STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1797

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.C.R. No. 153

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Judiciary and Labor, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 153 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE SENATE COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY AND LABOR AND THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES COMMITTEE ON LABOR TO CONVENE A JOINT HEARING ON THE LABOR FORCE REQUIREMENTS OF THE PROPOSED TURTLE BAY RESORT EXPANSION AND THE IMPACTS THAT A LARGE INCREASE IN EMPLOYEES MAY HAVE ON THE SPARSELY POPULATED NORTH SHORE OF OAHU,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to request that the Senate Committee on Judiciary and Labor and the House Committee on Labor and Public Employment convene a joint hearing to consider the impacts of the required labor force proposed for the Turtle Bay Resort expansion on Oahu's North Shore communities.

    Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by Keep the North Shore Country, UNITE HERE! Local 5, and 30 individuals.  Testimony in opposition was submitted by Bob Boyle, General Manager of the Turtle Bay Resort.

     Your Committee recognizes that any expansion of a major hotel, such as the Turtle Bay Resort, will with certainty have an impact on area resources such as housing, schools, medical services, and infrastructure to name a few.  Your Committee finds that a joint legislative hearing will provide a public forum to obtain necessary information to address the impacts and other issues relating to an additional hundreds or thousands of new employees in a rural area that already has a shortage of affordable housing. 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary and Labor that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 153 and recommends its adoption.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary and Labor,

____________________________

CLAYTON HEE, Chair