HomeMy WebLinkAboutParks & Recreation Dept, FY 2014-15 DEPARTMENTAL BUDGET REVIEWS 4/10/2014
DEPARTMENTAL BUDGET REVIEWS 2014-15
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS & RECREATION
April 10, 2014
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The departmental budget review reconvened on April 10, 2014 at 9:06 a.m., and
proceeded as follows:
Department of Parks & Recreation
Honorable Tim Bynum (present at 9:08 a.m. to 10:38 a.m.)
Honorable Mason K. Chock, Sr.
Honorable Mel Rapozo
Honorable JoAnn A. Yukimura
Honorable Jay Furfaro, Council Chair
Excused: Honorable Gary L. Hooser
Honorable Ross Kagawa
Chair Furfaro: Aloha, good morning. I would like to call back to
order from our recess our budget meetings for April 10th. The order of the day for today will
of course be a call-back to take public testimony first, if there is anyone that wants to give
public testimony. Then the Department of Parks and Recreation broken up into several
categories and Mr. Rapozo I assume you do have the schedule that we put together for
today. Could we see that Mr. Rapozo has one in his hands? That is the schedule I am going
to follow, Lenny. I do have excuse letters for Mr. Kagawa today. I do have excuse letters
for Mr. Hooser, who is at the State Capitol, and I believe Mr. Bynum is still attempting to
be here. So, if not, we only have four members to continue with Parks today. I want to
remind members if one of you leaves, we have to stop the meeting, because we cannot
continue with just three.
Mr. Rapozo: Mr. Chair, may I ask that someone call
Mr. Bynum and find out if is he coming or not?
Chair Furfaro: Here he is. Good. We were just going through
the attendance and we wanted to find out if you were going to be with us or not.
Mr. Bynum: Do you want me to answer that?
Chair Furfaro: You are fine, we have not started. So, again,
referencing Mr. Kagawa being out on an excuse. Mr. Hooser being at the State Capitol, we
are ready to start. For the Department of Parks and Recreation, is there anyone that has
any public testimony for us today? Seeing no one, I want to make sure that we understand
that by the process I am extending courtesies each day just to take additional public
comment. There is one (1) Bill on the budget for the Ordinance that we took at the
beginning and we will take public testimony again on May 7th regarding the concluded Bill.
So no one to speak today. Lenny, I will ask you to come up, and we, in fact, now will
suspend the rules. I guess you will start with the administrative sections of the
Department for Parks and Recreation.
There being no objections, the rules were suspended.
LEONARD A. RAPOZO, JR., Director of Parks and Recreation: Thank you,
Chair, good morning. For the record, Director of Parks and Recreation, Lenny Rapozo. I
am excited to do a budget presentation because I think this is the one (1) time in our fiscal
year that we as a Department can come and tell our story and tell about the great things
that our Department is doing for the community. Thank you for the opportunity. You
April 10, 2014
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should all have a bound presentation of our Department's accomplishments, challenges,
goals, and needs. I guess we will start with page 1. The mission of course is promoting and
enhancing the quality of life for residents of our island home, Kaua`i. The goal of Parks and
Recreation is comprised of seven (7) Divisions, and I would like to introduce those that
represent these seven (7) Divisions within our Department. I am the Administration, but
here is Eddie Sarita, who is the Convention Hall Manager. The gentleman with the blue
Nike hat is Craig Carney, who is the Golf Director of Maintenance. Next to him is Vince
Parangao who is in a temporary assignment to fill the position previously occupied by
George Ahlgren who was the Division Chief for Parks Maintenance. He retired effective
March 31st. Vince is temporarily assigned to that Division. Next to him is William Trujillo
who just did our CIP budget and is the Chief of Planning and Development. Sitting in the
back is Lynn Kuboyama who is our Administrator for Fiscal and Permitting. Of course,
John Martin next to her is in charge of Permitting and Security Coordinator for Parks who
oversees the rangers and permits. Cindy Duterte who is our Division Chief for Recreation
that also includes the pools and neighborhood centers...that falls under her. Of course, Ian
Costa, my Deputy of Parks and Recreation who oversees operations and does everything
else that I cannot get to.
So, with that being said, I want to move forward and thank you for having all of us
here. Goals of our Department of Parks and Recreation, are to maintain the core services to
the community and improve the quality of services and repair, upgrade and improve the
facilities that are enjoyed by visitors and residents of Kaua`i. The overall budget for Parks
and Recreation has increased by about six point two percent (6.2%) and a lot of these
increases are attributed to operations, as well as salaries and wages due to contract and
agreements, Collective Bargaining Agreements. The significant decreases in vehicle and
equipment leases is at over the course of the last five budgets we have been able to replace
much-needed equipment that was old and we upgraded a lot of our equipment. As we have
replaced a lot of these pieces of equipment, our requests for vehicle and equipment of course
has gone down. But in operations, we continue to need to do major repairs or repairs to a
lot of our aged facilities, and as requested by Public Works through the trades that perform
these repairs, we are becoming more and more responsible to provide the repairing parts
and some equipment for them to make some of these repairs. In operations a lot of our
increases occurred there. Page 2 is the graphs of our budget relating to the areas that we
just discussed. On page 3, at this time I would like to reflect on our vacancies and I would
like to discuss the vacancies at this time. As you can see from the first two 1995 and 1986,
these are two Golf Course Grounds Helper positions that are half-time. We are
converting...these are not new positions, but we are re-describing these positions to be part
of our tree trimming crew that will be assigned to the aerial bucket truck that Parks just
received. The bucket truck was a purchase done about two years ago that we finally have
taken possession of it and they will be responsible to look at the maintenance of our trees
within our Parks. We have gone through the exercise before George left of identifying areas
where we are in emergency need of tree-trimming. We have determined that at least two
(2) years of emergency tree-trimming, which would encompass areas such as our
campgrounds, public lands, some of the stadiums, and at certain neighborhood centers
where we need to get these trees addressed as soon as possible. Then make the other picnic
areas, make the necessary maintenance needs for the trees at those areas. It is our
intention that the planned maintenance will be that within every seven years once we have
caught up with these repair & maintenance projects within seven years every tree would
have been maintained. So, every tree within Parks would have a trimming. This is very
important because we believe it will minimize liability, and claims to the County. We
thank the Council that working together we were able to get the aerial truck and now we
are looking to man the aerial truck by not creating new positions, but looking at positions
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that have been vacated. In this case, the Golf Course is now...we have all of the
concessions have been filled, and the range, the Golf Ball Range was one of the items that
were given to the Golf Shop as a concession. These two (2) employees formerly were with
the Golf Course. Both of them that were in here have retired. Nobody was displaced. Now
that that function has gone to the private contractor, he is responsible for the picking up of
the range balls and the activities that these positions were doing. The timing was good.
Although we are asking to be re-described, we are working with Personnel and to be fully
funded to be assigned to the bucket truck. This Beautification Groundskeeper we dollar-
funded. It is a dollar-funded position, but with the new landscaping that is now taking
place over at the Civic Center area, as well predominantly that. We are asking to refund
this position for this fiscal year and this position would predominantly be maintaining the
landscaping area at the Civic Center, as well as this area here. Our Irrigation Repair
Technician is another position that was re-described in the last budget, and we are happy to
report that although pending pre-employment testing, as of when our budget presentation
was submitted, this gentleman has started effective April Pt and he falls under the Parks
Maintenance Chief. He is being housed at the Kapa'a Baseyard and he has been acclimated
to the different Parks that irrigations are present and he currently will be working...he is
given a priority list and the first priority is getting the irrigation efficiently working at
Lihu`e Ballpark in anticipation of the Bash Tournament happening Memorial Day weekend
in May, which has become the largest baseball tournament in the State of Hawai`i for this
age group of Mustang and Bronco and they have added a Pony Division. So, we felt that
was a priority because we are looking to...well, I should say Lihu`e Baseball is looking to
have at least over thirty (30) off-island teams here for that and we in Parks during that
weekend help supplement by providing some manpower, some port-a-potties because that is
our contribution to help make not only the Bash a success, but helps our tourists or the
people that come here from off-island. The Heavy Truck Driver position we had
dollar-funded. We are asking to be funded this year, aside from his truck driving
responsibilities, he will also assist in the bucket truck and it is our determination that the
bucket truck would need a minimum of three people, one (1) in the bucket, two (2) on the
ground as a safety factor and both can continuously feed the shredder that we are hoping to
purchase and come before this body shortly with the request. The Veteran Cemetery
Caretaker position, the incumbent in this position was promoted to a heavy equipment
operator within our Department thereby, vacating this position. We do have a hiring
moratorium for six (6) months that we have been adhering to and we have recently gone out
for recruitment. We have met that moratorium timeframe. Park Security Officer I and II,
one (1) position was...we are in recruitment right now, but if we remember one (1) position
was funded for half a year effective January Pt. We recently had a retirement of one (1) of
our Park Rangers, so rather than doing two (2) separate recruitments we decided to hold
off, wait the six (6) months because he left around...I think it was in October. We have met
the six (6) months and now we are in the process of hiring the two (2) positions. We are in
recruitment. They have established a list and they are moving to test...employment
testing.
Chair Furfaro: Excuse me Lenny, could you hold on just a
second. I have a question from Mr. Bynum.
Mr. Bynum: If someone is watching this now, they could put
an application in?
Mr. L. Rapozo: That has closed. The announcement has closed
and we are in the next step of those who are qualified.
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Mr. Bynum: Thank you.
Chair Furfaro: Before you go on, I am going to ask another
question, but I am going to ask Mr. Barreira to come up. Ernie, can you come up for a
second? Ernie, this is along the lines of the staffing and vacancy issues and I just want to
make sure, I have shared this with the Council after I met with you and Janine and pretty
much went through the whole gamete of positions. I will be making a recommendation on
what we discussed related to those positions that are probably in my estimates, based on
my discussion with you folks recommended not to fill. That is yet to come to a conclusion,
but that was for the whole group. But when the Department Heads like Lenny speak to us
about this period of deferred hiring, does the Administration have a total number on how
much that deferral was? Then will that deferral be part of what you anticipated as a
carryover to next year as a savings?
ERNEST W. BARREIRA, Budget & Purchasing Director: Good morning,
Chair.
Chair Furfaro: How is that being handled? It does not seem to
me that all of the Department Heads are quite clear on how that is being handled right
now. Do not touch on the meeting that I had with you and Janine, but just the question
about the frozen positions and what may show up as a carryover surplus of savings? How
are you folks planning to handle that with the Departments?
Mr. Barreira: Very good, good morning, Chair, Vice Chair and
members of the Council, Ernie Barreira, Budget and Purchasing Director. Chair are you
referring to the positions that we deliberately deferred filling?
Chair Furfaro: I think both, the one you deferred filling
obviously was estimated at some kind of a savings. Was that savings earmarked to fill
additional positions later in the year or do some 89-day hiring or was it intended all to be
going towards any carryover of retention?
Mr. Barreira: Essentially the strategy was to achieve the
acquisition of fund balance. That was the primary strategy. Chair, I believe a question
came over from the Council in terms of what the total savings might have been? I would
like go back and research our response to make sure I am current.
Chair Furfaro: Fair enough.
Mr. Barreira: If not, we will get a response to you in terms of
that question.
Chair Furfaro: Fair enough. I just wanted to make that
statement as we go through a rather large Department and talk in terms of deferred hiring
and dollar-funded positions. I will wait for that.
Mr. Barreira: Very good, sir. In terms of the Departmental
budgets this year, there are going to be some requests to fully fund positions that we
partially funded last year as part of the presentations that have already occurred, for
example in Public Works and I believe in Mr. Rapozo's presentation he is touching on a few
of those as well.
April 10, 2014
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Chair Furfaro: At the same time, your request to fill some will
come over and I think you already know my position. I will be sending over my requests, a
few positions not to fill.
Mr. Barreira: Yes, sir.
Chair Furfaro: You understand that?
Mr. Barreira: We do understand that.
Chair Furfaro: That was based on our meeting and I want to
share all of that with the rest of the staff. I will wait until you can do that research, more
than fair.
Mr. Barreira: Thank you, sir.
Chair Furfaro: Lenny, sorry for the interruption.
Mr. Bynum: Can I ask a follow-up question?
Chair Furfaro: To Lenny or Ernie?
Mr. Bynum: Every year everybody looks at positions and
which ones are filled and when are not. What I want is a really clear indication from the
Administration which ones you are proposing and I assume if you budget it that means that
you want it, right? Like these two (2) in Parks it says dollar-funded request to be
reinstated. If the funding is in there it is a position that the Administration, your position
is that you want it, right?
Mr. Barreira: Yes. If it is the worksheet and the Department
speaks to it in their presentation, the intention is to fill and fund those positions and it is in
the worksheet and part of the balanced budget submittal.
Mr. Bynum: What would be helpful for me is a real clear,
concise list of positions that are new, and I know our staff does this, but from your position,
positions that are new? Positions that were previously dollar-funded that you want?
Vacant positions that you intend to fill? Or maybe on the con side, a list of those you are
foregoing funding? Are there still dollar-funded positions in this budget?
Mr. Barreira: Yes, there are dollar-funded position.
Mr. Bynum: That you submitted dollar-funded?
Mr. Barreira: Yes.
Mr. Bynum: Like these two, I am going see that they are fully
funded.
Mr. Barreira: There are positions that we will be seeking
dollar-funding as part of our March 15th budget submittal proposal.
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Mr. Bynum: I think I am saying the same thing, what the
Administration's position is on a position, is something that I want to be able to understand
quickly when we come to decision-making.
Mr. Barreira: Understand, is it going to come over in a
question, sir?
Chair Furfaro: It will come over as a question.
Mr. Bynum: Thank you.
Chair Furfaro: Ernie, I just want to make this statement to
everybody, here are the facts of life, you know when it comes to numbers I am pretty good
at it. Fact number one we have annual revenues that have declined two point eight percent
(2.8%). Fact. We have expenses that have grown three percent (3%). Any way you look at
the negative and positive integers we are short five point eight percent (5.8%) between
income and expenses. That is the bottom line. So that is why I met so much with you folks
about the Personnel positions, and we have got to be realistic. But I have given you an
opportunity to look at those positions that I identified with you and Janine and we will
discuss that when it comes over. But in the meantime, please go back and research the
previous submittal questions. Lenny, this is not directed at Parks, please understand.
Mr. L. Rapozo: I understand.
Chair Furfaro: This is reality, and we all learn this in balancing
our checkbooks. Two point eight percent (2.8%) this way and we went three percent (3%)
this way. Okay?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Just so we are clear from Parks as operations
change, as different things happen, it came from our Department the question for these
dollar-funded positions to be funded. So, it is not so much Ernie guys, but a request from
Parks and justified as to why we wanted these positions from dollar-funded.
Mr. Bynum: To me, a dollar-funded position means this is a
position that we need and we intend to have again.
Mr. L. Rapozo: Yes.
Mr. Bynum: That is an integral part of our operations or else
it would not be dollar-funded and it would just be gone, right?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Yes.
Mr. Bynum: So that is the message that I hear from you when
there is a position dollar-funded that hey, we want this position, but for whatever reason
we are foregoing it at this time. I hope we get to a point where we do not have any
dollar-funded positions because it is also an indication that we are still in some level of a
crisis mode and we are. Thank you.
Mr. L. Rapozo: I would be happy to talk about the justification
why we wanted the dollar-funded to be funded.
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Mr. Bynum: I do not need anything further...the fact that you
are the Director and want it means a lot to me. Thank you.
Mr. L. Rapozo: Thank you.
Chair Furfaro: I think what Mr. Bynum is saying because we
left it in there at dollar-funded, should the situation change we understand your plea for
the position. The dollar-funding is an anchor to hold it. I am sorry that we deviated, but
you do have a rather large Department and staffing is a big exception with perhaps the Golf
Course. Talking with the Bond rating people, we have to remember two hundred eight
thousand dollars ($208,000) of the loss at the Wailua Golf Course each year of the one
million dollars ($1,000,000) is related to we are still paying for sprinklers. It was not
treated as a general bond float. It was treated as an operational cost paid by the Golf
Course. Maybe we have to treat that differently or raise fees to pay for the improvement,
but let us move on.
Mr. L. Rapozo: Thank you. The last two (2) positions on page 3
is the Park Planner. The current is that our Park Planner will be starting May 1st. Her
name is Nancy McMahon. She comes with a lot of credentials and I think she is going to be
our new Park Planner. Our Parks Caretaker II is the position that was at the Kapa'a New
Town Park and we are in this deferred period of hiring. He retired in December, and so we
are holding off on moving, but we intend to fill that. The position is needed at Kapa'a New
Town Park. That would conclude the Administration and I am moving now into the
Planning and Development.
Chair Furfaro: Before we move into the next area, we are going
to have question and answer on the Administration.
Mr. L. Rapozo: Alright.
Chair Furfaro: Then we will move on. Okay. Questions,
members?
Ms. Yukimura: Yes. Thank you. Thank you so much, Lenny for
being here and for the work that you are doing and your leadership. I am going to start
with the vacancy positions.
Mr. L. Rapozo: Sure.
Ms. Yukimura: I admire the flexibility and entrepreneurism of
you creating that tree-trimming unit and you were saying that every seven (7) years or in
seven (7) years every tree will be trimmed.
Mr. L. Rapozo: The planning is...the maintenance plan is every
tree in Parks, once we get through the emergency period, what I consider emergency period
because we have trees...every tree in Parks every seven (7) years should be trimmed
thereafter.
Ms. Yukimura: That is really exemplary, one that you kind of
saw the crisis before it happened and that you created this response that is a long-term
response.
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Mr. L. Rapozo: Yes.
Ms. Yukimura: So every tree in all our Parks?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Yes.
Ms. Yukimura: Not just the Golf Course?
Mr. L. Rapozo: No, but we will still have the coconut tree
contract, but every tree within Parks.
Ms. Yukimura: Now these positions used to be drawing from the
Golf Fund so where are they going to be drawing from now?
Mr. L. Rapozo: General Fund.
Ms. Yukimura: From the General Fund...well, actually they are
part of the one million dollars ($1,000,000) subsidy from the General Fund. You said you
can handle Golf Course needs in some other way?
Mr. L. Rapozo: I am sorry?
Ms. Yukimura: You are taking the Grounds Helper positions?
Those are half-time?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Their responsibility was to pick up the range
balls. The range balls function is no longer part of the Golf Course and was given to the
concession.
Ms. Yukimura: Good. Your Beautification Groundskeeper, you
said were doing things the Civic Center?
Mr. L. Rapozo: What is happening now, when that gentleman
retired, we dollar-funded it and asked the boys to step it up. With the new landscaping we
have at the Civic Center, that is going to require more care than what was there previously.
Ms. Yukimura: You mean the newly installed?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Yes, the parking, we have a lot more green there.
So my intention is to adjust the work and also KPD moved into the new substation at the
Armory. Part of the agreement with the Armory was that we were responsible for the
ground maintenance as well. So, with the additional work, what my intention is with this
position is that this position will focus on all of the landscape at the Civic Center, as well as
some of the landscape here. That would free up the crews, who has now additional
responsibilities at the Armory out in Kapa`a. They are now doing all of that duty. The
maintenance contract with the Civic Center usually runs about a year, right? So figuring
that within the hiring of this individual and maintenance contract will probably run about
a year. We will get this person on-board and we will keep it broad enough that if he is
needed other places, he will be able to report with the Beautification Crew to assist, but
primarily his responsible is whatever is existing now.
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Ms. Yukimura: It sounds like you are clustering the jobs, too, so
there is not a lot of travel.
Mr. L. Rapozo: Correct.
Ms. Yukimura: That is really good. Then your Irrigation Repair
Tech, he takes care of all of the irrigation in all of the Parks?
Mr. L. Rapozo: He will be responsible for all irrigation in all
Parks.
Ms. Yukimura: Okay. That is a big job. The Heavy Truck
Driver is a new position?
Mr. L. Rapozo: No. That was a dollar-funded position. But we
are asking to fully fund the Truck Driver, this person will need to also assist with the tree-
trimming crew.
Ms. Yukimura: I see.
Mr. L. Rapozo: So, he is not only responsible for driving trucks,
but assisting the tree-trimming crew, but safety-wise the minimum is three (3) people on
the tree-trimming crew.
Ms. Yukimura: The Park Security Officer you said there was one
(1) position half-year funded.
Mr. L. Rapozo: Correct.
Ms. Yukimura: You are holding that off to do it together or
something like that.
Mr. L. Rapozo: Yes, what happened one was funded from
January.
Ms. Yukimura: Right.
Mr. L. Rapozo: One (1) of our gentlemen retired in October of
last year. So, instead of having them recruit twice we let the hold period elapse and we are
hiring both at the same time.
Ms. Yukimura: So start-date is?
Mr. L. Rapozo: They are recruited and now moving to the testing
portion. So, I do not have an exact start-date yet.
Ms. Yukimura: Sort of around the beginning of the new year?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Probably, yes.
Ms. Yukimura: I have other questions, but I will see...
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Chair Furfaro: Again, if he brought it up in his Administrative
review, you can focus on that. If it is something that will then leach on to another area we
will wait until then. Mr. Bynum.
Mr. Bynum: Really quick. I supported the trees a couple of
budgets ago. There was an attempt to remove this truck and you presented this vision then
and I thought it was a good one and I still do. As a Councilmember, I responded to the
community in the past where trees that the County was responsible for were not handled
well. We have an Arborist now as a consultant for all the Departments and in
tree-trimming is great and we need to do it, but it is an art. It takes some skills. Can you
just address that?
Mr. L. Rapozo: We used to have an Arborist, George Ahlgren.
Mr. Bynum: It is news to me that George retired.
Mr. L. Rapozo: Yes, he retired. So, whoever will be selected to
take his place that will be one of the...we would like to have an Arborist background or
Arborist Certificate. Ironically, our Irrigation Repair Specialist has an Arborist Certificate,
believe it or not, but we are not going to really tap him for that function unless we
absolutely need to, in the interim.
Mr. Bynum: I do not need to tell you there are people in this
island who know every tree and they watch us trimming and when we really do a bad job, I
remember in front of Koloa Neighborhood Center, this historic tree we just ruined it.
Everybody agreed. Hopefully, we do not do that anymore.
Mr. L. Rapozo: That was before George I believe.
Mr. Bynum: Absolutely. So, you are in between Arborists but,
you know the importance of that.
Mr. L. Rapozo: Yes.
Mr. Bynum: That is plenty of answer. So, Parks does the
landscape in the Civic Center here?
Mr. L. Rapozo: The Beautification Crew that falls under Parks is
responsible for landscape around all County buildings such as the Convention Hall, Police /
Prosecutor's Office, this area here, Civic Center, Neighborhood Centers.
Mr. Bynum: Because you were discussing maintenance
contracts. Do we also have private people?
Mr. L. Rapozo: When the contract to redo the parking lot at the
Civic Center, the landscaping?
Mr. Bynum: Oh, the maintenance period.
Mr. L. Rapozo: The maintenance period from the time it is
completed.
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Mr. Bynum: I understand that. This is a good presentation of
your positions and why you want them. They all make sense from your previous budget.
Thank you.
Mr. L. Rapozo: Thank you.
Chair Furfaro: Go ahead, Mr. Chock.
Mr. Chock: Good morning Lenny. We had the presentation
on the Complete Streets and I was asking how many trees we will have and do you see a
need to increase capacity in terms of addressing the plan, the future plans?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Well, one of the...that is another discussion, but
one of the reasons that we asked to have our own tree-trimming crew is that Public Works
has their own bucket truck that they should also be responsible for trees along County
roads. When we make requests for them to help us, it is normally emergency in nature.
Because their crew, whoever they are, are doing whatever they are doing. So Complete
Streets would still be separate. Yes.
Chair Furfaro: Mr. Bynum.
Mr. Bynum: That is why different Divisions have
responsibilities for different trees and I do not know if the Administration, if there is a
position that is an Arborist and not a huge amount of time providing that consultation, that
the Departments share, that would be great.
Mr. L. Rapozo: When George was with us, I would loan him out
to Public Works when they had questions about a tree. For instance, this tree out here
when they did the sidewalks, they wanted his input.
Mr. Bynum: Right. This is one I have heard from citizens we
installed true Kamanis when we built the Courthouse, Police Station area on both sides of
Kaana Street and we are responsible for one side and the State is responsible for the other
side and look at the way those trees have been maintained. It is little bushes on one side
and big canopies on the other side. Those are nice trees and are better than the false
Kamanis that we have. It is false Koa, native Koa, those ones at the Police Station. Very
different than the Florida Koa that we have planted on Rice Street. Thank you very much I
am not talking about trees.
Ms. Yukimura: Lenny, you know on your mission, I would really
like it if you could relate it to Parks and Recreation.
Mr. L. Rapozo: Okay.
Ms. Yukimura: You say "promoting and enhancing the quality of
life for residents of our island home," which is absolutely wonderful. But somehow relating
it to your specific Department would be great.
Mr. L. Rapozo: Okay.
Ms. Yukimura: This is not for you, as much as it for the overall
budget and we have said it already. So, Ernie, I do not think you have to come up, but it
does not give us a complete picture when the OPEB is not included. All your charts and
April 10, 2014
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every Department's charts are just not accurate. Because it does not include the actual
debt we have in that operation from OPEB. I do not know, next year, if you could do a
salaries and wages are this blue...If you could do a lighter blue that shows the OPEB, too,
that would be helpful. We see the actual proportions that are reality. The last question is
you show "benefits" as no increase in your bar charts. Is that true? You do not have any
increase in benefits?
Mr. L. Rapozo: I think overall budget wise...I think overall the
costs it came out that way, but you will see in the subsequent Divisions there are some
heavy increases and some decreases and this is an overall picture of it.
Ms. Yukimura: Why would overall, if parts...oh, there are some
places that benefits have decreased due to your vacancies or your six-months, etc.?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Yes.
Ms. Yukimura: Okay. And the OPEB?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Yes.
Ms. Yukimura: That would be in the "benefits."
Mr. L. Rapozo: Yes.
Ms. Yukimura: Thank you very much.
Chair Furfaro: Lenny, I am going to pose a question to you, but I
am expecting Mr. Hunt to come up and answer it. Are we aware that I saw in the paper
today and radio last night that HMSA is moving to twelve point eight percent (12.8%) rate
increases and if that occurs, what is being actually reflected on our medical plan not just
for Parks, but across the board with HMSA? Steve, could you help us with this?
STEVEN A. HUNT, Director of Finance: Steve Hunt, Director of Finance,
for the record. My understanding from the Collective Bargaining Agreements is that the
rates that were set for each of the different types of medical employer coverage whether it is
single person or family plan were based on the prevalent eighty/twenty (80/20) plan for
most unions and I think one union that included seventy-five/twenty-five (75/25) plan for
their particular unit and that was based on a sixty percent (60%) coverage of that plan at
that time. That was converted to a dollar amount. There are dollar amount increases for
the next few years. If the coverage in the premiums themselves increases beyond that, it is
a flat dollar amount. A sixty percent (60%) coverage may not fully be sixty percent (60%)
coverage in the future until next time that these Collective Bargaining Agreements are
looked at again.
Chair Furfaro: Okay.
Mr. Hunt: That is my understanding.
Chair Furfaro: So, that is something that we understand will be
reflected on the horizon, based on the percentage of shared expense. Okay. Thank you.
Ms. Yukimura: Follow-up?
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Chair Furfaro: Follow-up on the same question?
Ms. Yukimura: Yes.
Chair Furfaro: Okay, Mr. Bynum had his hand up first,
microphone, please.
Mr. Bynum: So...go to JoAnn.
Chair Furfaro: JoAnn you have the floor.
Ms. Yukimura: I just want to make sure that I understand this.
Our obligation as a County is in terms of a dollar amount now?
Mr. Hunt: At the time of the negotiations based on the
rates, the premiums at that time. For instance, if you were to take a family plan that had a
total premium of one thousand dollars ($1,000), and based on the former 50/50 split, the
County paying $500 and employees paying five hundred dollars ($500). Based on today's
negotiated rate, about that one thousand dollars ($1,000) premium was the same, the
County paid six hundred dollars ($600), sixty percent (60%) and employee paid four
hundred dollars ($400) or forty percent (40%). If the rate goes to one thousand two hundred
dollars ($1,200), a two hundred dollars ($200) increase, the County still pays six hundred
dollars ($600) as negotiated flat for the period and the employee portion would increase to
six hundred dollars ($600) and go back essentially to a fifty/fifty (50/50) split. If it were to
go down, then we would be paying a little bit more. Again, part of that is open enrollment.
There are other programs such as Kaiser and things that have different rate schedules. So,
you may see some exodus from those attempting to raise their premiums. Again it is a
competitive market, but from my understanding of the Collective Bargaining Agreement,
those rates are converted to dollars and those dollars are set forward into the future, as
well as some pre-determined increases to those amounts for each of the plans.
Ms. Yukimura: I see, so for the record period of the Collective
Bargaining Agreement our obligations are predictable?
Mr. Hunt: Yes, on health.
Ms. Yukimura: Yes, the health provisions are predictable. So for
this year's budget they will not be affected by any increase. Okay. Thank you.
Chair Furfaro: Clearly it will be a negotiable item in the future.
Mr. Hunt: In future negotiations with Collective
Bargaining, yes.
Chair Furfaro: Mr. Bynum, are you ready with your question?
Mr. Bynum: Interesting provision. Have provisions not been
in past, if these premiums go up, we have agreed to a certain split, right? If the premium
goes up, the employee takes this part and the employer takes this. This provision seems to
protect the employer for the term of the contract in terms of predictability. Is this a new
term?
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Mr. Hunt: It is all new to me to be honest. I came in at the
tail-end with not really participating in any of the negotiations.
Mr. Bynum: You are saying if the increases go up, it is really
going to impact the employee more than the County?
Mr. Hunt: Again, if they decide to stay with the same
carrier. They may decide to change their coverage and instead of eighty/twenty (80/20) they
might go to seventy-five/twenty-five (75/25) and hope to be healthy and not pay higher
deductibles.
Mr. Bynum: Just real briefly, I think we all digested that
OPEB is factored in. These are budget numbers and you have to present us budget
numbers.
Mr. Hunt: That is a request from Council is to give us a
comparison from budget to budget. When we do our comparisons we are comparing Fiscal
Year 2014 to Fiscal Year 2015 budget and if that budget includes a reduction of the OPEB
payments and we have identified those on a separate line item saying what the impact was
and where the impact on each Department? There is an itemized accounting of that. But if
we were to provide something else, it would not be a match with the budget we are
submitting.
Mr. Bynum: Right. I am doing that math every time I see
these charts. But that does not mean that I do not disagree with Councilmember Yukimura
that you could reflect that in some other way. Your primary budget presentations have to
be actual numbers that you are presenting. I understand that. This is an assumption that
we are going to hit the OPEB that much and might be alternative proposals that would
change that.
Mr. Hunt: If the TAT came back and we put in the full
amount, we would fully fund OPEB and that would be reflected in the May 8th submittal.
Mr. Bynum: Thank you very much.
Chair Furfaro: You have answered that question and at the
same time you made a clear statement of what you and I had in the conference call with the
bonding company. If we get TAT back the priority is to focus that money towards our
OPEB liability. Thank you, Steve. I just heard it on the news and we certainly will find
ourselves looking for additional Q&A on that when we do Personnel. So, please if there is
any new news along that line, keep them abreast.
Mr. Hunt: My statements were meant to be taken in
general. I would have to look at each Bargaining Unit and see what their variances are,
but in general my understanding is that it how it was negotiated for health benefits.
Chair Furfaro: Understand, a budget is a forecast to the best of
our ability. Thank you. Lenny, I am sorry that we deviated to benefits during your
Department. Questions back on the Administration for Parks? If not, we will go to the next
topic section.
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Mr. L. Rapozo: Next topic section is Planning and Development,
which you find on page 36 of your book. This Division is really our CIP arm of the Public
Safety...of Parks and Recreation, sorry. These are the first of all the successes and
achievements. These are the projects that have been completed for this fiscal year, with
construction. As these projects have gone to construction, or they are completed or they are
in construction as we speak. Next section is the professional services contracts. They are
out and have been awarded and are in design. The next section is "plans and designs" for
the different types of designs that we are currently in. Then I would like to just touch upon
"training." This year staff were able to participate...our staff was able to participate in
HRPS, their annual conferences, and our staff worked with the rest of the Administration
to visit and evaluate the Kaua`i park inventory. This is where we went from Kekaha to
Ha`ena and visited all Departments' facilities including not only Parks, Neighborhood
Centers, anything within our Department so that everybody could see what was needed.
They have formalized a prioritized list of capital maintenance projects in planning for
future projects. Some of the challenges of course by having the Park Planner come on board
May 1st, this Division will be fully staffed for the first time in a long time. Our goals and
objectives for this Division is to maintain and repair Parks facilities in a timely manner in
order to increase the safety and the length of its usefulness, and the objectives are, again,
the construction projects, as we see it. On page 38 is a picture of our recently completed
project that took us a while, but we did a small beach replenishment sand project at Po`ipu.
Approximately four hundred ninety-nine (499) cubic yards and the charts of this particular
Department follow thereafter. Are there any questions regarding Planning and
Development, please?
Chair Furfaro: Mr. Bynum, go right ahead.
Mr. Bynum: When does the planner start?
Mr. L. Rapozo: May 1st.
Mr. Bynum: You said it was Nancy McMahon?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Yes.
Mr. Bynum: She has lots of skills.
Mr. L. Rapozo: Lots of credentials.
Mr. Bynum: Thank you very much.
Chair Furfaro: JoAnn, you wanted the floor?
Ms. Yukimura: I love the pictures of Pogipa sand replenishment,
showing how it is benefiting the beach users and kudos for completing that. I actually do
not have other questions at this time.
Chair Furfaro: Mr. Chock, Vice Chair? Lenny as you touched
earlier on this shredder and purchase of a shredder.
Mr. L. Rapozo: Chipper.
Chair Furfaro: Chipper?
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Mr. L. Rapozo: Yes.
Chair Furfaro: Is that coming out of CIP money?
Mr. L. Rapozo: No, actually we are sending it over...it is an
unbudgeted equipment request.
Chair Furfaro: So, I have not seen it?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Not yet, it is coming over.
Chair Furfaro: If I do not see it in the CIP budget and I hear you
talk about it, and I do not see it in your operating budget, so it is something that I am soon
to see?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Yes.
Chair Furfaro: I heard you, but I have not seen anything.
Mr. L. Rapozo: I have been focused on this and after I will send
the communication over to.
Chair Furfaro: So we will wait. Mr. Bynum.
Mr. Bynum: When was the sand placed in Po`ipu?
Mr. L. Rapozo: End of January, beginning of February.
Mr. Bynum: That has made a huge difference, yes? This was
499 cubic yards.
Mr. L. Rapozo: Yes.
Mr. Bynum: Part A of the 3-part plan?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Yes, it was a good learning experience for our
Department. It was the first time.
Mr. Bynum: Thank you.
Mr. L. Rapozo: We also have to thank the Po`ipu Beach Resort
Association (PBRA) who also helped to pay for the washing and cleaning of the sand, too.
So, it was a good partnership.
Mr. Bynum: I have been talking to the Po`ipu Beach Resort
Association about sand for 17 years now. We are making progress. So, I have already told
the Mayor that I want to meet with you and him about some stuff that I have talked with
Sam Lemo about. So, we will do that later. Thank you. This is really good news that we
are able to get through all of those convoluted regulatory hurdles.
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Mr. L. Rapozo: Will's Division and working with Ian, who has a
lot of background.
Mr. Bynum: Great. Thank you.
Chair Furfaro: JoAnn, did you have a follow-up?
Ms. Yukimura: Yes. Under "challenges" just your staffing was
the challenge? You do not have any other challenges in Planning and Development?
Mr. L. Rapozo: According to our Chief of Planning, that is the
challenge.
Ms. Yukimura: As I did during our CIP I want to give you a
challenge and it is a really big one. It seems like it is an intractable, unsolvable problem,
but finding a solution to reversing the design problem of the restrooms. I was delighted to
hear that you were part of that Stanford-based design workshop. I think that is a perfect
problem to use that technology with, because it supposedly finds solutions to hard
problems. Because if you can find it, you will be a miracle worker. Yes. Then on your
"goals and objectives," maybe we got that...I do not know if we got it in CIP, but you have
timelines for all of these projects that are on the books for this coming year?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Yes.
Ms. Yukimura: You do?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Yes. It was part of our CIP budget. I have done
something else in anticipation when we discuss CIP later on as part of the questions that
came over.
Ms. Yukimura: Okay. So, do we know the timeline on the
Skatep ark in Kapa`a?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Not yet. I have just talked to them, because I
wanted to put moneys. They have not come up with a cost of the materials.
Ms. Yukimura: You will have that with the supplemental?
Mr. L. Rapozo: I am hoping, yes.
Ms. Yukimura: I would really like to see that. Thank you.
Chair Furfaro: Vice Chair Chock.
Mr. Chock: Thank you. This might not be related much, but
I was wondering in terms of the list of projects is there an evaluative process that you folks
have in place to get feedback from the community about higher priorities or things that
they want to see? I was wondering if there was a mechanism.
Mr. L. Rapozo: We listen to the community about what they see
as problems and we look at that within our own park maintenance users, also users who
use the facility, that is really our feedback and how to improve it. My Community Chair
April 10, 2014
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has dialogue because he is the Community Chair and then we realistically look at what we
can complete within the fiscal year. Rather than just having projects sitting, we really look
at what we can go to contract by the time we come back here and do this again, what we
can really get done in the fiscal year?
Mr. Chock: So typically community members, if they have an
interest they just call the office?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Yes.
Mr. Chock: Write you a letter?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Yes.
Mr. Chock: Talk to Ross?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Ross, yes or Will. Or just users. For instance,
just got a call, an Auntie at Isenberg Park that the fence might be too low near her house
and the kids are practicing and the foul balls hit her roof. That is a concern. So we go out
and we look...we first look at other alternatives. Can we have them practice and hit the
other direction? Okay, we do something else. That is the success of Lihu`e Baseball that
they have a lot of kids and we have to make do with what park space we have.
Mr. Chock: The only reason I asked, I am sure all of us get
E-mails about things and to see to be channeled into one (1) direction so we can kind of
looks at it as it comes in. I was just wondering about that process. I know there are
processes out there that might help to streamline the concerns and needs that we might
want to look into and I am happy to look into that as well. Appreciate it.
Mr. L. Rapozo: Thank you.
Chair Furfaro: Lenny, just one question here. On the fiscal side
of this piece, for any of your projects, we have to take a recess. We do not have enough
people.
There being no objections, the Committee recessed at 10:04 a.m.
The Committee reconvened at 10:05 a.m., and proceeded as follows:
Chair Furfaro: Okay. Thank you for your patience as we have
four members now. Lenny, my question is focused on the fiscal part. Are there any grants
that your Department currently benefits from and so forth, that are possibly not going to be
renewed or going to be terminating in the Fiscal Year 2014-2015? I know it is kind of hard
to figure out, because State grants, Federal grants they end at a certain time.
Mr. L. Rapozo: Right.
Chair Furfaro: But I would indicate that I am sure it is your
intention to encumber the whole amount if it looks like it is going to fade.
Mr. L. Rapozo: Unfortunately we do not have any grants.
Chair Furfaro: That is fortunate, if it is going to expire.
April 10, 2014
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Mr. L. Rapozo: Yes. But we are working with CDBG to do a CIP
project on the West Side Community Development Block Grant through Housing and one
project which is a CIP project to work out on the West Side at Kaumakani. That is the only
one that we have and we are trying to actively go to procurement. So, as you said, we do
not get reduced.
Chair Furfaro: So, really in Parks and Recreation, we do not
have any exposure on a terminating grant or anything that you know of?
Mr. L. Rapozo: No, sir.
Chair Furfaro: Thank you. JoAnn you have the floor.
Ms. Yukimura: Yes. Under your list "goals and objectives."
Kapahi Park and KNTP what is that?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Kapa'a New Town Park, part of our CIP plan is
to do some renovations to the roof for those two. We are bundling or packaging likewise
projects.
Ms. Yukimura: Very good. Kukui`ula District Park and
Kukui`ula Harbor Park, what are those projects?
Mr. L. Rapozo: One is by the boat harbor. There is a comfort
station expansion, looking at wastewater expansion.
Ms. Yukimura: I know that there is an obligation on Kukui`ula
Development to...
Mr. L. Rapozo: To develop the district park there, yes.
Ms. Yukimura: But it is a fairly small for Parks, it is a small
area and the restroom would be our restroom, the one that we have there now?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Actually, the new development is a pretty good
sized park in our discussions with A&B.
Ms. Yukimura: Do you have plans for a restroom there?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Yes, they do.
Ms. Yukimura: What is our work that we are doing? First let us
stay with the Harbor Park. We have a Harbor Park there now?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Well, we have the pavilion and comfort station.
And this side is the boat launch.
Ms. Yukimura: Kukui`ula is right there, too, right? Their part is
where they used to have an office?
April 10, 2014
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Mr. L. Rapozo: Yes. That is one (1) park. That is not the District
Park that they are doing for their development project.
Ms. Yukimura: It is not?
Mr. L. Rapozo: No. They are also doing a District Park.
Ms. Yukimura: I know a twenty (20) acre park further down?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Correct.
Ms. Yukimura: This Harbor Park do we need two bathrooms?
Mr. L. Rapozo: No, that is just going to use the one. That park
has not come over to us yet.
Ms. Yukimura: I realize that we have some work to do on it. As
long as you are coordinating there and the Kukui`ula District Park, the twenty (20) acre,
what are the plans for this year in goals and objectives?
Mr. L. Rapozo: To keep updating with A&B to stay on it and see
where movement will be, because they should develop everything.
Ms. Yukimura: You know that we have a cooperative housing
site right next to it.
Mr. L. Rapozo: I have not been apprised of that.
Ms. Yukimura: It is tangled up now in the Department of
Education (DOE) because the DOE has to give that up before we have access to it, but it is
the site in our Zoning Ordinance that they are obligated five (5) acre...I wish it were a
seven (7) acre piece, that is supposed to be our model cooperative housing.
Mr. L. Rapozo: I have not been apprised of that project.
Ms. Yukimura: Can you imagine in the midst of Po`ipu that
people can bike and walk to work?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Unbelievable.
Chair Furfaro: I think it is five acres.
Ms. Yukimura: Five acres. The Lihu`e Gateway Project, what is
that project?
Mr. L. Rapozo: The Lihu`e Gateway, the water irrigation from
that project by request of the Department of Transportation (DOT) because we get non-
potable water that irrigates the soccer field, as well as the Police and Prosecutor's Office.
They have asked us to take over the management of the water system.
Ms. Yukimura: DOT has asked us?
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Mr. L. Rapozo: Yes.
Ms. Yukimura: Then for sure they should give us the Materials
Recovery Facility (MRF) with no questions.
Mr. L. Rapozo: I do not want to get in the middle of that
discussion.
Ms. Yukimura: We are taking over their irrigation of the airport
system, too?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Yes, we are going manage it.
Chair Furfaro: Where is the Memorandum of Understanding
(MOU) on that agreement? I have not seen it?
Mr. L. Rapozo: We are working on it.
Chair Furfaro: Okay. I want to make sure that you have an
MOU on a maintenance item that actually reflects on repair & maintenance, operational
costs and so forth, that that by Charter should be something that this Council reviews.
Ms. Yukimura: I mean, I think where we can find economies of
scale, that is really good and cooperate, but I do not want to pay for State costs because I
feel like they are using our Parks, they are using a lot of our services and we are having to
incur so many State-related costs. They are taking our housing credits. I mean, it does not
make sense. So, as long as there is some very clear lines of responsibility and obligation,
then it could work, I think.
Chair Furfaro: JoAnn's comments are important to me. There is
a lot of situations with the State right now, I feel like we are traveling on a one-way street
and it is all in their favor.
Ms. Yukimura: Thank you very much, Lenny.
