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HomeMy WebLinkAbout07-10-17 Cost Control Commission Approved Minutes COUNTY OF KAUAI Minutes of Meeting OPEN SESSION Board/Committee: Cost Control Commission Meeting Date July 10, 2017 Location Mo`ikeha Building – Meeting Room 2A/B Start of Meeting: 1:32 p.m. End of Meeting: 2:16 p.m. Present Chair James Whitfield; Vice-Chair Tyler Rodighiero (arrived at 2:00 p.m.); Members: Preston Chong, Jan Hashizume, Joanne Nakashima and Tricia Lynn-Yamashita. Also present: Board & Commissions Office Staff: Support Clerk Mercedes Omo; Administrator Paula Morikami; and Office of the County Attorney: First Deputy County Attorney Matthew Bracken. Excused Commissioner Laurie Yoshida Absent SUBJECT DISCUSSION ACTION Call To Order Chair Whitfield called the meeting to order at 1:32 p.m. with five (5) members present constituting a quorum. Approval of Minutes Regular Open Session Minutes of March 13, 2017. Ms. Nakashima moved to approve the meeting minutes of March 13, 2017 as circulated. Ms. Hashizume seconded the motion. The motion carried 5:0. Business CCC 2017-05 Continued discussion on other possible areas to investigate to reduce the cost of county government while maintaining a reasonable level of public service in accordance to Section 28.04 of the Kaua‘i County Charter Article XXVIII Cost Control Commission. Chair Whitfield stated that he was hoping to have some free range discussion on possible areas the Commission could investigate for the remainder of the year. He asked with a new budget in place and a record of things that have occurred in the past, if there are any areas of immediate concern the Commission should be looking at. He pointed out that according to the Charter the Cost Control Commission shall review personnel cost, but he’s always found it difficult because union contracts are Kaua‘i Cost Control Commission Regular Open Session Minutes of July 10, 2017 Page 2 SUBJECT DISCUSSION ACTION involved which is beyond the Commission’s purview. Administrator Paula Morikami shared that at the last policy meeting she attended with the Mayor and his key Department Heads, she asked them if they had any suggestions they thought the Cost Control Commission could be looking at and they came up with the following suggestions for the Commission to consider: 1) Centralizing the County’s payroll system; 2) Centralizing the County’s purchasing; and 3) Streamlining the County’s recycling program to include green waste collection. She added in the past years, the Cost Control Commission reviewed energy savings as well as user fees; however, no recommendations were made because the Administration did not want to increase any user fees. Also, the Commission spent a year reviewing all of the different real property tax exemptions, which resulted in the approval of a recommendation to eliminate the $25.00 minimum tax fee for Hawaiian Homesteaders because it cost the county $70.00 to process the paperwork. In September 2013 the Commission voted and approved a motion to send a recommendation to the Mayor that he hire a two-member litigation team plus a legal clerk for the County Attorney’s office for Fiscal Year 2014-2015, which was approved by the County Council. Ms. Morikami stated whatever the Commission decides at this meeting, the Office of Boards and Commissions would make the necessary arrangements to have the experts present at the Commission’s meetings so the Commissioners can familiarize themselves with the process and ask relevant questions to try to figure out ways to streamline or cut county cost. Ms. Yamashita stated that people out in the community have been asking questions about the county’s recycling program relative to the cost efficiency of the recycling program and what the real costs are. Chair Whitfield questioned if the community wanted to start to a Green Waste Recycling Program would it be curbside pick-up, if yes, would there any additional cost for the county or would the people have to haul their green waste to a centralized location themselves. Ms. Nakashima stated that she would like to see a cost analysis report on the county’s garbage pick- up program because it seemed to her it was very expensive to implement. Chair Whitfield shared Kaua‘i Cost Control Commission Regular Open Session Minutes of July 10, 2017 Page 3 SUBJECT DISCUSSION ACTION that some mainland communities offer curbside disposal and recycling for residential unlike Kaua‘i where the residents would have to take all of their recyclables to the various locations throughout the island which can be very time consuming. Which brings up his next question, what are the business doing with the 1cent for each bottle or can they sell. Ms. Yamashita stated that from what she understands the 1 cent these business are retaining is not enough to cover the cost to operate the recycling program, and as a result many of those businesses found themselves having to shut down which is what occurred at the Līhu‘e location. In regard to bidding for the contract, she doesn’t have any knowledge on how the bidding process works. Ms. Morikami stated that the right people who can provide an overview of the county’s recycling program including the four (4) transfer stations is the Director of Public Works and the person in charge of the solid waste division. She asked if the Commission wants to get a better understanding on how the county’s recycling program works, she can make the necessary arrangements to have them present at the next Commission’s meeting, but it’s up to the Commissioners. Ms. Hashizume stated that she’s more interested in hearing about centralizing payroll and purchasing. Ms. Yamashita stated that she’s also interested in hearing about what the counties efficiencies are and services that have not been automated within the county structure. For example, not being able to pay your water bill online is a service that could save the consumer time and money and yield some cost savings for the county. Mr. Bracken mentioned that it would help the county with its collections and billing and in the process would make things easier for the consumer