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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0236.174 2024-2026P / Cound Pill 47 (AHM, 23, From: A (Somtida) Salim C.� Sent: Monday, June 2, 2025 1:24 PM To: Council TestimonyNO oC—, Subject: Opposing Bill 47 Hawaii County a Aloha e county council members of the County of Hawaii, Despite the testimony against Bill 47 for the May 21 council meeting which overwhelmingly outnumbered the testimony supporting it (2), the council voted to pass Bill 47. Despite the fact that there were only 2 support testimony - one submitted by the Kohala Coast hotel representative (clearly motivated by their business interests that take revenues off island to feed the corporations) and another from a resident who may not be aware that this bill is targeting their fellow residents hosting TAR from the homes they live in - the council still passed the bill. I wonder, once again, if lawmaking -in Hawaii is all about a) helping fellow elected officials passing their bills so. that they can return the favor when it is your turn, b) personal political agendas, and, c) answering to big money special interests who donate to election campaigns. I wonder if voting constituents are simply means to get elected and then to be left behind. Yet, here I am, writing. It is the only means besides voting I have for the appearance of democracy and voting rights. No matter how useless my voice seems. In the May 21st meeting, county member Kierkiewicz and planning director Darrow took the time to state their intentions to calm the constituent hosts of TARs that they do not intend to come after people who register, or to review the registrations one by one for compliance. Thank you for the efforts but these words mean nothing to us, residents, who will be the victims of the bill, like this for years to come after you are long gone from your current respective offices. A bill like this has long lasting effects beyond the appointments of county member Kierkiewicz and planning director Darrow. We have seen it happen before in recent memories. The sponsor of bill 108 (2017-2018) said they were going to keep unhosted TAR in check and they would leave the hosted TARs alone. Look where we are now - hosted TARs are targeted. Just last year, council member Kimball introduced Bill 121 (2024) that was so restrictive, punitive, and senselessly controlling. She came back this year in a much easier to pass version bill 47 - an administrative amendment for registration requirements but with equally punitive, arbitrary and capricious fines as bill 121. 1 do not buy the reassurance of no targeted enforcements for even a minute. Actions and written legally -binding words in the bill speak much louder and more long-lasting than any verbal reassurances of politicians who come and. go. I can see the followings happening in the next five years, if not sooner if you help council member Kimball pass this bill so that you receive her future reciprocal favors to you. 1. Hawaii tourism industry will drop further. It is already in the declining trend. Where would the county and the state find tax money to replace it? 2. There are a lot of tourists who will not stay in hotels. They will choose to go to other tropical destinations that offer them home -like accommodations and they will abandon Hawaii. The hotels on the Island of Hawaii has increased their rates so much that they are unaffordable to a significant portion of tourists, and the hotels will keep raising the prices because the County of Hawaii will eliminate the one and only threatening competition for them with the passing of this bill and by making the TAR hosts targeted for compliance enforcements of all kinds not just from the planning department. All departments have access to whatever is on the county Epic system. We, TAR hosts, will be at the mercy of any form of targeted compliances imaginable. I am speaking of III COMFt" N0 1 Ref. TC: -11 Ref. Da_ - 4 �025 targeted compliance confidently because I see the county blatantly turn blind eyes and deaf ears to whatever decrepit long term rentals that exist. 3. Shops in rural and small town areas outside of Kona and Hilo will disappear.. The patronage from local residents alone cannot sustain local small businesses. When small businesses close, there will be more abandoned buildings, increased appearances of decay and disrepair, more crimes, more squatters, more vandalism, and further deteriorating public safety in small towns and neighborhoods. 4. More residents are going to leave the island because they cannot make ends meet. The county council is making it clear that making small incomes even in their own homes is becoming so nearly impossible because of politically driven regulations. Jobs in the neighboring are going to be scarce. (Because by passing the bill that will eventually wipe out the TAR businesses, you take away housekeeping, handy, and landscape services that TAR hosts currently hire, and you take away the small shop owner businesses outside of resort areas as well.) The only jobs you will leave for residents to do would be county jobs and Jobs that require very long commute away from home to work grueling hours under hotel corporation management. 5. No new affordable long term rentals will be made available by making hosted TARs very difficult to operate. I, for one, will not rent long term. If you want more long term rentals coming from individual property owners, work with the state level counterparts to amend the laws to give more reasonable protections to landlords and more effective, efficient, and affordable eviction enforcements. Individual property owners have their own financial responsibilities to make ends meet. Your job is not to force us to open up our properties for long term rentals by restricting our choices of what to do with our own properties via making restrictive and capricious laws. Your job is to motivate us and incentivize us to do what you think the society needs by eliminating the survival - level risks and threats of doing the long term rental business. PLEASE DEFER THIS BILL. WAIT FOR THE ECONOMIC STUDY REPORT. STOP TAKING INCOMES FROM RESIDENTS AND GIVE THEM TO HOTEL CORPORATIONS OFF ISLAND. Respectfully, Somtida Salim