HomeMy WebLinkAboutBill 147 Comments
Tsuneda, Kaci
From:Michael Foley <meehawl96719@gmail.com>
Sent:Saturday, August 29, 2026 5:13 PM
To:Council Testimony
Cc:info@himast.org
Subject:Written Testimony-Bill 147 Comments-Michael Foley
To the Members of the Policy Committee on Planning, Land Use, and Economic Development
(PCPLUED)
CC: Hawaiʻi Mid and Short-Term Rental Alliance (HIMAST)
Re: Bill 147 — Short-Term Vacation Rental and B&B Regulations
Aloha Policy Committee Members,
My name is Michael Foley, and I've lived on a five-acre property in Kohala for nearly 25 years. I'm
a member of HIMAST, though I'm rarely able to attend meetings or testify in person—this letter is
my way of participating anyway, ahead of Bill 147's committee and council hearings, and in
response to the Alliance's request that members share their own circumstances directly with you.
I want to speak specifically to the hosted rental category Bill 147 formally establishes for the first
time. I live on the same parcel as my rental, and I think that distinction matters more than it might
appear on paper. When a guest arrives at my place—especially late in the evening—they find
eggs, Kona coffee, milk, bread, and fresh fruit waiting for them, so they're not stuck hunting for
groceries after a long journey to get here. It's a small thing, but it's the plainest way I know to
describe what "hosted" actually means in practice: I provide a small makana for my guests in a
way that I'd appreciate myself. That's a different relationship to a rental than an absentee,
unhosted unit will ever have, and I hope the Policy Committee will continue to recognize that
difference as the bill moves forward, in the operational standards it sets, and in how it treats
hosted rentals relative to unhosted ones.
I started doing this after my wife passed away in 2016. It was my son's idea. He suggested turning
our ʻohana into a rental, with the understanding that I'd block out dates whenever any of our
three children wanted to bring their families home. The rental income was never really the point.
What mattered was that it gave me a reason to stay engaged with this land, the garden, the yard,
the flowering plants my wife loved so much, rather than letting five acres get away from a
widower with too much time and too little structure. Nearly a decade later, that's still exactly
what it does for me.
I understand the Policy Committee's task with Bill 147 is to regulate a market, not individual
circumstances, and I don't expect this letter to change that. But as you weigh operational
1
standards—occupancy limits, quiet hours, event restrictions—I'd ask that you preserve a real
distinction between owner-occupied, hosted rentals on rural and agricultural land and the
unhosted, investor-owned units the bill seems primarily aimed at. They are not the same activity,
and treating them identically risks pushing out exactly the kind of small-scale, resident hosts who
have the least in common with the practices the bill is trying to correct. I am current on
my Transient Accommodations Tax (TAT), General Excise Tax (GET), and property tax. I operate
three small studio spaces: you are welcome to read reviews at these three links: (downstairs
barn) airbnb.com/h/lalo-naniokohala; (upstairs barn) airbnb.com/h/luna-naniokohala; (studio
off on its own) airbnb.com/h/lamua-naniokohala. My family has always thought of the studio off
on its own as the best option for long-term rental. That way they could rely on the two studios
upstairs and downstairs in the small barn when they visit. But every candidate for long term rental
I've considered finds 480sq ft too small. I'm glad to offer a resident's perspective further if it
would be useful, even if I can't always do that in person.
Mahalo for your time and for the work you're putting into a genuinely difficult balance.
Michael Foley
Postal: PO Box 426 Hawi, HI 96719
Residential: 55-784A Hawi Rd, Hawi, HI 96719
2
Tsuneda, Kaci
From:Koili Point <koilipoint@gmail.com>
Sent:Monday, August 31, 2026 4:23 AM
To:Council Testimony
Subject:Bill 147 Questions
Aloha,
Thank you in advance for your time. Please see the below for consideration:
1. Amend the drafted SECTION 4. Chapter 25, article 1, section 25- 1- 5 to consider that Hosts may travel
off island for any reason and/or may be hiking in a remote area -- and then would not be able to comply
with the 'amendment' as currently written. Instead of requiring both provisions be met, (respond via
phone AND be present within 3 hours) consider one or the other which seems very reasonable.
2. The penalty for being off-island or on a hike that would take more than 3 hours to get the message, hike
back to one's car, drive back to the TVR would then be $5,500 for the first penalty? This seems incredibly
high. One call from a 'neighbor' who may/not have anything to do with the rental and who doesn't like an
owner for whatever reason, but knows you are away -- and you are basically out of business.
3. Perhaps add language that if the Host is not available, they have a right to designate a co-host or
someone? Maybe this is implied but it's not clear to me. This would seem very reasonable.
4. I'm a little unclear about the right to host a TVR on an Agricultural property. I am in favor of this as long
as there is a host or co-host on site. Also, how/when/where to register as an Ag Hosted TVR?
I would ask "What is the specific problem looking to be solved by the County with this amendment?" This
would help put the amendment into context better.
There is the independent study that shows short term rentals are very popular with tourists, create a lot
of jobs for people who live on the island, and contribute a lot of money to the County -- to include
keeping the money on island unlike the national corporations such as hotels whose profits leave the
island immediately.
I am sure there are some complaints with certain parts of the island where owners are not as pono as we
all would like with their rental.I also realize it is hard to make one new law that will address the whole
island.
With that, I would ask if equal effort is being exerted to ask hotels to provide housing for their employees
on-site? Maybe hotels need to convert rooms to accommodations for some of their employees if
housing is the 'problem' this bill is intending to help solve. This happens in many countries around the
world but not on the Big Island in particular.
Mahalo again for your time. Len Gambla, Papaikou
1
Tsuneda, Kaci
From:Robert Golden <rgolden46@gmail.com>
Sent:Monday, August 17, 2026 11:06 AM
To:Council Testimony
Subject:Bill 147 Testimony — Please Protect Resident Hosts
Aloha Chair and Members of the Hawaiʻi County Council,
I am writing to ask you to ensure that Bill 147 does not place unreasonable burdens on Hawaiʻi Island residents
who host guests within their own homes.
My partner and I live in Puna and host an Airbnb unit on the first floor of our home. This is not an absentee-
owned vacation rental or a commercial operation disconnected from our community. This is our home. We
live here, and we depend upon the income from our Airbnb to help make it financially possible for us to
continue living here in Puna.
I understand and support the County's desire to regulate transient accommodations responsibly. There are
legitimate concerns about housing, neighborhood impacts, safety, and ensuring that operators follow
reasonable rules.
However, I believe the County should make an important distinction between large-scale or absentee vacation
rentals and residents who simply rent part of the home in which they live.
Please do not create a regulatory system in which ordinary resident hosts face expensive permits, complicated
procedures, uncertainty about whether they can continue operating, or requirements that are disproportionate
to the actual impact of their small home-based rental.
For people like us, this income is not simply extra spending money. It is part of what allows us to afford to
remain in our home and in the community we love.
If Bill 147 moves forward, I respectfully ask the Council to provide resident-hosted rentals with a clear, simple,
affordable, and attainable pathway to compliance, and to protect existing responsible operators from being
unintentionally forced out of business.
Good regulation should address genuine problems without creating unnecessary hardship for the residents
who are already part of the fabric of our communities.
Please protect Puna's resident homeowners and small-scale hosts as you consider Bill 147.
Mahalo for your service and for considering my testimony.
With aloha,
Robert Golden
Puna, Hawaiʻi Island
1
Tsuneda, Kaci
From:stefan@heimbi.de
Sent:Monday, July 27, 2026 5:23 PM
To:Council Testimony
Subject:Public Testimony on Bill 147 – Protect Existing Legal STVR Rights
Aloha Members of the Hawaiʻi County Council,
I am writing to submit comments regarding Bill 147 and its potential impact on legally
operating Short-Term Vacation Rentals within the RM zoning district.
I am the owner of Unit B209 at Kona Pacific. We purchased our property with the clear
understanding that short-term vacation rental use was legally permitted. This lawful use
was a fundamental part of our purchase decision, our financial planning, and the value we
attributed to the property.
We have operated Unit B209 as a legal short-term vacation rental for approximately five
years. During this time, we have complied with the applicable regulations, maintained the
property responsibly, paid HOA dues, insurance premiums, maintenance expenses, and
property taxes, and contributed continuously to the local economy.
We understand that amendments to the RM-related provisions of Bill 147 may currently
be under consideration. We respectfully ask the Council to ensure that existing legally
operating STVR properties are permanently protected as lawful uses.
Changing the legal status of these properties after owners have purchased, financed,
maintained, and invested substantial amounts of money would fundamentally change
what those owners purchased.
Removing or restricting existing STVR rights could result in:
A substantial reduction in property values.
Reduced marketability and a smaller pool of potential buyers.
Uncertainty for owners, buyers, lenders, insurers, title companies, and real estate
professionals.
Difficulties obtaining financing or refinancing.
Financial hardship for owners who rely on lawful rental income to cover
mortgages, HOA dues, insurance, maintenance, repairs, and increasing property
taxes.
Unequal treatment of otherwise identical units within the same condominium
complex.
1
We are particularly concerned that requiring existing RM-zoned properties to operate
only under a Non-Conforming Use Certificate could create two different classes of
owners within the same condominium community.
Two identical units in the same building should not have fundamentally different legal
rights because one owner holds a certificate while another owner or future purchaser does
not.
Any protection for existing legal STVRs should therefore:
Be permanent.
Remain attached to the property.
Be transferable to future owners.
Survive a sale, inheritance, or change of ownership.
Not depend on uncertain future renewals or temporary approvals.
A rental right that expires or disappears upon sale does not meaningfully protect the
current owner, because it would still substantially reduce the property’s value and
marketability.
Legal STVRs also provide substantial benefits to Hawaiʻi Island. They generate recurring
employment and business for cleaners, property managers, maintenance providers,
plumbers, electricians, contractors, landscapers, and other local service providers.
Guests staying in legal STVRs spend money at local restaurants, grocery stores, farmers’
markets, retail businesses, rental car companies, tour operators, and activity providers
throughout the Kona area.
Responsible legal operators also maintain their properties, communicate condominium
and neighborhood rules to guests, respond to problems, and operate within an
accountable regulatory framework.
If the County believes that different rules are necessary for future development, those
changes should not diminish the long-standing rights of properties that were legally
purchased and operated under the existing zoning regulations.
