HISC Meeting
September 18, 2009
Present: Refer to sign in sheet (on phone…George Costa with Office of
Economic Development, County of Kaua‘i)
1. Approval of the minutes
2. Liz Corben, DEBDT, reviews Resources Working Group, proposed budget forcouncil’s review• Total for high request a little over 3 million, but only have 2 million budget• Thank you to Chairs of the working groups and participating stakeholders fortheir efforts. It was tough to go from 4 million to 2 million.
• Efforts of all working groups are needed to make the fight against invasivespecies a success, leave as much expertise in each of the working groups gives
them opportunity to respond to changes and challenges and future restrictions• Increase in Prevention Working Group because of HDOA’s request to replaceat least some of the inspectors from rift process• Compromise was 600K of that 900K request• Response and control was cut back tons more than 50%• Research disappeared completely• Outreach only third of budget• HISC support staff down
• We were able come in with a recommendation of a 2 million budget• If there is a labor settlement, we will reconvene to look at revised budget if
inspectors don’t need the funding• Asked HISC staff to make sure that decisions on layoffs can be delayed,
pending state rift status• Want to provide the working groups flexibility to move funds around, ISCs
can share and shift• Need to plan for next year, funds from NARF will be even less…1.2 million
projection• In just 2 years will be down 25%•3.

Laura : how recently were the projections made?
Paul: three months ago or so.
Each of working group chairs will make a presentation

David Duffy, Research and Technology: Long-term research will be critical atsolving invasive species problems, but we will fall behind if we lose current
human expertise. We want to keep people.
4. Christy Martin, Public Outreach Working Group, representing Chris Dacus,
Chair: When working group met before budget meeting, we had requested 2 fulltime outreach staff for HISC and 6 partial support for county-based work,
typically housed at an ISC. 1 for website maintenance. Requested travel andmaterials. Our overall request was low of 250K, mostly for staff. In light of theother requests, we were asked to lose one full time staff position as well as 2partial staff and some travel and materials. Funding totals 130K.
5. Tony Montgomery, Response and Control/Established Pests Working Group:
Focused on projects that we have had in the past, 4 ISCS, HDOA biocontrol, AIS.
The low request 1.35 million. At that funding level, reducing capacity within
entities. 4 layoffs, 11 vacancies stay vacant. 1.35 was cut to 820K, meaning ISCsand AIS will have 11 layoffs and maintain 11 vacancies. We need to maintainflexibility within working groups, some ISCs will be hit harder than others. ISCs
want to work collaboratively. This situation would be a lot worse if federal
funding wasn’t potentially coming in, the layoffs would be double.
Lau: How many people are left funded?
Tony: don’t have exact number…how many left after reductions? BISC= 6KISC= 4 AIS= 5 MISC= 27 OISC= 9.
6. Domingo Cravalho filling in for Carol Okada, Prevention Working Group: Had
meeting last week and there were four proposals at that time. Total of 1.28million request. WRA, Ant Coordinator, AIS, HDOA Plant Quarantine branch toreinstate at least up to 25 positions. Through discussion with resource working
group, a lot of the proposals were paired down, WRA 60 K, Ant 40K, AIS 40K,Plant Quarantine 600K, 740K total request. The WRA will lose one person. Ant
coordinator will have less project money. AIS will be fully funded. Plant
quarantine will have 15-20 inspectors that will be reinstated through HISC. In
addition to the 1.2 million match from special fund to bring back some of thesepositions.
Corben: Can you talk about the cargo fees if that is more fully implemented?
Cravalho: Special fund set up to help invasive species work. Fund is not fully
realized from carriers. Moving forward to encourage carriers to give fund.
Problem with existing language is that there is no incentive or penalty to makethem do it. Hope legislative revision will provide that incentive. We are working
with air cargo association. We received information that payment was received
from one air cargo. As we continue to dialogue with these entities, we will get
more support. We are looking at moving ahead on trying to propose operationalchanges in order to maximize what we need to do with existing staffs.
Consolidating sites, maritime and air cargo, in one area, so that we can clear cargoin centralized area. We are looking at meeting with DOT harbors later this month
to stimulate additional discussion for more sites at harbors for these sites,
including treatment facilities.
Sandy…thank you to DOT for identifying all these sites.
7. Mindy Wilkinson, DLNR Invasive Species Coordinator, HISC Support: 7% of 2
million in fees, we are in discussion about how special funds are paid into HDOA
so that we are not double charged. The other fee, the 3% overhead for funds
administered through DLNR, we are going to assess it on a lesser number, final isfor HISC staff support, reduced, grants manager, currently receiving only ad hocsupport, we are going to try to redescribe the position and do 1 or 1.5 positions.
8. Sandy: Are there questions from council?
Lau: Just a comment. There are really only bad choices here b/c we are reducing
so heavily. The WNV proposal was not funded at all, but was for lab supplies,
should keep salary.
DOT rep: We really appreciate working groups getting together sharing thoughts
and interests, listening to each other, compromised budget, hard when you arefighting for your programs, appreciate you working out differences, budget is notidea but something that we can live with. The responsibility for this wholeproject lies with the council, we expect you to do the best you can with what you
have, not the best situation, but reality we have to deal with.
Thielen: Would like to hear comments from audience.
Anne Marie Larosa, US Forest Service: question on background info that I don’tknow the answer to. Is the funding for permanent state positions consistent withlegislative intent of HISC?
Sandy: do you mean inspectors?
Wilkinson: currently, no civil service positions funded from HISC. The only
staff that are funded by HISC have ever been via UH. Through RCUH.
Paul Conry, DLNR-DOFAW: When the funding was originally provided, when
HISC was established and the different programs from Natural Area Reserves,
there was a significant increase, the legislature did not specifically fund. No
restriction on funding coming in. They did not specifically create additional
positions with those funds. We went to UH through PCSU. I do not see any
prohibition against using staff and support. It provides funding invasive species
program. At this point, if this is the most critical need, we can fund it.
Laura: this is originally NARF. Invasive species was a new project. Cargo fee
was for something specific for Ag from special funds.
Martin: One question for Domingo, at this level 600K + cargo fee will you beable to staff all ports?
Cravalho: If we are able to use this funding and match then we will have somecore capacity, each port will have one person. Reinforce O‘ahu staff as well. Itwould add back at least full statewide capacity.
Sandy: just to clarify, 100% of inspectors cut will not be covered.
Corben: So if someone gets sick or goes on vacation there will be problems.

