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Home My WebLink AboutFY 2023 (Planning Department)THE DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING FY 2023 BUDGET AND OPERATIONS SYNOPSIS Ka`aina Hull Director Department: PLANNING Fund: GENERAL FUND 1. FY 2022 to FY 2023 BUDGET COMPARSION Fund: GENERAL FUND Department: PLANNING FY 2022 FY 2023 $ + / - % + / - Salary and Wages 1,739,933 1,749,566 9,633 0.6% Benefits 1,065,868 1,178,198 112,330 10.5% Utilities 0 0 0 0.0% Vehicle/Equip, Lease 1 1 0 0.0% Operations 287,218 284,018 -3,200 -1.1% 3,093,020 3,211,783 118,763 3.8% FY 2022 Operating Budget 0% ■ Salary and Oo�l 9% Wages ■ Benefits 35% Utilities ■ Vehicle/Equip, Lease FY 2023 Operating Budget 0% 0% ■ Salary and _ 9% Wages 1 ■ Benefits 37% 54% Utilities ■ Vehicle/Equip, Lease FY 2022 and FY 2023 Comparison 2,000,000 1,800,000 1,600,000 1,400,000 1,200,000 1,000,000 0 FY 2022 800,000 0 FY 2023 600,000 400,000 200,000 0 Salary and Benefits Utilities Vehicle/Equip, Operations Wages Lease 1 2. MAJOR CHANGES AND/OR VARIANCES IN OPERATIONS BUDGET The Department's FY 2023 budget request reflects an increase of $118,763 or 3.8% from the FY 2022 Budget. The FY 2022 Operating budget was at $3,093,020 and the proposed FY 2023 Budget is $3,211,783. Highlights of the changesto our FY 2023 operational budget are as follows: Increase in Salaries and Wages by $9,632. The increase in funding is due to Positions that were $1 Funded and 6-month funding in FY 2022 and are now being fully funded in our FY 2023 Budget. Additional changes in our Salaries from FY 2022 included the retirement and resignation of personnel which has resulted in lowering these positions to entry level salaries and also 9-month funding these positions in our FY 2023 Budget. Position No. 2008 remains $1 Funded in our FY 2023. Increase in Fringe Cost by $112,330; Reduction of $3,200 in Other Services; and There are no new positions proposed for the FY 2023 Budget. 3. OPERATIONAL CHALLENGES a. Maintaining level of Service to the public during the COVID Pandemic while practicing social distancing: Over the past year the County has been able to use technology in order to adapt our operations and service delivery to the public during the COVID 19 pandemic. Advances in technology, such as VPN Remote Access, has allowed the Department to continue and/or maintain a level of service for issuance of permits and dissemination of information to the public, while maintaining social distancing and safety for the public and Department staff. As the Department staff and community continues to receive vaccinations for the COVID virus, we anticipate operational challenges in planning for a return to services by returning Department staff to the county offices and maintaining some form of social distancing and safety measures to reduce the threat of spread of the virus. With the limited office space available, we perceive this to be a challenge and continue to develop plans and options to address this problem. To note, we have also found that via the teleworking system, our permit technicians average twice as many building permit and zoning application reviews and actions than under the previous in -office (pre-COVID) system. Once we are all able to fully return to our office, and recognizing there will always be a need for in -office personnel from a customer service basis, the department does intend to utilize teleworking as a unique tool where appropriate (such as with the permit technicians) and within the approvals of our Administration, Human Resource Department, and our Collective Bargaining Agreements. b. E-Plan and Land Information Management System: The ePlan review program has greatly assisted in moving projects through the County Building permit system especially during this COVID pandemic. The County recognizes a need for an accompanying integrated land management system and has hired a consultant firm to assist the county with this initiative. Over the past year the Department 2 has worked with the Land Information Management System (LIMS) Consultant on creating an integrated solution for the County toward the goal of paperless process to work with the LIMS system and the EPlan system. The Department is nearing completion of the electronic Zoning Permit Application process and anticipates rolling out the project in a few months. The Department will also work the LIMS Consultant and IT Division to migrate its existing data over to the LIMS System. 4. TOP 3 OPERATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS FROM FY 2022 a. Commencement/Launch of the Climate Adaptation Plan The Planning Department contracted with Raimi + Associates to complete a County Climate Adaptation Plan. The plan will combine established best practice on climate planning with broader resilience planning to help Kauai adapt to an uncertain future. The plan will analyze the County's vulnerability to climate change and provide recommendations to build resiliency into County policies, programs, and investment across multiple sectors. Most importantly, it provides an opportunity to engage with the community to establish a collaborative, long-term roadmap for equitable, sustainable adaptation. The Climate Adaptation Plan will include: (1) an island -wide hazard, risk, and vulnerability assessment, (2) development of community resiliency themes, (3) development resiliency strategies, including a managed retreat framework, (4) development of specific adaptation actions for communities and infrastructure, and (5) a final report. The process shall include extensive community outreach, education, and engagement in all phases. This Fiscal Year, the project team has completed the following tasks: • Launched an interactive project website • Convened a Technical Advisory Group (TAG) to discuss background data • Worked with the consultant to deliver (1) Climate Hazards White Paper, and (2) Kauai Vulnerability and Social Equity Assessment • Developed a robust public process including a youth engagement program • Conducted over 25 stakeholder and small group interviews. b. Waimea 400 In 2019, the County of Kaua'i purchased