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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMemo Budget Review Follow-Up 03-27-2020AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER COUNTY COUNCIL OFFICE OF THE COUNTY CLERK Arryl Kaneshiro, Chair Ross Kagawa, Vice Chair Jade K. Fountain-Tanigawa, County Clerk Arthur Brun Scott K. Sato, Deputy County Clerk Mason K. Chock Felicia Cowden Luke A. Evslin Telephone: (808) 241-4188 KipuKai Kuali‘i Facsimile: (808) 241-6349 E-mail: cokcouncil@kauai.gov Council Services Division 4396 Rice Street, Suite 209 Līhu‘e, Kaua‘i, Hawai‘i 96766 MEMORANDUM March 30, 2020 TO: Reiko Matsuyama, Director of Finance Ken M. Shimonishi, Budget Administrator FROM: Arryl Kaneshiro, Committee of the Whole Chair RE: FISCAL YEAR 2020-2021 BUDGET FOLLOW-UP QUESTIONS FROM THE MARCH 27, 2020 DEPARTMENTAL BUDGET REVIEWS Attached are the follow-up questions from the March 27, 2020 Departmental Budget Reviews. A response by April 1, 2020 is requested. Should you need additional time to respond, please notify Council Services Staff and keep in mind that the Council will need the responses in advance of the Council’s Decision-Making process. Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact me or Council Services Staff at 241-4188. JA:ss Attachment cc: Michael A. Dahilig, Managing Director Fiscal Year 2020-2021 Budget File 1 All Departments (or the Department of Finance may submit a consolidated response) 1. In light of the cancelation of Budget Reviews, please assist the Council by providing a department-by-department reasoning and clear justification for any significant adds or cuts to any individual budgets (i.e., changes of 5% or more from the prior fiscal year). Additionally, even if the budget is flat from last year, please explain whether significant costs remain justified in light of COVID-19. 2. Please explain whether requested Capital Improvement Projects (CIP) remain justified in light of COVID-19 and whether any proposed CIP projects can be deferred. 3. For ALL Departments: a. Please confirm the number of current position vacancies, if any, that you have. b. For all vacancies, please describe (in more than a few words) the current recruitment effort, if any. For example, please explain in further detail any Recruitment Status description already provided by Human Resources in the Vacancy Report of March 15, 2020 such as “Recruiting,” “Continuous,” “Interview / Background,” “List Established,” et cetera. In your explanation, please provide important details such as: when recruitment started, what stage the recruitment is at, and the earliest date you expect the position to be filled or the new hire to start work. c. For any vacancies that are not currently in recruitment (i.e., “No Activity”), please provide the date you intend to initiate recruitment, how long you anticipate recruitment taking, and the earliest date you expect the position to be filled or the new hire to start work. Office of the Mayor 1. Regarding Regular Salaries, Position Number 9051, proposed to be reallocated from Program Admin Officer II (page 181) to Deputy Managing Director (page 4), why is the position noted as “ORD”? Would this position need to be added to the salary-setting process effectuated by Resolution of the Salary Commission? Additionally, would the position number need to be changed from 9051 to something like “E-##”? 2. Considering the current situation with COVID-19, what types of policies does the Administration plan to implement in the next fiscal year to reduce expenses (no hiring of vacant positions, furloughs, reductions in travel policies, strict overtime guidelines, et cetera)? 3. Please provide a list of how the $100,000 in Grant-In-Aid was awarded or is being awarded out in the current Fiscal Year 2019-2020 and for the prior Fiscal Year 2018-2019? 4. Please continue to explore increased financial assistance from federal moneys, such as Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) moneys. 2 Office of Boards & Commissions 1. What are the new pilot initiatives that your Office anticipates taking on in the next year? 2. Regarding the Budget Narrative provided, please explain the description, purpose, and responsibilities of the proposed “Traffic Safety Council.” How did this proposed council come about? Will the County now be reconsidering its formation based on our forecasted diminished fiscal situation caused by COVID-19? 3. The Department of Human Resources is still handing the recruitment process for the hiring of the Fire Chief, correct? If not, why not? Revenue Forecasting 1. Regarding Revenues from Investment, why is there such a large increase compared to the prior year and does the Administration expect this number to change in the Mayor’s Supplemental Budget Communication? 