RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, the Makiki Community Library was started in 1978 in what was the Hawaiian Sugar Planters' Association experiment station; and

WHEREAS, this private, nonprofit library at Makiki District Park is not part of the Hawaii State Library System, is operated by volunteers on an $11,000 annual budget, and has a collection of approximately 15,000 donated books; and

WHEREAS, in 2004, the Legislature approved $4,500,000 to repair the historic Makiki Community Library and avoid further deterioration, and to build a community center which would include a computer learning center to assist primarily immigrant families; and

WHEREAS, in June 2005, Governor Linda Lingle informed the Makiki Library Board that she would not release the funds that were appropriated by the Legislature, stating that it is not in the best interest of state taxpayers; and

WHEREAS, after visiting the facility and weighing the available information, such as the lack of operational, maintenance, and security funding, the Governor said since the building that the library operates out of is city-owned and city-operated, it is the City and County of Honolulu, not the State, who is responsible for the building's upkeep and any desired renovations or improvements; and

WHEREAS, over the past several years, the City and County of Honolulu has provided more than $1,500,000 to refurbish the dilapidated building and to renovate the facility to meet the standards of the federal Americans with Disabilities Act; and

WHEREAS, honoring the Legislature's commitment to this project will supplement the City and County of Honolulu's efforts to provide a safe learning center for thousands of community residents, primarily immigrants and low-income individuals, who need the resources that the library provides; and

WHEREAS, the Governor should consider how much the community gains from the library and at how cost-effective these services are to the State; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2006, the House of Representatives concurring, that the Governor is requested to release the $4,500,000 in state funds to renovate and build a community center at the Makiki Community Library; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Governor of the State of Hawaii, the Mayor of the City and County of Honolulu, and the President of the Friends of Makiki Community Library.

Makiki Library