Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Water, Land, and Agriculture, to which was referred S.R. No. 76 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to request the Auditor to conduct a follow-up audit of the management of state boating facilities by the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR).

The Hawaii Government Employees Association, Life of the Land, the Ocean Tourism Coalition, Paradise Cruise, Ltd., and two individuals submitted testimony in support of this measure. The DLNR and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs submitted comments on this measure.

In Hawaii, small boat harbors play an important role in both residents' and visitors' ocean recreational experiences, which include yacht racing, canoe regattas, board sailing, ocean swimming, and surfing. However, your Committee finds that the quality of those experiences may be diminished by the inadequate management of the State's boating facilities, which was noted as a recurring problem in a 2001 state audit.

To address some of the problems noted in the 2001 audit, the Legislature enacted Act 285, Session Laws of Hawaii 2001, codified as section 200-19, Hawaii Revised Statutes. The new provision allowed private financing of small boat harbor improvements through the execution of capital advancement contracts between the DLNR and private parties. However, despite the Legislature's efforts, repair, maintenance, and management problems at the boat harbors continue to persist. Thus, this measure requests the Auditor to conduct a follow-up audit to the 2001 "Audit of the Management of State Boating Facilities by the Department of Land and Natural Resources."

Specifically, this measure provides that the Auditor will:

Your Committee has amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive changes for style, clarity, and consistency.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Water, Land, and Agriculture that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.R. No. 76, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.R. No. 76, S.D. 1.