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Chairperson Barbara Defranco <br /> Leeward Planning Commission <br /> County of Hawai'i <br /> 25 Aupuni St. <br /> Unit 1502 <br /> Hilo, HI 96720 <br /> Subject: Concerns and Recommendations Regarding Bill 121 <br /> Aloha Chairperson Defranco and Leeward Planning Commission Members, <br /> Thank you for your public service and for considering the viewpoints and concerns <br /> shared by the community regarding Bill 121. <br /> While I appreciate the hard work of the Council members who drafted the bill, and the <br /> stated intent of the bill, I have deep concerns that the proposed legislation fails to <br /> consider how it will impact the economic well-being of Big Island residents in practice. <br /> Recommendation #1: Press pause and conduct an impact study <br /> Tourism is Hawaii's principal industry and legislation that limits the ability of residents to <br /> participate in this economy deserves a nuanced approach that acknowledges and <br /> equitably accounts for the unique circumstances that exist across diverse regions of our <br /> island. Even well-intentioned legislation can have far-reaching unintended <br /> consequences. This would also give affected communities an opportunity to provide <br /> meaningful input proactively rather than reactively. To my knowledge, no public input <br /> was invited during the drafting of this legislation. <br /> Recommendation #2: Maintain the present definition of short term / transient as <br /> thirty consecutive days or less <br /> Owners who rent their homes legally for 31 days or more have a vested right to <br /> continue this existing use. Changing the definition to 180 days would require creating an <br /> avenue for existing rentals to apply for nonconforming use certification. Instead of <br /> creating additional administration for an already complex and cumbersome set of <br /> provisions. I support upholding the present definition of short-term/transient to be a <br /> rental period of thirty consecutive days or less. <br /> Recommendation #3: Remove restrictions about where hosts can live and where <br /> guests can stay <br /> Hosts rely on rental income for their livelihood—they use it to pay their rent, mortgage, <br /> medical bills, an empty nester may have college tuition to cover—any number of <br /> financial hardships could give a host cause to move into a secondary dwelling in order <br />