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Planning director outlines CIP timeline and funding mix; committee asks for clearer project status dashboard
Summary
Planning Director Jeff Darrow reviewed the county capital-improvement program process and timeline, telling the finance committee how projects are prioritized and funded. Members pressed for clearer, multi-year reporting showing appropriations already made and what remains allocated or encumbered.
The Hawaii County Planning Department briefed the finance committee on how the capital improvements program (CIP) is prepared, prioritized and presented to council, and outlined the timeline the department follows to collect project requests and to advise the mayor.
Planning Director Jeff Darrow said agencies submit capital project requests and financial impact statements; the planning director meets individually with departments to review priorities and the mayor then submits an annual capital budget and a six-year capital program to council. The CIP, Darrow said, includes capital projects that are non-recurring, generally have a useful life of 10 years or more and cost $25,000 or more.
Darrow reviewed the mayor's prioritization principles and the CIP calendar: agencies orient liaisons during December, submit draft financial impact statements in early January, the planning director meets with departments in January, the mayor submits the first CIP package by March 1, agencies may revise requests through March–May, and the mayor submits any amendments the council will consider by May 2.
Darrow also reviewed proposed funding sources for the mayor's capital package presented to the committee: he recited the administration's figures that total appropriation for FY26 CIP was approximately $555,000,000, of which the mayor described $514,600,000 as intended to be funded in whole or in part by bonds, $36,750,000 by federal grants and $3,700,000 by community benefit assessments or other sources.
Committee members asked planning and finance staff for a clearer, concise status report that shows appropriations from previous years still in force, which projects are already allotted or encumbered, and which requests are merely proposed. Darrow said planning expects to improve next year's CIP submittal to provide more clarity and that the administration is recruiting a CIP manager in finance to provide consolidated oversight.
Why it matters: Councilors said the CIP often looks like a 'wish list' because the public and some council members do not see the two prior years of appropriations and how projects roll over; members asked for a dashboard-style report so decisions about new appropriations can be made with a fuller picture.
Source: Planning Department presentation and Q&A, Hawaii County Committee on Finance meeting, April 8, 2025.