We respectfully request that the County Council amend Bill 147 to permanently preserve
the lawful and transferable STVR rights of existing legally operating RM-zoned
properties, including Kona Pacific.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Stefan Heimburger
Owner, Kona Pacific Unit B209
stefan@heimbi.de
2
Tsuneda, Kaci
From:Jeni Herberger <puumahana@gmail.com>
Sent:Monday, August 31, 2026 11:32 AM
To:Council Testimony
Subject:Written testimony Bill 147
Aloha Chair and Members of the Hawai ʻ i County Council,
My name is Jeni Herberger, and I am a Hawai ʻ i Island resident, farmer, and long-time hosted vacation
rental operator on agricultural land. Mahalo for the opportunity to again provide testimony regarding Bill
147. I live on and actively farm my property. My farm produces approximately 6,000 pounds of avocados
annually, supplies culinary herbs to the local market, and supports livestock. I also operate a hosted
vacation rental on the property. For me, the central issue with Bill 147 is clarity and the ability to
comply.
If agricultural landowners will be required to obtain a Special Use Permit or meet other new
requirements, the County needs to establish a clear, affordable, and attainable pathway to
compliance before those requirements take effect. Existing operators need straightforward answers.
What permits will be required? What will they cost? What documents or professional services will be
necessary? How long will approval take? And will existing operators be allowed to continue operating
while applications are pending?
These questions are especially important for working agricultural properties. Hosted accommodation
income is not simply incidental income for many small farms. It can be a critical part of what allows a
resident farmer to maintain the land, pay rising operating costs, and continue agricultural production.
Policies intended to regulate vacation rentals should not unintentionally make actively farming
agricultural properties financially unsustainable.
The scale of the Agricultural District also matters. Nearly 46% of Hawai ʻ i Island — approximately 1.18
million acres — is classified within the State Agricultural District. Hawai ʻ i County has acknowledged
that when these classifications were originally established, essentially all working and open lands not
placed in Conservation were designated Agricultural, including lands with limited agricultural resource
value. “Agricultural District” is therefore an extraordinarily broad land-use designation on Hawai ʻ i Island.
It should not automatically be treated as synonymous with active commercial farmland when regulating
hosted vacation rentals. A policy that restricts hosted accommodations simply because a resident’s
home lies within the Agricultural District could potentially affect properties across nearly half of the
island.
Bill 147 should clearly distinguish between absentee-investor vacation rentals and owner-occupied
properties where residents actually live, farm, maintain the land, and use limited visitor
accommodations to help sustain their agricultural operations. The same clarity is needed across Bill
147, Ordinance 25-50, and related legislation. Registration, permitting, taxation, and enforcement
requirements need to work together. Residents should not be expected to comply with rules when the
process for doing so remains unclear, incomplete, prohibitively expensive, or unreasonably difficult.
1
Hosts are not asking to avoid regulation. We are asking for regulations that are understandable and a
compliance pathway that ordinary residents and farmers can realistically use. I respectfully ask the
Council to provide a clear, affordable, and attainable pathway to compliance for existing operators
before imposing new requirements, and to recognize the important distinction between absentee
investment properties and resident-operated accommodations that help sustain working agricultural
land.
Mahalo for your time, consideration, and service to our island community.
Jeni Herberger
Owner Pu'u Mahana Plantation I 425-576-1408
2
Julie Eliason and Robert Bojorquez
59-123 Ka Nani Drive
Kamuela, Hawaii 96743
August 31, 2026
Com
Hilo, Hawaii
Re: Comments Regarding Bills 147, 173, and 175
Dear Com:
We is
Rental o
W,
We will now be
gister
a business
and not
ar to us imum
$2692 in 2018 to We
Bed and B that is
Bed and B
would au
,
the
, and and renewal we would
also
Als
our V
,
,
e
that would be established essive and
We are not large out--but
instead
regar
Julie Eliason and Bob Bojorquez
Tsuneda, Kaci
From:bob king <skykingair@yahoo.com>
Sent:Wednesday, August 26, 2026 10:23 AM
To:Council Testimony
Subject:Public testimony on Bill 147-request for a carve out
SUBJECT: Public Testimony on Bill 147 – Request for
Exemption/Carve-Out for Primary Residence Room Rentals
Dear Hawaii County Council Members,
I am writing to share my comments regarding Bill 147 and its
proposed framework for Transient Vacation Rentals (TVRs)
and hosted accommodations. While I fully respect the Council’s
effort to address the island’s housing crisis and protect
residential long-term housing inventory, I strongly request that
the Council consider a clear carve-out or streamlined exemption
for resident owners renting out one or two spare bedrooms
within their primary residence.
The stated intent of vacation rental regulation is to prevent
whole homes and long-term apartments from being converted
into commercial tourist accommodations. However, renting a
single spare bedroom in an owner-occupied primary home is
fundamentally different:
Zero Impact on Housing Inventory: A spare room in an
owner’s primary home is not a unit that would otherwise be
placed on the long-term rental market for a family.
Eliminating or heavily burdening this practice will not
create a single additional long-term housing unit for local
residents.
Economic Lifeline for Local Residents: With the rising cost
of living, property taxes, and general household expenses in
1
Hawaii, renting an extra bedroom provides crucial
supplemental income that allows local residents and fixed-
income homeowners to stay in their homes.
Built-in Oversight: Because the primary resident lives on-site,
noise, parking, and neighborhood impacts are naturally self-
regulated in a way that unhosted commercial rentals simply
cannot match.
Lumping primary-resident room rentals into the same
regulatory framework, permit requirements, and fee structures
as commercial, unhosted STVRs creates an undue financial and
administrative burden on local families who are simply trying
to make ends meet.
I urge the Council to refine Bill 147 to include a distinct, low-
barrier category or outright exemption for Hawaii County
residents renting one or two bedrooms inside their primary
homestead. Please protect local homeowners while targeting
regulations where they belong—on commercial, whole-home
operators.
