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Ibarra: Twelve months, it says, right? An additional 12 months, from May 7t", 2023, to May
<br />7t"7 2024. Mr. Greenwell?
<br />Greenwell: Gerald, do we have anything in the rules or the by-laws that says how long we
<br />can grant an extension, because both of these are for 12 months, and that seems like kind of a
<br />long time.
<br />Takase: I think you're entitled to extend up to 18 months, but we've kind of been I guess, a
<br />little lax with our applicants now because they're all having a hard time, and really a lot of it
<br />comes back to us. I mean, maybe not so much this one, but because of the problems we're
<br />having with our EPIC (Electronic Processing and Information Center) System, we have
<br />probably extended a lot of them past that deadline. We're kind of in a different time now,
<br />and the way I see it, it's really collectively our fault as a County for kind of being a roadblock
<br />in there, and that's why I'm not really trying to enforce that. If they're having trouble with some
<br />of the other Departments, you know it's like, we kind of understand, I don't want to add to their
<br />burden, they're stuck. You know, they came here, they got their liquor license, but everybody
<br />else is tying them up, and if we come back and say, "well, sorry, you missed your 12 months,
<br />you know you're out," I mean, I don't think it's fair to the applicants. There's nothing really that
<br />they did to incur this problem, but rather than trying to add to it, we're trying to be
<br />understanding and help them work through it. So, like in this case, she's kind of stuck in this
<br />changeover between the Department of Land and Natural Resources, and the Department of
<br />Agriculture. And so, kind of extending that, trying to help them because I understand how
<br />slowly government works, so you know, I don't see it as a problem that we are trying to
<br />prevent, so trying to keep them running is the fair thing to do.
<br />Greenwell: I understand exactly what you're saying, but I don't want to be accused of being
<br />someone that, oh we can just go apply for an extension, and we'll get a 12-month extension, or
<br />an 18-month extension, I mean, there's got to be some pressure to keep it going, and it's not
<br />from this Department.
<br />Takase: Yes, well you know, they all want to open, I mean, they've invested time and money
<br />into it, so I don't see it as they trying to stall it, there's really no upside for them to stall it. So,
<br />you know, they're trying to meet all of their requirements, and that's what we try to help them
<br />accomplish, rather than to kind of just come and say, "okay we're going by the law, and you're
<br />out, you start all over," I think is kind of unfair. So, if we get complaints, I'll deal with them.
<br />Ibarra: I guess to follow up on Mr. Greenwell's question, do we have the authority because
<br />of the rule? I can understand their problem, because in this case, you have the DLNR
<br />(Department of Land and Natural Resources), and other agencies, and in the past, Public
<br />Works issues, and other government agencies, but does the rule allow us or does it say, "at
<br />the end of whatever period, it's a drop dead sorry," as a matter of law?
<br />Takase: No, it doesn't. It just says that the matter has to come back to the Commission. Prior
<br />to that, I can give them extensions, and just come back to you to ratify. But, as we get farther
<br />and farther along, then it has to come back to the Commission to decide whether an extension
<br />should be granted.
<br />MINUTES - LIQUOR COMMISSION MEETING - THURSDAY, MAY 41 2023 - HILO PAGE 23 OF 46
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