STAND. COM. REP. NO 250

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 886

       S.D. 1

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Water and Land, to which was referred S.B. No. 886 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO A SMALL BOAT HARBOR IN PUKO‘O, MOLOKA‘I,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to authorize the issuance of general obligation bonds for a capital improvement project to design and construct a new small boat harbor in Puko‘o, Moloka‘i.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from three individuals.  Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from Ka ‘Aha Kiole o Moloka‘i and ten individuals.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources.

     Your Committee finds that the island of Moloka‘i continues to have discussions on whether a new small boat harbor and/or boat ramp is needed.  The construction of such resources would be beneficial for residents of that island, particularly those living on the populated east end of Moloka‘i.  Due to shallow mud flats and fringing reefs, there are few areas with sufficiently deep channels for safe and easy marine access.

     Your Committee further finds that most families on the east end of Moloka‘i rely on the sea for their daily source of food.  Today, with fewer edible food resources close to shore, fishermen are forced to travel farther out to sea to catch fish.

     Your Committee further finds that some of the testifiers expressed the need for more community input into the process of developing a new harbor.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Amending the purpose of the authorization for the issuance of general obligation bonds to the planning, design, and construction of a new boat ramp on Moloka‘i and conducting of a feasibility study for a new small boat harbor to be located in Puko‘o, Moloka‘i; and

     (2)  Amending the purpose section accordingly.

     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. 886, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 886, 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,

____________________________

LAURA H. THIELEN, Chair