Thank you for your time, service, and consideration of local
resident perspectives.
Sincerely,
Robert and Vina King
District 4 Puna
15–2800 Honu Street
Pahoa, HI 96778
808-557-7799
Sent from my iPhone
2
Tsuneda, Kaci
From:Esther Lehmann <estherrlehmann@gmail.com>
Sent:Sunday, August 16, 2026 2:08 PM
To:Council Testimony
Subject:Bill 147 testimony
Aloha rCouncilmembers,
Today, as a constituent, landowner, and long-term resident of Hawaii I ask for you to hear our concerns
on Bill 147.
We are a family that lives in Kona just below Holualoa on Ag1 land. Our land is primarily gray rock with a
flood zone and great amount of slope on our property, making it difficult to grow anything. We built an
extra bedroom for my mom to come for a month several times a year. When she is not in residence, we
rent the bedroom short term. As you can see, long-term rentals are not possible.
Since legislation has been passed in the last few years, we have lost our primary residence exemption,
even though we live in our home, and had a tax bill from previous years that put us into debt. This
penalized our family for using our resources to make ends meet and ignores that we live in our home full
time.
Initially, when legislation was being heard and passed, it was to provide long-term rentals as many
second and third homes were being rented, un hosted, in neighborhoods. The rentals often had
complaints by neighbors and no one to contact for resolution. The measures put in place made sense to
protect those of us that live here full time. I do not see how going after primary residence homes or
hosted rentals is helping with long-term rental inventory.
Now, looking at Bill 147, I am both overwhelmed and confused as to how we are supposed to meet all of
these unclear stipulations. The upcoming bills specifically target Ag land, which is much of Kona, and not
capable of sustaining agriculture!
My husband and I both have two jobs. Why can’t we just rent a bedroom to support our family and put our
kids through school!?
In closing, please help our Big island families! We need a clear, affordable, and attainable pathway to
compliance before new requirements are imposed. We aren’t realtors or lawyers and the details are
difficult to ascertain.
Mahalo for your time,
Esther Lehmann
1
Tsuneda, Kaci
From:Madeleine Loewen <mjrloewen@gmail.com>
Sent:Friday, August 28, 2026 12:20 PM
To:Council Testimony
Subject:Bill 147
As a farmer living in Hawaii over 20yrs, I feel like this bill is deliberately aimed at penalizing us. Farming is
NOT a sustainable venture in the islands. With all of the many issues that threaten our crops, we NEED
income from vacation rentals to make our farms operable. We will NOT be renting long term as we
cannot manage our farms while people are living in them. We need the flexibility to earn income during
tourist season, and to be able to run machinery and harvest when they aren't around. We use the income
from our vacation rental to support our farm. We use it to pay for our kids extra curricular activities. This
is all income that goes back into the pockets of local businesses.
I have always paid my taxes, now I have to commit to a lengthy and difficult registration process. Are
ohana units going to be permitted? What do I need to do to ensure compliance before the deadline? Will
the county walk us through these steps and guarantee that they will be worthwhile? I don't want to invest
funds into this vacation rental registration process only to be denied at a later stage. Please can we have
more clarity, along with guarantees we will be refunded if our vacation rental is not approved?
Thank you,
Madeleine
1
Tsuneda, Kaci
From:Araceley, Relley
Sent:Monday, August 31, 2026 9:53 AM
To:Ryan Martin
Cc:Council Testimony
Subject:RE: Testimony on Bill 147 (2026), Relating to Transient Accommodations
Aloha,
Thank you for your testimony. I am copying our written testimony lead on this email so that your
testimony can be processed and filed correctly.
Mahalo,
Mr. Relley Araceley
Office of the County Clerk
County of Hawaii
25 Aupuni Street, Suite 1402
Hilo, HI 96720
(808) 961-8429
From: Ryan Martin <ryan@hamakuasanctuary.org>
Sent: Saturday, August 29, 2026 8:42 AM
To: Council Remote Testimony <councilremotetestimony@hawaiicounty.gov>
Subject: RE: Testimony on Bill 147 (2026), Relating to Transient Accommodations
Hamakua Sanctuary Hāmākua Coast, Island of Hawai ʻ i
August 29, 2026
To: Chair Ashley Kierkiewicz, Vice Chair Michelle Galimba, and Members of the Policy Committee on
Planning, Land Use and Economic Development Hawai ʻ i County Council
RE: Testimony on Bill 147 (2026), Relating to Transient Accommodations
Aloha Chair Kierkiewicz, Vice Chair Galimba, and Committee Members,
Who We Are
Hamakua Sanctuary is a nine-acre nonprofit retreat center on the Hāmākua Coast, guided by our founder
Ryan. We hold 501(c)(3) status and have spent six years developing this practice, grounded in supporting
people through their own process of healing and transformation, rather than performing that work for
them.
What We Do
1
Our primary offering is The Journey, an eight-day, guide-led program for a small cohort of participants, in
which lodging is included as part of enrollment rather than sold separately. We also offer standalone
room bookings for guests seeking a quieter stay. Just today, we received another booking from a Hawai ʻ i
resident seeking a week at the sanctuary. That is not an isolated case. Bookings from island residents,
rather than visitors from elsewhere, have made up a rising share of who stays with us this year, a trend
we are still in the process of quantifying precisely but which is unmistakable in the numbers we do have.
How Bill 147 Affects Us
Bill 147 amends the county's definitions of bed and breakfast, short-term vacation rental, and transient
vacation rental to address a real and well-documented problem: unregistered rentals and underreported
tax revenue in a housing-constrained county. We do not dispute that the problem exists.
What the bill's current definitions do not contemplate is a program like The Journey. It is not a dwelling
unit rented bare to a transient guest in exchange for money. It is a structured, guide-led program with a
defined curriculum, in which a room is provided as part of participation and is not marketed or bookable
on its own. The existing TVR, STVR, and B&B definitions were built around the rental of space, not around
enrollment in a program that happens to include a place to stay. As written, the bill leaves us to guess
which category, if any, applies to that kind of offering, with fines of $5,500, $7,500, and $10,000 attached
to guessing wrong.
What We Ask
We ask the Council to add a definition for a guide-led nonprofit retreat program to Section 25-1-5(b),
distinct from a bed and breakfast, short-term vacation rental, or transient vacation rental, along the
following lines:
"'Nonprofit retreat program' means a structured, guide-led program of five or more consecutive days,
offered by an organization holding tax-exempt status under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue
Code, in which lodging is provided as part of and incidental to program participation, and is not
separately advertised, booked, or offered for rental apart from enrollment in the program."
We further ask that Section 3's definition of "transient vacation rental" be amended to exclude a
"nonprofit retreat program" as defined above, alongside the existing exclusions for hotels, motels, inns,
apartment hotels, boarding facilities, lodges, timeshares, and tents.
We recognize that our standalone room bookings, separate from The Journey, are a different matter, and
we do not ask the Council to exempt those from the ordinary rules that apply to any operator renting a
room to a transient guest.
Conclusion
The freedom to choose how one uses one's own land, and the freedom of the people who come to us to
choose where they go for the rest and reset they need, are both worth protecting as this bill moves
forward. We ask the Council to write a definition that recognizes what a program like The Journey actually
is, so that a small nonprofit doing necessary work is not left to discover its legal status through an
enforcement action.
2
Mahalo for your time and consideration.
Respectfully,
Ryan Founder, Hamakua Sanctuary ryan@hamakuasanctuary.org
--
Ryan Martin
Founder & Steward @ Hamakua Sanctuary
Whatsapp: +1 303-917-2424
Hamakua Sanctuary is a 501c3 non-profit
3
DPVOUZ!PG!IBXBJ(J
Qpmjdz!Dpnnjuuff!po!Qmboojoh-!Mboe!Vtf-!boe!Fdpopnjd!Efwfmpqnfou
XSJUUFO!UFTUJNPOZ!PO!CJMM!258
Qspqptfe!Sfdphojujpo!pg!Iptufe!Wbdbujpo!Sfoubmt!bt!b!Ejtujodu!Dbufhpsz
Nfbtvsf;!Cjmm!258!.!Sfmbujoh!up!Usbotjfou!Wbdbujpo!Sfoubmt Qptjujpo;!Dpnnfout!0!Qspqptfe!Bnfoenfout
Tvcnjuufe!cz;!Lsjtujo!Npsfmboe Ebuf;!Bvhvtu!42-!3137
