STAND. COM. REP. NO. 573

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2005

RE: H.B. No. 1360

H.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Higher Education, to which was referred H.B. No. 1360 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE WAIALUA AGRIBUSINESS INCUBATOR,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to support the development of new and enhanced agricultural products and manufacturing methods by:

(1) Authorizing the issuance of $13,250,000 in general obligation (GO) bonds for the design, planning, and construction of an agribusiness incubator, to be developed and managed by the University of Hawaii (UH) in the Waialua district of Oahu; and

(2) Requiring UH to negotiate a memorandum of understanding with Dole Food Company, Inc., (Dole) to provide for:

(A) The conveyance, in fee simple and for nominal consideration, of up to three acres of agricultural-zoned land in Waialua, formerly used by Dole, to be used for the agribusiness incubator; and

(B) The lease of other lands within Waialua to support the agribusiness incubator.

Castle & Cooke Hawaii and a concerned individual testified in support of this bill. The Department of Agriculture and a concerned individual supported the intent of this measure.

Your Committee has amended this bill by:

(1) Changing to $1 the amount for which GO bonds may be issued; and

(2) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

Your Committee notes that $13,250,000 in general obligation bonds are being requested for the design, planning, and construction of the agribusiness incubator.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Higher Education that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1360, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to the Committee on Finance in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1360, H.D. 1.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Higher Education,

 

____________________________

TOMMY WATERS, Chair