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V. DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL SERVICE

Michael R. Ben was appointed Director of Personnel effective June 1, 1992, after serving as Deputy Director of Personnel since October 1988.  Prior to coming to the County, Ben served 14 years with the State Department of Personnel Services.  Certified as a Senior Professional in Human Resources and a member of the local chapter of the Society of Human Resource Management, a worldwide professional organization with over 70,000 members, Ben also serves on the State Board of Directors for the Society, as well as on the Area VI Board of Directors encompassing the southwestern United States, Hawaii, and Guam.

Rodney T. Kaido was appointed Deputy Director of Personnel effective June 1, 1992 after previously serving as the department's labor relations specialist.  Kaido has over 20 years of service with the department, having served in various capacities.

ROLE AND DUTIES

The Department of Civil Service is the central personnel agency for the County of Hawaii. The department's purpose is to develop, maintain, and administer a personnel system based on merit principles and scientific methods governing the classification of positions and the employment, conduct, movement, and separation of public officers and employees.

The merit principles are described in section 76-1, Hawaii Revised Statutes. They are:

STAFF

Besides the director and deputy director of personnel, the department has a staff of 12 permanent full-time positions, one of which has been vacant since September 1992. Departmental staffing also included two students from the Hilo Community College employed under the Cooperative Vocational Education Program.

Other than the Office of the Director, the department is organized into five major functional divisions:

• Administrative and Audit Division

• Classification and Pay

• Labor and Employee Relations

• Personnel Development and Training

• Recruitment and Examination

In addition to the five divisions, two commissions are assigned to the department: the Civil Service Commission and the Salary Commission.

The Civil Service Commission consists of five members appointed by the mayor and confirmed by the council. Members must be in sympathy with and believe in the principles of the merit system.

Commission members and their term expiration dates are:

For calendar year 1997, Mr. Okamura was re-elected chairperson, and Ms. Yagi was re-elected vice chairperson. Ms. Dart served as the commission's Legislative Committee representative with Ms. Yagi serving as the alternate. Ms. Yagi also served as the representative to the Public Employees' Compensation Appeals Board (PECAB) with Mr. Hasegawa serving as the alternate.

As outlined in section 76-12, Hawaii Revised Statutes, the Civil Service Commission serves to:

The commission also serves as the appellate body for appeals filed against actions taken by the director of personnel or any appointing authority on matters within the scope of Chapters 76 and 77, Hawaii Revised Statues. The commission also appoints the director of personnel who serves at the commission's pleasure.

Activities

During FY 1996-1997, the commission held 12 regular meetings, 2 special meetings, and heard and decided on 6 appeals:

Salary Commission

The Salary Commission consists of nine members appointed by the mayor and confirmed by the council. Six members are representatives of the County geographical areas of Puna, Ka'u, Kona, Kohala, Hamakua, and Hilo; and three members are representatives of the County-at-large. During FY 1996-1997, the term of Ms. Gail Walker ended, and Mr. Randolph Kai resigned from the Commission, leaving two vacancies. Commission members and their term expiration dates are:

By County Charter, the director and the deputy director of personnel serve as ex-officio members of the commission in an advisory capacity.

Mr. Gerald Kita serves as the commission's chairperson, Mr. Barry Mizuno as vice chairperson, and Ms. Roberta Cartwright as secretary.

By County Charter, the commission is assigned the task of establishing the salaries for the mayor, the prosecuting attorney, and county council members.

Activities

Section 13-28(d) of the County Charter provides that the " . . . commission shall review and compensate all county elected officials so that their salaries have a reasonable relationship to the salaries of civil service employees, given due consideration for the duties and responsibilities of the officials."

In FY 1996-1997, the commission deferred taking any action on elected officials' salaries; however, it conducted a review of executive salaries at the Mayor's request and submitted a recommendation to the Mayor.

BUDGET

The department's total operating budget for Fiscal Year 1996-1997 was $796,626 itemized as follows:

Ms. Merle M. Egusa serves as the head of the department's Administration and Audit Division. Ms. Egusa, a native of the Big Island, began her career with the County of Hawaii in 1966. She has been with the Department of Civil Service since 1970 and has headed the Administration and Audit Division since 1987.