Bmpib!Dibjs!boe!Nfncfst!pg!uif!Dpnnjuuff-
Nbibmp!gps!uif!pqqpsuvojuz!up!tvcnju!dpnnfout!po!Cjmm!258/!J!tvqqpsu!dmfbs-!sfbtpobcmf!sfhvmbujpo!pg!usbotjfou!bddpnnpebujpot/!J!sftqfdugvmmz
btl!uif!Dpnnjuuff!up!dpotjefs!b!npsf!qsfdjtf!gsbnfxpsl!uibu!sfdphoj{ft!b!Iptufe!Wbdbujpo!Sfoubm!)IWS*!bt!ejtujodu!gspn!cpui!b!usbejujpobm
Cfe!'!Csfblgbtu!boe!bo!voiptufe!Usbotjfou!Wbdbujpo!Sfoubm!)UWS*/
UISFF!EJGGFSFOU!VTFT!.!UISFF!EJGGFSFOU!JNQBDUT
USBEJUJPOBM!C'C<IPTUFE!WBDBUJPO!SFOUBM!)IWS*USBOTJFOU!WBDBUJPO!SFOUBM!)UWS*
Sftjefou!Iptu!,!Usbejujpobm!HvftuSftjefou!Iptu!,!Tfqbsbuf!HvftuOp!Sftjefou!Iptu
BddpnnpebujpoBddpnnpebujpo
Op!sftjefou!iptu!jt!qsftfou!po!uif!qspqfsuz
Iptu!mjwft!po!qspqfsuz/!Hvftu Iptu!mjwft!po!qspqfsuz/!Hvftut!pddvqz!bevsjoh!hvftu!pddvqbodz/
bddpnnpebujpot!bsf!bttpdjbufe!xjui!uif!iptu(ttfqbsbuf-!tfmg.dpoubjofe!bddpnnpebujpo/
sftjefodf/!Joefqfoefou!hvftu!pddvqbodz
!Qsjodjqbm!sftjefodf!pg!iptu!Sftqpotjcmf!qbsuz!nbz!cf!pgg.tjuf
!Qsjodjqbm!sftjefodf!pg!iptu!Iptu!qsftfou!evsjoh!hvftu!pddvqbodz!Ejggfsfou!ofjhicpsippe!jnqbdut
!Jnnfejbuf!po.tjuf!bddpvoubcjmjuz!Nbz!jodmvef!mbxgvm!dpuubhf-!(pibob!ps!BEV!Ejggfsfou!ipvtjoh!dpotjefsbujpot
!Usbejujpobm!iptufe!mpehjoh!Jnnfejbuf!po.tjuf!bddpvoubcjmjuz
!Hfofsbmmz!mjnjufe!fggfdu!po!tfqbsbuf!ipvtjoh
jowfoupsz
XIZ!DSFBUF!BO!IWS!DBUFHPSZ@
B!ipnfpxofs!xip!sfout!b!cfesppn!jotjef!uif!sftjefodf-!b!ipnfpxofs!xip!mjwft!cftjef!hvftut!pddvqzjoh!b!tfqbsbuf!mbxgvm!dpuubhf-!boe!bo
pxofs!xip!sfout!b!exfmmjoh!xjuipvu!b!sftjefou!iptu!qsftfou!bsf!opu!uif!tbnf!mboe.vtf!djsdvntubodf/!Uif!gjstu!uxp!bsf!iptufe-!cvu!uifz!bsf!opu
ofdfttbsjmz!uif!tbnf!uzqf!pg!bddpnnpebujpo/!Dsfbujoh!bo!IWS!dbufhpsz!qsftfswft!uif!nfbojohgvm!iptufe0voiptufe!ejtujodujpo!xjuipvu
fyqboejoh!uif!psejobsz!nfbojoh!pg!Cfe!'!Csfblgbtu!up!dpwfs!fwfsz!iptufe!wbdbujpo!sfoubm/
SFHVMBUF!UIF!JNQBDU!.!OPU!KVTU!UIF!SFOUBM
Bmm!usbotjfou!bddpnnpebujpot!tipvme!dpnqmz!xjui!sfbtpobcmf!sfrvjsfnfout!dpodfsojoh!ifbmui!boe!mjgf!tbgfuz-!pddvqbodz-!qbsljoh-!opjtf-
sfgvtf-!ubybujpo-!sfhjtusbujpo-!bddvsbuf!bewfsujtjoh-!boe!ovjtbodf!fogpsdfnfou/!Ipxfwfs-!sfhvmbujpot!joufoefe!tqfdjgjdbmmz!up!beesftt!uif
bctfodf!pg!bo!po.tjuf!sftqpotjcmf!sftjefou!tipvme!ejtujohvjti!cfuxffo!iptufe!boe!voiptufe!qspqfsujft/
SFRVFTU;!Bnfoe!Cjmm!258!up!sfdphoj{f!Iptufe!Wbdbujpo!Sfoubm!)IWS*!bt!b!ejtujodu!dbufhpsz-!qsftfswf
uif!usbejujpobm!C'C<!ejtujodujpo-!boe!sfhvmbuf!C'Ct<-!IWSt-!boe!voiptufe!UWSt!bddpsejoh!up!uifjs!bduvbm
dibsbdufsjtujdt!boe!efnpotusbufe!dpnnvojuz!jnqbdut/
Xsjuufo!Uftujnpoz!.!Cjmm!258!.!Iptufe!Wbdbujpo!Sfoubm!)IWS*!0!UWS!GsbnfxpslQbhf!2!pg!3
DPVOUZ!PG!IBXBJ(J
Qpmjdz!Dpnnjuuff!po!Qmboojoh-!Mboe!Vtf-!boe!Fdpopnjd!Efwfmpqnfou
QSPQPTFE!BNFOENFOU!MBOHVBHF!.!CJMM!258
Iptufe!Wbdbujpo!Sfoubm!)IWS*!Gsbnfxpsl
2/!BEE!IPTUFE!WBDBUJPO!SFOUBM
Iptufe!Wbdbujpo!Sfoubm!ps!IWS!nfbot!b!usbotjfou!wbdbujpo!sfoubm!mpdbufe!po!uif!tbnf!cvjmejoh!tjuf!bt!uif!qsjodjqbm!ipnf!pg!b!iptu-!xifsf!uif
iptu!sftjeft!po!uif!cvjmejoh!tjuf!xijmf!uif!usbotjfou!wbdbujpo!sfoubm!jt!pddvqjfe-!boe!xifsf!usbotjfou!hvftut!ibwf!fydmvtjwf!vtf!pg!b!tfqbsbuf!exfmmjoh
voju!ps!tfmg.dpoubjofe!bddpnnpebujpo/
3/!QSFTFSWF!UIF!USBEJUJPOBM!C'C<!EJTUJODUJPO
