[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6280595,"mediaKeyId","2613118-5f71f8e96cc7973271f6bf52a57dbaf8","parentId",2613118,"title","Enterprise Services presents flat $30.48M operating request; seeks $14.3M CIP for concert hall, golf irrigation and zoo improvements","audioSeconds",3899,"startMs",4232000,"endMs",8131000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2613118-5f71f8e96cc7973271f6bf52a57dbaf8&start=4232&end=8131","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2613118-5f71f8e96cc7973271f6bf52a57dbaf8/thumbnail_4232000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6280595/Honolulu-City/Honolulu-County/Hawaii/Enterprise-Services-presents-flat-3048M-operating-request-seeks-143M-CIP-for-concert-hall-golf-irrigation-and-zoo-improvements","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6280595-c1df9f420fe145aa393b9ca52df21573/orig.mp4?Expires=1770436914&Signature=C7qtFWKU~hKQpxpGmtLWFnV054rmBMir038flXCrZmT6iEcR43WTHJlT4pPvSQHqhha8yYT9fQ-numUFOiLIYhPOYAqs8zSHSutwdu6qBuqxdN3m1MKqVji4Tnti-rT61hQt~2QFFOYZRENM6ComwzYb7O6XKbcfTPOlVg4Ip9vKVk7QzGZz-HlOv2trIfQhwA4jjby5D8tY4F6bjvJQbyyYMAWmWDnlUJ3j-3VPalvxAaWTrkP4rJ6VBNAxgnFl96408pTXu4XN3zOS-n5-Kt1RBnPPtJcyMx95tB6j-hPODQ-10QqH-3wKk~TqYvsm6sCs5f1dQHIa4A-GIHmzXQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Honolulu, HI","date","2025-03-08T05:20:36Z","article","The Budget Committee resumed to hear the Department of Enterprise Services’ (DES) FY26 presentation, where Director Dita Hollyfield said DES is seeking a flat operating budget of $30,480,000, projected revenue gains, and several CIP projects aimed at safety, accessibility and infrastructure upgrades.

The briefing matters because DES operates revenue‑generating city assets — auditoriums, municipal golf courses, the Honolulu Zoo and concessions — and its CIP and contract decisions affect tourism, recreation and city revenues.

DES said its operating budget request remains essentially unchanged year‑to‑year, funded from dedicated special funds for golf, auditoriums and zoo operations. The department requested $562,400 in equipment (a 52.7% increase) to replace aging golf course mowers, rollers and other items, and sought $14,300,000 in CIP funding for projects including concert‑hall front‑of‑house work, golf irrigation replacement and zoo upgrades.

Director Hollyfield highlighted several CIP and project requests: a $6.6 million front‑of‑house phase 2 for the Neil S. Blaisdell concert hall to complete ADA, plumbing and lobby upgrades; roughly $3.18 million for municipal golf (including $3.0 million to convert Ala Wai irrigation to non‑potable water); and multiple Honolulu Zoo requests — $400,000 for design of a Hawaii Islands exhibit, $1,585,000 for exhibit and infrastructure improvements, and $2,410,000 to construct a new animal holding facility adjacent to the veterinary clinic.

On operations and revenues, DES reported projected revenue growth of $1,000,400 for FY26. The auditoriums division expects higher receipts from the reopening of the Tom Moffitt Waikiki Shell and the Blaisdell concert hall; the golf division projects an 11.3% increase (about $1,270,000) based on intensified marketing and digital campaigns that drove strong recent weekly revenues at Muckalena (a single week produced $77,000). The zoo expects modest increases tied to a new concessions contract that will add online ticketing.

Hollyfield told the committee DES had 41 vacancies as of February 1; the department said it had filled 13 of those and planned to reorganize or reallocate 10 before filling, with 13 of the remaining 28 to be filled by July 1 and the rest in FY26. Overtime requests total $363,500 to maintain seven‑day coverage and holiday staffing.

The committee asked DES about strategies to grow revenues. Hollyfield described a suite of marketing tools — digital ads, geofencing, keyword buys and a radio program — and a proposed revision to the venue rental fee structure to create tiered pricing that can attract larger promoters and better acts. She also described a concessions pilot that, if approved by purchasing and administration, would allow DES to prioritize a set of concessions for expedited, longer‑term contracts (she said the department is pursuing three‑ to ten‑year arrangements in some cases) and to award certain concessions with more direct sign‑off to speed solicitations.

Council members pressed about specific items: safety and ADA repairs at the Blaisdell (including an estimated $300,000 cost discussed for a replaced basketball court), the timetable for new golf equipment (roughly six months after purchase), and zoo water and enclosure repairs tied to USDA and AZA standards. Hollyfield said she will travel to AZA meetings and continues to coordinate work sequencing with the Department of Design and Construction to minimize disruptions to operations.

DES presented no formal motions or votes; the department’s CIP and operating requests will be considered in the broader FY26 budget process.

