STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1240

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2007

RE:   S.B. No. 810

      S.D. 2

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred S.B. No. 810, S.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO WAIMANO RIDGE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to appropriate funds to establish a totally integrated community on the state-owned Waimano ridge lands.

     Specifically, this bill appropriates funds for the:

     (1)  Payment of the Waimano ridge task force's operating expenses for fiscal biennium 2007-2009;

     (2)  Development of an updated comprehensive master plan for the Waimano ridge area; and

     (3)  Establishment of a permanent full-time Waimano ridge facilities manager.

     In addition, the bill authorizes the issuance of general obligation bonds for building demolition and facility and water system improvements for Waimano ridge land projects.

     The Pearl City Community Association and three members of the Pearl City Neighborhood Board submitted testimony in support of the measure.  The Department of Health submitted comments on the measure.

     Your Committee finds that it has long been the State's intent to realize a totally integrated community on the Waimano ridge lands pursuant to a master plan, but that intent was never implemented because of an economic downturn.  Appropriating funds to update the Waimano ridge master plan and to create one permanent, full-time Waimano ridge facilities manager position will do a great deal to achieve the goal of creating a totally integrated and community friendly environment in the Waimano ridge area.

     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 S.B. No. 810, S.D. 2, and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Water, Land, Ocean Resources & Hawaiian Affairs.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Health,

____________________________

JOSHUA B. GREEN, M.D., Chair