STAND. COM. REP. NO.3396

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2002

RE: S.C.R. No. 136

S.D. 1

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2002

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Economic Development and Technology, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 136 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES TO ADDRESS THE CONCERNS OF KOKEE STATE PARK LESSEES WITH EXPIRING LEASES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to request the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) to adopt rules to reimburse lessees who have made permanent improvements to leasehold residences at Koke'e State Park.

Testimony in support of this measure was received from Friends of the Forest, Kikiaola Land Company, Ltd. and ten individuals. Comments were received from the Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources.

Your Committee finds that the twenty-year leases that were executed through an auction process in 1985 are due to expire in 2005, at which time, the leased land, as well as all houses and improvements built by the lessees decades ago, must be surrendered to the State without any compensation to the owners. The auction in 1985 caused a great deal of anger and negativity in this small community when forty-three long-time Koke'e families who were outbid for their lease property were displaced. Your Committee believes the State should avoid further disruption to the community by providing reimbursements to lessees for permanent improvements or by extending the leases.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Requiring DLNR to conduct public hearings to review the lease agreements;

(2) Requiring the DLNR to develop a comprehensive statewide master plan for the repair and maintenance of Hawaii's State Parks that shall include a statewide maintenance plan to address funding for the future of these types of leases throughout the State;

(3) Requiring the DLNR to maintain and preserve state parks that have been designated as historic by its Historic preservation Division, i.e., Irwin Memorial Park;

(4) Amending the title to reflect the addition of the state parks master plan; and

(5) Making a technical, nonsubstantive change.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Economic Development and Technology that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 136, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 136, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Economic Development and Technology,

____________________________

ROD TAM, Chair