HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0675.412 2022-2024From: Alexa Boyer
Sent: Monday, August 19, 2024 10:42 AM COUNTY CLERK
To: Council Testimony COUNTY OF RAWAI
Subject: Written Testimony in Opposition of Bill 121 RECEIVLD
Time Q:Q( 6,01, Hy
Date l,l1C 1 9 2024
Aloha Council Members,
am writing in opposition to the current proposed Bill 121. We live on the Big Island and our children
attend school in Waimea. We have had a short term rental business in Kona since 2019 which has served
to financially support our family and help us pay for our kids school tuition as well as provide us and
other local families with work. We have also housed many travel nurses over the years which fill an
important role at Kona Community Hospital and also housed Park Rangers which travel between
Volcano and Kona. We are locally owned and run and we are a valuable part of the community and fill
many gaps in the short term rental market thatwould not be filled by hotels and we are not interested in
providing long term housing as we and our neighbors had a horrible experience with providing long term
housing during Covid. We are located in a residential zone (RD) however we are on Ali'i Drive very close to
Kona Viltage, just outside the condo area and stilt heavily trafficked by tourism. Our small family
business serves as a means to support our family and offers other local families work at good livable
wages and our neighbors love having us as part of the community and have never been happier with us.
We have pride of ownership and have improved our property immensely and provide our neighbors'
friends and family a wonderful and affordable place to stay while visiting. We ask that you consider the
impact that these bills will have on local families that have found work or made a small family business
for themselves which provides for not only their family but other families on island and serves an
important area in the market that makes it feasible for traveling essential workers, government
employees and other guests on a normal budget to afford to stay and/or visit the island and helps sustain
the local economy for all small local businesses we support. Our business is an important part of the
local economy and benefits local residents supplying work for many people and supports our local
vendors who work with us and our relationships with local businesses who we advertise and promote
and our guests visit.
To restrict local residents and property owners by approving these bills and apply more fees and
restrictions on top of the 32% we pay (14% online platform booking fee and almost 18% Hawaii state
taxes) is making it difficult on residents to live on island and have a small family business and be a part of
the community and is allowing the big investors and hotels to control the short term rental market and
inflate their prices by reducing the available short term inventory and wilt cut out an important part of
tourism and housing for essential workers, government works, and locals traveling between islands to
visit family, etc... Short term rentals also pay better housekeeping rates and support small local repair
businesses and vendors which serves to support Hawaii's local economy better than hotels. Average
hotel pay for housekeeping is around $26/hour and we pay $50/hour. The better pay that short term
rentals offer housekeepers allows housekeepers to earn a livable income to support their family with one
job and not require them to have two different jobs as many hotel housekeepers do to afford to live on
island.
IN, mlw Ell
Bypassing Bill 121 you are restricting short term rentals even further for private owners making ithander
for residents to m a ke ends meet and will make it more unaffordablef or visitors which wit[ trickle down
and negatively impact local businesses and therefore local residents and will actually negatively affect
housing and affordability more than people understand at first glance and and will have an overall
negative impact on Hawaii's local economy and only improve the bottom tine of hotels. There is a better
way for the bills to be written and implemented without at[ the negative consequences hidden in the
current drafts of the bills. The appropriate time should be given to research the actual implications of the
bill which could take a year or two to really understand how the new legislation would affect Hawaii
County local economy. It is not worth rushing to implement a bill that could have dire negative
implications for local residents and Hawaii county economy. This issue has been at hand for years but
the appropriate due diligence has not been done to protect local businesses and residents impacted by
this legislation.
Please protect the KocmKresidents and your constituents by not passimgKegimKmtion quickKywithomt
the appropriate due diKigemce and ensure the Bittmare fair and not going toimpact KooaUbusinesses
negativeKy and cause more financial. distress tmKmcaKresidents trying tomake aKivimg and provide
for their families onhsKamd.
I appreciate you considering my testimony when choosing how to vote on these Bills.
Mah8k],
Alexa
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