The Senate Committee on Ways and Means will be traveling to Hawaiʻi Island on June 14 – 16, 2021 to conduct site visits at various state facilities.
The committee will be visiting the following sites:
• Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport
o Topics of Discussion:
- Airport Modernization
- Cost Savings
- Cost Over Runs or Delays (currently or previously)
- Cost of Construction
- Operational deficiencies
- Vacancies
- Procurement
- Cost of Contracts
- Underutilized space
• Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaiʻi Authority
o Topics of Discussion:
- What aspects of the NELHA vision have been accomplished and compliance?
- What aspects of the 2018 Strategic Financial Plan still need to be accomplished?
- Underutilized assets
- Creation of workforce pipelines in partnership with DOE, UH and industry
- 250 aquaculture related jobs
- Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion
• Honokohau Small Boat Harbor
o Topics of Discussion:
- The vision for the Harbor
- Improved and expanded services
- Investment needed and what can be expected as a result of the investments
- Aesthetic improvements
- Enhanced security
- Cost savings
- What kind of jobs would be created?
- Potential revenue generation
- History of legislation regarding the Harbor
- Establishing public private partnerships (PPP)
- The benefits of PPP
- Previously introduced bills supporting PPP
- Other legislation that did not pass
- What attempts were made and what resulted?
- What were the challenges in getting it passed?
• Keahuolū Court House
o Topics of Discussion:
- Cost over runs
- Project delays
- Issues with procurement and/or construction
- Space utilization
• Keakealani State Office Building
o Topics of Discussion:
- Space Utilization
- File storage
- Total cost of leasing expenditures for State offices in Kona from the private sector
- Cost savings resulting from better space utilization
• Kona State Office Building
o Topics of Discussion:
- Space Utilization
- File storage
• Kealakehe Alternative Learning Center
o Topics of Discussion:
- Statistics
- Why are alternative programs necessary?
- Disrupting the pathway to prison (pre, during, post)
- Alternative programs are preventative efforts
- History of ALC program
- BOE Policy 105-10 (2016)
- Fiscal Year 2019: $4,500,000
- Olomana
- High Core
- Fiscal Year 2021:
- $611,450 for Papahana
- $1,000,000 for Kauai District
- $1,000,000 for East Hawaii District
- $1,000,000 for Maui District
- Fiscal Year 2022:
- $1,000,000 for Campbell-Kapolei-
Pearl City-Waipahu Complexes
- $1,000,000 for Honolulu District
- $1,000,000 for West Hawaii District
- Moving Forward
- Statewide Strategic Plan
• Waimea Elementary School
o Topics of Discussion:
- R&M project delays
- Issues with procurement and/or construction
- Space utilization
• Honua Ola Bioenergy
o Topics of Discussion:
- Plan to diversify firm energy moving the State away from fossil fuels
- Job creation
- Energy savings for the public
- Environmental benefits
- Spill over affects
• Banyan Drive Master Plan
o Topics of Discussion:
- Local businesses would like to revitalize the area
- Master Plan
- Timeline
• U.S. Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center
o Topics of Discussion:
- Regional agricultural development plan included ornamental services industry for Hawai’i Island.
- PBARC tasked to find innovative solutions for farming practices nationwide. They receive $1.5B annually from USDA DOE, UH HILO, UHCC: Education and Training Pipelines, Value Add Curriculum, Early College
- Floriculture Industry & P3’s: DOA, CTAHR, PBARC
• Kaʻū High School
o Topics of Discussion:
- Global Learning Lab – Agriculture
- Economic Development & Ag Entrepreneurship Pathway
- Workforce Pipeline & Public Private Partnerships
- Value add product development curriculum
- Facilities R&M project delays
- Issues with procurement and/or construction
- Space utilization
• Hilo State Office
o Topics of Discussion:
- Space Utilization
- File storage
- Total cost of leasing expenditures for State offices in Hilo from the private sector
- Cost savings resulting from better space utilization
• Hilo International Airport
o Topics of Discussion:
- Airport Modernization
- Cost Savings
- Cost Over Runs or Delays (currently or previously)
- Cost of Construction
- Operational deficiencies
- Vacancies
- Procurement
- Underutilized space
- Cost of Contracts
The purpose of these visits is to identify issues, resource needs and potential solutions to address regional and statewide economic development, efficient space utilization of State facilities and leveraging critical private partnerships to decrease State resource dependence and liability.
“The committee will dive deep on issues that cause delays, challenges with procurement, consolidating state employees into underutilized state facilities, and executing at strategies for regional economic development,” said Senator Donovan Dela Cruz (District 22 – Mililani Mauka, Waipi‘o Acres, Wheeler, Wahiawa, Whitmore Village and portions of Poamoho), chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means.”