to pay their bill, but most importantly it would save the county money because it would eliminate the paperwork and postal cost. Chair Whitfield noted that more and more people are making payments using the apps on their smart phones. He questioned if the county has the capabilities to do that because it could represent more savings for the county. Kaua‘i Cost Control Commission Regular Open Session Minutes of July 10, 2017 Page 4 SUBJECT DISCUSSION ACTION Mr. Chong stated that he liked the idea of having a link on the Department of Water website because it’s the only bill he cannot pay online. Chair Whitfield noted that he can’t pay his sewer bill online as well. Ms. Yamashita stated that you can pay your sewer bill either by check or credit card but you have to pay a processing fee. Ms. Yamashita asked if the county’s IT system and how it’s structured is headed by one department to which Ms. Morikami replied yes. Mr. Chong asked if the county’s payroll is computerized or is everything done manually to which Ms. Morikami replied, although the county have converted its payroll into a computerized system the departments are manually doing their own payroll whereas, if there was a centralized payroll everything would be done in a common area. Chair Whitfield stated despite of the one-time cost to implement an automated timecard system it benefit the county in the long run. Mr. Chong asked in the past if there were any discussion on automating the county’s timecard system to which Ms. Morikami replied, not since she’s been with the county. She noted not everyone who works for the county have a checking account. Chair Whitfield asked out of the three (3) suggestions that were offered which one would the Commission like to look at first or would the Commission like to take on all three (3) suggestions at the next meeting. Ms. Morikami suggested that the Commission should prioritize rather than take all three (3) suggestions at one time to which Chair Whitfield replied, he would leave it up to his fellow Commissioners to decide. Ms. Hashizume stated that at the Commission’s next meeting she would like some insight into the county’s technology and how it’s structured because it goes hand-in-hand with centralizing payroll and purchasing. The Commissioners agreed. At 2:00 p.m. Vice Chair Rodighiero entered the meeting. Chair Whitfield gave Vice Chair Rodighiero a recap of the Commission’s discussion on possible topics to review at the next meeting to improve cost savings efficiencies in the county. Kaua‘i Cost Control Commission Regular Open Session Minutes of July 10, 2017 Page 5 SUBJECT DISCUSSION ACTION Vice Chair Rodighiero stated that speaking of cost savings it would benefit the consumer by using their smart phones to pay their bills but it usually comes with a processing fee but the fee is small compared to what it would cost the county in labor. He added relative to paying a bill online is the Commission requesting someone from the Department of Water to be present at the next meeting. Ms. Morikami stated that relative to paying your water bill online, the Department of Water is semi- autonomous so she’s not sure whether or not it can be implemented into the county’s IT system, but it’s good question to ask the head of the county’s IT Department. First Deputy County Attorney Matthew Bracken added that the DOW has its own IT Department as well. With no further discussion, Chair Whitfield called for a motion to request the presence of Chief Engineer and Manager of the Water Department Kurt Saiki and the head of the county’s IT Department Del Sherman to be present at the Commission’s next meeting in August. Chair Whitfield asked if an invitation should be extended to the Human Resources Department as well as the Purchasing Department to get their input on centralizing payroll and purchasing. Ms. Nakashima stated that it would be better to have only (2) people at the next meeting in case, one doesn’t show up or cannot attend the next meeting. Vice Chair Rodighiero noted that perhaps it would better to take the IT Department first that way the Commission could focus on the technology aspect and who knows the Commissioners might learn more than expected instead of bringing someone else completely different. Chair Whitfield noted in the future there are two items he would like to review. The first item is the county’s recycling program because people in the community have concerns about it, and secondly, he would like to review the county’s new budget to see how the money is being utilized. Ms. Omo noted that the county’s new fiscal year for 2017-2018 can be found online but she’ll forward the link to the Commissioners to review at their leisure and then late, place it on a future agenda for discussion. Ms. Yamashita moved to request that the Department of Water Chief Engineer and Manager Kurt Saiki attend the Commission’s next meeting in August to discuss the possibility of offering services to the consumer so they can pay their water bill online. And the County’s IT Manager, Del Sherman to provide an overview on how the County’s IT system is structured with the idea of looking for ways to that the Cost Control Commission might be able to recommend adoption of certain IT policies and strategies that result in more efficiency and cost savings for the County. Vice Chair Rodighiero seconded the motion. The motion carried 6:0. Kaua‘i Cost Control Commission Regular Open Session Minutes of July 10, 2017 Page 6 SUBJECT DISCUSSION ACTION Announcements Next meeting – 1:30 p.m. on Monday, August 14, 2017, at the Mo’ikeha Building, Meeting Room 2A/2B. Adjournment With no further business to conduct, Chair Whitfield called for a motion to adjourn the meeting. Ms. Yamashita moved to adjourn the meeting. Ms. Hashizume seconded the motion. The motion carried 6:0. At 2:16 p.m. the meeting adjourned. Submitted by: __________________________________ Reviewed and Approved by: _________________________________________ Mercedes Omo, Staff Support Clerk James Whitfield, Chair (x) Approved as circulated on August 14, 2017 ( ) Approved as amended. See minutes of ___________ meeting.