COM 0488.025 2008-2010 - Laserfiche WebLink

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N'V Os N ~9'•;~;:" Nancy E. Crawford William P. Kenoi LIB;, Director Mayor Deanna S.Sako •ij+,' Deputy Director County of Hawaii Finance Department 25 Aupuni Street, Room 118 • Hilo, Hawaii 96720 (808) 961-8234 Far (808) 961-8248 August 31, 2009 t.> ca J Yoshimoto, Council Chair and Members of the Hawai'i County Council Hawai'i County Council - 25 Aupuni Street w Hilo, Hawai'i 96720 C3 Re: Finance Committee Communication 488 (Bill 132) - Amend Hawai'i County Code Chapter 2, Article 19 - Council Approval of Land Transactions The referenced bill for an ordinance to amend Chapter 2, Article 19 would add provisions to Sections 2-112 through 2-114 to require final approval by County Council of any dispositions of real property that is ten acres or larger. The bill states that approval will be based on the bid price, the intended use of the land and the identity of the prospective buyers. This legislation essentially allows the Council to pick and choose who can buy the property and what the buyer can use it for. At best, this additional requirement will be a deterrent to bidders and will result in reduced bid amounts or no bids at all. At worst it has the potential to raise discrimination issues. Under this proposed change, after the winning bidder(s) has made a deposit to secure the bid they must wait for approximately six weeks for the Council to approve their purchase. They will be evaluated by the County Council to determine if their use of the property will be acceptable and if they are personally acceptable. Additionally, the Council may decide the winning bid is too low and not allow the sale at all. Presumably, if the bid amount is adequate but Council does not approve the sale for other reasons, the second highest bidder would then be a candidate to purchase the property, and the process would be repeated. COMM. No. Ref. To: Ref. Date_SEP 01 2009 Hawaii County is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer