STAND. COM. REP. NO.  962

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2009

RE:   H.B. No. 1693

      H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 1693 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO WEST OAHU,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to ensure that infrastructural needs of the rapidly developing West Oahu area are met by requiring the Office of Planning (OP) to review the City and County of Honolulu's revised Ewa Development Plan (Plan).

     Several concerned individuals testified in support of this bill.  OP and the Land Use Research Foundation of Hawaii opposed this measure.  The Department of Planning and Permitting of the City and County of Honolulu and a concerned individual provided comments. 

     Your Committee has amended this bill by, among other things:

(1)  Replacing the requirement that OP review the Plan with statutory requirements for the Plan;

(2)  Adding the protection and enhancement of the recharge capability of the Honouliuli Watershed to the list of requirements that the Plan must meet;

(3)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2020, to encourage further discussion; and

(4)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for style, clarity, and consistency.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1693, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1693, H.D. 1.

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

____________________________

MARCUS R. OSHIRO, Chair