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From: Robert Golden <br /> To: LPCtestimony <br /> Subject: Testimony against Bill 121 <br /> Date: Tuesday,April 9,2024 9:10:08 AM <br /> Testimony against Bill 121 <br /> Robert Golden <br /> 13-872 Malama Street <br /> Pahoa, HI 96778 <br /> 'A'ohe hang nui ke alu 'ia. No task is too big when done together by all. <br /> My partner and I have lived in Leilani Estates since August 2013. We operate <br /> two AirBnbs, one hosted and one unhosted on our adjoining property. As <br /> AirBnB superhosts, our mission is to provide our guests, mostly tourists from <br /> mainland USA and around the world with a lived experience of Aloha. The <br /> Island of Hawaii is our home and we, like other AirBnB hosts, love the <br /> communities in which we live and want our County government to support us <br /> in our efforts as we support them in promoting thriving communities on this <br /> island. As hosts, we provide opportunities for tourists to use local services at <br /> the same time educate tourists how to experience Hawaiian culture and <br /> places in a most respectful, pono manner. And since opening our hosted <br /> rental in 2014 and our unhosted rental in 2016, our business has served as a <br /> source of tax revenue for the County. As hosts, this is our Kuleana. <br /> We take words like Aloha, Kuleana, and Ohana seriously. These are lived <br /> ideas, not cliches. And we would like to be treated with the same respect by <br /> our County government. Reading Bill 121 left us wondering whether the County <br /> views short-term vacation rentals hosts as Ohana. We are not disputing the <br /> need to regulate this industry, but there are aspects of the bill that we believe <br /> are overreaching: <br /> • If the owner of the property chooses to live in the guest house and <br /> uses the main house as a rental, why is that disallowed? Shouldn't a <br /> property owner be able to make that decision? <br /> • Why can't a host who owns a farm, use a farm dwelling for a hosted <br /> rental. Why is the County curtailing the landowner from creating another <br /> income stream? <br /> • Most tourists who choose short-term vacation rentals are seeking <br /> an unconventional, non-hotel, indigenous experience that is close to <br /> the land. Yet, such places would necessitate a nonconfirming use <br /> certificate secured prior to Jan 1, 2024. New nonconfirming use <br /> certificates are prohibited unless the Director of Planning sees the <br />