LIHU‘E — The Cost Control Commission quietly and without much discussion unanimously approved its 2012 Annual Report during its monthly meeting last week. Some of the commission’s recommendations have passed, while others hit a wall.
“I just want to say, I think it was written beautifully,” Commissioner Sandi Sterker said of the report.
And that was the only discussion on the report before the commission approved it Dec. 10.
The commission was established in 1998 by a Kaua‘i County Charter amendment, with the goal of reducing the cost of government while maintaining a reasonable level of service, according to the report.
“The Cost Control Commission is charged with the responsibility to review and scrutinize personnel costs, real property taxes, travel budgets and contract procedures with the intent of eliminating, consolidating or reducing overlapping or duplicate county services and programs,” the report states.
The report is split into four different categories: taxes, consolidation of Personnel Department functions, energy savings and fees for county parks.
1. Relating to county real property tax exemption.
From June 2011, the commission began looking at property tax exemptions to determine whether to recommend revisions.
During discussions with the staff at the county Real Property Division, the commission was made aware of the county’s bad-check fee and the minimum property tax, and decided that these needed to be raised, according to the report.
The county’s bad-check fee had been set in 1985, at $7,50. The commission found out that the Hawai‘i Revised Statutes allows up to $30 to be charged. A recommendation was made to the Kaua‘i County Council, which in turn approved a bill a few months ago to reflect the commission’s proposal.
Regarding the county’s minimum property taxes, the commission proposed to the council to increase from $25 to $150 the minimum fee charged across the board to Hawaiian homesteaders, disabled veterans, owners of low-valued properties and nonprofit organizations.
For the last few weeks, the council worked on a bill to raise the minimum property taxes. But the bill was received last week, meaning it was shelved without action and therefore did not advance.
The council wanted to split into different categories the taxpayers who pay minimum taxes. Deputy County Attorney Amy Esaki, however, advised the council that such action would change the bill substantially and therefore require a new bill rather than having amendments.
A new proposal, splitting the taxpayers who pay minimum taxes, will likely resurface at the council in the upcoming weeks, though it is unlikely it will affect taxpayers in the next fiscal year, which starts July 1.
2. County staff training and consolidation of Personnel functions.
In May 2011, the commission recommended that the administration to conduct an internal review to determine the feasibility and cost implications of establishing consolidating the personnel functions of the various county departments into the county Department of Personnel Services, according to the report.
In June 2011, Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. established a Human Resources Task Force, with five members. The task force spent 11 months doing its due diligence, and in May, the task force published a report with its findings and recommendations.
The report was presented to the council, to the administration and to the Cost Control, Civil Service and Charter Review commissions.
The task force report made several findings regarding the consolidating and taking several core functions out of individual administrative departments and centralizing it under the Department of Personnel Services.
According to some of these findings, such changes would improve capacity and capability, eliminate duplication of services, improve service, increase responsiveness, decrease cost, reduce legal claims against the county and expand the range of functions among other benefits.
From August, the physical and functional transition of the consolidation began, and by the end of 2012 it will be completed, according to the report.
3. Update in county energy savings.
The county Wastewater Division is in the process of negotiating an energy savings contract that could bring significant savings for Wailua, Lihu‘e and ‘Ele‘ele plants, according to the report. Construction could begin early next year.
Other Public Works Department facilities are being studied for efficient retrofits, the report states. Meanwhile, the county still uses a 2007 Energy Study as it develops a more comprehensive internal energy plan.
Earlier this year, a Staff Level Green Team was formed to stimulate a “bottom-up” change in awareness about energy savings and other sustainable practices that could be incorporated into county operations, according to the report.
“This Green Team has selected several small but impactful projects to work on that help create awareness among employees regarding waste management, energy conservation, etc.,” the report states.
4. Fees for county parks and recreational facilities.
The commission requested from County Parks and Recreation Lenny Rapozo an update of the fees charged for the use of county parks and recreational facilities, according to the report.
Rapozo indicated that in 2007, a proposal to increase fees and deposits did not pass.
“The (Parks and Recreation) Department decided that due to the economic conditions on Kaua‘i, it is deferring any recommendation of increases at this time,” the report states.
After a presentation from Rapozo and based on his recommendations, the commission decided not to propose increases in fees and deposits charged to the public, according to the report.
Visit www.kauai.gov and click on Boards and Commissions, and then on Cost Control Commission for the full report attached to the commission’s Dec. 10 meeting agenda.
• Léo Azambuja, staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 252) or lazambuja@ thegardenisland.com.
