|
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES |
H.C.R. NO. |
205 |
|
TWENTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2006 |
||
|
STATE OF HAWAII |
||
RESOLUTION
Requesting the Auditor to review proposed plans and existing and anticipated appropriation requests of the Stadium Authority and the governor for the repair, renovation, refurbishment, or replacement of the Aloha Stadium.
WHEREAS, the Aloha Stadium (Stadium) was built in 1975 and designed to accommodate an array of sports and entertainment events, including football and baseball games; and
WHEREAS, the Stadium was designed to allow the stands to be moved to obtain alternative configurations; and
WHEREAS, in mid-February of 2006, various news broadcasts and articles reported that the Stadium is in need of $129,000,000 in repairs; and
WHEREAS, it has also been reported that the Stadium Authority is considering refurbishing the Stadium so that it would be permanently fixed in a football configuration; and
WHEREAS, the proposal to permanently fix the Stadium in a football configuration would reportedly save an estimated $11,000,000 in refurbishment costs and $20,000 in operating costs each time the Stadium is reconfigured; and
WHEREAS, the proposal to permanently fix the Stadium in a football configuration effectively eliminates its use for baseball and soccer events; and
WHEREAS, a Pacific Business News article dated March 3, 2006, reported that the proposed $129,000,000 Stadium renovation included a proposal to add 10,000 more seats and 32 luxury suites to accommodate a bid to host the National Football League's Super Bowl; and
WHEREAS, the Legislature has been informed that, despite the costs of maintaining and implementing the movable stands program, some Stadium Authority members want to ensure that the Stadium continues to have the flexibility of accommodating the alternative entertainment needs of the community-at-large; and
WHEREAS, pursuant to Section 109-2, Hawaii Revised Statutes (HRS), the Stadium Authority is authorized to "…prescribe and collect rents, fees, and charges for the use or enjoyment of the stadium or any of its facilities"; and
WHEREAS, pursuant to Section 109-3, HRS, the Stadium Authority is authorized to deposit the funds it collects into the Stadium Special Fund to be used for the "...operation, maintenance, promotion, and management..." of the Stadium and "...all or a portion of the cost of financing any capital improvement project..." for the Stadium and its related facilities; and
WHEREAS, in a letter dated February 22, 2006, the Governor transmitted to the Legislature an amendment to the fiscal year 2007 Executive Supplemental Budget proposing to add $25,000,000 in general obligation bond funds for "…the first year of a four-year repair and replacement program to ensure safety, and extend the useful life of Aloha Stadium"; (Emphasis added) and
WHEREAS, the Governor's proposal to amend the fiscal year 2007 Executive Supplemental Budget does not indicate that the revenues from the Stadium Special Fund will be used to reimburse the General Fund for the debt service paid on bonds issued for the Stadium's repair and replacement program; and
WHEREAS, the Governor's proposal to amend the fiscal year 2007 Executive Supplemental Budget may effectively force the general tax-paying public of the state into paying for Stadium improvements, instead of using the Stadium Authority's mandate to "prescribe and collect rents, fees, and charges" to pay for the "cost of financing any capital improvement project"; and
WHEREAS, while the Stadium Authority has the mandate to manage and operate the Stadium, the proposal to use general obligation bonds to finance what may ultimately be a redefined Stadium places an obligation on the Legislature to conduct a thorough review of any and all Stadium repair, renovation, refurbishment, or replacement proposals; and
WHEREAS, it is appropriate for the Auditor to assist the Legislature in conducting this program and financial review; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, the Senate concurring, that the Auditor is requested to review the proposed plans and existing and anticipated appropriation requests of the Stadium Authority and the Governor for the repair, renovation, refurbishment, or replacement of the Stadium; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Auditor's review include, but not be limited to:
(1) A program review of any proposal before the Stadium Authority to permanently fix the Stadium facility in a single configuration and any proposal to expand the Stadium facility; and
(2) A financial and budgetary review of all proposals before the Stadium Authority to finance the repairs, improvements, renovation, expansion, and replacement of the Stadium facility;
and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Auditor is requested to report to the Legislature its findings and conclusions, including any necessary proposed legislation, no later than 20 days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2007; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Governor, Auditor, Stadium Authority, and State Comptroller.
|
OFFERED BY: |
_____________________________ |
|
Report Title:
Aloha Stadium; Review of Proposed Plans.