Cfe!boe!Csfblgbtu!ps!C'C<!nfbot!b!iptufe!usbotjfou!bddpnnpebujpo!jodjefoubm!boe!tvcpsejobuf!up!uif!sftjefoujbm!vtf!pg!uif!iptu(t!qsjodjqbm
ipnf-!jo!xijdi!hvftu!bddpnnpebujpot!bsf!qspwjefe!xjuijo!uif!iptu(t!sftjefodf!ps!xjuijo!bddpnnpebujpot!puifsxjtf!qfsnjuufe!gps!vtf!bt!qbsu!pg!b!Cfe
boe!Csfblgbtu!ftubcmjtinfou/
4/!DMBSJGZ!VOIPTUFE!UWS
Gps!qvsqptft!pg!uijt!gsbnfxpsl-!bo!voiptufe!UWS!jt!b!usbotjfou!wbdbujpo!sfoubm!mpdbufe!po!b!cvjmejoh!tjuf!po!xijdi!b!iptu!epft!opu!sftjef!xijmf!uif
usbotjfou!wbdbujpo!sfoubm!jt!pddvqjfe/
5/!SFRVJSF!B!HFOVJOF!SFTJEFOU!IPTU
Iptu!nfbot!b!sfbdibcmf!qfstpo!xiptf!qsjodjqbm!ipnf!jt!mpdbufe!po!uif!tbnf!cvjmejoh!tjuf!bt!b!C'C<!ps!IWS!boe!xip!sftjeft!po!uibu!cvjmejoh!tjuf
xijmf!uif!usbotjfou!bddpnnpebujpo!jt!pddvqjfe!cz!hvftut/!B!qspqfsuz!nbobhfs-!dbsfublfs-!ps!puifs!eftjhobufe!qfstpo!xip!epft!opu!nbjoubjo!b
qsjodjqbm!ipnf!po!uif!qspqfsuz!tibmm!opu!rvbmjgz!bo!puifsxjtf!voiptufe!UWS!bt!bo!IWS/
6/!BEESFTT!(PIBOB!VOJUT-!BEVt!BOE!DPUUBHFT
B!mbxgvm!bddfttpsz!exfmmjoh!voju-!(pibob!exfmmjoh-!hvftu!ipvtf-!dpuubhf-!ps!puifs!qfsnjuufe!bddpnnpebujpo!tibmm!opu!cf!usfbufe!bt!voiptufe!tpmfmz
cfdbvtf!ju!jt!qiztjdbmmz!tfqbsbuf!gspn!uif!iptu(t!exfmmjoh-!qspwjefe!uif!iptu!nbjoubjot!uifjs!qsjodjqbm!ipnf!boe!sftjeft!po!uif!tbnf!cvjmejoh!tjuf!evsjoh
hvftu!pddvqbodz!boe!bmm!puifs!bqqmjdbcmf!sfrvjsfnfout!bsf!tbujtgjfe/!Opuijoh!jo!uijt!qspwjtjpo!joefqfoefoumz!bvuipsj{ft!b!tusvduvsf!ps!vtf!puifsxjtf
qspijcjufe!cz!mbx/
7/!FTUBCMJTI!QSPQPSUJPOBM!SFHVMBUJPO
IWSt!tibmm!dpnqmz!xjui!bqqmjdbcmf!sfhjtusbujpo-!ubybujpo-!ifbmui!boe!tbgfuz-!pddvqbodz-!qbsljoh-!opjtf-!sfgvtf-!bewfsujtjoh-!boe!ovjtbodf!sfrvjsfnfout/
Sfhvmbujpot!tqfdjgjdbmmz!joufoefe!up!njujhbuf!jnqbdut!sftvmujoh!gspn!uif!bctfodf!pg!bo!po.tjuf!iptu!tipvme!opu!bvupnbujdbmmz!bqqmz!up!bo!IWS!vomftt
sfbtpobcmz!sfmbufe!up!bo!jnqbdu!pg!uif!iptufe!vtf/
8/!QSPUFDU!FYJTUJOH!MBXGVM!PQFSBUJPOT
Bo!fyjtujoh!iptufe!usbotjfou!bddpnnpebujpo!mbxgvmmz!pqfsbujoh!cfgpsf!uif!fggfdujwf!ebuf!pg!uif!psejobodf!tipvme!sfdfjwf!b!sfbtpobcmf!qspdftt!up!pcubjo
dmbttjgjdbujpo!bt!b!C'C<!ps!IWS-!bt!bqqmjdbcmf-!xjuipvu!mptt!pg!jut!fyjtujoh!mbxgvm!vtf!tpmfmz!cfdbvtf!pg!dmbttjgjdbujpot!dsfbufe!ps!bnfoefe!cz!uif
psejobodf/
SFRVFTU!UP!UIF!DPNNJUUFF;!Sfdphoj{f!IWSt!bt!b!ejtujodu!dbufhpsz<!qsftfswf!uif!usbejujpobm!C'C<!ejtujodujpo<!nbjoubjo!b!nfbojohgvm!ejtujodujpo
cfuxffo!iptufe!boe!voiptufe!UWSt<!boe!ejsfdu!Dpsqpsbujpo!Dpvotfm!boe!uif!Qmboojoh!Efqbsunfou!up!sfgjof!tuboebset!cbtfe!vqpo!bduvbm!mboe.vtf
boe!dpnnvojuz!jnqbdut/
B!ipnfpxofs!sfoujoh!b!cfesppn-!b!sftjefou!sfoujoh!b!tfqbsbuf!dpuubhf-!boe!bo!pxofs!sfoujoh!bo!foujsf!exfmmjoh!xjuipvu!b!sftjefou!iptu
qsftfou!bsf!ejggfsfou!djsdvntubodft/!Uif!Dpef!tipvme!sfdphoj{f!uif!ejggfsfodf/
Nbibmp!gps!zpvs!dpotjefsbujpo/
Lsjtujo!Npsfmboe
Xsjuufo!Uftujnpoz!.!Cjmm!258!.!Iptufe!Wbdbujpo!Sfoubm!)IWS*!0!UWS!GsbnfxpslQbhf!3!pg!3
Tsuneda, Kaci
From:Richard Prohoroff <rwprohoroff@gmail.com>
Sent:Monday, August 31, 2026 8:53 AM
To:Council Testimony
Subject:bill 147 testimony
Aloha another meeting another headache for hosted stvr, bill 147. I’ve been legally hosting a
stvr for over 10 years in Kohala Estates an ag subdivision on private road private water.