Chair Furfaro: Just want to get us recapped over here.
Mr. Rapozo, we have covered Administration, Fiscal, and getting a separate memorandum
on some staffing requirements, but right now we are in the Planning and Development
area. I will give you the floor.
Mr. Rapozo: This Mr. Rapozo...l am sorry, I thought you were
talking to that Mr. Rapozo.
Chair Furfaro: It did not even dawn on me. I have been calling
him Lenny all morning. Mr. Mel Rapozo, I give you the floor.
Mr. Rapozo: I was here like an idiot waiting for the other
Mr. Rapozo. I am not sure if this falls into "planning and development," and I apologize for
stepping out for a bit, the Veteran's Cemetery, could you give us a broad snapshot where we
are at?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Let me ask Ian, because he has been working
with the consultant and doing the structural designs.
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Mr. Rapozo: Is this the right place for that?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Yes.
Mr. Rapozo: Okay.
IAN K. COSTA, Deputy Director of Parks & Recreation: Ian Costa Deputy of
Parks and Recreation. We do have a project that was funded, I think several years back, to
first of all Phase 1 assess the condition, co-deficiencies of the existing communal hall and
Phase 2 entails designing fixes to bring it up to standard. They just submitted last week
and so we did complete the assessment phase about a year-ago. Then based on that
assessment, we asked the consultants to reevaluate and give us potentially revised fee
proposals, now that they knew what the deficiencies were. A fee proposal to bring it up to
standard, design the fixes. So, they did do that and we just received last week their 50%
submittal for that design. So, we should be turning that back to them within the next week
or two. They should be completing that design, probably, I would say, within the next
month and a half or two months. Then we would go out to bid to implement those repairs.
Mr. Rapozo: So, it is keeping...it is not changing the
structure, but just replacing, repairing?
Mr. Costa: Yes. There are some substantial deficiencies,
highlights would be you are probably familiar, but there is a substantial structure is a
hollow tile structure which was apparently was not grouted and one of the big items is to
grout and install rebar and you think how did they do that? They actually saw-cut one face
of the hollow tile and form it and that one is of the big items. Another is to fully upgrade the
electric...
Mr. Rapozo: It is amazing it stayed up all of these years.
Mr. Costa: If you look at it closely, there are many cracks in
it. It was not uncommon when the structure was built earlier, in the 1950s, I think.
Mr. Rapozo: I know it is been there a long time.
Mr. Costa: Not to grout the hollow tile, but to simply stack.
Another big item is to entirely redo the electrical system.
Mr. Rapozo: The roof, I guess, the beams are all rotten with
termites.
Mr. Costa: That includes some of that, too.
Mr. Rapozo: What estimate cost? Is it something that we are
going to be able to manage?
Mr. Costa: Yes. We did, I think the budget we did have
previously was four hundred fifty thousand dollars ($450,000). The consultant still seems
to believe that we should be able to not only include and cover their fees, but construction
costs as well.
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Mr. Rapozo: I guess, if we run into issues with costs, and if
you foresee that in advance, I definitely believe that the State and the Federal government
should help and participate in this, because it is the right thing to do. I would not have a
problem sending over something to them requesting, but hopefully we can get it all covered.
Mr. Costa: We should know that within the next month or
two (2), once they complete their design. They will also provide a revised fee or cost
estimate based on that final design. Just to touch on, there are a number of projects that
the State / Feds did start as an expansion, we just subdivided an additional six (6) acres to
add to the facility. The construction improvements of that have not been funded yet.
Mr. Rapozo: That is our responsibility?
Mr. Costa: No.
Mr. Rapozo: That is going to be the State?
Mr. Costa: Yes. Also the State did put out a design contract
for a consultant to restore all of the gravesites, a lot of them have settled, have depressions.
I believe they only got through one phase, but it is postponed. That is an important project
and I believe we asked the State to re-look at funding that.
Mr. Rapozo: Thank you.
Chair Furfaro: As a follow-up to that, because both Mr. Rapozo
and I were on the Council at the time some of this money was earmarked. Could you do a
little summary for us on the portions that are recognized as State and Federal R&M items
and our share? As you referenced the fifty percent (50%) agreement earlier when we
started talking was that on R&M items?
Mr. Costa: The fifty percent (50%) I mentioned was the
consultant's submittal. Their fifty percent (50%) completion submittal of the design phase,
not funding.
Chair Furfaro: What is the breakdown of the design? Is that all
within the Federal government's regime?
Mr. Costa: No that is County...we funded that. The County
funded that.
Chair Furfaro: He has agreed with our process so far up to the
halfway point? I did not quite understand what you were saying?
Mr. Costa: Who has agreed? The consultant?
Chair Furfaro: The consultant.
Mr. Costa: Yes.
Chair Furfaro: Okay.
April 10, 2014
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Mr. Costa: Again, we in our initial consulting contract we
asked them to give a proposal for two phases. One to do an assessment of deficiencies and
two, to design the fixes. Well, he did that fee proposal before knowing the actual
assessment. So, that is why I touched on that. Once he submitted his assessment report,
completed, I asked him to look at his fee proposal and make any adjustments necessary for
those items that were unforeseen.
Chair Furfaro: You understand where I am coming from I want
something that summarizes our understanding of the recommendations where the moneys
are coming from, from Federal, State, County portion? So that we have a clear
understanding of what we need to do.
Mr. Costa: On this particular project, the communal
restoration is County funding.
Chair Furfaro: That I understand. We are talking about the
whole facility and if you recall back in 2008, at Mr. Rapozo's request, we had the Veteran's
Administrator from Honolulu over here in front of us. They did kind of reassure us that
there would be financial help to assist with these projects. I just want to make sure we
have some kind of audit trail on what we are doing and who is actually stepping to the
plate.
Mr. Costa: Okay. Another, recently the State funded and
constructed, I believe they completed that last year an addition of ninety-two (92)
columbarium notches which were previously not available.
Chair Furfaro: That was in the presentation of the
Administrator that we had come over, who at one time was the representative for the
Makakilo District in the House of Representatives. Do you remember his name?
Mr. Rapozo: No.
Chair Furfaro: I am going to dig up his name, and if you could
summarize, it would be good to have an audit trail.
Mr. Rapozo: I wanted to say thank you, folks, Lenny, because
I am out there quite a bit and as bad as the building is structurally, you folks have done a
real good job keeping it presentable and honoring the fallen military people. The grounds
are great. It is presentable and I appreciate the work that your staff out there do on a daily
basis because you talked about the sites that need to be adjusted, but even today compared
to, let us say ten years ago, fifteen (15) years ago, the improvement is definitely noticeable.
And when they have all the flags out, when they have the special ceremonies, it is very
difficult to notice the gravesites that are not level because they do a great job with the
manicuring and the grounds keeping out there. Thank you.
Mr. L. Rapozo: Thank you, Councilmember Rapozo and I will
recognize Vince Parangao, who the Cemetery directly falls under his supervision on the
west side.
Mr. Rapozo: Good job, Vince. Thank you.
April 10, 2014
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Mr. Costa: It is literally a one-man crew supplemented by
another person. So , hey do a great job. Another project that I just forget about is the State
funded construction of a maintenance building and a maintenance yard, which should start
any time now. That has been held up in permitting for over a year.
Mr. Rapozo: At least the public knows that not just the public
gets held up in permitting. That is kudos...I know Donovan was there for a long time and I
am not sure if he is there anymore.
Mr. L. Rapozo: He has moved out.
Mr. Rapozo: He got promoted and it is unfortunate, you
promote someone and lose that, but he made sure that the place was well-taken care of. I
was just out there and it is really, really nice. For those, that small one-person crew, that
has got to borrow equipment and sometimes has to get people from the baseyard to help,
they are managing out there and I know it is rough for them.
Mr. Costa: So, hopefully, the construction of the
maintenance building will start within the next few months and it will help to store
equipment on-site, as well as when they buy or purchase a hundred or so vaults at a time
can be stored.
Chair Furfaro: Do not go Ian. My compliments along the same
lines you have been making constant improvements and it is much appreciated, Vice Chair
Chock.
Mr. Chock: A broad question for Lenny Rapozo. Do we
have...do you folks have a plan for supplementing the budget with grants within this fiscal
period?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Not at this current time.
Mr. Chock: Is that typical? Is that typical for your
Department to look for grants? Because we were talking about State funding?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Right now, I am looking at anybody who gives us
an idea where grants are available and we will see where it fits in. I am looking at a Major
League Baseball grant to help with fields and we are going to work with some the
community guys to see if we can get grants. We do look as those that are presented to us,
we try to see if they fit.
Mr. Chock: The whole thing with grants as we move forward
along with the budget needs, I see it as a stronger resource. there is a lot of time and
energy put into writing grants and I am tired of writing grants myself, but I think it is
really good opportunities for us to look at. I know...I think it was the Fire
Department...luckily they have some time that they can write grants from the station, but I
think a concerted effort on that in looking at grants and in writing them, there needs to be
some plan in actually putting that effort forward and I am hoping to see what we
might...what I had asked from the other Departments was a list of the potential grants that
they might be looking at because I think we can probably help each other in terms of
resources. There are a lot of good writers that could contribute and sometimes your
Department might not have the resources. Thanks.
April 10, 2014
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Mr. L. Rapozo: Thanks.
Chair Furfaro: On grants we will cover that a little later and
Civil Defense will be talking about a grant writer that will be shared by Civil Defense, Fire,
and Police and at the same time, I want to say we have been there and done that. People
then take grant writers and start using them other places and we can only acknowledge
what you need and what we can afford. But then as we move positions around, those
choices are made by others other than the Council when we have Civil Defense we will
follow-up from there. Ian, thank you again. I just want to tell you Ian, I think a lot of
things that we are seeing in Parks and Recreation are certainly compliments to you and
your professional skill level as an Architect that you bring to the table. It is much
appreciated. Thank you.
Mr. Costa: Thank you.
Chair Furfaro: I am going to ask Mr. Rapozo if you could take
the meeting for a few minutes. I need to step out.
Mr. Rapozo: Sure.
Chair Furfaro: You have the meeting.
Mr. Rapozo: Councilmember Yukimura?
Chair Furfaro: Do you have this chart?
Mr. Rapozo: I do, right here. Councilmember Yukimura?
Ms. Yukimura: Thank you. Lenny, on your goals and objectives I
love your goal of maintaining and repairing park facilities in a timely manner in order to
increase safety and length of usefulness. It is right on and some of the objectives under it
are actually planning and new construction. They are not repair & maintenance, but the
Master Plan for Black Pot Beach Park. So, I was just wondering for next year, if you could
do like a second goal, which would focus on the planning new construction part? That just
kinds of helps the mindset or the mind understand the list. Regarding...going back to
repair & maintenance is Buildings still doing a lot of the repair & maintenance?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Yes.
Ms. Yukimura: So they are doing the kind of small, regular stuff
and you folks are doing the big repairs or big renovations?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Correct.
Ms. Yukimura: Like new lights, or the Po`ipu Sewage...I mean
restroom upgrade and things like that?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Correct.
April 10, 2014
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Ms. Yukimura: It is really great to see how you are both working
together, and sharing resources or else communicating about which job is which. Buildings
sort of indicated that in their CIP discussion. Good for you.
Mr. L. Rapozo: Thank you.
Ms. Yukimura: So, if we are talking about just the ongoing
repair & maintenance, it is Buildings that we talk to for now?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Yes.
Ms. Yukimura: Thank you.
Mr. Rapozo: Any more questions for Planning and
Development? If not, moving on to Recreation.
Mr. L. Rapozo: Recreation is found on page 26. This is where I
believe Parks and Recreation touches the community the most in terms of interaction with
different people of the community in the "successes and achievements," the Recreation
Division covers and services a large range of communities with a wide-range of activities,
programs, and events from ages five (5) year old to ninety-two (92) years old have
participated in the programs that we offer. During the past year, the Recreation Division
has attempted to become more innovative and efficient in delivering these services to our
programs. This is due to resources of experienced and opportunities that are made
available to our staff. Some of the activities and events include open swim, swim classes,
line dance, Japanese dance, hula, ukulele, yoga, etc. Summer winter and spring programs
and the Mayor's age group track meet, the Mayor's youth track meet, Hershey track meet,
community basketball, basketball clinics, senior bowling, ballroom dancing, softball, senior
special events such as Valentine's Day dance, field day, food and craft fairs. The summer
youth...the summer keiki of the County of Kauai summer enrichment program this year
went around the world. With an international curriculum theme, keiki ages five (5) to
eleven (11), showcased crafts and performances for their ohana, which represented Africa,
China, Korea, Mexico, the United States, and Polynesia. Additionally the keiki traveled on
excursions to the County of Kauai pool, beach parks, the historic Grove Farm train ride
and museum, and the Kaua`i Gymnastics Academy and each site our keiki were visited
from actors from the Storybook Theatre who performed the play "Put Opala In Its Place"
where they also received free educational coloring books. Our keiki were educated on
buffing and caring for themselves by a YWCA speaker. Three of the sites completed
exercise drills and obstacle courses by Stacy's Boot Camp and at each site the keiki learned
creative art skills how to tie-dye t-shirts, make maracas, masks, African necklaces, dream
catchers, lanterns, and their own shaved ice. Keiki also developed physical skills such as
playing outdoor games, basketball, dodge ball, relay races, and playground activities. They
also enhanced learning through a variety of board games. A well-balanced complete lunch
was provided to the keiki and junior leader volunteers at all sites. Overall the Department
of Parks and Recreation has received positive feedback from children who consumed the
lunch and parents who appreciate the convenience and the value that the meals provide.
With a staff to child ratio of 1:9, keiki were adequately supervised and assigned to a group
leader who ensured their safety and enjoyment during the programs. DOPR recognizes
there are many children with different needs. This past program year the Department of
Parks and Recreation instituted an inclusion specialist as parts of this program. This is
very important. Two (2) years ago, we did a pilot of having an inclusion specialist. This
year we made it part of the program. The specialist ensured that children with special
April 10, 2014
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needs were adequately supervised and staff was properly trained to have the tools to
manage these identified children and inclusive specialist is a highlight of our Department
that allows a unique group of children to participate in our programs. Where in years past
they would be excluded due to lack of recognition training. It gives special needs
participants a rewarding experience and gives parents another option for their children or
child. The summer enrichment program was well-received by parents who appreciated the
affordable price of a quality program and by keiki who enjoyed the time with peers and
summer staff. I am so proud of Cindy and this inclusion specialist piece and how she has
made it work. The summer program personnel each year, we the County hire
approximately one hundred (100) plus summer employees to manage and supervise the
summer program. A respectable percentage of workers perform above and beyond the
expectations. This summer we had an opportunity to implement an awards program to
recognize some of our outstanding workers. Page 27 has the workers that we recognized.