Domingo: we would have to move inspectors from O‘ahu. Kaua‘i would have 2people. Hard to cover 7 days and nights.
Laura…want to echo my fellow commission members about the difficult
discussions you had to make. When I was briefed, I was pleased about all theaccommodations made. I heard some things today in the presentations, and I
want to have a reality check. This 2 million figure, is estimated revenues, it is notmoney in the bank. I heard people say that there might be things that help, but I
want to stress about the reality, you need to have contingency plans in place that
we wont have the 2 million. The allotment of funds will have to be on a quarterly
basis. These are from the conveyance tax, and may vary month to month. I justpulled out conveyance transfers. (she gives numbers through years) we arecollecting less dollars now. In june the total was 3.9, in july 1.9 million, gone up
a bit in august, but registrar expects it to go down again. I like that you are
figuring out how to help each other out. We are going to have to figure out how
to adjust, hard because dealing with salaries with people. Made a lot of changes inDLNR with our contracts. Had to make a lot of adjustments. Ag as well. As acouncilmember, what I would like to hear back from folks either to full council or
to committees, is what are your plans on how to operate if this is the best casescenario or the worst. This is the start of a hard conversation. FY10 is going to
be tough. Even if there is some agreement, will not result in immediate laborsavings. Don’t expect things to get better yet. We have not hit bottom yet.
Reflected in changes in revenue estimate. Continue working together, we needcreative ways. This will be an extremely hard.
Sandy…hard for everyone. Paul called USDA. We need to do full force looking
for alternative funding.
Laura…represents and opportunity to make some changes that are long overdue.
Legislative changes on penalties, DOT and HDOA working on sites. Opportunity
to bring industry to table and say these changes to be made and we don’t havechoice.
Laura…One thing that Hawai‘i Superferry did was take on some of theinspections. Bare some of the cost. This is a crisis across the state. Everyone
realizes. Appreciate DOA having those hard conversations.
Laura moved to approve budget.
.
9. Budget approved.
10. Any further business? No new business or announcements.
11. Move to adjourn.