County building codes and permitting processes top a priority list of six areas of local government the Cost of Government Commission plans to take a more in-depth look at.
The commission, meeting Thursday, assigned volunteer members to six permitted interaction groups to gather more information and ultimately come back with recommendations to “promote economy, efficiency and improved service in the transaction of the public business,” as required by the county charter.
The members of the first group are charged with exploring ways in the Building Division to make communication more efficient between members of the Department of Public Works with each other and the public, examine ways to streamline permitting process, examine county codes and their impact on efficiency; analyze permitting costs and explore permitting exemptions.
Public Works has been in the spotlight for the past year, when the Building Division’s transition to a computerized permitting system created long delays and extensive backlogs in building permits. The department is currently without a permanent director, after Ikaika Rodenhurst abruptly left the department June 14. The Building Division has been under an acting chief for many months.
Rodenhurst had appeared twice before the commission, acknowledging hiccups in the system, but saying progress was being made.
Commission Chairman Michael Konowicz, whose own permits were delayed, said the public’s patience was wearing out.
“Whenever I talk with people about the commission, very often people raise permitting issues as their No. 1 waster of time and money,” Konowicz told Rodenhurst in April.
The commission is charged with investigating the organizations and methods of operations of all departments, commissions, boards, offices and other aspects of all branches of the county government and determine what changes, if any, may be desirable to accomplish the county’s policy.
The six groups will present status reports at the next meeting, on July 14, but are likely to spend much of the summer pursuing the various investigations.
Other priority areas:
• Information Technology: Explore common databases county-wide; automate forms across county departments; explore ways of reducing or eliminating use of paper, including with County pay checks; explore apps or wireless technology to report and streamline maintenance issues county-wide in real-time; explore standardizing IT equipment used by departments countywide; explore additional digital interactions with county residents and visitors, such as reservations for campsites, beaches, and/or parks.
• Department of Environmental Management: Explore additional ways to bring about cost savings and/or efficiency with green waste and/or recycling; study tire disposal and related costs; study the process involved with dealing with abandoned vehicles; explore ways to reduce county wide waste costs; review expenses and policies related to compliance with state and federal wastewater rules.
• Countywide Fleet Across Functions/Departments: Explore cross-functional fleets, analyze vehicle subsidies within the Police Department and consider new approaches to Police fleet; standardize maintenance of equipment across the county; exploring sharing department/division vehicles with other groups.
• Commissions and Boards: explore possibility of commission/board-wide dedicated support staff; explore possibility of reducing the number of commissions and/or recommend to combine commissions with similar goals or objectives; explore possible reductions or eliminations of budgets for commissions; consider making recommendations on changing Cost of Government Commission timing and terms; explore IT related technology platforms that could be shared across commissions and boards such as virtual meeting technology.
• Revenue Generation: examine park/beach fees and/or subsidies for endeavors such as golf; explore selling items at county facilities like the zoo; explore the viability of selling advertising on/in county assets; explore renting access to community assets such as unused vehicles; explore monetizing other county property, such as rock at landfill.
Email Nancy Cook Lauer at ncook-lauer@westhawaiitoday.com.
