LIHU‘E — Cuts to training and overtime, fewer retirements and vacancies remaining unfilled are among the ways the Kaua‘i Fire Department and its Ocean Safety Bureau will not experience a budget shortfall this upcoming fiscal year.
During preliminary discussions earlier this budget season, former KFD Chief Robert Westerman revealed KFD was $779,000 in the hole going into the new fiscal year due to employee-benefits payouts and other post-employment benefits, according to May 4 Fire Commission meeting minutes.
Acting KFD Chief Solomon Kanoho confirmed the department and bureau will no longer anticipate the projected deficit with significant cuts. The department will be working with a $35,973,624 budget, according to Mayor Derek Kawakami’s supplemental budget submittal.
The department suspended $38,000 in Community Emergency Response Team program funding in addition to cuts to travel and training budgets by 56%, amounting to about $96,801, according to the May 4 Fire Commission meeting minutes.
In place, the department will have a new training program that focuses on training certificates as well as requirements for staff to complete training regimens while on the clock. Additionally, training instructors have been placed on a 40-hour work week schedule.
Staffers will have compensatory time offered to offset overtime costs, and the department plans to reduce the minimum staffing requirements to 33 personnel. The department proposed dollar-funding the deputy fire chief and prevention bureau lieutenant positions (meaning they will likely go unfilled), and proposes two new full-time ocean safety positions.
At the end of this year, there will be three fewer retirements, which significantly lowers projected pension costs. Six more retirements and vacancies will move into the second half of the next fiscal year, saving more money, Kanoho said.
The June Fire Commission meeting will be the first that the public will be able to watch and participate in live. Per Gov. David Ige’s supplemental emergency proclamations that suspended the state’s open-meetings law, Hawai’i Revised Statute 92, meetings have been closed. This meeting will look at overtime usage and the department’s five-year strategic plan.
The public can access the meeting Monday, June 1, at 2 p.m. at Microsoft Teams Audio: +1 469-848-0234, Conference ID: 416 257 212#. Viewers are asked to mute their microphones except when testifying. Those wishing to testify need to register before or after giving their oral testimony.
More information can be found at kauai.gov/Goverment/Boards-and-Commissions/Fire-Commission.
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Sabrina Bodon, public safety and government reporter, can be reached at 245-0441 or sbodon@thegardenisland.com.
Ok here we go, Shame on the Battalion chiefs for trying to shove a new training class that has one of the Chiefs sons in it WOW shame shame shame , that guy needs to retire and stop his dirty back door deals ,you are not fooling the public or the fire departments members THEY the three BC’s are the ones taking all the over time and are the highest paid in the Department, By not hiring thats five positions they could have saved a lot of money on .We are watching every move these guys are doing and they will be exposed to the public .
$35,973,624 budget and they are in the hole. Am I reading this correctly?