STAND. COM. REP. NO.  506-08

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2008

 

RE:   H.B. No. 2672

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Labor & Public Employment, to which was referred H.B. No. 2672 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PARKING,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this bill is to address parking fee issues for public employees and the ongoing maintenance and operational needs for parking in a timely and effective manner by:

 

     (1)  Clarifying the Comptroller's authority over parking facilities within the State's jurisdiction by:

 

          (A)  Removing parking space fees from collective bargaining negotiations for parking facilities within the jurisdiction of the Comptroller; and

 

          (B)  Allowing the Comptroller to install parking meters in parking facilities within the new jurisdiction of the Comptroller and assess and collect charges for vehicles using the metered spaces.

 

     (2)  Tying parking fees for public employees to salary increases negotiated through collective bargaining; and

 

     (3)  Eliminating the $500,000 cap on the balance of funds in the State Parking Revolving Fund (Parking Fund).

 

     The Department of Accounting and General Services testified in support of part of this bill.  The Hawaii Government Employees Association opposed this bill in part and supported this bill in part.

 

     Repealing the cap on the amount of funds that may be kept in the Parking Fund will allow the Comptroller to address numerous ongoing maintenance and operational needs for state parking facilities statewide.

 

     However, your Committee has concerns regarding the collective bargaining provisions of this measure.  Parking is currently a negotiable item through collective bargaining and should remain as such.  Moreover, tying parking fees to salary increases achieved through collective bargaining does not appear to have a relationship to the operation and maintenance of state parking facilities.

 

     Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by removing provisions that:

 

     (1)  Remove parking space fees from collective bargaining negotiations for parking facilities within the jurisdiction of the Comptroller;

 

     (2)  Allow the Comptroller to install parking meters in parking facilities within the Comptroller's new jurisdiction and assess and collect charges for vehicles using the metered spaces; and

 

     (3) Tie parking fees for public employees to salary increases negotiated through collective bargaining.

 

     Other technical, nonsubstantive amendments were made for clarity, consistency, and style.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Labor & Public Employment that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2672, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2672, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.


 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Labor & Public Employment,

 

 

 

 

____________________________

ALEX M. SONSON, Chair