a 417-acre property from the Kikia'ola Land Company Ltd. In 2020, the Planning Department launched the process to create a community -based master plan process for Waimea 400. The department hired the planning, design, and landscape architecture firm, PBR HAWAII, to assist in developing a plan that honors both the community's desires and the unique characteristics of the property. Pursuant to the terms of the purchase, a small portion of the property will be designed to accommodate housing needs for the community. This master plan is the culmination of the knowledge, ideas, and input from the community, agencies, and resource partners from September of 2020 through September of 2021. The master plan process consisted of two general phases: (1) gathering and 3 sharing information about the parcel; and (2) using this information to determine future uses and site design for the Waimea 400 parcel. Over the past year, the project team sought community input and feedback using online platforms due to COVID-19 restrictions. The Planning Department employed innovative outreach strategies: virtual and interactive meetings, "pop-up events", youth design contests, social media outreach, an interactive "Story Map," comment collection boxes, and a website portal containing detailed information on the project. The County also partnered with the Waimea Library to provide limited in -person talk stories pursuant to the County's gathering restrictions. The final conceptual plan focuses on the priorities identified by the community: housing, paths, recreation, agriculture, community gardens, community amenities, and drainage improvements. The map also implements an adaptive approach to deal with the area's existing federal wetland designation and projected sea level rise impacts, such as passive flooding. Five zones are identified across which the desired activities could be sited and phased overtime. C. Enforcement of Illegal Transient Vacation Rental Operations. The Planning Department continues to actively monitor the world wide web and take decisive action against illegal vacation rentals operating on Kauai. In the summer of2020, the County of Kauai became the first municipality in the nation to enter into a voluntary compliance program with TVR third -party host platforms when we signed memorandums of understanding (MOUs) with Airbnb and Expedia (the parent company for VRBO and Homeaway). These two companies constitute 70 percent of Kauai's vacation rental market share. Through these MOUs, all TVRs advertising on these global platforms are required to list their properties' respective Tax Map Keys (TMKs). On a monthly basis, these platforms share a list of all their operators and their respective TMKs with the Planning Department. The department in turn communicates with the platforms which of the TMKs are invalid or illegal operators and need to be removed from their websites. In addition to the MOUs, we have also secured exclusive access within the state to Airbnb's City Portal program. This program provides our enforcement team with direct access to Airbnb's operators' advertisements and history, with the unique ability to immediately track individual operators and, if necessary, flag for Airbnb to remove. In 2017 there were an estimated 1,500 illegal vacation rentals outside of the Visitor Destination Area. With a combination of pro -active enforcement, litigation, and our MOU partnerships with Expedia and Airbnb, today there are an estimated less than 50 illegal vacation rentals operating outside of the Visitor Destination Area (VDA). 5. REQUIRED UPDATE ON PLANNING ENFORCEMENT ACCOUNT EXPENDITURES: Section 8-3.5 (b) of the Kaua'i County Code, 1987 as amended, establishes a Planning Enforcement Account to assist the Planning Department with enforcement of codes, statutes, and regulations 4 for which it has the authority to enforce. The purpose of the direct appropriation of funds to the Planning Enforcement Account will enable the Planning Department to have funds readily available to perform enforcement responsibilities. All Civil Fines levied and received by the Department shall be deposited into the Planning Enforcement Account. Section 8-3.5 (b) also requires the Planning Department to provide annual report to the Council as part of the Mayor's budget submittal on March 15th of each year. The report provides the expenditures and outcomes of the Planning Enforcement Account within Fund 251. For the period from July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2021, we have collected $43,750 in fines. Section 8-3.5(b) allows the Department to utilize the funds to retain independent contractors to assist with the enforcement of the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance (CZO) and other codes. The Planning Department has expended approximately $88,104 during the FY 2021. Of this total approximately $15,717.92 was spent funding 89-day contract position to assist the Planning Department with the enforcement of the CZO, specifically focusing on codes relating to TVR. In addition, $26,392.64 was used to purchase equipment, supplies, and other services for the Enforcement Division. During this Fiscal Year, the Department also amended the Contract for Services with Host Compliance LLC (Granicus LLC). The amount of the contract was $45,992.58. The Host Compliance/Granicus LLC software has facilitated enforcement efforts of the Enforcement Division in identifying and tracking of illegal transient accommodation rentals in the County of Kaua'i by providing hosted, web based and time sensitive Internet -based Investigation and Tracking Services for Illegal Transient Accommodations. "Transient accommodation" uses may also include reference to transient vacation rentals, TVR, bed and breakfast, B&B, vacation cottage, etc. Pursuant to Section 8-3.5(b), any uncommitted funds in excess $500,000 shall be transferred and deposited into the General Fund at the close of the fiscal year. In August 2021, the balance of the funding was $104,122.50 and there was no funding transferred from the 251 Planning Enforcement Account into the General Fund for FY 2021. 5