Rep. Jon Riki Karamatsu
Written Remarks
House Bill 2323, House Draft 2
Resort Beach Restoration ($)
March 4, 2008
I rise in support.
This bill would establish within the beach restoration special fund a sub-account to be known as the resort beach restoration fund to be administered by the Department of Land and Natural Resources (department), into which shall be deposited general funds appropriated by the legislature and revenues from the tourism special fund, which receives moneys from the transient accommodations tax prescribed by section 237D-6.5(b)(2)(C) of the Hawaii Revised Statutes provided that:
1. No funds shall be released for expenditure from the resort beach restoration fund unless matched by non-state funds on at least a one-to-one basis; and
2. No funds shall be released for expenditure from the resort beach restoration fund unless at least fifty per cent of the funds released are funds transferred from the tourism special fund pursuant to section 237D-6.5(b)(2)(C).
Moneys in the resort beach restoration fund shall be used to provide for the development and restoration of visitor area resort beaches, including maintenance of any improvements placed on the visitor area resort beach or in the nearshore waters, as determined by the department, including debt service on any capital expenditures projects and the contracting for services for those purposes.
The resort beach restoration fund is a creative way to get matching funds from the private sector that have a vested interest in restoring beaches fronting or near their resort hotels or tourist destinations. Importantly, the residents of the State of Hawai'i will also get to enjoy restored beaches with their family and friends.
Thank you.
JON RIKI KARAMATSU 