Areas of recognition was excellent in teaching awarded to one summer program teacher
who made use of innovative teaching techniques and providing active engagement in the
learning process. The award seeks to recognize the teacher who has made a positive impact
on the lives of participants who attend summer enrichment programs. It is a summer
enrichment program where there is learning and educational components. The outstanding
leadership was awarded to a pair of site managers who demonstrated outstanding skills
and award recognized site managers who have a proven ability to communicate their vision
of the program, and implement their ideas by building effective relationships within their
staff members. Site managers were also awarded for their ability to build a successful
program, which involves having a safe and nurturing environment for both the participants
and staff. The exemplary service award was awarded to an aide, and the award seeks to
recognize an recreation aide who exhibits patience and kindness to those participants, as
well as inspires them to become their very best and additionally they are awarded for his or
her commitment in safety of the delivery of fun activities that enhances the physical,
emotional, and cognitive skills. This was something new and I thought was an excellent
idea. Our spring and winter programs are held at Kapa`a, Kalaheo, and Lihu`e
Neighborhood Centers and spring programs operate out of Lihu`e and Kalaheo Centers
only. These programs are designed for youth ages five (5) to eleven (11) and provide a
variety of educational and physical activities.
Mr. Rapozo: We lost quorum. Let us take a caption break. Ten
(10) minutes.
There being no objections, the Committee recessed at 10:38 p.m.
The Committee reconvened at 10:49 p.m., and proceeded as follows:
Mr. Rapozo: We are back from the caption break. So, we have
two (2) solid hours to go. We are still on "Recreation." Mr. Rapozo, I apologize for the
interruption.
Mr. L. Rapozo: Thank you, Mr. Rapozo. We left on spring and
winter programs and moving to the Mayor's Youth Track Meet. It is a two (2) day event
that was held last year April 27-28. The Saturday event focuses on all elementary schools
including public schools, private schools, and home schools and participants were divided
by their grades and allowed to enter three different races and could select from seven
different events. On Sunday, the meet was geared for middle school grades. Participants
were grouped by 6th, 7th, and 8th grades with six hundred twenty-seven (627) children
participating in this event. Volunteer assistance came from the high school track members,
April 10, 2014
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as well as Lihu`e Fire Station, as well as also our Park Rangers also volunteered. This
event is growing every year. I would not be surprised if this year they topped the eight
hundred (800) mark with children playing. There was some discussion where they thought
maybe preliminaries should be done at the school and what have you, but it is our belief
that by having everybody at the Stadium, it is a long day for the staff, and I give a lot of
kudos to Recreation. It is a long day to coordinate something like this, but can you imagine
that for most of these children, that is the only time that they would probably participate in
an event like this, on the track, and having grandma, grandpa, aunties and uncles and
classmates screaming for them while they do their events and it is an awesome thing to see
what the kids do out there and they are all winners. It is a really good event the Hershey
Track and Field is sponsored by Hershey and the Hawaii Recreation and Parks Society and
implemented by the Parks and Recreation staff. The Kauai Hershey Track Meet took place
on May 18th, 2013 at Vidinha Stadium. This meet provided youth between the ages of nine
(9) to fourteen (14) years of age an opportunity to qualify for an organized... another
organized track event on Kauai. Participants who scored high with their times had the
opportunity to be selected to the State team to represent Hawaii in the National Hershey
Track and Field Meet held in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Please note our lone Kauai
participant Madison Leanio, who qualified as a long jumper went to Pennsylvania and
participated in the Hershey finals and took first place, receiving the gold medal in boys
thirteen (13) to fourteen (14) age standing broad jump event.
Chair Furfaro: Those are not chocolate medals?
Mr. L. Rapozo: I wish. Senior programs which is a vital part of
our program, providing meaningful and education...and engaging activities for our island
kupuna. The annual islandwide special events such as the senior field fun day, food and
craft fair and Valentine's Day party extends to new and returning seniors. Every year the
annual events attract five hundred (500) plus seniors who participate and benefit through
social interaction. Event information is delivered by word of mouth, the senior webpage,
flyers and by media. Elder Resource a magazine for our island kupuna also serves as a way
to provide information for events. Senior events are flourishing and accomplishes our
intentions. Classes are offered at various neighborhood centers that include those that are
shown there. Participants enjoy the convenience of luxury of classes taught within their
communities. There is active engagement to offer new classes to kupuna. The Na Kupuna
Council is an Advisory Board to senior programs and continues to take an active role in
planning of activities and issues that affect them. The goal of providing activities to
residing as well as visiting seniors is being met with much enthusiasm. We are now seeing
that there are seniors that come from other places and do their vacations here that
participate in our senior programs. A new special event that we have created is called "the
senior volunteer all-stars" which was initiated and continues to evolve. The objective of this
program is to promote volunteer contributions within the Department of Parks and
Recreation, senior programs, beautification of neighborhood centers, parks, and cemeteries.
Special community projects that fall under the auspices of Parks and Recreation are also
considered. Hours earned qualifies the participants to attend a luncheon with the Mayor to
recognize the value of their volunteer service. This past year welcomed one hundred
forty-one (141) participants that contributed three thousand two hundred eighty-five
(3,285) volunteer hours. The average participant per site was twenty-three (23) seniors, we
anticipate numbers to continue to grow as we reach out to younger seniors, who are looking
for volunteer opportunities within senior programs. Another new and innovative idea
introduced was volunteers giving back. This program reached out to volunteers that
specialize in crafting and they share is their talents with three hundred (300) senior
members, three hundred (300) plus volunteer hours were accumulated by craft instructors
April 10, 2014
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and the concept was to initiate new ideas to sell at the next senior food and craft fair. We
are looking at other suggestions brought to us by senior clubs for the next project. The next
section is one that I think is very, very important and an awesome part of our senior
program. We are looking for opportunities to have keiki and kupuna together in the same
facility to share their experiences. Most recently during winter break, the Lihu`e seniors
entertained keiki with bingo, song, and dance. We anticipate an intergenerational
Hanafuda tournament to bring both groups together. We are trying to merge keiki and
kupuna. They also came and helped volunteer at our senior Valentine's Day dance.
Currently nine senior centers exist and the center provides a place that is welcome,
comfortable, safe and accessible for seniors to gather and pursue mutual interest and
receive health and educational information, activities that will enhance their lives and
support their independence and encourage their continuing involvement with the
community. As seniors live longer, we are faced with aging members who are no longer
independent. Addressing the inevitable with family members is always a challenge.
Therefore communication must be in place. Senior programs will continue to thrive and
based on the support of government, and we will meet those challenges head on. An
integral part of the site managers or the center managers involve the managing of senior
programs, mostly between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. So, you have all of these
kupuna councils and whatever, but really the center managers also work with them.
Finally within Recreation is the pools and we had discussions with the Kapa'a Swimming
Pool was in very poor physical condition and plagued with deteriorating conditions of the
roof and paint. On January 1st, I am sorry, on January 17th, 2013 the concrete pillar in the
women's restroom collapsed and damaged that side of the building. The walls shifted about
an inch off its foundation and made it very unsafe. The demand for aquatic recreation has
increased dramatically over the years and people have become more health conscious and
have used swimming exercise as a means to improve their health and quality of life. Public
users at the Kapa'a Pool user average for the pool is approximately seventy-five (75) per
day, four hundred fifty (450) per week up to one thousand eight hundred (1,800) per month.
The Department and the Administration knew that closing the pool permanently would
result in substantial negative effect for the Kapa'a community. Along with other County
Departments, Parks and Recreation, and of course the Council, we collaborated and worked
diligently to secure an emergency building permit and zoning application, contracted
solicitation for bids to demolish and rebuild the bathhouse restrooms for continued aquatic
service. The Pool was shut down for several months with the construction work and on
December 9, 2013, the project was completed. A blessing ceremony was held in the morning
and public users were enjoying their swim by mid-afternoon. These are pictures of before,
in the middle and after. The Waimea Pool renovation project for the deck walkways, roof
and bathhouses is in the consultant and design phase. Parks and Recreation Department
hired a new worker and transferred other staff to other sites to fulfill the Division needs
and programming. The new worker at the Kalaheo Neighborhood Center and to Waimea
and Hanapepe Neighborhood Center has improved the overall operations of the west
neighborhood centers to better serve our communities and maintain our facilities. This was
not a new position, but a vacant position that was filled. When we looked at operations we
felt that the person we hired was best suited to be at Kalaheo Neighborhood Center and in
talking to the incumbent there, explained to him and he was moved to Hanapepe. It made
a better fit for operational wise. So these moves are made for better organization. So it was
not a new position, but it was just restructuring and reorganizing our organization. The
addition of a senior coordinator position has made an epic improvement in our Division as it
relates to efficiently expediting the expansion of programs in the available amount of time
that is committed to daily operations. The senior coordinator provides resources to enhance
all senior programs at all senior centers. Again, this is what we are seeing in terms of the
new stuff that I was explaining to you earlier with the senior programs. Again, these are
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not new positions. These are re-described positions, that is how we are accomplishing what
we are accomplishing within our organization. The next bullet we secured funds to hire a
specialist to work throughout the summer and spring and we had that discussion with the
special needs or at-risk children. We added or modified innovative exercise programs for
our seniors, drums alive, Zumba Gold, Aqua Zumba, Tai Chi, Yoga, healthy cooking
demonstrations, cultural dances such as Hawaiian hula, Japanese dances and Filipino
dances and those are the pictures of some of the cultural dances that we have instituted as
exercise programs. For our goals and objectives for our Recreation Division is to commit to
seek ways to realize productive and effective services through a team of committed and
dedicated workforce such as continuing to develop goals and delivering services as a team
at the workforce levels. Leadership and communication training. Create within the
workforce opportunities to develop job skills through mentoring or fellow employees, who
are willing to do performance coaching and share the expertise for job productivity. There
are challenges continue to be that due to the increase of number of homeless individuals
our neighborhood centers are encountering conflicts. With the concept of community
centers where we welcome everyone to participate in your programs and utilize our facility
it has been a struggle as some homeless have cleanliness and socialization issues that
intimidate other users and staff. In the future the staff will have to address this challenge
to provide for safety and cleanliness. This is a serious issue and an ongoing challenge that
continues to increase throughout our island, not just a Parks and Recreation issue. With
improvement and expansion comes change. Change in job roles, goals and tasks often bring
anxiety to one's comfort level. Offering opportunities to build productive efforts in adjusting
to change will positively affect the work environment. Continuing to keep our kupuna
actively engaged and attracting others to join our groups is also a challenge. Senior
programs will have a better foundation to meet the challenges ahead. We consider the new
seniors to be the 21st Century senior and our senior program is moving into that direction.
When I mentioned the 21st Century senior, talking about seniors who are more active,
living longer and more computer literate. Knowing that public users at the swimming pools
increased dramatically over the years the growth and popularity for pool activities make it
difficult not to remain open during staff shortages. Of course these are our kids jumping
into the pool at one of our summer enrichment program outings. There are the different
charts following it. With the Chair's approval I would like to show not more than a four (4)
minute video of Recreation at its best with our summer enrichment program.
(There being no objections, Mr. Rapozo showed a DVD on the Summer Enrichment
Program.)
Chair Furfaro: Very nice, Lenny, very nice.
Mr. L. Rapozo: Chair, I think all of us take our jobs very
seriously and we are here and we see numbers and talk about positions. We talk about
programs. We say what a great job. But to actually go out there and I try to get out on
`Ohana Day and we should share that schedule with you because they are all over the
island. I thank Cindy and staff for the video because gives us a really good idea of the
perspective of how the program has grown and touching the lives of a lot of kids and what
they do is really important for our island. So, kudos to Recreation. With that, that
concludes our presentation for Recreation. I ask for any questions.
Mr. Rapozo: Any questions? Go ahead, Councilmember
Yukimura.
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Ms. Yukimura: With all due respects to our other Divisions,
Lenny, this is my favorite.
Mr. L. Rapozo: Is not the opala your favorite?
Ms. Yukimura: Of course I love that. It is the whole thing. It is
great to see your programs are incorporating really great learning whether it is about how
to stay healthy or safe or how to read. It is really great.
Mr. L. Rapozo: You know what I am really proud of staff that we
can play on the playground nicely together. So, Recreation does all of that, but Parks
Maintenance helps out because they need to set something up, whatever for a day or
excursion, it is a complete Department needs that support Recreation and we support one
another.
Ms. Yukimura: I truly recognize that and you even go across
Departments with Building and the Fire Department.
Mr. L. Rapozo: Yes.
Ms. Yukimura: And Finance. Very great work. On your
"challenges" where you say with improvement and expansion comes change and it means
change in job roles, goals, tasks...which sometimes brings anxiety. I feel that you are really
meeting that challenge and I am very impressed with how you are re-describing positions,
looking for fit and where your Department is rising to the challenge is what we need in
every Department. Thank you for modeling that.
Mr. L. Rapozo: Thank you.
Ms. Yukimura: My question is about the basketball league in
Kalaheo. I am working with some people on developing an after-school program at Kalaheo
School... not an after-school program but an afterschool matching program so kids who do
not have after-school activities and wanted one, we are trying to get an inventory of all
possible programs and finding a good fit for them...I was told there were some kids turned
away from the basketball program because there was no room?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Not that I am aware of.
Ms. Yukimura: A mother told me you have to go early or the
spaces are taken up.
Mr. L. Rapozo: Not to my knowledge.
Ms. Yukimura: I can connect the mother to you folks.
Mr. L. Rapozo: I would be interested to know who she spoke
with and why she felt that way.
Ms. Yukimura: I think it is whatever the enrollment time is.
Come up, Cindy.
Mr. L. Rapozo: A lot of times challenges arise trying to find
coaches for the kids, but I do not believe we turned away anybody in basketball.
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CINDY DUTERTE, Recreation Division Administrator: Hi, Cindy Duterte
Recreations Division Head. So, for basketball, as far as basketball, we do not have a
limited enrollment. We accept every child that registers.
Ms. Yukimura: Maybe there was some communication...I was
surprised too, because I did not think there was a limit. Although if you cannot find enough
coaches that could be a limit, but not in basketball. I have been to some of your basketball
game because my nieces play basketball in the community.
Ms. Duterte: Even the coaches, God bless them they are
volunteering, but to take each and every kid. They are not going to turn away kids. So it
must have been a miscommunication.
Ms. Yukimura: Yes. Well your community basketball is fabulous.
I have been to those games and it is wonderful watching the kids playing. What I loved is
that they just go all out, you know? Really would teach us adults a lot. Then training, I
know is a big part and I was wondering if at one point I heard about these positive coaching
workshops that used to be held. Do we do that with our coaches?
Ms. Duterte: We used to do coaching skills workshops and
then we partnered a couple of years ago with the Boys and Girls Club to put on the
workshop and we have not done one for two years now.
