refuse transfer operations. Because administrative and support capability has not been fully developed, this division should remain as part of Public Works which provide these support services for Solid Waste. Furthermore, with regard to combining this division with Wastewater Division, other than environmentally related, there would be no advantage to a consolidation. HUGH Y.. ONO, P.E. Chief Engineer HYO:ctc Attachments cc: Department of Water Supply DPW DEP ADM WWM SWM FORCE FIELD ANALYSIS Alternative: Create a Department of Wastewater EVALUATION "FOR" FACTORS "AGAINST" o Could be established by either a separate Policy Setting ° Creation of another department in Commission or continue under the County addition to the ones that already Council . exists. o Wastewater achieves departmental status and has its own goals and objectives with equal importance as other departments. Administration ° An additional administration is needed to include minimum of one each department head, secretary, and clerk. o A special fund "Sewer" already exists. Fiscal/Special Funds This department will not have adequate operational revenues unless subsidized from the General Fund. o Billing system is in place. Revenue Collections ° Must continue to rely on Data Processing for support. ° Does not have an effective collection method for non-payment of monthly sewer billings. Capital Improvements ° Must continue to rely on G.O. Bonds. No change. Environmental Policy No change. No change. Operations/Maintenance No change. FORCE FIELD ANALYSIS Alternative: Assign the Wastewater Division to the Department of Water Supply. EVALUATION "FOR" FACTORS "AGAINST" o Water Commission is already in place. Policy Setting ° County Council relinquishes policy role. o Would become semi-autonomous. Semi-Autonomy ° Would discontinue being a county-type operation. o DWS is fully staffed with the Administration ° DWS will have to be diverse in its area administrative capabilities. of responsibility. • Addition of another division to DWS: division Chief, superintendent, 2-fiscal/clerical , 33 operations positions. o Wastewater is a special fund called Fiscal-Special Funds ° Wastewater is currently subsidized the "Sewer" fund. 40%-45%. This policy would need to be defined. ° The addition of the Sewer fund will have toeither be amended in the Charter or be adopted as an addition to the water fund. . (Sec. 8-4, Charter 1980) • o Billing system already in-place. Revenue Collections o Non-payment procedures of DWS (water shut-off) is better incentive to assure payment. Page 2 - Alternative: Assign the Wastewater Division to the Department of Water Supply i G• EVALUATION "FOR" FACTORS "AGAINST" o Debt service could be distributed among Captial Improvements ° Additional financial responsibilities to total user accounts similar to G.O. DWS for wastewater development. • Bond approach. o With EPA construction funds being • discontinued in 1990, this maybe an ideal time to transfer this function. o If pre-treatment of effluent is being Environmental Policy ° DWS will not and is not planning on considered before water re-use then DWS pre-treating effluent for re-use as is the likely agency. potable water. o The treatment of water would be the ° DWS will be assigned the additional responsibility of a single agency from responsibility of after-use treatment. developmentto disposal . o System maintenance is mechanically similar. Operations/Maintenance ° Operations of the DWS will be increased by increasing their functional area. o Staffs can be cross-trained on water and wastewater.