The Administration and Audit Division administers programs to ensure all personnel actions are in accordance with personnel laws, rules, regulations, collective bargaining agreements, executive orders, and applicable federal laws; is responsible for developing policies and procedures on employee relations matters; administers the county's Flexible Spending Plan; and oversees the county's Leave Sharing Program. It also maintains and updates personnel and position files and data.

Flexible Spending Plan. As a cafeteria plan under section 125 of the Internal Revenue Service Code, the County's Flexible Spending Plan allows participants to pay for health insurance premiums and medical and dependent care expenses with pretax dollars. As a result, participants realize both state and federal income tax savings as well as FICA tax savings. The County realizes FICA tax savings. In Plan Year 1996-97, the County saved approximately $134,900 in FICA taxes. During this period, 1,642 employees participated in the plan.

Major tasks accomplished during Fiscal Year 1996-1997 include:

• Developed interim procedures for reviewing county contracts for services to resolve privatization questions resulting from the Konno decision.

• Processed 6,839 personnel transactions involving appointments, in-service changes, and separations. This figure represents a 36.8% increase in transactions from the previous fiscal year.

• Reviewed and recommended 528 personnel services contracts for appropriate certification for exemption from civil service. This figure represents a 14.4% decrease from the previous fiscal year.

• Provided government service verification for 264 service and retirement award requests. This figure represents a 20% increase over the previous fiscal year.

Ms. Joney Y. Nitahara serves as the head of the department's Classification and Pay Division. Ms. Nitahara is a graduate of the University of Hawaii, Manoa, holding a bachelor's degree in education and 5th year professional diploma in education. She joined the department in May 1987 after working for 11 years in personnel for C. Brewer and Company at Hilo Coast Processing Company and Mauna Kea Agribusiness Co., Inc.

The division administers a classification and pay system based on merit principles and the principle of equal pay for equal work. In doing so, the division conducts audits of positions or units of positions, develops and maintains class specifications, and evaluates classes of positions for assignment to appropriate salary or wage grades.

Major tasks accomplished during Fiscal Year 1996-1997 include:

• Processed 448 classification actions as follows:

1. Initial allocations - 155

2. Reallocations - 181

3. Position redescription reviews - 73

4. New classes established and assigned to appropriate salary ranges - 13

5. Class specifications amended - 26

• As required by Chapter 77, Hawaii Revised Statutes, concluded the biennial review of the pay range assignments for White Collar and Blue Collar Compensation Plans of the State and Counties.

Three requests for repricing of Hawaii County classes of work were received. The Conference of Personnel Directors recommended approval of one request and no change actions for the other two.

• Implemented reorganization of Parks and Recreation, Elderly Activities Division, Recreation Section.

• Established classes of work to implement the Cross Connection Control and Backflow Prevention Program for the Department of Water Supply, Engineering Division, Water Quality Assurance & Control Branch, Environmental Section.

• Implemented temporary reorganization of Department of Water Supply, Operations Division.

• Conducted maintenance review of Department of Water Supply's Construction Inspector positions. Established Waterworks Construction Project Inspector series.

Fiscal Year 1997-1998 projects include:

• Conduct maintenance review of Clerk and Clerk-Typist classes of work and establish one clerical series.

• Conduct maintenance review of Real Property Appraiser classes of work.

• Conduct comprehensive position classification review for Department of Parks and Recreation, Elderly Activities Division.

• Participate in the appeals hearing of the Public Employees Compensation Appeals Board during its review of the White Collar and Blue Collar Compensation Plans, pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 77, Hawaii Revised Statutes.

• Participate in the biennial review of the pay range assignments for the Excluded Managerial Compensation Plans of the State and Counties, pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 77, Hawaii Revised Statutes.

Mr. Ronald K. Takahashi serves as the head of the department's Labor and Employee Relations Division. He assumed the duties of the position in September l992. Mr. Takahashi joined the Department of Civil Service in April l988 as a Personnel Management Specialist II. He was formerly an employee of the Department of Public Works where he served as a Personnel Assistant for four years. Prior to his County employment, Mr. Takahashi worked under the Federal Personnel System with the Farmers Home Administration for five years.

