HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0675.575 2022-2024`°~ ~`.�.^'
From: roysende|e
Sent: Sunday, September29, 202412:12PM
To: Council Testimony
Subject: Short term vacation rentals
Ladies & Gentlemen, Aloha.
This isHong Man & Roy Sendele. We are Bishop Trust lease holders. We have been doing this since 2010,
coffee farming our five acre farm in Honaunau. We are both retired (70's), moving here from California, this is
our home. Like everywhere else, the cost of any and everything has gone up, our coffee production has gone
down due to so many farm related issues. Bishop rent when we moved here was under $200/month, now just
under $700/month. Taxes more than doubling and losing Agriculture status. To be taxed as a single-family fee
simple five acre parcel. I wish we could say that our fixed income retirement has kept up, not even close. We
are also participating iDa state sponsored first farmer 25year loan @ $I,IOO.00/rnDnth.VV2could not afford
tOlive inHawaii, even with working afarm 365 days 8year, nOhelp. Along comes this Air 8&8,vveare in
complete control of having people stay for a few days, learning what life is like tofarm in retirement, live off
the land, share country living in this most perfect place. We do not want to be booked any more than 8week
or two each month, the farm requires ChO[e6 and guests would just get in the way. SO like | said, we control
the calendar and block out days for the farm work. This will all end if you take away our ability to maintain a
small rental that seems to attract people that want to stay away from box hotels. We would not even consider
renting full-time, the problems that a full-time renter brings would be too much of an invasion into our small
farm world. VVepaid $10859.90 in transient tax last year; how would you make that up? When asked of our
guest what would they do if all this stops, not CODl2 to Hawaii was the Overvvheirning answer. To put into
persecutive, we have not had a booking for the months of July, Aug, Sept. Like farming, economics of the
World is changing except the price of everything is still on the rise. Your decision will determine ifvvestay Or
go, (to where?) We have now the mindset to just walk away, it will be that bad. Bishop loses, the State of
Hawaii loses, we lose. All your talking points about vacation rentals only make sense to people that do not
have one. Thank you for you time.
RoxSende|e
Hong Men
POBox 917
HOD8unau,Hi
96726
949-6]3-545]
MEN