STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3733

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.C.R. No. 220

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Commerce and Consumer Protection and Housing, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 220 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION CONVENING A WORKING GROUP ON THE GOVERNANCE OF HOUSING SUBDIVISIONS IN THE PUNA DISTRICT, HAWAII COUNTY,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to convene a working group on the governance of housing subdivisions in the Puna District, Hawaii County.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Community Associations Institute and two individuals. Your Committees received testimony in opposition to this measure from one individual.

Your Committees find that Puna is one of the fastest growing subdivisions in the State, particularly Hawaiian Paradise Park. Pre-statehood associations of owners who took it upon themselves to unify efforts to collect fees to maintain roads lack the necessary authority, governance, and oversight to protect its members from potential abuse, as reported in recent news articles highlighting the neighborhood disputes that have sometimes escalated to physical altercations. To ensure the funds contributed by the nearly ten thousand residents in the Puna area are properly managed and that members of private subdivisions are properly trained in parliamentary procedures, this measure requests a working group be convened to, among other things, establish the necessary framework and rules for the governance of these subdivisions.

Your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Specifying that the working group include a member of the Senate representing the Puna District, who is requested to serve as co-chair of the working group;

(2) Including a member of the Hawaii County Council to serve as a member of the working group, to be selected by the member of the Senate representing the Puna District, who is also requested to serve as co-chair; and

(3) 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 Commerce and Consumer Protection and Housing that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 220, as amended herein, and recommend its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 220, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Commerce and Consumer Protection and Housing,

________________________________ STANLEY CHANG, Chair

________________________________ ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair