STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1231
Honolulu, Hawaii
, 2005
RE: H.B. No. 1141
H.D. 2
S.D. 1
Honorable Robert Bunda
President of the Senate
Twenty-Third State Legislature
Regular Session of 2005
State of Hawaii
Sir:
Your Committee on Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 1141, H.D. 2, entitled:
"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO WAIMANO RIDGE,"
begs leave to report as follows:
The purpose of this measure is to prohibit the development of state-owned land on Waimano ridge until an updated master plan is developed. It also establishes reporting requirements for the Department of Health and a process for developing the master plan.
The Pearl City Community Association, the vice-president of the Pearl City Community Association, the president of the Momilani PTSA, and two members of Pearl City Neighborhood Board No. 21 submitted testimony in support of this measure. The Department of Health and the State Attorney General submitted testimony in opposition.
Your Committee finds that certain uses of state-owned lands in the Waimano Ridge area of Oahu have created unnecessary friction between the state administration and the surrounding community residents. In 2000, the state administration announced that it would be operating a juvenile sex offender treatment facility at the site of the former Waimano home for the developmentally disabled without giving any prior notice to the surrounding community. Residents were understandably upset because they did not have an opportunity to raise their concerns regarding the proximity of the facility to area schools.
More recently testing of viruses and other potentially dangerous specimens at the Department of Health's laboratory have prompted community boards and associations to demand a voice in how the state-owned lands are utilized and for an update to the master plan that the community and the Department of Health prepared years ago.
Upon further consideration, your Committee has amended this measure to reflect the substance of S.B. No. 1473 S.D. 1 by:
(1) Deleting the provision that required the development and approval of a master plan before any new or expanded use or further development of existing leased lands or facilities on state-owned land in the Waimano ridge area could be granted or approved; and
(2) Requiring any state or county agency, commission, or department to give the community associations and community boards surrounding the Waimano Ridge area at least ninety days notice of any new or expanded use or further development of existing leased lands or facilities on state-owned land in the Waimano ridge area.
Your Committee further amended this measure by:
(1) Specifically designating the Pearl City Community Association and Pearl City Neighborhood Board No. 21, along with any other community associations and community boards surrounding the Waimano ridge area of Oahu, as entitled to notice under section 2; and
(2) Specifically designating the Pearl City Community Association and Pearl City Neighborhood Board No. 21, along with any other neighborhood board or boards representing the Waimano ridge area, as entitled to participation in the preparation of an updated master plan under section 3.
As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Health that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1141, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1141, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Water, Land, and Agriculture.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Health,
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____________________________ ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair |
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