STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2034

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2462

       S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Water, Land, and Agriculture, to which was referred S.B. No. 2462 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HONOKOHAU SMALL BOAT HARBOR,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

     (1)  Authorize the Board of Land and Natural Resources to transfer the operation, administration, management, and maintenance of the Honokohau small boat harbor to a community-based board of Hawaii county, a public-private partnership, or a private organization; and

     (2)  Appropriate funds for the repair and maintenance of Honokohau small boat harbor.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources; Aha Moku Advisory Committee; Hawaii Fishing and Boating Association; Kids of Hawaii Nei; Blue Ocean Mariculture; Big island Jeep Tours; Ihu Nui Sportfishing; Westwind Sailing Charters, Inc.; and thirteen individuals.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from one individual.

     Your Committee finds that Honokohau small boat harbor is an important source of economic activity in the Kona area on the island of Hawaii and is in need of maintenance and repair.  Your Committee further finds that the management of the boat harbor by a community-based board, as proposed by this measure, has the potential to be cumbersome and ineffective for the operation of the facility and therefore should not be one of the options authorized by this measure.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Removing the authorization of the Board of Land and Natural Resources to transfer the operation, administration, management, and maintenance of the Honokohau small boat harbor to a community-based board of Hawaii county; and

     (2)  Inserting an effective date of July 1, 2016, for the appropriation.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Water, Land, and Agriculture that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2462, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2462, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

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

________________________________

MIKE GABBARD, Chair