STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2088

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2249

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Water and Land, to which was referred S.B. No. 2249 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO STREAM MAINTENANCE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds to purchase equipment for stream maintenance.

     Testimony in support of the intent of the measure was presented by the Department of Land and Natural Resources.

     There are approximately 445 stream outlets on the island of Oahu.  Many become obstructed which results in severe flooding during the annual rainy season.  The Department of Transportation (Department) presently lacks certain equipment that would facilitate stream maintenance on Oahu.  The ability to maintain the streams properly would significantly diminish the risk of their flooding and resultant injury to persons as well as property damage.  This measure allows the Department to purchase the equipment necessary to perform stream maintenance on Oahu faster and more effectively.

     The Committee has amended the measure by:

     (1)  Providing that the stream maintenance equipment is to be used for the maintenance of all streams on the island of Oahu;

     (2)  Changing the expending agency to the Department of Transportation; and

     (3)  Itemizing the stream maintenance equipment to be purchased.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Water and Land that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2249, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2249, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Water and Land,

____________________________

CLAYTON HEE, Chair