STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2185

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2006

RE: S.B. No. 3098

S.D. 1

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2006

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Water, Land, and Agriculture and Transportation and Government Operations, to which was referred S.B. No. 3098 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HARBORS,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to exclude Piers 1 and 2 from the Kakaako Community Development District.

Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Department of Transportation (DOT), Hawaii Community Development Authority (HCDA), the University of Hawaii's School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, the Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii, the Hawaii Harbor Users Group, the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 142, and two individuals. Testimony in opposition was submitted by the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism.

Maritime lands, particularly harbors, are a finite resource of the State. Areas such as Piers 1 and 2 located in Honolulu Harbor contain vital and unique maritime cargo facilities that cannot easily be relocated, and projections made by the DOT Harbors Division indicate that foreign cargo capacity will be exhausted within five years at its present rate of growth. Thus, your Committees find that the DOT Harbors Division is best equipped to manage the two piers. Accordingly, this measure transfers the jurisdiction of Piers 1 and 2 and the contiguous backup fast lands from the Kakaako Community Development District to the DOT Harbors Division.

Your Committees find that regardless of which department or authority has jurisdiction, it is important that HCDA continue providing input into planning and implementing appropriate compatible maritime development in the waterfront area. This input process is essential to HCDA's legislative mandate and is necessary to examine the entire district with a holistic perspective, which includes traffic and infrastructure improvements. These elements are all needed to successfully operate maritime businesses in and around Piers 1 and 2, and it is important for all parties concerned, including HCDA, to continue to focus on long-term solutions both inside and outside of Honolulu Harbor.

Your Committees also noted testimony from DOT suggesting that the description of the area to be transferred may be problematic. Thus, your Committees adopted the description for the area suggested by DOT and also amended this measure to make technical, nonsubstantive changes for clarity, consistency, and style.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Water, Land, and Agriculture and Transportation and Government Operations that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 3098, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3098, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Water, Land, and Agriculture and Transportation and Government Operations,

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LORRAINE R. INOUYE, Chair

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RUSSELL S. KOKUBUN, Chair