Pushing 80 years old and the rental income from my cpr guest house has become my
retirement. There is no agriculture here and any that tried have long since disappeared. There
is Hundreds, thousands of acres of very marginal ag designated land that has been subdivided
with county encouragement and approval for home building and many of us also built ohana
houses. My property tax land classification on the real property assessment notice for the
guest house is listed as residential. I’m still after months, years of the county meetings not
seeing a bill that clearly offers a path or guidance for me to continue. I would hope that the
council is representing hosting homeowners but so far, I see mostly confusion. There is talk of
deadlines. Deadlines for what? I have bookings well over a year into the future many returning
guests year after year. The bill needs to provide a clear, affordable, and attainable pathway to
compliance before new requirements are imposed. For example: Do I need a Special Use
Permit? What will it cost? What documents will be required? How long will it take? Can I
continue operating while an application is being processed? What is the appeal process.
Hosted rentals are heavily taxed small businesses and need clarity to be able to plan for future.
The recent study clearly showed the economic importance of the vacation rental and its
positive impact on the island economy so let’s see some common sense and representation of
island small business owners thank you RICHARD PROHOROFF
richard prohoroff
rwprohoroff@gmail.com
1
Tsuneda, Kaci
From:sherry Rockwood <scamp29@hotmail.com>
Sent:Sunday, August 30, 2026 2:46 AM
To:Council Testimony
Subject:Re: Bill 147
Testimony Regarding Bill 147
Aloha Chair and Council Members,
My name is Sherry Rockwood, and I am a full-time resident of Waikoloa Village.
I want to speak about Bill 147 from the perspective of someone who actually lives in her home and rents
only a small portion of it as a short-term rental.
Our home was never purchased as an investment property or vacation rental. It is our home. We live
there full-time, and renting a small portion of it has helped us afford to continue living here.
I understand the need for reasonable regulations for vacation rentals. But I strongly believe there needs
to be a distinction between large investment or absentee vacation rentals and homeowners who live on
their property and rent a room or small portion of their home.
We have already experienced an enormous financial consequence simply because we chose short-term
rental rather than another type of home-based income. Our property taxes went from approximately
$1,900 a year to almost $9,000 after we lost the protection of the homeowner tax classification and the
assessment cap we had built up over many years.
That also makes me question the fairness of how different home-based income-producing activities are
treated. A homeowner can operate certain businesses from the home or rent part of the home long-term,
yet an owner-occupied short-term rental can face dramatically different consequences.
For example, if I became licensed to provide in-home childcare and operated that business from part of
my home, I would still be earning income from my home. Why should renting a small portion of the same
home to visitors cause such dramatically different treatment?
These hosted rentals can actually help longtime residents remain in Hawai ʻ i. Without that additional
income, some families may eventually be forced to sell their homes and move away from the island to be
closer to their children and grandchildren where the cost of living is lower.
I respectfully ask you, as you consider Bill 147, to recognize the difference between an investor-owned
vacation rental and a hosted rental where the homeowner lives on the property full-time.
Please protect responsible, owner-occupied hosted rentals and don’t regulate us as though we are the
same as absentee vacation rental businesses.
For many of us, this isn’t about building a vacation rental business. It’s about being able to afford to stay
in the home and community we love.
Mahalo for your time and consideration.
1
Get Outlook for iOS
From: sherry Rockwood <scamp29@hotmail.com>
Sent: Sunday, 30 August 2026 01:42:05
To: counciltestimony@hawaiicounty.gov <counciltestimony@hawaiicounty.gov>; sherry Rockwood
<scamp29@hotmail.com>
Subject: Bill 147
Get Outlook for iOS
2
Tsuneda, Kaci
From:Bo Tell <boatelonthewater1@gmail.com>
Sent:Friday, August 28, 2026 3:21 PM
To:Council Testimony
Subject:Testimony on Bill 147 For Sept 1 2026 meeting
Aloha Council Members,
We own a small farm in Ocean View/KAU. We operate a short term rental in our small ohana underneath
our main home and have been doing so for many years maintaining 100% 5 star reviews.
We are being asked to register for approval to continue to operate now without knowing what bill 147
may have in store for us regarding potentially heavy fines, zoning issues, if our small ohana will be
approved, any special use permits, etc. We ask that the council suspend the registration until Bill 147 is
approved with clear wording regarding these issues so honest, long time Hawaii residents and Kupuna
are not putting themselves at risk of undue financial harm.
This small amount of rental income is the way many of our small farms supplement our income in order
to keep our farms operating and stay in Hawaii. So, in short, what we are asking is to put a hold on the
registration process until bill 147 is ironed out. I think we can all agree the time to iron this out is BEFORE
honest residents and Kupuna register with unknown consequences, rather than after.
Mahalo Nui Loa in advance for your consideration of my testimony.
1. Who are you?
Where do you live, farm, or operate?
2. What do you do?
Do you rent a room in your home? Operate a small farm? Have a long-standing rental?
3. How would Bill 147 affect you?
What new requirement or process are you being asked to navigate?
4. What questions remain unanswered for you?
For example: Do you need a Special Use Permit? What will it cost? What documents will be required?
How long will it take? Can you continue operating while an application is being processed?
1
5. What do you need from Council?
Ask for a clear, affordable, and attainable pathway to compliance before new requirements are
imposed.
2