HomeMy WebLinkAboutRES 175 Draft 01 2000-2002 COUNTY OF I~AWAI`I STATE Off` I-IAWAI`I
RESOLUTION NO. E~
A RESOLUTION SUPPORTING FEDERAL LEGISLATION EXEI~'TING FOREIGN
PASSENGER CRUISE SHIPS IN HAWAIIAN WATERS FROM THE PASSENGER
VESSEL SERVICES ACT
WHEREAS, the County of Hawai`i's slumping economy and poor economic forecasts demand
alternative stimulus; and
WHEREAS, Regional Financial Associates, Inc., the national consulting company, that
specializes in economic analysis and forecasting, estimates a 2.7 percent loss in jobs for the State
of Hawaii in 2002, worst in the nation; and
WHEREAS, the Island of Hawaii suffered a 6.7 percent decline in tourism in 2001; and
WHEREAS, American Classic Voyages (ACV) accounted for 157,000 passengers (equivalent to
approximately 300 Boeing 747-400 full-capacity flights) to the Island of Hawaii last year; and
WHEREAS, American Classic Voyages (MS Patriot) and American Hawaii Cruises (AHC) (SS
Constitution) accounted for 63% of the Big Island's scheduled port calls for 2002; and
WHEREAS, ACV and AHC's collapse intensified the Island of Hawai`i's dismal unemployment
rate of 5.9% in December 2001 compared to the Statewide rate of 4.9%; and
WHEREAS, potential consequences of the downward spiral of the Big Island's employment
include increased bankruptcies, thefts, suicides, divorce, domestic violence, child abuse, and child
neglect; and
WHEREAS, the State Attorney General's Office reports that overall crime in the State of
I-lawai`i as well as the Island of Hawaii increased for the first six months of 2001, compared with
the same period in 2000 (pre-Sept. 11); and
WHEREAS, according to a "Cruise Ship Passenger Impact" report for the Island of Hawai` i
prepared by Hilo Harbor Master Ian Birnie, total visitor expenditures for the Island of 1-Iawai`i in
2002 is projected to increase by over $8,000,000 presuming full-day stops in Hilo and Kailua-
Kona by i`vorwegian Cruise Lines; and
WHEREAS, according to the same report, 130+ potential new jobs will be required on the Island
of Hawaii to accommodate additional visitors in Hilo and Kailua-Kona; and
WHEREAS, recipients of these additional benefits include local retailers, travel agents, food
suppliers, ship repair companies, stevedores, tour operators, hotels, restaurants and bus and taxi
companies; and
dVFIEItEAS, Norwegian Cruise Lines will offer 7-day cruises instead of 10-1 l day cruises for
one of its three ships, the Norwegian Star; and
~VIIEIiEAS, the abbreviated itinerary, combined with the Passenger Vessel Services Act's
foreign call requirement, effectively denies any full-day calls to the Big Island.
N0~6', TIIiEIZEFORE BE IT RESOLVED BY TIDE COUNCIL OF TIIE COUNTY OF
IIA~VAI`I that it €ully ~.€~gsgarts and encourages federal legislation that 'would exerrept
Ila~~ai`i front the >l~asse~ger Vcsscl Sc~~a>ices Act that s°equtres a fores~n call Iset~s°cen stops at
U. S. ports; and
BE IT FUI~TIIEIt IIiEESOLVF.D that the County Clerk of the County of I'Iawai`i is directed
to transmit copies of tit€~ resoltttiol3 to the I'resi~e;rtt of the United States; the I~residettt of
the United States Senate; Speaker etf the United States Mouse of RepresentQtives; the
Secretary of the If.7ttited States Dcpat-ttent of Transportation; the rneanl~ers of I-lavaai`i's
congressional delegations the ot$or;~hle Benjamin J. Cayetano, Governer, State of
I~awai`i; Nand of I-Ia~ai`i L~~islators; the Ilo?tto~alble marry ]Kira, Pmlayaat- of the Couatty of
IIa®s~ai`i; the Director ~~f Brt~irtsss, E~rsasorrtBC Dem=cloptrsent, and Toerisrn; The Director of
Cotntrterce and Cotasttn~er AfI'ait-s; ~~~d the executive heads of the I~a~>ai`i Totar£stn
Authority-, the &Iaavai`i Visitor's and Ceraverttion Brtreart, and the Airlines C€tan~ittce of
IIa~>ai`i.
Dated at Kona , I-fawai`i, this 20th day of March 2002.
Int~d~ced by:
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C-~3U'N IL MEIoiIBE C^£~YINTY OF [IAWAI`I
ti
COUNTY COUNCIL ROLL CALL VOTE
County of Hawaii AYES NOES ABS EX
Hilo, Hawaii ARAKAKI X
CHUNG X
I hereby certify that the foregoing RESOLUTION was by the vote ILARIONOFF X
indicated to the right hereof adopted by the COUNCIL of the County of
Hawai'ion March 20, 2002. JACOBSON X
LEITHEAD-TODD X
ATTEST: PISICCHIO X
SAFARIK X
TYLER X
~ YAGONG X
f
y~ffi~COUNTY C K CHAIRMAN & PRESIDING OFFICER Reference: C-521/HS&EDC -10
RESOLUTION NO. - •
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