STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1744

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.R. No. 170

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Hawaiian Affairs and Agriculture and Environment, to which was referred S.R. No. 170 entitled:

"SENATE RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE CITY AND COUNTY OF HONOLULU AND THE OFFICE OF HAWAIIAN AFFAIRS TO FINALIZE MEMORANDUMS OF UNDERSTANDING WITH THE AGRIBUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION FOR PURPOSES OF DIVERSIFYING SOURCES OF IRRIGATION,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to request that the City and County of Honolulu and Office of Hawaiian Affairs finalize memorandums of understanding with the Agribusiness Development Corporation for purposes of diversifying sources of irrigation.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the City and County of Honolulu Department of Environmental Services. Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and Agribusiness Development Corporation.

Your Committees find that recycled water is a quality source for irrigating agricultural lands and can be used for the irrigation of food crops. Your Committees further find that the State is working with the City and County of Honolulu and Office of Hawaiian Affairs to divert 1,600,000 gallons of R-1 water from the Wahiawa Wastewater Treatment Plant for local farmers to use for irrigation. Your Committees believe that diverting the R-1 water will support local food production, revitalize the Wahiawa Reservoir, and encourage economic development in Wahiawa town. Your Committees therefore find that this measure requests that the City and County of Honolulu and Office of Hawaiian Affairs finalize memorandums of understanding with the Agribusiness Development Corporation to divert R-1 water from the Wahiawa Wastewater Treatment Plant.

Your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Requesting that the Agribusiness Development Corporation finalize the route of its transmission line from the Wahiawa Wastewater Treatment Plant;

(2) Encouraging the Agribusiness Development Corporation and Office of Hawaiian Affairs to finalize easement discussions, if appropriate;

(3) Removing language that would have requested that the Office of Hawaiian Affairs finalize a memorandum of understanding with the Agribusiness Development Corporation to provide the Agribusiness Development Corporation with an easement;

(4) Updating the title; and

(5) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Hawaiian Affairs and Agriculture and Environment that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of S.R. No. 170, as amended herein, and recommend its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.R. No. 170, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Hawaiian Affairs and Agriculture and Environment,

________________________________ MIKE GABBARD, Chair

________________________________ MAILE S.L. SHIMABUKURO, Chair