Categorized | News

Senate Ways and Means passes Invest in Hawaii Act of 2012

From the Hawaii Senate Majority Caucus:

The Senate Committee on Ways and Means has passed The Invest in Hawaii Act of 2012, Senate Bill 2012, out of committee with amendments. The bill will go before the full Senate for a floor vote this week.

Garnering bipartisan support, Senate Bill 2012, is an aggressive $500 million general obligation bond-funded Capital Improvement Program package aimed at creating jobs by investing and stimulating local economy from all corners of the state.

“My colleagues and I felt that we wanted to do a flagship bill to put people back to work. We felt that the best way to do it was to take projects that were already on the books, such as deferred repair and maintenance type projects that the departments had wanted for years and get them done. We take care of the facilities and at the same time, put people back to work,” said Sen. Michelle Kidani, who serves as vice chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means and oversees Capital Improvements Projects for the Senate.

With Hawaii experiencing the lowest interest rates on record and significant savings made from the State’s most recent bond authorization and issuance, now is the time to invest in our State.

The program will appropriate funds for shovel-ready jobs projects that will create jobs for all trades in the construction industry – from carpenters to consultants. According to conservative estimates by the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism’s (DBEDT) job multiplier, this measure could create or sustain more than 5,000 jobs.

“We have an opportunity to address long-standing needs in a cost effective manner. Interest rates are at a historic low and bids for contracted work are currently coming in at discounted rates,” said Sen. David Ige, chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means. “The convergence of these factors makes now the opportune time to make an aggressive investment in our state’s infrastructure.”

Projects under consideration will focus on repair and maintenance needs to address aging infrastructure concerns and to extend the useful life of existing state-owned assets and facilities. Projects will include those that address health and safety code concerns.

The State departments currently identified as part of the Program are: the Department of Education, including the State Public Library System; the University of Hawaii, including athletic facilities; the Department of Accounting and General Services; the Department of Agriculture; the Department of Defense; the Department of Health, and health care facilities of the Hawaii Health Systems, the Department of Human Services; the Department of Land and Natural Resources; the Department of Public Safety and the Judiciary.

Funding will be allocated depending on department needs and ability to commence work immediately.

Highlights of the funding:

* $150 million for repair and maintenance projects and to address infrastructure needs, such as science and technology, electricity, and other utility infrastructure improvements, within the public school system.

* $3 million for repair and maintenance projects within the Hawaii State Library system.

* $90 million for capital renewal and deferred maintenance projects of the University of Hawaii at Manoa and the University of Hawaii at Hilo.

* $25 million for capital renewal and deferred maintenance projects within the University of Hawaii community college system.

* $60 million for repair and maintenance projects of the Department of Accounting and General Services.

* $40 million for repair and maintenance projects of the Department of Human Services.

* $40 million for repair and maintenance projects of the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation.

Another priority of the bill is to develop sustainable and renewable energy resources, such as photovoltaic technology. Investing in renewable energy and upgrades to information technology initiatives throughout schools, hospitals, and office buildings will ultimately lead to cost savings and a reduction of the State’s carbon footprint.

In order to expedite the backlogged repair and maintenance projects, Senate Bill 2012 makes revisions to the State’s permitting, approval and procurement process.

As a result, the accelerated process will expedite the creation of jobs and facilitate the return to work for many of our residents.

If the measure passes the House and the Governor approves the bill, projects could begin immediately.

For more information on the bill, visit: www.capitol.hawaii.gov/

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

 

Quantcast