Ms. Yukimura: I think Keith Cruickshank used to arrange some
of them. He was the former Boys and Girls Club...because there is that positive coaching
process which is a really...it is a well-developed training paradigm and I believe Bill
Troutman uses that in Kilauea.
Ms. Duterte: We can look at bringing that back.
Ms. Yukimura: That would be a wonderful service, if we can.
Ms. Duterte: Definitely.
Ms. Yukimura: I believe that is all my questions. Cindy, since
you are here, we just really want to thank you.
Ms. Duterte: My staff...we have such an excellent team, just
talking about going above and beyond and doing more than what they need to do. They
help each other out and that is why it is working so well.
Ms. Yukimura: It goes to the top leadership, too. So thank you.
Your innovations like your inclusion specialist, what a great idea. Thank you.
Ms. Duterte: You are welcome.
Mr. Rapozo: Thank you. Any other questions? Go ahead.
Mr. Chock: I just wanted to congratulate Cindy, amazing
work. I can see why Mr. Rapozo is so proud of the work that you folks are doing and it
makes me proud. I did not do anything and I am proud too, so thank you for that.
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Mr. Rapozo: Thank you, and of course we appreciate all that
you folks do, but this is the budget, Lenny, so I do have some real budget questions.
Mr. L. Rapozo: Sure.
Mr. Rapozo: On page 192 of the budget.
Mr. L. Rapozo: This is Recreations budget?
Mr. Rapozo: Yes, Recreations budget. The sewer line, which
there tremendous jump looks like seventy-eight thousand dollars ($78,000) for treatment
costs for sewer pumping. I know we had some discussion in the CIP budget, but what is
this one pertaining to?
Mr. L. Rapozo: That is a line item in case we need to pump our
sewers for whatever reason. During long weekends, high-usage, that is what those moneys
are for.
Mr. Rapozo: And the year-to-date is two thousand six
hundred dollars ($2,600). So, that is a very substantial increase and just trying to figure out
what is the anticipation or why is it?
Mr. Hunt: It actually was something that was missed in
Fiscal Year 2014 budget that came before you and it was a timing issue in terms of when
the pumper trucks were going to arrive. It was actually an unbudgeted item in Fiscal
Year 2014, which is why it is showing so much of an increase. There will still be an interim
one month's worth of budgeting for pumping and in addition, we have to carry the pumping
for the Ha`ena site because of the light line that the truck cannot cross the smaller bridges.
But based on the adjusted budget adding two hundred thousand dollars ($200,000) back in
would show as a reduction officially because it is been moved to Public Works to cover a
portion of that.
Mr. Rapozo: So that is the Money Bill we just passed was to
cover the unbudgeted amount?
Mr. Hunt: Yes.
Mr. Rapozo: Makes sense. Any other questions? If not,
page 193, on the R&M Building, the sixty-four thousand dollars ($64,000), you are showing
twenty-four thousand dollars ($24,000) for the repair & maintenance for the facilities in the
pools and forty thousand dollars ($40,000) for the Kaumakani Gym floor. Did we discuss
some repairs in the CIP Kaumakani was not included in that?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Yes, it is. When we crafted our budget, it might
be double.
Mr. Rapozo: It is a duplicate?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Yes.
Mr. Rapozo: Okay. Can you take a look and make sure we
are not double posting.
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Chair Furfaro: Mr. Rapozo, Mel Rapozo, how much is that line
item?
Mr. Rapozo: Well, the gym floor is forty thousand dollars
($40,000)...I am sorry, yes, forty thousand dollars ($40,000).
Ms. Yukimura: What page is that?
Mr. Rapozo: 193. So I just want to make sure. The
twenty-four thousand dollars ($24,000) as well? I do not recall the twenty-four thousand
dollars ($24,000) R&M?
Mr. L. Rapozo: No, that is separate. As we have been asked by
Public Works to buy more and more of whatever maintenance items that we need. So, if
they go and repair a light fixture, we have to buy the light fixture. If they have to replace
the door, we have to buy the door and we are getting more and more of that, where in the
past they would just do it on their own.
Mr. Rapozo: That is the twenty-four thousand dollars
($24,000)?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Yes. In the CIP you are right, the Kaumakani
Gym, sixty-five thousand dollars ($65,000) line item.
Mr. Rapozo: So that will be adjusted in supplemental, the
forty thousand dollars ($40,000)?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Yes.
Mr. Rapozo: We can make note of that, Mr. Chair.
Chair Furfaro: I am making a note of that right now. But I
guess bigger question, if this split from Public Works and Parks has occurred with the
Charter Amendment, I guess somewhere along the line, you folks need to pound out some of
this stuff. If you depended on miscellaneous R&M items to be coming from Public Works, I
want to tell you somewhere along the line, I would like to see the R&M number reduced in
Public Works, if it is being increased, seriously.
Mr. L. Rapozo: I understand that.
Chair Furfaro: If we are talking money out from Peter to go over
to Paul and the fact of the matter Paul is carrying the baggage. But this guy he has turned
over his valise to you guys and you are the bellhop now. I have not seen the equal
reduction and that is one hundred twenty-five thousand dollars ($125,000) right there.
Mr. L. Rapozo: I do not know what is happening in Peter's
budget, but Paul needs the money.
Chair Furfaro: Just to say that this is not a place to find
ourselves having moneys based on two different explanations about repair & maintenance.
Thank you, Mr. Rapozo.
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Mr. Rapozo: Thank you. I think there has got to be a way and
that is one of the problems when we split the Departments. There is no way that we are
going to be able to catch all of those things on this body. I know what you are saying, but
just to Steve, I am not sure what the vehicle or the mechanism is that if Public Works now
is saying hey, we are going to charge you for the light bulbs and doors, that is forty
thousand dollars ($40,000) or twenty-four thousand dollars ($24,000), the Chair is right and
Public Works' budget needs to be reduced by that amount. If we are transferring the
expenditure to Parks, then it definitely...that only makes sense. I do not know how we
track that. I really do not know how we would track that. I think the point is well-taken,
Mr. Chair. Any other questions for Recreation? If not let us move on to Maintenance.
Mr. L. Rapozo: Parks Maintenance you will find it on page 17 of
your booklet. The successes and achievements of Park Maintenance is so duly noted with
their community outreach. The Parks Division effectively made connections with
communities surrounding our Parks and Recreation facilities throughout the island. The
support given by Park Maintenance, Beautification, and Stadiums Divisions helped the
community to be connected with one another and with our Department. Examples from the
past year include numerous beach and park clean-up events, volunteer painting, building of
picnic benches and our sports fields. Because we have the responsibility for large
community gathering places we are involved for the help to provide the venues for families
to gather for birthdays, graduations, weddings, and reunions and we prepare sporting
facilities in which our children, adults, and seniors recreate to compete for health and
enjoyment for everyone involved. Several tournaments were held at our facilities and the
feedback was very positive. Finally our mobile stage / sound stage continues to gain in
popularity each year and through our work to maintain and deliver this popular stage to
community events we help non-profits and community-based organizations hold spectacular
events throughout the year. We are proud of the positive impact of our services, the
services that we deliver to the residents and visitors of Kaua`i. Training in our past year,
our staff has participated in several training opportunities including tree care, landscaping,
maintenance, pruning, safe use of fertilizer and pesticide, risk management, customer
service, and supervisory training. We also have made effort to train more staff on the
Division's specialized equipment such as the bushwhacker, moor, the backhoe and bobcat.
Having more staff trained on this equipment provides more opportunities for temporary
assignment to operate this equipment when the regular operator is on leave and serves as a
starting place for promotional opportunities within our Division. I do not like when people
are not available and the operation of government stops. Government has to continue. So
these trainings prove to be very helpful. Providing and attending training classes is an
extremely important and positive parts of what we are trying to accomplish in the
Maintenance Division. A new laptop computer projector and screen approved in the
current budget will help to provide up-to-date training. The Park's Division response to
emergency evacuations of equipment from low-lying areas has improved with numerous
tsunami warnings that we have experienced. Post debriefings have identified problems and
many of these problems have been revolve. Many of the past year we have been able to
provide staff with replacement items. Once these vehicles are in service we expect to see
increase in productivity. Staff is working with Purchasing to develop better specification
and bids received have been highly competitive. With better equipment, staff morale is
improving. On particular note this past year was the acquisition of our own bucket truck.
The Department is excited about getting our tree crew established and establishing a
regular tree-trimming program for the trees in our Parks. Interdepartmental
communication, we have improved communication between the Parks and Recreation
Division and other Departments in making positive difference. Good professional
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relationships are being fostered between these Divisions and improvements are noted in
our communication and coordination with Public Works, Finance, Purchasing, Water and
the Mayor's Office just to name a few. Park staff participation in the newly formed super
Parks task force has been a benefit to both Parks and many Divisions within Public Works,
and has streamlined work flow. So what happens now is Wednesday morning, Parks Staff
meets with Public Works staff and helps to develop work plans or look at specialized repair
& maintenance to get it in the hopper, in the tube, to work efficiently in coordinating these
projects. Customer service, the Division is still working to improve our delivery of customer
service. Phone calls and E-mails are returned promptly. Residents feel this they are being
listened to and see resolution of their issues more quickly than before. Administration and
staff are willing to meet with Parks with community members to discuss issues and take
action on them and staff is respectful to park users in their interaction. Recently in the last
storm event we had a telephone pole down in Kilauea, that luckily did not hurt anybody,
but did cause some damage to the fencing and the neighbor's chicken coop and within
twenty (20) minutes the Division was speaking with the affected neighbor. That is an
example of customer service in our Department. Newly acquired property in Black Pot and
staff has taken over regular maintenance of the prime park. Challenges, staffing, filling of
vacant positions over the past year has made a big difference in establishing our
Maintenance programs in all Parks. The Department is continuing to work with our new
HR Department to fill as many vacancies as possible, the challenge in the next fiscal year
will be to balance our budget, personnel costs are our highest portion of our budget. We
realize that while we try to hire as many replacements in a timely manner. Aging
facilities...another challenge we are facing in Parks Maintenance Division is the aging
facilities and infrastructure. Our new Parks and Recreation Master Plan may help identify
our path into the future. But a secured, dedicated funding source must also be identified to
start the necessary upgrades of our aging parks and facilities. Maintaining these aging
facilities will be more difficult and costly over time. Park Maintenance and improvement
projects will need Council support in the operations budget, as well as capital budget in
order to keep up. Communication. Good, clear, consistent communication is essential to
the success of our maintenance effort. Yet many of our staff can only be reached through
the use of their own private cellular telephone. Answering and returning calls is mostly
voluntary and inconsistent. This can be a challenge in everyday scheduling of work
verification or attendance. But it becomes even more critical when we have to...when we
have an approaching tsunami, hurricane or even an after-hours callout. When the budget
can allow the Parks Division would like to see the Department look into a County-issued
cell phone or mounted in the trucks or hand-held along with the standby or callout system.
Our goals and objectives, staffing and training, hiring...training opportunities will be
provided and offered to the Parks staff as before. But new portions such as tailgate safety,
training program, bucket truck training and bushwhacker train will be become part of our
regular operations this next year. We are focused on filling the remaining vacancies and
getting people excited and motivated to work. Playground resurfacing and equipment
replacement, the Division will continue to work on repairs and replacement of playground
surfacing and playground structures. Several were repaired in 2013 and more are
scheduled in 2014-2015. This Division works closely with our Planning and Development
Division to get a lot of these repairs done. Fencing and backstops. Several of our Parks and
Recreation facilities are in need of fencing and backstop replacement. The salt air has
deteriorated the fences and more aggressive replacement projects will continue into the new
year. The recent replacement of the fence at Kapa'a Beach Park was an example of this
work and other projects such as Lihu`e Park, Wailua Houselots tennis court, and Kapa'a
New Town Park have projects budgeted there the next year. Upgrades to
Lydgate...including upgrades to the comfort station, showers, and pavilions. The new
stainless steel fixtures, sinks, urinals, and toilets have arrived and we are including the
April 10, 2014
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installation with the contractor doing these works. Continued existing contracts. The two
(2) major contracts are portable toilet contract and the coconut tree contract. We will
continue to work this contractual service throughout next year. These services are
essential to maintaining park users convenience, sanitation, and safety. Equipment
replacement, including in this budget are the replacement of equipment that has outlived
its useful life. Approval of additional equipment will enable this Division to maintain park
facilities more effectively. The eastside maintenance and beautification baseyard will move
a large part of operations to the newly-renovated space in Kapa`a, along with various Public
Works Divisions. New and used furniture is sought to furnish this new space for the
Division and we are excited to have the new space from which to operate. New sources of
water are being explored to deliver cheaper rates to these water-stressed sites such as
Waimea Canyon Park. Relationships are being developed to explore this. The Parks
Division is in the time stage of hiring a park irrigation worker and we have done that to
manage and repair our existing irrigation systems. Use water more efficiently and design
and install new irrigation systems, where there were none before. The following pages are
the pictures of Salt Pond and accompanied graphs or charts. So, that in a nutshell, is the
Park Maintenance Division that includes Stadiums, Beautification, all encompassed under
this one Division. But the charts are broken down by each section within this Division.
Mr. Rapozo: Thank you very much. Any questions for
Maintenance? Mr. Chair?
Chair Furfaro: Lenny, this was brought up by Mr. Kagawa, I
just want to follow-up under the "maintenance" portion for Salt Pond. I want to make sure
that you folks are going to follow-up with the issue of the Department of Health as to fire
ants. Really identify the fact that as we were told from invasive species, the ant nesting at
Salt Pond is not fire ants. Another source. But I want to make sure that we focus on
reconfirming that.
Mr. L. Rapozo: Chair, you put us on with the Kaua`i Invasive
Species Committee and we have asked them to do the inspection. I just got an E-mail last
week that it is pushed back again.
Chair Furfaro: It is? Okay.
Mr. L. Rapozo: I think weather conditions is what has been told
to us.
Chair Furfaro: It was very interesting to find out Statewide...I
think we have got some good response up at Kalihiwai but Statewide, they discovered two
nests in Waimanalo. On Parks Maintenance, I just want to stay on top of that for Salt
Pond. Please stay in communication with the Invasive Species Committee.
Mr. L. Rapozo: I saw that. Thank you.
Chair Furfaro: Thank you, Mr. Rapozo.
Mr. Rapozo: Councilmember Yukimura.
Ms. Yukimura: On your challenges about aging facilities and
thank you for recognizing that challenge. Do you have a total inventory of repairs that
need to be done and projected program and cost for getting up to a preventative
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maintenance level, just like with your trees? Saying in seven years you will have been able
to cover every tree?
Mr. L. Rapozo: When we did the park tour, the group of us,
Finance, the Mayor, Purchasing, everybody.
Ms. Yukimura: Yes.