2. What major changes in revenue should the County expect with the COVID-19 crisis? Please provide an advance idea of what the new numbers will look like in the Mayor’s Supplemental Budget Communication (G.E. Tax, Highway Fund items, Sewer Fund, Golf fees, et cetera). Please provide a detailed breakdown by Fund and a total overall change in revenue for the Operating Budget. 3. When can we expect to get a clearer revenue forecast from the State Council on Revenues? How severely do we anticipate TAT and GET to be reduced? Please provide the Council with any updates between now and May 8, 2020? 4. Do you anticipate any layoffs or furloughs as a result of the anticipated drastic decrease in revenues? Real Property Taxes & Other Fees 1. What kind of impact does the Administration expect COVID-19 to have on the County’s real property tax (RPT) revenues? Does the Administration still plan for and anticipate an $11.9 million increase? Does the Administration anticipate that the County may need to raise the RPT rates on any other categories in addition to Residential Investor? Please provide any updates on the County’s forecasted RPT Revenues between now and May 8, 2020? 2. What kind of impact does the Administration expect COVID-19 to have on the County’s Other Revenues? Does the Administration still plan to increase the contribution from the General Fund to the Housing Development Fund by $1.8 million? If not, what is the plan? Does the Administration still plan to contribute $779,000 to the Public Access Fund? If not, what is the plan? Please provide any updates on the County’s forecasted Other Revenues between now and May 8, 2020? 3 3. Do you anticipate that the County may need to consider raising any other fees in order for those programs to continue? Please provide any updates on the County’s Other Fees between now and May 8, 2020? Department of Human Resources & Human Resources Reports 1. Your Budget Narrative references working with other jurisdictions that are also not in compliance with the Employees’ Retirement System (ERS) reporting requirements in order to draft legislation to extend the deadline for compliance. How is that going? Does the County have the support and help of Kaua‘i’s four State Legislators? Is there anything Councilmembers can do to help (e.g., perhaps advocate by writing letters or making phone calls)? 2. Please provide a “Schedule of Trainings” of all safety, equipment, driver, and other trainings provided by Human Resources over the past nine (9) months (since 07/01/2019)? Please be sure to include the basic information, such as: Name of training, Training Instructor or Company used (if any), Date of training, Number of workers who attended training, et cetera. Please also include trainings already planned for the future with the number of workers you anticipate to attend each training. 3. For your reference, please be advised that all Departments that have submitted budget presentations to the Council are being asked to respond to the following question: “For each department: Please confirm the number of current position vacancies, if any, that you have. For any vacancies, please describe (in more than a few words) the current recruitment effort, if any. For example, please explain in further detail any Recruitment Status description already provided by Human Resources in the Vacancy Report of March 15, 2020 such as “Recruiting,” “Continuous,” “Interview/Background,” “List Established,” et cetera. In your explanation, please provide important details such as: when recruitment started, what stage the recruitment is at, and the earliest date you expect the position to be filled or the new hire to start work. For any vacancies that are not currently in recruitment (i.e., “No Activity”), please provide the date you intend to initiate recruitment, how long you anticipate recruitment taking, and the earliest date you expect the position to be filled or the new hire to start work.” So, in addition to providing your own Department’s answer to this question for the Payroll Specialist II position vacancy that the Vacancy Report shows you have, you will probably be asked by other departments to help with the details regarding their vacancies. Our hope is that they will be able to provide important further details on their positions’ “Recruitment Status” that were not provided in the Vacancy Report. This information is important to the Council’s budget deliberation process; otherwise, we would not ask. Mahalo nui loa for your work in providing this information and assisting all departments to do the same.