But Harris retains a controversial
plan to merge Budget and Finance

By Gordon Y.K. Pang
Star-Bulletin

Five City Council members this morning agreed to support a revised reorganization plan for the city proposed by Mayor Jeremy Harris.

Significantly less grand than Harris' original plan, the five Council members and the mayor praised it as a good compromise.

The compromise includes restoring roughly 58 "warm body" jobs, totaling about $1.5 million, previously slated for layoffs. While not formally part of the reorganization, Harris' "reduction in force" has been closely associated.

"We have, I think, now a very strong package and one that's going to allow us to reorganize the city, make it more efficient and give the very best service to our customers," Harris said at a press conference with the five Council members standing behind him.

He said he'll fund the positions if the Council members can "show me the money."

"I can tell you without equivocation that we have the money," Council Budget Chairman John Henry Felix said this morning.

Council members Mufi Hannemann, Rene Mansho, Andy Mirikitani and Jon Yoshimura were the others who signed a resolution on the revamped reorganization plan.

The key changes agreed to this morning:

An Office of Customer Services under the mayor's office would take the place of a proposed Department of Customer Services. Though the plan remains relatively the same, the existing Office of Information and Complaint would take on the additional duties of motor vehicle registration, drivers' licensing, and permits and licenses.

The existing Data Systems Department would become the Office of Technology Information under the mayor's office. The original plan called for it to be under the new Budget and Finance Department.

The new Office of Economic Development would include the housing community incentives function, a function previously proposed under the Department of Community Services. Further, the sports coordinator post, now held by Sid Fernandez, would fall under the Office of Economic Development. It is now with the Building Department.

Reporting duties of the Civil Defense Agency would fall under the mayor though it would still be grouped with the new Emergency Services Department.

Proposed posts for a chief of facilities, and chief of budget and finance have been eliminated.

The most significant change in the original plan that remains is the merger between the Budget and Finance departments. Some City Hall observers are predicting that issue will remain the key battleground.

Meanwhile, Harris said, a Charter Commission is being convened to look at the portions of the reorganization plan that require amendments to the City Charter.

The commission will need to come up with amendments for voters to consider by September in order to make the November General Election ballot.

Hannemann, Yoshimura and others said restoring positions was a key reason they embrace the reworked plan. In essence, all "warm-body" jobs will likely be kept except 28 positions in the Department of Housing and Community Development, which remains on the chopping block.

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50 seek Council
budget support

Their requests will be considered
by members of the Budget Committee

By Mary Adamski
Star-Bulletin

Ho'oipo DeCambra asked the City Council to share her vision for transformation of the abandoned Cornet Store in Makaha into the home for Ho'omau Ke Ola rehabilitation program for drug and alcohol abusers.

Sports enthusiasts whose games of choice ranged from tennis to softball to boxcar racing and even cricket urged Council members to give them their fields of dreams at a proposed $76 million Waiola recreation complex.

They were among almost 50 speakers at a Council hearing last night who were focused on keeping or adding their own specific item to the city budget. The Council Budget Committee will begin this week to apply its own visions to Mayor Jeremy Harris' proposed $1.052 billion operating budget and $344 million construction budget.

Council members expressed some encouragement to the parade of social and community agencies seeking some government support, but they weren't as sympathetic to even greater numbers of sports organization speakers backing Harris' plans for the Central Oahu sports complex.

"There are homeless shelters begging our help . . . and it's a time we are facing layoffs," said Council member Donna Mercado Kim. "Do you think it is the city's responsibility to find the space for all these activities? If we say yes to boxcar racing, we'd have to say yes to every other."

Council member Duke Bainum commented: "The mayor has not purchased the land with the money we gave him last year. Before we spend $76 million, we will need some concrete market analysis."

Kim pointed out that 20 percent of the capital budget goes to pay debt service "and that goes on for years."

City housing administrator Pat Tompkins was one of few who spoke about the mayor's plan to eliminate about 300 city positions -- including 151 layoffs -- to help offset a shortfall in revenues. Tompkins, one of those to be laid off, criticized putting contract workers' salaries and equipment purchases in the capital budget, which is financed through bond issues. "You shouldn't be spending for 20 years for something that's going to burn up in five years. If you've got to cut $10 million, debt service is a good place to look."

Kailua Neighborhood Board member Terry Carroll proposed cutting public relations specialists and clerks from the Neighborhood Commission office which, he said, "is top heavy. It would streamline the office."

Carolyn Walthers pleaded for funding of a second vehicle for the Palolo fire station. The Palolo Neighborhood Board member grew tearful as she recalled the Oct. 15 fire that killed seven family members. "We have the oldest neighborhood on this rock," she said of the high percentage of senior citizens in the east Honolulu valley. "We are worthy of a second vehicle."

Kim said "this is where we have to place our priorities before we do a sports complex. This is where we're charged by the City Charter to provide services."