HomeMy WebLinkAboutAnderson, Krissie
Tsuneda, Kaci
From:Krissie Anderson <konacoconutz@gmail.com>
Sent:Monday, October 19, 2026 4:08 PM
To:Council Testimony
Subject:Bill 147 -- Opposed
Honorable Councilmembers,
Thank you for taking my testimony. I have written a dozen or so letters of testimony in the past about why
I am so opposed to Bill 147, all of which have seemingly been ignored and not considered. So this letter
is going to focus on my feelings as a taxpayer and constituent regarding the incompetent and chaotic
process surrounding the creation and rollout of this legislation. Why has it taken five years to create?
How much has all of this cost, if you include the study commissioned to Hunden Partners? Deckard
Associates charges a shocking $250,000 per year, as disclosed recently by Director Darrow. Do you
really have enough hosted rentals in Hawaii County to justify spending that kind of taxpayer money --our
money-- on this vendor? May I remind the council that this isn't Tahoe or Aspen, or whatever other large
resort areas the maker has based her legislation on? May I also remind the council that hosted rentals
are not operated by the off-island heavy hitter investors making giant windfalls on vacation rentals. They
are island residents---moms and pops, single moms, kupuna ladies and other folks living on site--- who
are simply trying to make ends meet in a very difficult economy and have a small financial stake in
Hawaii's largest industry. That is why you have received so much opposition to this bill. It directly hits
local people in the gut. But I digress.
The maker of this bill has spent literally YEARS of county council time and resources on this legislation.
It's gone back and forth between amendments too numerous to count, and versions too numerous to
keep track of. The registration part passed before the operational part, so are we to understand that you
want hosted rentals to pay their fees, submit their paperwork, site plans and more before they even know
what they are signing up for? What if they find out they don't qualify? What if the legislation process
continues to be drawn out for another year?
Director Darrow said in a recent meeting so far he had received about 50 applications, but expects the
number to increase soon because people are just "waiting for the legislation to pass." No, I don't think
that's it. I think it's because the maker has created a situation that is so discouraging and so onerous,
people are dropping out and are done. I have talked to many hosted rentals who are quitting.
We will have a new council seated soon, and I presume they will need time to read, study and analyze
everything Mr. Kimball has proposed, further delaying the passage of Bill 147. A piece of legislation
should not need to be so drawn out, so confusing, complicated, chaotic and convoluted that several
different councils have come and gone and the legislation is still not ready for prime time.
I urge the council to defer this legislation while encouraging the planning department to refund every
person who has already sent money in. It's not ready yet. This thing is still a hot mess and it's not fair to
make people register and wait while Heather continually edits and amends and then tries desperately to
get the latest version of this confusing legislation passed.
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Please defer 147!
Sincerely,
K. Anderson
Captain Cook
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