Senate Standing Committee on Water and Land

Good afternoon. The Committee on Water and Land is on its hearing notice of Wednesday, April 9th, and we're in room 229 and it's 1:45pm. Just some housekeeping announcements. For those that who are testifying and those on Zoom, we ask you to stand on your written testimony to two minutes.

However, we're very good at Water and Land because those who are actually very important on this measure, we may have some discussions longer than the two minutes. The video of this hearing can be found on the Senate's YouTube channel. And decision making will follow the order of the day. All right, Members, thank you.

Good to see you this afternoon. We are proceeding with GM 735. And this is submitting for consideration and confirmation to the Hawaii Community Development Authority, known as HCDA, and the nominee, Michael China, for a term to expire June 30, 2029. Okay, HCDA.

Good afternoon, Chair Inouye and Members of the Committee. Good afternoon. Craig Nakamoto, Executive Director of the Hawaii Community Development Authority. I'm really pleased to support Mr. China's renewal as a Kakaako business representative board member.

I've had the opportunity and staff has had the opportunity to work with Mr. China over the last year as a board member. He brings to the board really a wealth of experience in financial planning, advising clients. He's also a person with family values that values family values.

And he's also expressed his willingness to serve on this board as a way to contribute back to the community. I think this is just one way he contributes back to the community. I'm looking forward to four more years of working with Mr. China in his capacity on the board and gaining all of his input and feedback into board matters. So thank you.

So the representation of Mr. China is the Kakaako representation?

Correct. It's a Kakaako board, and he is the business small business representative. His business is located in the Kakaako Community Development District.

Okay, thank you so much. Members, any questions of the the Director of HCDA? If not, thank you so much. We also received testimonies in support from the DBEDT Director James Tokioka, as well as support from Mike Iosua and of Imanaka Asato LLC.

Okay, Mr. China, good afternoon. Okay, well, we thank you for allowing yourself again, and this time for another four years. And as the Director did say, I think the benefit to HCDA and the board is important, in particular with your background as well. So you got more work for you.

Yes, yes. Welcome though. Welcome.

Yeah, good. Well, we're happy. We're pleased. Personally, I am pleased as well, you know, with the authority in particular HCDA and the role that you play, they play the board and the division is that it seems there's so much success stories in the past. But it seems like we're going to get much busier if we continue to give you more work on the rest of the islands.

It's very interesting because HCDA in the inception was pretty much located the activity on Oahu. And so now that you all have been given the responsibility reaching out to the neighbor islands and that's interesting going into Maui and hopefully to, you know, the rest of the islands as well. And we appreciate that. Members, any questions for Mr. China? Something to say?

No, I look forward to the next four years. Thank you for the opportunity.

All right. Okay, Members, let's go ahead and complete the rest of our work here on the Committee of Water and Land. And the Chair's recommendation on GM 735 is the consideration and confirmation to the Hawaii Community Development Authority. And the recommendation, Members, is that the Chair recommendation is to advise and consent. Any discussion? Hearing none. Vice Chair for the vote. Chair votes aye.

Chair's recommendations to advise and consent on GM 735. Chair and Vice Chair vote aye. [Roll Call] Madam Chair, your recommendation is adopted.

Thank you so much. Congratulations. And this ends the Committee on Water and Land's agenda.