County auditor finds gaps in Hawaii County bridge and culvert maintenance; DPW promises inventory, standards and oversight

The Hawaii County Auditor presented a performance audit on bridge and culvert maintenance that identified seven key findings and recommended a package of corrective measures.

Tyler Benner of the office of the county auditor said the performance audit (report 2024-03, covering July 2021 through June 2023) found noncompliance with Hawaii Revised Statutes in areas that require observation by licensed professional engineers; an incomplete culvert inventory; absent or incomplete policies and procedures; unclear roles and responsibilities between divisions; weak interdepartmental communication; a lack of routine maintenance that produced an approximately 80% backlog of work orders; and an overreliance on contractors without adequate independent review.

Benner summarized the audit's recommendations: ensure licensed-engineer observation of maintenance work, incorporate culverts into the county's asset-management (iWORKS) system, formalize written policies and procedures for the highways and engineering divisions, clarify roles and responsibilities, implement standardized protocols for interdepartmental reporting, create and adhere to maintenance schedules, and strengthen independent oversight of contractor inspections.

DPW management provided a written response and a set of implementation actions. The department said it will add licensed professional staff to observe highways work, incorporate culverts into iWORKS, retain an external consultant to update policies and procedures, clarify organization and assignment of duties, improve communication and work-order processes and allow engineering staff to accompany contractor inspections for up to 20% of site visits.

DPW Director Ono, who said he helped design maintenance management programs earlier in his career, acknowledged the department's deficiencies and described the elements of a full maintenance program: a comprehensive inventory, cyclical inspections, categorization of findings, work-order-driven repairs for minor items, and programmed capital projects for major repairs.

Council members asked for timelines and public reporting of progress. Auditor Benner said the office typically schedules a follow-up audit two years after the initial report to review remediation progress, sometimes extended to three years depending on budget cycles. DPW said standard operating procedures were close to completion and that inventory work using GIS tools is ongoing; the department also committed to work with the auditor and return updates.

The committee voted to close the file on the auditor's communication after the presentation. The motion to close file was moved by Council member Kirkowitz and seconded by Council member Nava; the final vote was recorded as seven ayes with two council members excused.

Why it matters: Bridges and culverts are critical to transportation safety and flood resilience; the audit identifies both immediate compliance gaps and operational deficiencies that county leaders said they will prioritize to reduce infrastructure risk and backlog of maintenance needs.