Senate Standing Committee on Energy and Intergovernmental Affairs

Foreign thank you for your patience.

We're convening the Committee on Energy and Intergovernmental affairs on this Thursday, April 3rd at 3 o' clock in room 016. This hearing being streamed live on YouTube. If we have any kind of technical difficulties, we will post a public notice as to when we will reconvene.

We ask that those who are going to testify limit your testimony to one minute. Members, we have two HCRs on the agenda. The first being HCR33 requesting the Postmaster General of the United States Postal Service to relocate the Pearl City Post Office to the United States Navy property on the Pearl City Peninsula.

For our testifiers we have Larry Verret.

Foreign.

Chair Wukai and Vice Chair Chang and Committee Members. I'm Larry Vera, I'm Chair of the Pearl City Neighborhood Board. I'm providing testimony for our board as a whole.

We have a resolution that we stated our requirements in regard to moving the Pearl City Post Office from its present position on Kamehameha highway and Acacia Road, two Navy property. We've had a really, really bad traffic issue for that area. But most importantly we're concerned about safety.

The small driveway that comes out of the Pearl City Post Office is very narrow and we really think with our creative idea of moving this Post office it allows a lot of opportunities for changes to that intersection especially for all westbound traffic.

And what we're looking at is a cut through to get the Walmart on the westbound lane, right lane, also having a permanent right lane to ease the traffic. And the other thing too is with Transit Oriented Development we hope that there will be a good area for that for the Post Office to be at that location.

There's plenty of room for the move. That's all. Thank you and thank you very much. We're strong support. HCR33 got it.

We have Lena Allah might be joining us via Zoom.

Welcome Aloha Chair, Vice Chair and Members of the Committee. My name is Lena Alabatelon and I am here to testify my support of HCR33. Over the past decades, the congestion in that area of Kamehameha highway and Acacia Road funding the Post Office has become a very heavily congested with traffic.

I go to the Post Office at least once a week to bring my daughter to check her PO Box for her packages and mail. And there have been more than a few incidents of us almost getting into accidents from cars speeding up to go to Walmart or the shopping center up there.

So I think so I believe by moving the Pearl City Post Office to the Pearl City Peninsula will offer convenience and safety for all of its users. I appreciate the opportunity to testify on HCR33. Mahalo.

Thank you for your commentary. Is there anyone else wishing to testify on HCR33? If not any questions for Mr. Vera or Lena Alabetelon? None. We're going to move on to the next item on this agenda.

That is House Concurrent Resolution 157 establishing a task force for speed, simplifying permitting for enhanced economic development to identify actions needed to expedite, facilitate and coordinate state and intergovernmental permitting processes. On our testifiers list we have Jimmy Tokioka or his representative. Thank you Dean. Leo Asuncion.

Good afternoon Chair, Vice Chair Members the Commission stands on as written testimony in support of this resolution and we're available for comments. Thank you.

Thank you for joining us From HHFDC has submitted testimony in support. Dan Oren Denker has submitted test commentary and Ted Kafalas has submitted testimony in support. Is there anyone else wishing to testify on HCR 157? If not Members, Any questions? Oh yes.

Thank you Dean. So you know what does the reso., I mean can't they already meet with individuals to figure out how to expedite and facilitate the state intergovernment permit process or we need a reso to do that.

So the reso brings a little bit more detail to I think what the concept was still, I think with the resolution and bringing the interested parties together can start to discuss potential projects. There is a current section in DBED that allows for facilitated permitting process.

But to our research, no project was ever executed and that was mainly done just under DBED chapter. This may look at ways of doing projects not only at the commercial scale, but maybe even the local level housing which would require county and state to come to the table.

To your point, could it be called without I don't see why not. But we wouldn't know what projects would be on the table that would require that type of permanent discussion yet.

So the present level, you know the challenge you've been having at Maui County is you know, at one point emergency proclamation to expedite some of the permits and the process.