Mr. L. Rapozo: We did come up with a list. I believe the
emergency list we completed two-thirds of the emergency repairs that were identified
immediately. The other one-third is going to be taken care of in some of the contracts CIP
projects that we are doing. We are also doing a list of the other facilities or the other
concerns. We do not have that prepared yet, because of course Brian is also our Project
Manager working on that. So, we will have that hopefully eventually and a potential
number.
Ms. Yukimura: Cost and timeline. This is the same thing we
have asked Roads to do. Kind of have a complete inventory. I mean, it would be like Roads
has to be inspected every so many years. They have to be replaced so many years, like you
are doing with Kalaheo. I know it is not a replacement, but it is an inspection at least.
Mr. L. Rapozo: Yes.
Ms. Yukimura: Your termites and that kind of systematic
scheduling of proactive or preventative.
Mr. L. Rapozo: That is going to be part of the Park Planner's
responsibility to provide us with that.
Ms. Yukimura: Great. Then in your budget on page 197,
electricity costs and the water costs look like they are rising. I wonder whether there has
been any analysis of what is happening and whether there are ways to stabilize or reduce?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Prior to George leaving we had discussed that. It
looks like the amount of use that we are using is reduced, but our bills are going higher.
Ms. Yukimura: Which would mean that the rates are increasing,
just like gas prices.
Mr. L. Rapozo: Yes.
Ms. Yukimura: We were told that with the Bus. Right now it is
thirty percent (30%) of their budget and if the price of gas doubles it will be sixty percent
(60%) of their budget, which is kind of unmanageable. So, it is looking for ways to actually
reduce consumption. There has been talks about...I think one of them, your new meter is
going in one of your Parks is going to reduce use.
Mr. L. Rapozo: That is the intent.
Ms. Yukimura: Incorporating those into your design.
Mr. L. Rapozo: With the changes in light fixtures that are more
efficient and less amount of fixtures on there, but providing the same coverage.
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Ms. Yukimura: Right. This Division could have a program, I
know your time is an issue, but I do not know if we have done it in this building, but
changing all lights and maybe your Parks Planner...
Mr. L. Rapozo: The facility lights outside is what we are moving
to.
Ms. Yukimura: And motion-sensitive lights too.
Mr. L. Rapozo: Tennis courts and all of the replacement of lights
are moving in that direction. Hopefully, I do not know how many years, but we can secure
enough funding to complete the change. The designs have been completed for all outdoor
park facilities. It is just a matter of getting funding to complete the conversions.
Ms. Yukimura: Well you know what you can do is show us what
the bill will be, I mean what the bill of the new fixtures will be and how it will pay off over
time from the savings and you show your baseline prior to the change. Now water is that
also water rates have been increasing? Because there is like a ten percent (10%) budgetary
increase.
Mr. L. Rapozo: Yes, do you remember the previous Manager
raised the water rates for everybody on Kaua`i.
Ms. Yukimura: Well, he is trying to keep his Water Department
afloat.
Mr. Rapozo: He is gone.
Ms. Yukimura: Well, the Water Department is not gone.
Mr. L. Rapozo: He did not take his rates with him?
Ms. Yukimura: You just have to figure out how to keep the
Water Department going. But you know there has been a lot of use from the...what are
those? Water games? Those inflatables?
Mr. L. Rapozo: When you read the specs of inflatables and I
have to admit, some fifteen (15), sixteen (16) years ago, I was the first one to say let us do
this. I wanted to do this in one of the Parks for selfish reasons for a party.
Ms. Yukimura: It is a great thing.
Mr. L. Rapozo: When you look at the specs, it was only ten
dollars ($10) to run the water all day to have a water slide with the rates those days.
Ms. Yukimura: Right that is not the situation today.
Mr. L. Rapozo: I do not know how much of a significance...you
cannot do a water slide in all Parks and we restrict the use to only certain Parks.
Ms. Yukimura: It is still using more water.
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Mr. L. Rapozo: Yes.
Ms. Yukimura: I do not know. Maybe an analysis of the costs
needs to be done in terms of frequency?
Chair Furfaro: Follow-up to that one, please? Do we know
whether the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) would allow us to charge a fee for the park
use and then an estimated fee for the water to be used for a slide? Is that allowable?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Maybe they could incorporate that into the
permit fee?
Chair Furfaro: Yes.
Mr. L. Rapozo: Yes.
Chair Furfaro: I am asking if you could do that?
Mr. L. Rapozo: We could do that.
Chair Furfaro: Thank you.
Mr. Rapozo: Go ahead.
Mr. Chock: I was looking at the vehicle equipment lease and
looks like it is going down one point five percent (1.5%). I know you just got some new...you
mentioned getting new professional equipment. We have had discussions about one (1) of
your machines, probably more selfish on my end...what do you call it? The beast?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Bushwhacker.
Mr. Chock: Bushwhacker. I was wondering in terms of the
budget, if there is some training? I did not see any training in the use of this, if that is
necessary or not? As I know we have dealt with...not "abuse" of the equipment, but just not
enough knowledge when we have to do repairs it takes us months.
Mr. L. Rapozo: We had a similar situation like that and we
retrained...we shut the equipment down and asked for retraining and went out and
retrained everybody. I agree. When we are made aware that there is a possibility of abuse,
we shut the equipment down and ask for a trainer and schedule and we retrain everybody.
Mr. Chock: Good.
Mr. Rapozo: I have a follow-up because I heard you mention
the equipment. I was not sure...I cannot remember if vehicles are in equipment, but where
in the budget do you reflect the new equipment?
Mr. L. Rapozo: It should be...we should be reducing. We are
reducing because we replaced most of our aged equipment already. We have gotten the
more commercial-grade. When I came four, five years ago it was more like residential stuff.
We were getting and this Council has been very good along with the Mayor to give us the
resources to be able to purchase more of the commercial stuff. We have...we always go and
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get commercial-grade as opposed to what was given to them in the past. So, most of our
stuff has been really caught up already.
Mr. Rapozo: I do not see anything in the maintenance budget
anyway.
Mr. L. Rapozo: We probably have so for some small-engine stuff.
Mr. Rapozo: Those I saw.
Mr. L. Rapozo: Not so much the big stuff.
Mr. Rapozo: No vehicles or tractors?
Mr. L. Rapozo: No.
Mr. Rapozo: Okay.
Mr. L. Rapozo: No. We have a couple of pieces that we are going
to try to squeeze out one more year of life from them before we come back.
Chair Furfaro: Can I just share something? I appreciate that,
but I do want to make an evaluation here. As it has been a comment about the reduction on
repair & maintenance items versus Parks versus Buildings. I have come up with about two
hundred thirty-one thousand dollars ($231,000) in the reductions in the Public Works and
Building R&M. Ernie has indicated to me that that reduction is about the four hundred
thousand dollars ($400,000). So we have got a little bit of a discrepancy there. I do want to
make sure that we understand, some of the items that are coming up here, those
discrepancies need a lot of attention. Even though I accept your note here, Ernie, about the
four hundred thousand dollars ($400,000). But it is an area that actually needs some real
observations on making sure we are not duplicating anything. Especially I want to give
some thought to "shared equipment." Shared Equipment. That there is an opportunity
there, too. Thank you, Mr. Rapozo.
Mr. Rapozo: Councilmember Yukimura.
Ms. Yukimura: Page 198 "Other Tree Removal, Pruning
Services." Pruning services...that is not work that the tree-trimming team is going to do?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Yes. Sometimes...
Ms. Yukimura: It is?
Mr. L. Rapozo: No. Our tree-trimming crew?
Ms. Yukimura: Yes.
Mr. L. Rapozo: Yes, that is something that they will do once we
have it all in place. In the meantime, we present situations like recently at Pono Kai we
had an emergency situation where the ironwood was literally going to fall on the hotel. So,
we had to act upon that. So we needed a line item.
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Ms. Yukimura: Okay. When is your tree-trimming team going to
be up and running?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Well, it sounds like this body will give us the
money so we can start recruitment.
Ms. Yukimura: So, that would be...
Mr. L. Rapozo: We will have training. Six (6) months I would
think.
Ms. Yukimura: The training, like Councilmember Chock pointed
out is key because it is a little bit more hazardous to do that kind of work, right?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Yes.
Ms. Yukimura: Steve, I am presuming in terms of risk
management we are sure that our insurance covers that or we are self-insured?
Mr. Hunt: We are self-insured so it is up to the deductible
amount. So, there is some liability to us by not addressing some of the more dangerous
trees, limbs, and branches that could be falling on pedestrians or vehicles. From a risk
management stand point we definitely support this effort to get the tree trimming crew and
not to mention that we have the bucket truck already and I am concerned about not
utilizing that equipment if we do not have the personnel in there operating and doing what
they are supposed to do.
Ms. Yukimura: So, this is going to take specialized training it
looks like, right?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Actually last year ironically, there was a training
provided. They gave the County a discount.
Ms. Yukimura: The contractor who provided the bucket truck?
Mr. L. Rapozo: No, this is separate. There is training. The
County was given a discount and I went and found some moneys and there was only one
boy out of our Department that actually took the training. We already have someone on
staff that is qualified to drive the bucket truck and he has the certificates for that.
Ms. Yukimura: That is good.
Mr. L. Rapozo: So that is two (2) people. So the young man did
go and it is a specialized training, you are correct.
Ms. Yukimura: Okay. So, it is going to be really important, not
just for the life of the equipment, but for our workers.
Mr. L. Rapozo: Yes.
Ms. Yukimura: Okay great. Now part of this two hundred
twenty thousand dollars ($220,000) is open-ended contract for Lydgate Pond clean-up. I
just wondered how that is going.
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Mr. L. Rapozo: That fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) is that
one... fifty thousand dollars ($50,000).
Ms. Yukimura: Right.
Mr. L. Rapozo: That has been put there in the event that we
have the weather event that the pond needs cleaning and we need to get debris out of there.
So, that is something that is in the budget, but not necessarily we use in case of emergency.
Ms. Yukimura: Steve, if we have our emergency fund or
emergency reserve, could that not be used for things like episodic events that happens, like
a major rain or flood?
Mr. Hunt: It is possibly something that could be used
absolutely, but again it would come before this body to make use of the funds.
Ms. Yukimura: There is some things that Lenny, you would have
to act faster than coming before this body?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Correct.
Ms. Yukimura: Okay. The septic tank.
Chair Furfaro: Excuse me, may I add on to that?
Ms. Yukimura: Please.
Chair Furfaro: Steve, do we not currently have emergency
access funds in the amount fifty thousand dollars ($50,000)?
Mr. Hunt: Yes, there is.
Chair Furfaro: The question is, are we setting aside...that is
quick action that you can respond to without action by the Council. So, should we not find
ourselves in, let us say, fair and reasonable approach to say of the fifty thousand dollars
($50,000) in Parks, let us just move the other line to seventy-five thousand dollars ($75,000)
and basically save twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) in this budget overlook? Is that
feasible?
Mr. Hunt: I think we have to look at all the potential
emergency responses outside of Parks too.
Chair Furfaro: What I am saying right now we have money in
the budget that is equal to one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000), of which fifty
thousand dollars ($50,000) is earmarked for Parks and fifty thousand dollars ($50,000)
earmarked for all others and why not make it seventy-five thousand dollars ($75,000) and
take twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) out of Parks?
Mr. Hunt: That is doable.
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Ms. Yukimura: Following up. I appreciate the tag-team actually.
So when you have this kind of problem that we have had in the past, is it fifty thousand
dollars ($50,000) at one crack?
Mr. Hunt: No.
Ms. Yukimura: So, you know, you could do the initial and then
come to us if you need more out of the fund that required Council approval. Then septic
tank pumping islandwide parks, we have talked about this in your other presentation. Is
this the regular amount that you have every year forty thousand dollars ($40,000)?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Yes, I believe so. Yes.
Ms. Yukimura: Okay, I am good. Thank you. I have one more
question about Black Pot Beach Park.
Mr. Rapozo: About what?
Ms. Yukimura: Black Pot.
Mr. Rapozo: I have a follow-up on this, I guess the emergency,
just-in-case funds fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) for Lydgate, $40,000 for septic tank,
seventy-eight thousand dollars ($78,000) for sewer pump, thirty thousand dollars ($30,000)
for tree removal and pruning. So that is just the few I have seen in last couple of pages and
that is one hundred ninety-eight thousand dollars ($198,000) sitting in funds in case we
have to use and what I would have to see is the actuals. What have we spent? Because
that is almost two hundred thousand dollars ($200,000) just-in-case funds and we may not
even use that or come near that. Individually, I think it looks appropriate, but when you
combine all the just-in-case that is two hundred thousand dollars ($200,000) and that is
just the last few. I think I would be more interested in the actuals because I would have it
rather setup like you said, Mr. Chair, a just-in-case fund that you could act on and come
back to replenish the funds because that is substantial.
Mr. L. Rapozo: Councilmember Rapozo, which one?
Mr. Rapozo: The sewer was from the prior Department, which
was Recreation Division. In Maintenance you have fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) for
Lydgate, forty thousand dollars ($40,000) for septic, and thirty thousand dollars ($30,000)
for...so that is one hundred twenty thousand dollars ($120,000) just in that. I am not sure
if we are even going to come near to that. I did not hear what you folks said.
Chair Furfaro: Let Steve respond because I think Mr. Rapozo is
onto something here.
Mr. Hunt: My understanding of the budget is that the two
items are addressing one...the timing issue that Public Works is requesting because the
trucks will not be operational until August. We still have a month carry to do that. The
second is there is ongoing pumping that the pumper truck will not handle, which is the
Ha`ena area. The combination of the two represent the timing and...I do not know why
they were not combined into one line item, but one is the timing issue and one is the Ha`ena
Park. So, it is not emergency. One will be timing and one-time for this year until the
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pumper arrives and the other will be a continued pumping of Ha'ena, that I believe is the
forty thousand dollars ($40,000).
Ms. Yukimura: So, how much was for tree pruning services in
last year's budget? That would be the one hundred percent (100%) and look at fifty percent
(50%) of that? Is that how we look at it? Maybe we can ask that and you can provide those
actuals.
Mr. Rapozo: It is a lot easier for us to comprehend if we see
the actuals.
Chair Furfaro: Let us forgive the forty thousand dollars
($40,000) in Ha`ena, but get a question over for you to think about, as it relates to the other
parts.
Mr. L. Rapozo: The tree-pruning?
Chair Furfaro: Yes.
Ms. Yukimura: The Ha'ena pumping is as-needed. It is not a
regular Bill?
Mr. L. Rapozo: That is where we have the long weekends we are
taking the steps to pump.
Ms. Yukimura: You do have a record of the past year, yes?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Public Works would have that. They contract
that service out.
Chair Furfaro: I do not want to fool with pumping of a cesspool
in Ha`ena. Let us get the tree-trimming down pat and leave the forty thousand dollars
($40,000) is my recommendation and we will get some Public Works comments on that, but
I would not want to tamper with that now.
