HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0675.625 2022-2024 P/'PCPLuO
Sill 121
60144.6.75
From: Spencer Jones
Sent: Thursday, November 7, 2024 9:54 AM
To: Council Testimony x_}a
Subject: Bill 121 Draft 4 and related Communication 675.591
Dear Chair and Members of the Policy Committee, " a` ,
I am writing on behalf of my family to express our gratitude for your diligent work on Bill 121 D1ft
regulating Short Term Vacation Rentals(STVRs).We would like to specifically thank the Council, and
especially Council Member Heather Kimball,for your engagement through Communication 675.591,
addressing the significant constitutional concerns regarding the disparate treatment of owner-hosted
and operator-hosted STVRs. Your willingness to consider amendments to align the bill with established
case law and constitutional principles has alleviated many of our initial concerns and the potential need
for litigation, saving taxpayer funds in the process.
We have one remaining concern regarding the bill's reachability requirement.As drafted,the bill requires
a one-hour response time and a three-hour in-person presence, which can be challenging due to Hawaii
Island's unique logistical and medical limitations. For example, if a property owner or operator faces an
unexpected medical emergency requiring off-island care, as the nearest level 1 trauma facility is in
Oahu, it becomes impractical to meet these strict timeframes.
While we understand the importance of prompt responsiveness,we respectfully request additional
flexibility in this requirement.Allowing for a designated alternate contact or multiple reachable contacts
on file with the Planning Department would enable us to meet the intent of the regulation while
accommodating unforeseen circumstances.This flexibility would help ensure we don't risk losing our
STVR license in an emergency.
We apologize for the delay in submitting these comments; reviewing the recent amendments thoroughly
took time, and while we recognize this submission is late,we felt it was important to communicate our
appreciation for the Council's efforts in creating a workable and equitable STVR regulatory framework.
Thank you once again for your hard work and thoughtful consideration.We are grateful for the
constructive changes made, particularly in harmonizing the treatment of owner-hosted and operator-
hosted STVRs in alignment with constitutional standards, and we look forward to seeing this bill's
successful passage with the changes reflected in Communication 675.591
Thank you
Spencer L Jones
Agent
Andrea D Jones Trust
Comm. ✓ .
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1 Ref. DomeNOV — 8 2024