STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2499

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2340

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2010

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Water, Land, Agriculture, and Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 2340 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO KANEOHE BAY REGIONAL COUNCIL,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to:

     (1)  Require the Kaneohe Bay Regional Council to meet annually instead of quarterly and to report on its activities annually instead of semi-annually; and

     (2)  Repeal the sunset of the Council scheduled for July 1, 2010.

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by two organizations and two individuals.  One state agency submitted testimony in opposition.  Written testimony presented to the Committee may be reviewed on the Legislature's website.

     The Department of Land and Natural Resources is concerned with the cost of maintaining the Kaneohe Bay Regional Council, which is presently staffed by Department employees who are expected to draft the meeting minutes and agendas.  Your Committee finds that the concerns about these costs should not overshadow the importance of the Council.  The Council is an example of community based planning, and provides the necessary oversight of the implementation of the Kaneohe Bay Master Plan adopted in 1992.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Clarifying the limited role of the Department of Land and Natural Resources in the functions of the Kaneohe Bay Regional Council; and

     (2)  Changing the effective date to June 30, 2050 for the purposes of facilitating further discussion.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Water, Land, Agriculture, and Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2340, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2340, S.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

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

____________________________

CLAYTON HEE, Chair