WHEREAS, in the twenty-first century, health care services are most effective when such services are provided in integrated communities where wellness and prevention go hand in hand with diagnosis and treatment; and

WHEREAS, in 1999, the Legislature passed and the Governor approved eight Acts that authorized the issuance of special purpose revenue bonds for integrated health care communities; and

WHEREAS, in February, 2000, Pacific Health Community, Inc., and the Wahiawa Hospital Association prepared the Pacific Health Center Master Plan to facilitate the creation of a health care community pursuant to the authorization granted by the State; and

WHEREAS, despite a tremendous investment of both time and money, the project has not yet broken ground due to the lengthy land use approval and certificate of need processes; and

WHEREAS, one measure introduced in the Legislature during the 2003 Regular Session proposes to exempt the project from county and state approval processes and to extend the authorization to issue special purpose revenue bonds for an additional five years, from 2003 to 2008; and

WHEREAS, rather than set a dangerous precedent by entirely exempting a project from state and county approval processes, the processes should be expedited so that the project can move forward; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-Second Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2003, that the Mayor and Council of the City and County of Honolulu are urged to do everything in their power to expedite implementation of the Pacific Health Center Master Plan; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Mayor and each member of the Council of the City and County of Honolulu.

Report Title:

Pacific Health Center Master Plan; Expedited Implementation; County Action