STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1404

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    GOV. MSG. NO. 525

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2011

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Water, Land, and Housing, to which was referred Governor's Message No. 525, submitting for study and consideration the nomination of: 

Director for the Office of Planning

G.M. No. 525

JESSE SOUKI,

begs leave to report as follows:

     Your Committee has reviewed the personal history, resume, and statement submitted by the nominee and finds Jesse Souki to possess the requisite qualifications to be nominated to the position of Director for the Office of Planning.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of Jesse Souki from Kalbert K. Young, Director of Finance; Anthony J. H. Ching, Executive Director, Hawaii Community Development Authority; Karl Rhoads, State Representative, District 28; Patricia Mau-Shimizu, Clerk of the Hawaii House of Representatives; David K. Tanoue, Director, City and County of Honolulu Department of Planning and Permitting; Paul Galman, Assistant Attorney General of Guam; Jean Godden, Seattle City Councilmember; Carrie K.S. Okinaga, Corporation Counsel, City and County of Honolulu Department of the Corporation Counsel; Diane T. Kawauchi, Deputy Corporation Counsel, City and County of Honolulu Department of the Corporation Counsel; Reid M. Yamashiro, Deputy Corporation Counsel, City and County of Honolulu Department of the Corporation Counsel; Dawn D.M. Spurlin; G. Y. Takeuchi, City and County of Honolulu Department of the Corporation Counsel; Kenneth Toru Hamayasu, Deputy Director, City and County of Honolulu Department of Transportation Services; Faith Miyamoto, City and County of Honolulu Department of Transportation Services; Hawaii Carpenters Union; Lyn Flanigan, Executive Director, Hawaii State Bar Association; James Arthur Quintana Giroux, Deputy Corporation Counsel, County of Maui Department of the Corporation Counsel; Trisha Kapua‘ala, County of Maui Department of Planning; Clyde T. Hayashi, Director, Hawaii Laborers-Employers Cooperation and Education Trust; Abbey S. Mayer, Vice President, Government Relations, The Resort Group; Grant T. Murakami, Principal, PBR Hawaii and Associates, Inc.; Vincent Shigekuni, Vice President, PBR Hawaii and Associates, Inc.; C. Mike Kido, The Pacific Resource Partnership; Mitchell A. Imanaka, Imanaka Kudo and Fujimoto; Benjamin A. Kudo, Imanaka Kudo and Fujimoto; Nikki T. Senter; Robert H. Thomas; Paula Lustbader, Professor, Seattle University School of Law; Henry Eng; Sharon Lam Blanchard; Emi Morita Kaimuloa, Watanabe Ing LLP; Yuki Lei Sugimura; Shannon Liana Alivado; Barbara Pleadwell; Bryan P. Andaya; Mary Lou Kobayashi; Piper A. Hackett; Mark M. Murakami; Mary Alice Evans; Debra Wada; Jim Dator, Professor, University of Hawaii at Manoa; LeeAnn E. P. Crabbe; Noriko Namiki; Brian Uy; Amy Franklin-Bihary, Wechsler Becker, LLP; Elmer Kaai; Melissa T. Pavlicek; Kari Luna Nunokawa, Program Director, University of Hawaii Maui College; Bill Dorman; Amy Zaref; Gale Braceros; Frances Rivero; Eileen Lynn; Andrew Kona Purdy; Anthony Barredo; Sabrina Pantastico; Nathan Cantorna; Stranten Seui-Purdy; Denise R. Oliveira, President, Ewa Beach Community Based Development Organization; Cal Kimo Sueoka; LaDawn Rickard; Michelle Yip; Lori Respicio; Jane Kihewa; Sandy Apana; and Lolita Takeda.

     As an attorney, Mr. Souki has served the public as Deputy Corporation Counsel for Honolulu and Maui as well as property owners as a private practitioner.  Numerous testifiers commended his comprehensive grasp of Hawaii's land use issues and law.  In the last several years, Mr. Souki has served the Hannemann and Carlisle administrations in implementing the City and County of Honolulu's rail transit project. 

     Mr. Souki has devoted his time to educate government regulators, land use planners, and fellow attorneys on the intricacies of Hawaii land use and planning laws, publish an award-winning land-use blog, and mentor realtors, colleagues, and family.  Mr. Souki has volunteered as Program Chair and Chair of the Natural Resources Section of the Hawaii State Bar Association.  Notably, Mr. Souki has worked at all levels of government — federal, state, and local — as well as in all three branches of government. 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Water, Land, and Housing that is attached to this report, your Committee, after full consideration of the background, experience, and qualifications of the nominee, has found the nominee to be qualified for the position to which nominated and recommends that the Senate advise and consent to the nomination.

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

____________________________

DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair