HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0675.127 2022-2024 From: Kenneth Riff
Sent: Monday,January 22, 2024 11:22 AM
To: Council Testimony
Subject: Bill 121
Dear Hawaii City Council,
I am writing to support continuing short-term rentals. I am a physician, and from 2005 to 2018 I directed a
course for six fourth year medical students to come from the University of Minnesota to the Big Island for
three to six weeks to learn about integrative medicine from the rich array of practitioners available here.
The first year of the course we tried volunteer housing from the faculty; it was pretty much unworkable.
As the stipend supporting the course was$1500/student, hotels were out of the question. If a short term
rental that fit the needs of the students hadn't been available,we would not have been able to offer the
course, which was a rich source of learning for students and faculty alike.We used that rental for 13
years.
Short-term rentals are filling a need that is not otherwise being addressed. I urge you to solve whatever
problems are resulting from short-term rentals by addressing those problems directly, rather than tarring
all with the same brush and taking away an important option for visitors to our island.
Kenneth Riff MD
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Comm. No. 19 S. I 11
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1 Ref. Date JAN 2 3 2024