Bill Text: HI SR69 | 2011 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Kona Judiciary Complex; Site Selection

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 5-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2011-03-21 - (S) Referred to JDL/HWN. [SR69 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2011-SR69-Introduced.html

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THE SENATE	S.R. NO.	69
TWENTY-SIXTH LEGISLATURE, 2011
STATE OF HAWAII

SENATE RESOLUTION

 

 

URGING THE JUDICIARY TO EXPEDITE THE SELECTION of the site for THE KONA JUDICIARY COMPLEX and consider la‘i‘opua as a potential site for the complex.

 

 

     WHEREAS, the island of Hawai‘i is the island with the second largest population in the State, and specifically the County of Hawai‘i has had the highest population growth rate in the State in the past decade; and

 

     WHEREAS, according to the County of Hawai‘i 2005 General Plan, the population of North and South Kona represents approximately 25 percent of the entire county population, which is projected to steadily increase through 2020 with a 52.5 percent increase from the 2000 census; and

 

     WHEREAS, court facilities in the West Hawai‘i area of the County of Hawai‘i, specifically the Kona region, are grossly inadequate to meet the current and future needs of the growing West Hawai‘i population; and

 

     WHEREAS, major court operations are presently scattered throughout the Kona area at separate facilities, none of which were originally designed for use as a court, which has resulted in operational deficiencies, greater security risks, and public inconvenience; and

 

     WHEREAS, none of the West Hawai‘i courtrooms meet the requirements of modern courtroom design; and

 

     WHEREAS, the various buildings serving as court facilities in West Hawai‘i lack appropriate or otherwise have inappropriate holding facilities for defendants making court appearances, resulting in overcrowded holding cells where defendants share common areas with court personnel and the general public; and

 

     WHEREAS, court facilities in West Hawai‘i also suffer from inadequate parking, storage space, rodent infestation, and compliance with Adults with Disabilities Act access requirements; and

 

     WHEREAS, the Third Circuit Court lacks a juvenile detention center; and

 

     WHEREAS, the aforementioned circumstances necessitate immediate design and construction of a new court complex for the Kona area; and

 

     WHEREAS, the Judiciary is currently engaged in the site selection process for the Kona Judiciary Complex, with the final decision to be made by the Chief Justice of the Hawai‘i Supreme Court; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-sixth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2011, that the Judiciary is urged to expedite the selection of the site for the Kona Judiciary Complex; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Judiciary is urged to consider the site known as La‘i‘Opua, tax map key number 3-7-4-021:003, which is under the jurisdiction of the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, as a potential site for the Kona Judiciary Complex; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands is urged to cooperate with the Judiciary for purposes of selecting a site for the Kona Judiciary Complex; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Chief Justice of the Hawai‘i Supreme Court and the Chairperson of the Hawaiian Homes Commission.

 

 

 

	OFFERED BY:	_____________________________

Report Title: 

Kona Judiciary Complex; Site Selection