What would prevent them to trying to do that now in having the group work together, realizing that we we've always had this problem of kicking the ball to permitting on DLNR stuff, permitting, on other stuffs. What would be the purpose of this? And then how many times would this group meet to have that discussion?

I wouldn't know the schedule that would be fleshed out once the working group is established and they would come up with the schedule regarding proclamations those you know my experience and seeing how they're utilized is at a point in time to address a crisis emergency or some urgent situation and those those searches in that circumstance.

The Governor did declare housing was a State of emergency. I think for lack of a better term. But again going back to the intent it's not clear what projects yet but we would support collectively I mean several of our own programs submitted and they are part of the planning process.

So this would be on Zoom meeting where people would fly in to do it and who would pay for them.

That I wouldn't know under the working group if they, if they would want to do it hybrid, Zoom or in person that I that I wouldn't be able to speculate at this point in time.

I noticed there's a representative from each of the offices of the congressional delegation. What would the congressional delegation bring to the table Federal for me sorry that.

I would not know. This is not a admin result so I'm not sure behind the author what their intent was in bringing the congressional delegation to the table. Sorry about that.

Do you think the reso viable to. Help make things faster or it could.

Identify if we get down to specific examples or projects it definitely would you would start to understand this point in time maybe what policies are out of date and where we need to and where we need to move forward. We do have a I'll speak to some land uses that and housing development.

We do have a one size fits all approach. No matter what your vision is depending on the zoning it'll give you the same product. There could be an opportunity if you're talking about residential with this for what would form based zoning look like? Project defines the zoning. Same with the commercial and industrial spaces.

How much normally would study like this costs.

When DBED's asked to do studies and we engage with our research economic analysis division it's usually about a quarter mil to 250,000 to do studies.

To today. We've never done one like this before.

Not on if it says if this is linked to the facilitated permitting process under DBED not to our knowledge. We couldn't find any research or project done before so not even a study or report.

Okay thank you. Thank you Chair.

Just a follow up question to that in terms of the potential cost since this is really a initiative put forth by the House and if the House would be the one chairing this Committee and couldn't any cost be just okay house you pay for it. Right?

So if we have to fly in someone from Molokai or whatever, then Speaker Nakamura can figure out how she's going to pay for all of that. Right? Because they're the ones in charge of this.

I cannot. Sorry that I couldn't answer how the funding appropriations work within the own chambers and how they would, they would spend. But I have seen in some resolutions this session and testimony where testimony asks for cost to be inserted into the budget. So like for example, HB300 to execute.

If there's any travel costs or costs to execute this reso at that. It could be that way, but.

Yeah. Well, I think if it's a House initiated effort, then they should pay for all the costs. So. Anyway, you're welcome. Any further questions?

If not the Members don't mind, we'll just move straight into decision making for the first measure, HCR 33, to see if we could potentially move the post office in Pearl City for traffic calming and safety reasons to Navy property. Like to. We passed a similar Senate version of this out a couple of weeks ago.

So I'd like to pass this HCR 33 as is any discussion. If not Senator Chang, I vote yes.

Here's recommendation for HCR 33 pass unamded Chair votes aye, Vice Chair votes aye. Senator DeCoit? Aye. Leonard Richards? Aye. Senator Fevella? Excused.

Okay. On HCR 157, this is to have a speedy task force focused on speedy permitting and regulatory solutions. I appreciate the commentary by Senator DeCoit.

About who's going to pay for this, but as mentioned, since this is really a House initiative, maybe the House will be the one that will take it out of their budget to pay for any kind of expenses associated with this effort. But we also passed a similar Senate resolution on this particular.

I'd like to pass this measure out as is any discussion. If not Senator Chang, I vote yes.

Chairs recommendation for HCR 157 is passed unamended of the Members present, are there any objections or reservations? Seeing none. Recommendation is adopted.

Great. Thank you everyone. We're adjourned.

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