Report Title:

Public Safety; West Hawaii

 

Description:

Requires department of land and natural resources to identify appropriated public land in north Kona for development of west Hawaii public safety complex to house department of public safety divisions, emergency management, and fire and police assets; requires department of accounting and general services to establish state and county task force to plan the development of the complex, utilizing smart growth, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design concepts, and energy efficiency concepts; involve community in planning; utilize innovative financing, including certificates of participation; appropriation.


HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

622

TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2007

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

 

A BILL FOR AN ACT


 

 

relating to public safety.

 

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 


     SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that the unprecedented growth that west Hawaii has experienced over the last several decades and continuing into the twenty-first century has exacted an enormous toll on the physical infrastructure serving the residents of west Hawaii.  At the same time, it is demanding the increase of all types of government services to ensure the public's health, safety, and welfare.  Offices housing government agencies and quasi-public organizations providing for the public's safety have proliferated all over west Hawaii.

     The legislature believes that there is a vital need to plan for the coordinated provision of public safety services and that a multi-purpose complex in west Hawaii to concentrate public safety agencies in one central area would be cost-efficient, provide better communications among provider and users of public safety services, and could improve access to such services.

     It is the intent of the legislature that this multi-purpose complex may house circuit and district courts and judiciary offices, public safety offices, detention facilities, police department facilities, fire department facilities, civil defense facilities, and other public safety facilities.

     The purpose of this Act is direct:

     (1)  The department of land and natural resources to identify public lands that would be available for a multi-purpose public safety complex in west Hawaii; and

     (2)  The department of accounting and general services to establish a task force to plan the development of the multi-purpose public safety complex, to include:

         (A)  Community involvement;

         (B)  Smart growth concepts;

         (C)  Energy efficiency and Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design concepts; and

         (D)  Innovative financing, to include public and private participation, financing agreements, certificate of participation financing; and

     (3)  The department of accounting and general services to report back to the legislature with its conceptual design for the complex.

     SECTION 2.  The department of land and natural resources is directed to undertake an inventory of public lands in the west Hawaii region bounded by Palani road to the south, Mamalahoa highway to the east, Kawaihae road to the north, and the ocean.  Within ninety days of the effective date of this Act, the department of land and natural resources shall provide to the department of accounting and general services a prioritized list of parcels of public lands, together with plat and topographic maps, within the area described in this section that may be suitable to the development of a multi-purpose public safety complex, comprising of a minimum of      acres and taking into consideration the county of Hawaii general plan, topography, accessibility to essential infrastructure, and ease of public access.

     SECTION 3.  (a)  The department of accounting and general services shall establish a task force to plan the development of the multi-purpose public safety complex in west Hawaii, which shall include but is not limited to the following officials or their designated representative:

     (1)  The comptroller;

     (2)  The director of public safety;

     (3)  The attorney general;

     (4)  The director of finance;

     (5)  The adjutant general;

     (6)  The chairperson of the board of land and natural resources;

     (7)  The chief justice;

     (8)  The mayor of the county of Hawaii;

     (9)  The prosecuting attorney of the county of Hawaii;

    (10)  The administrator of the civil defense agency of the county of Hawaii;

    (11)  The director of planning department of the county of Hawaii;

    (12)  The director of public works of the county of Hawaii

    (13)  The police chief of the county of Hawaii; and

    (14)  The fire chief of the county of Hawaii.

     (b)  The task force shall be chaired by the comptroller.  Members shall serve without compensation but shall be reimbursed for actual expenses, including travel expenses, incurred in the performance of their duties.  The department of accounting and general services shall provide the task force with any necessary facilities and all necessary technical, professional, administrative, and clerical support.

     (c)  The task force shall develop a conceptual plan for the development of the west Hawaii public safety complex.  At minimum, the complex should be planned to include facilities for the various divisions of the department of public safety, a detention center, judiciary facilities, including district and circuit courts and supporting offices, and state and county civil defense and emergency offices and facilities.  Federal agencies, including but not limited to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of the Interior, United States Attorney's Office, United States Marshall Service, and United States Courts should be consulted to determine whether they would be interested in participating with the work of the task force and be a future occupant of the west Hawaii public safety complex.

     (d)  In developing the conceptual plan, the task force shall incorporate the following:

     (1)  Extensive public participation, including the concept of the charette, a technique used by planning practitioners to involve individuals and organizations of a community directly in the planning, programming, and design of a project;

     (2)  The inclusion of smart growth concepts, including but not limited to concurrent development with infrastructure, including highways, being developed concurrently with the principal project;

     (3)  Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design concepts and compliance with the energy efficiency and environmental standards for state facilities set forth in chapter 196, Hawaii Revised Statutes; and

     (4)  Innovative planning, engineering, and development and financing programs to include but not be limited to the following:

         (A)  Design engineering procedures;

         (B)  Public and private joint ventures; and

         (C)  Financing agreements, utilizing certificates of participation and credit enhancing agreements, pursuant to chapter 37D, Hawaii Revised Statutes.

     SECTION 4.  Twenty days prior to the convening of the regular session of 2009, the department of accounting and general services shall submit to the legislature a conceptual plan for the west Hawaii public safety complex that shall include but not be limited to:

     (1)  A conceptual design for infrastructure and structures to be included in the complex, including a site plan showing the topography of the lot, siting of structures, parking, and access on the lot;

     (2)  A detailed listing of available and required infrastructure required to serve the complex;

     (3)  A list of probable tenants in the complex;

     (4)  A timeline, including phasing, for the development of the complex;

     (5)  An estimated cost for the development of the complex, including all infrastructure, structures, equipment, and furnishings; and

     (6)  Proposed funding vehicles that may be utilized for the development of the complex.

     SECTION 5.  There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $         , or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2007-2008, and the same sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2008-2009, for the development of a conceptual plan for the west Hawaii public safety complex.

     The sums appropriated shall be expended by the department of accounting and general services for the purposes of this Act.

     SECTION 6.  This Act shall take effect upon its approval; provided that section 5 shall take effect on July 1, 2007.

 

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________