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• Hosts are already regulated and taxed. Bill 108 already saw <br />County Planning Division regulate short term rentals since 2018. <br />Hosts have been collecting tax revenue for Hawaii County since <br />2022. <br />This is not 'complaint driven.' <br />Many of us question the reasoning for this Bill . This does not have merit in <br />responding to any pressing need.When Councilwoman Kimball was challenged to <br />state the number of complaints she stated that County of Hawaii has only 60 <br />complaints on file. In testimony before the Governmental Affairs committee <br />hearing the bill on 1/23/24 that the only individuals in favor were retired former <br />mayor Harry Kim and a paid Hawaii County employee in uniform. The ratio of <br />those in opposition was something like 60 :2. This shows a very poor imperative to <br />pass this legislation. <br />Overregulation and over taxation will be the result of Bill 121 if it passes. <br />The requirement that all hosts put on display their registration 'ID' at their property <br />boundary is an invasion of basic privacy rights and poses a security risk. Measures <br />forcing all hosts to register under a County Department forces an entrepreneur <br />sector to be subjected to yet more control and scrutiny from a department that <br />performs the worst of the entire nation. (Planning Department recent rating in a <br />study). It's obvious to many of us that implementing this is not a magical solution <br />to our housing issue. <br />More surely of what drives an economy, growth and innovation. It should concerns <br />us always to see more 'socialist' measures that are objectionable: <br />• regulated & surveilled households <br />• heavy fines up to $10,000 which will lead to property forfeiture and <br />seizure <br />Bill 121 will deliver terrible optics to the public: <br />As Councilmembers, having just received the first of two substantial pay rises <br />(this month being the first) it is a particularly poor optic to be engaged in <br />dismantling the livelihoods of others. Further the potential for Bill 121 to favor <br />Hotels to the point of delivering them a monopoly share of business is simply not a <br />good optic and would lead to a breach of public trust and an abuse of power. <br />Conclusion: <br />As a Planning Commission body I hope you won't recommend the passage of this <br />Bill. I believe that the testimony on record shows the very clear understanding <br />