Ms. Yukimura: We are looking at the tree-trimming and Lydgate
Park Pond clean up. Those are episodic.
Chair Furfaro: Those two items.
Mr. Rapozo: Off we have others that come up later, yes.
Ms. Yukimura: Great. Thank you. May I go to Black Pot then?
Mr. Rapozo: Yes.
Ms. Yukimura: You have in your...actually it was in
your...Maintenance and Beautification...actually it was in your previous one about Black
Pot Planning. You had the Master Park Plan for Black Pot Beach Park. That is something
that you plan do this year? It was on page 37.
Mr. L. Rapozo: Page 37.
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Ms. Yukimura: Goals and objectives.
Mr. L. Rapozo: With the Planning and Development, yes.
Ms. Yukimura: You have expansion of Black Pot Beach Park
Master Plan.
Mr. L. Rapozo: That is a CIP.
Ms. Yukimura: Yes. I am just wanting to know if you have
complete site control?
Mr. L. Rapozo: We have complete site control, yes of the portion
that we purchased.
Ms. Yukimura: No, but of the whole planning area?
Mr. L. Rapozo: No.
Ms. Yukimura: So, will that be the next step?
Mr. L. Rapozo: We continue to work, yes.
Ms. Yukimura: I think that the Chair has background on it. I
have background on it. Anyway, it needs to be...that last parcel needs to be acquired unless
there are more beyond the Sheehan property that we want to acquire.
Chair Furfaro: The State is looking...let us let the State pursue
what they are doing. Kawakami and others.
Mr. L. Rapozo: They have asked us to help in the process.
Chair Furfaro: I would like to have some offline discussion on
that. JoAnn and I would like to have offline discussion about that. What the State has
implied what they are going to do and have them be the point person and not cloud the
issue with our issue. Let us have some offline discussion, JoAnn and I would like to
participate. I will send an E-mail to Mr. Kawakami.
Ms. Yukimura: Lastly on the cell phone issue, which is a big one,
about communications and employees using their cell phones versus giving all the
employees County cell phones. to me, I would like to know what a best practice is in this
area and there must be other Parks around the country that deal with it, maybe next door
at City and County, how they work the communications system?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Those are just options, but during a tsunami
event, the cell phones are almost unavailable, if you have certain carrier, because
everybody jams the cell phone and we cannot communicate.
Ms. Yukimura: Right.
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Mr. L. Rapozo: So depending on...Verizon you
could...AT&T...we would not able to communicate. That portion was addressing
communication.
Ms. Yukimura: During emergencies...thank you for clarifying.
We have an emergencies communication system and the ability to create different channels.
So that we can communicate using this system that Civil Defense has. So, now we have
this cracker jack guy who is in charge of our systems. So, working up that channel or that
specific channel, because we cannot use the public channels when we are doing emergency
work. That is the reason that I first put in place this emergency communication system
because when there was a Port Allen Fire our Police and Fire were having all of this
interference. That was way back.
Mr. L. Rapozo: As part of our challenges as you had mentioned
was the possibility of having communications in our hand-held radios to address exactly
what you are saying.
Ms. Yukimura: It may be your hand-held radios and would be
great if you could use that existing system.
Mr. L. Rapozo: Right. We do not have the access now.
Ms. Yukimura: Yes, so it has to be created, but we have the
capacity in our emergency communicates system to develop that.
Mr. L. Rapozo: Yes, I understand that, but we need to purchase
the hand-held radios first.
Ms. Yukimura: What you need is a plan, working with Civil
Defense to develop what that system would be and what its total cost would be? I do not
know, but it would probably be a better route to go than a public system like AT&T or
Verizon.
Mr. L. Rapozo: Thank you that is part of our challenge right now
that we do not have that ability.
Ms. Yukimura: Got it.
Mr. Rapozo: Are you asking about communications between?
Ms. Yukimura: It is on page 19 of the report.
Mr. Rapozo: As the challenge?
Ms. Yukimura: Yes.
Mr. Rapozo: Got it. You are talking about during
emergencies?
Ms. Yukimura: I thought it was both, but Lenny has clarified
that the real challenge is during emergencies, which is totally understandable. Thank you.
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Mr. Rapozo: Any more questions?Vice Chair.
Mr. Chock: Lenny hepatitis vaccination is that every year?
Mr. L. Rapozo: It is good for fifteen (15) to twenty (20) years.
Mr. Chock: So this twenty thousand dollars ($20,000) is just
for this coming fiscal year and we will not see it again?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Yes.
Mr. Chock: Okay.
Mr. Rapozo: Go ahead, Mr. Chair.
Chair Furfaro: Before we close this section, I do want to give
Public Works a little credit here. There was some discussion about the Kaua`i Historical
Building here about LED lighting and CFL lighting and there was compliance in the
renovation of this building. So do not think that was overlooked. Pat and Doug, that was
high on the discussion marks and we are pretty close to monitoring any successes we have
from those fixture changes.
Ms. Yukimura: Great.
Mr. Rapozo: Thank you, I just have a couple of questions.
Lenny, page 197, the tree-trimmer helper, operator, that you brought from the Golf Course.
That does not impact the Golf Course operations?
Mr. L. Rapozo: We discussed it earlier.
Mr. Rapozo: That is fine, I will get it. I do not want you to
have to do it again. That was it for me. Okay. Any other questions for Maintenance...if
not, let us go to Beautification and actually we could get through Stadiums before lunch,
that would be good, Mr. Chair.
Mr. L. Rapozo: That was all Stadium, Beautification and Park
Maintenance. So we can move on to the Convention Hall.
Mr. Rapozo: We are done with Stadiums?
Mr. L. Rapozo: I did Stadiums and Park Maintenance.
Mr. Rapozo: Okay.
Chair Furfaro: I have a question then.
Mr. Rapozo: Let us take Beautification and Stadiums
together.
Chair Furfaro: This is an overlap of a question that came up
yesterday. We were talking about trying to save rent money for a building off-site that we
currently rent space for and the Lihu`e Civic Center across the way, there was this
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discussion of a need of twenty thousand (20,000) square feet for storage in general for the
County. I was of the impression that when we transposed a lot of the Council's records
from a previous project that was approved many years ago unfortunately the indexing of
those files were not part of that bid. I was disturbed, but it is what it is. Okay? So, we
have to go back and index. But our long-term plan is to really file-save a lot of our record
keeping and up until this point we stored a lot of our records under the Stadium bleachers.
Is that still the case? Are we storing records under the Stadium bleachers?
Mr. L. Rapozo: There are records there. I am not sure they are
Council records.
Chair Furfaro: They are County records.
Mr. L. Rapozo: Yes, County records.
Chair Furfaro: I want to make sure that we investigate the
Stadium storage usage and to make sure it is part of your scope for copying files, okay? I
am going to ask you to kind of have some task force go and look at that along those lines
with it. I think that is really important. Secondly, I want to say this building is also
available with the old Civil Defense basement. We could with the right appropriate storage
shelving and so forth move a lot of long-term records to the basement of this building as we
clean up the Stadium. It has got to be coordinated. What is the best use of the Stadium
space under the bleachers? Let us determine that because I do not want to be using the
space across the way, which has a value, okay four dollars and sixty-five cents ($4.65) a
square foot for storage, plus if this was a shopping center, you would have to add another
one dollars and eighty-five cents ($1.85) for common area maintenance. So, that space
across the way is worth six dollars and eighty cent ($6.80) per square foot if that was a
retail market. So, let us look at some of the storage in this building, let us look at what is in
the Stadium basement? Let us find out what we are doing with micro filming and filing
copies of records? Before we jump to some conclusion of using this other space for storage.
It is too expensive and let us make an assessment of the Stadium. Please. Thank you,
Lenny. Thank you, Mr. Rapozo.
Mr. Rapozo: Any further questions for Lenny on
Beautification or Stadiums? Go ahead.
Ms. Yukimura: Actually I think it is back in Park Maintenance.
Page 198. You have this "Other Rentals" line item of two hundred fifty-six thousand dollars
($256,000).
Mr. L. Rapozo: Which one is that? I am sorry?
Ms. Yukimura: Page 198. So, there is a land lease rental of West
Regional Park. It is a small amount, but I am just curious what that is. We are leasing
some land?
Mr. L. Rapozo: I guess, I have never noticed that. I will have to
look at that.
Ms. Yukimura: We will do a follow-up on that. Portable toilets
as-needed is one hundred sixty-four thousand dollars ($164,000).
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Chair Furfaro: Excuse me, JoAnn, can we repeat that we did not
have anybody there for the follow-up question. Repeat what you want to send over?
Ms. Yukimura: The land lease rental, page 198. 198 land lease
rental items 661.41-03. That same line item has a line item for one hundred sixty-four
thousand dollars ($164,000) for portable toilet yearly rentals. This is for islandwide?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Port-a-potty contract?
Chair Furfaro: Yes, islandwide she said?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Yes.
Ms. Yukimura: Okay. So, it says, emergency comfort station
closures, based on busy summer months, soccer usage in Parks without restrooms, so that
is like Lihu`e?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Waioli.
Ms. Yukimura: Special County-sponsored events. Okay. Is that
related to the fact that our regular rest rooms have one toilet in the women's?
Mr. L. Rapozo: No.
Mr. Rapozo: Well, it does in special events. If you had a
special event at Isenberg, definitely that is why we have the portable toilets, but I think
more specifically it is for the toilets that like on north shore, when we have the sewage
problems and backing up, it is also for the Parks as you said that do not have toilets and
soccer fields that your constituents...
Ms. Yukimura: It is open now. Thank you.
Mr. Rapozo: It has always been open.
Ms. Yukimura: It has always been open, but now people know
about it. Sometimes just the communication problem.
Mr. Rapozo: Like the same lady who said basketball...was it
the same lady.
Ms. Yukimura: Actually, it was my brother and mother.
Mr. L. Rapozo: With the basketball?
Ms. Yukimura: No, for the soccer fields.
Mr. Rapozo: Tell her Lenny opened it up just for her.
Mr. L. Rapozo: Just for her. We will give her the combination.
Ms. Yukimura: For everybody. Thank you for that explanation.
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Mr. Rapozo: Any other questions? I am curious to know about
the land lease. Any other questions for Stadiums and Beautification? If not,
Councilmember Yukimura has to leave at 12:25 p.m., Mr. Chair. We can break for lunch
and come back.
Chair Furfaro: We have to break for lunch, but I have to ask you
I have a conference call scheduled at 1:30 p.m. today. I now have an absence note from
Mr. Bynum.
Mr. Rapozo: He is gone for the day?
Chair Furfaro: Pretty much he will be in and out. We are only
at four (4) members. Is there any way I can ask that we reconvene at 1:45 p.m.?
Mr. Rapozo: That is fine with me.
Ms. Yukimura: That is fine with me.
Chair Furfaro: Administration?
Mr. Rapozo: You have to leave.
Chair Furfaro: She is leaving in ten minutes, but I just want to
make sure that I am not back until 1:45 p.m.
Mr. Rapozo: Let me ask the question, you have presentations
for Convention Hall and Golf Course?
Ms. Yukimura: We are doing good.
Mr. Rapozo: We are, but 1:45 p.m.
Chair Furfaro: That is my request.
Mr. Chock: I have a written request to leave at 1:45 p.m.
today. If I have to in order to get through this I can...
Chair Furfaro: I would request if you could see if you can
rearrange your schedule until 3:30 p.m.
Mr. Chock: I can see if I can cancel all together.
Chair Furfaro: Impossible to rearrange, but possible to
reschedule?
Mr. Chock: Yes.
Mr. Rapozo: He is taking one or the team. Let us at least do
this, Lenny, can you do the presentation on the Convention Hall? Can do you it in ten
minutes?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Sure.
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Chair Furfaro: Hold on a second. Scott has looked at the
schedule for me, and if you want, we can do the Convention Hall, and then call Parks to
come back at 11:00 a.m. on the 22nd. That is the other option.
Mr. Chock: Chair, if we could get some confirmation from
Councilmember Bynum that he is available.
Chair Furfaro: I do not know if we can get a confirmation in ten
minutes and we are going break. It is my preference right now is to come back...I do not
want to impose on your schedule. So, let us have some discussion right now about
continuing your other Divisions on the 22nd of April from 11:00 a.m.
Mr. Rapozo: I am okay with it. I think it is a little more
stable to do it that way, because I think it is not fair for the Administration to be bounced
around. How are you Lenny on the 22nd?
Chair Furfaro: Right if now those two days are identified as call-
back day?
Mr. L. Rapozo: I am good up until 6:00 p.m. we have Employee
Recognition that night.
Chair Furfaro: JoAnn?
Ms. Yukimura: The 22nd?
Chair Furfaro: It is on the schedule as a call-back for the
Council.
Mr. Rapozo: So, it should be open.
Ms. Yukimura: Yes. We will skip the resilience and life skill
meeting, Mason and I both have.
Chair Furfaro: Well, I think I gave you enough notice that it
would be a call-back.
Ms. Yukimura: You did. Fine.
Chair Furfaro: So, I need all members to realize our rules
require whether you are going to be in and out for part of the day or not to put it in writing,
okay? So, we can plan our day. I would like to basically say right now that at the Chair's
discretion, I would like to move the balance of Parks and Recreation to April 22nd okay?
From 11:00 a.m.
Mr. L. Rapozo: That would include the balance of the CIP as
well?
Chair Furfaro: Yes.
Mr. L. Rapozo: Okay.
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Chair Furfaro: Can we have ten minutes to talk about
Convention Hall now?
Mr. Rapozo: She has to leave at 12:25 p.m.
Chair Furfaro: We will start with the Convention Hall on the
22nd at 11:00 a.m. We are already using call-back time from 9:00 a.m. — 11:00 a.m. and I
hope it is in your schedule because we sent out a note. Okay. For those of you who have
the 21st and 22nd in your schedules, we have already filled up the 21st for call-backs.
Starting with the fact that on the 22nd, time has been given to Mr. Bynum to do his tax
presentation. We had that discussion, from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. From 11:00 a.m., we
will continue Parks on the 22nd. All those in agreement say aye?
All: Aye.
Chair Furfaro: Send the proper notice out to the rest of the
Councilmembers not in attendance today. Lenny, I appreciate your cooperation, your
team's effort here, but we are going to refer the rest of your Department to the 22nd.
Mr. L. Rapozo: Thank you for the opportunity.
Mr. Chock: Thank you.
Mr. Rapozo: Thank you, Lenny.
Chair Furfaro: Now on this note, I have a Special Council
Meeting tomorrow at 8:00 a.m. and we recess this meeting to finish tomorrow and tomorrow
at 10:30 a.m. we have Liquor Control, County Attorney's Office, Economic Development,
and Civil Defense. Parks and Recreation is in recess until April 22nd. Okay, staff, thank
you.
There being no objections, the Committee recessed at 12:20 p.m.