The Labor and Employee Relations Division advises and assists the director on matters relating to public employee collective bargaining and provides staff services to the director who sits as the Mayor's representative at the bargaining table. It is responsible for hearing all Step III appeals of the grievance process and for recommending appropriate dispositions of these grievances to the director.

The division also provides advisory services to line agencies on labor-management matters, including the administration and interpretation of collective bargaining agreements.

Major tasks accomplished during FY 1996-1997 include:

• Provided staff services to the deputy director in the negotiation of a new two-year contract for bargaining unit ll.

• Participated in the negotiations for new two-year contracts for bargaining unit l2. (Negotiations/arbitration for these units not completed during the fiscal year.)

• Provided staff services to the director for the negotiations of a new two-year contract for bargaining unit 2, and for re-openers for bargaining units 3, 4, and l3.

• Heard and recommended dispositions on 26 Step III grievances (see accompanying chart).

• On an on-going basis, updated Personnel, Labor Relations, and Excluded Employee Adjustment manuals.

Negotiations of new contracts for bargaining units 1, 2, 3, 4, l2, and 13, will take place in the new fiscal year.

*Insert graphs "Subject Matter of Grievances Filed," "Step 3 Grievances Heard," "Arbitration Requests Received," and "Arbitration Decisions Rendered FY 96-97."

The position which heads this division is vacant and has been unfilled because of the County's hiring freeze. The division's activities have been dispersed to other staff in the department but primarily to Mr. Ronald Takahashi, head of the Labor and Employee Relations Division.

The Personnel Development and Training Division administers training programs designed to increase employees' fitness for County services. During Fiscal Year 1996-1997, employees participated in the various training programs developed or coordinated by the Training Division:

The division also administers the County's incentive and service awards system and coordinates the County's participation in the Community College's Cooperative Vocational Education (CVE) Program. A total of l8 students participated in the CVE program in l996-1997.

The Division is finalizing arrangements for the implementation of new training programs in FY 1996-1997 in the areas of contract administration, supervisory development, and communication.

Ms. Gabriella M. Cabanas serves as the head of the department's Recruitment and Examination Division. Ms. Cabanas has a wealth of experience in recruitment activities and employment-related counseling, having worked in various professional capacities for 22+ years with the State Department of Labor, State Department of Personnel Services, and with the County of Hawaii, Departments of Public Works and Civil Service. She is a member of the Hawaii Island Portuguese Chamber of Commerce, serves as Chairperson of the Hilo Community School for Adults' Advisory Council, and also serves on the Hawaii Community College Business Education Advisory Council and the School-To-Work Governance Committee for the Hilo Complex. She graduated with honors from the University of Hawaii and St. Joseph High School.

The Recruitment and Examination Division administers the recruitment and examination program for the County of Hawaii to fill all civil service positions. The program is conducted in conformance with federal, state, and local laws.

While the County of Hawaii continues to have a hiring freeze, recruitments were conducted to fill designated positions which the administration gave approval to fill on a permanent or temporary basis.

In Fiscal Year 1996-1997, 5,164 applications were received in response to 98 recruitment announcements to fill County positions.

Forty-three (43) County examinations were developed and administered.

Major tasks accomplished during Fiscal Year 1996-1997 include the following:

• Implemented a computerized applicant management system for the Recruitment & Examination Division. Implemented computerized application forms for County of Hawaii recruitments.

• Advised departments/agencies and County personnel regarding the newly implemented County of Hawaii Violence In The Workplace Procedures and assisted departments and agencies as incidents occurred.

• Planned and coordinated islandwide Violence In The Workplace training for all County of Hawaii employees.

• Planned and coordinated the County's Domestic and Family Abuse Awareness "Brown Bag" Sessions for County employees in Hilo and Kona.

• Conducted recruitment talks for various community organizations and schools on the Island of Hawaii, including the University of Hawaii.

• Participated at various job fairs on the Island of Hawaii.

• Administered 11 written examinations for the state and other county jurisdictions to Big Island residents.

Fiscal Year 1997-1998 projects include:

• Expansion of the computerized applicant management system for the Recruitment & Examination Division. Streamline process to reduce paperwork for departments/agencies and expedite the referral of candidates to departments/agencies in the filling of their vacancies.

• Continue the coordination of Violence In The Workplace training for newly hired County employees.

FISCAL YEAR 1996 - 1997

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