For evidence on specific line items, DES identified the equipment request ($562,400), the Blaisdell front‑of‑house $6,600,000 request, the golf Ala Wai irrigation $3,000,000 request within a $3.18 million golf CIP request, the zoo design and construction figures, and projected revenue and vacancy figures listed above.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","2025-03-13 Special Budget Briefing","oneSentenceSummary","The Budget Committee resumed to hear the Department of Enterprise Services’ (DES) FY26 presentation, where Director Dita Hollyfield said DES is seeking a flat operating budget of $30,480,000, projected revenue gains, and several CIP projects aimed at safety, accessibility and infrastructure upgrades.","taxTitle","Honolulu City, Honolulu County, Hawaii","taxId",61746,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6280600,"Council budget panel reviews Human Resources' $8.66 million operating request, hears limits on pay flexibility",3946,283000,4229000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2613118-5f71f8e96cc7973271f6bf52a57dbaf8&start=283&end=4229","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2613118-5f71f8e96cc7973271f6bf52a57dbaf8/thumbnail_283000.jpg","/articles/6280600/Honolulu-City/Honolulu-County/Hawaii/Council-budget-panel-reviews-Human-Resources-866-million-operating-request-hears-limits-on-pay-flexibility","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6280600-b9c1e7580417dc4112859070734bc5fd/orig.mp4?Expires=1770436914&Signature=mgyYFuoZxPmpRyC7iVzh-XVx6yNe6IHAJWKibxnKydnO3EBpw9CQSauqEea4SqEaGoz4tRCrmBre8wzxvXQOnVronpxxJ5hmP6xBBAOxlyyK9empD5IXY6NMNGLsPH6wuzK1sZK3txSc98SocLsSgqVWPAwut84CeWwarBqEr9dj6b5SDruJDZyUgjlSkLFkMPkXp0wQlsIVo6iVTdDZH~a6EQhqZyvwPTfPMIBtdVe4AdBcbJMOQ1kjxHV0Ts5uVmckfrXdM-NyzhaVoPoXxxy5j6xI19yMqoAF07ub6jmM1idXHfYqUKL-oVFRN5WHGe85McuWwFXCNNkHMH5Q9Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Budget Committee on Wednesday heard the Department of Human Resources present its proposed fiscal year 2026 operating budget of $8,662,835 and an associated CIP design request, with Director Nolan Miyazaki detailing hiring gains, remaining vacancies and the department’s limited authority to offer retention pay.

The presentation matters because DHR runs the city’s classification, recruitment and hiring programs; staffing and pay design choices affect service delivery across Honolulu’s departments and the city’s ability to compete for scarce workers in construction, planning and public safety.

DHR’s FY26 operating request is funded entirely from general funds. Miyazaki told the committee that salaries make up roughly 90% of the department’s budget: $7,927,626 in salaries and $730,209 in current‑expense requests. The department is proposing three new civil‑service positions for outreach and talent acquisition (replacing federally funded contract roles), one new civil‑service position for employee training and retention support, and a net reduction in contract positions. DHR also requested $400,000 in CIP design funds for reconfiguring office floor layout and improving electronic data capabilities to accommodate additional staff.

Miyazaki said the department’s recruitment work has shown recent progress: a February 1 snapshot recorded seven vacancies, six of which DHR expected to fill by July 1, 2025, with the last vacancy covered in FY26 because of an employee’s return rights. Over the prior 12 months, the department handled 26 vacancies, filled 19 and made a net gain of 19 hires, he said. DHR budgeted $37,000 for overtime primarily to staff large‑scale exams and hiring events.

Committee members pressed DHR about sticking points in recruiting and retaining skilled positions. The director said DHR recently approved a shortage differential for planner positions specific to the Department of Planning and Permitting and that a shortage differential for construction inspectors had already been applied; such differentials are applied to an entire job class when DHR can document persistent difficulty filling positions. “The department’s objectives are to attract, hire and retain the best qualified civil servants to provide competent and impartial service to the public,” Miyazaki said, adding the shortage policy is an internal director’s policy used as a recruitment incentive and must be applied across a whole class.

Members asked about the city’s ability to use recruitment or retention incentives. Miyazaki said recruitment incentives can be implemented more flexibly (and DHR has been turning them around quickly), but retention pay is constrained by collective bargaining and the city’s obligation to maintain equal pay for equal work. He described recruitment incentives that can be tied to qualifications and a department’s paperwork demonstrating the class is hard to fill. He also said DHR is pushing to speed internal processes — noting average hiring for some events is now about 42 days from posting to start — and is pursuing better system integration and AI tools to reduce manual reporting work.

Council member Kiana Kehaina raised the committee’s concern about federal employees displaced by recent federal workforce reductions and urged DHR to pursue targeted outreach and matchmaking. “I do know that there is a lot of trauma, emotional trauma going on because they’re in shock,” Kehaina said, urging coordination with agencies and the congressional delegation to find placement opportunities. Miyazaki said DHR has done targeted matching before (including for Hawaiian Airlines employees) and is open to more strategic outreach, and he offered to provide the committee with the statutory and regulatory framework that undergirds the department’s shortage policy.

Other clarifications from the hearing: DHR staff said (1) pay for incumbents is governed largely by collective bargaining once people are on a schedule, (2) shortage differentials require documentation that a job class is hard to fill and are not the same as reclassification, and (3) “same‑day hires” have generally been used for lower‑skill office assistant positions that can be screened and hired quickly.

The committee requested follow‑up materials including the written shortage policy, the statutory/regulatory authority DHR relies on for recruitment incentives, and a list of job classes and examples of positions used for same‑day hiring. Miyazaki said staff would provide those materials as a follow up to the committee.

For now, the budget presentation concluded with no formal committee vote on the DHR budget; the item will be considered as part of the larger FY26 budget process.","The Department of Human Resources presented a $8,662,835 fiscal‑year 2026 operating budget to the Honolulu City Council budget committee, outlined hiring progress and a $400,000 CIP design request, and described legal limits on retention pay tied to collective bargaining and a director-level shortage policy for hard‑to‑fill classes.","actionData","errors"]

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Enterprise Services presents flat $30.48M operating request; seeks $14.3M CIP for concert hall, golf irrigation and zoo improvements

Council budget panel reviews Human Resources' $8.66 million operating request, hears limits on pay flexibility