HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0426.006 2004-2006 Page 1 of 1
Murashige, Laura
From: Howard T. Yamasaki [howard@pookela.com]
Sent: Wednesday, September 14, 2005 10:57 AM
To: County Council -
Cc: Eoff, Karen
Subject: RE: Testimony for Bill 148
Aloha,
Attached is my testimony for Bill 148 to be heard at 1:00 pm on Tuesday, September 20. -
Please make 16 copies to be distributed for the hearing.
Mahalo and Aloha,
Howard Yamasaki
Howard T. Yamasaki
Pig ak~lir ~yzter~~rtser 11C
PO Box 310 -Kea/akekua -Hawaii 96750-0310
Toll Free Phone/Fax/Voice Mail: 866-328-9753
email: howard@pookela.com
website: www.pookela.com
Comm. No. b •{7
Ref. To: G
Raf, vote SFP 2 n ZnnS
9/14/2005
r
BIG ISLAND FARM BUREAU
P.O. Box 2341
Kealakekua, Hawaii 96750
Phone: 324-6011
Fax: 322-9633
Email: bi~verizon.net
September 22, 2005
Pete S. Hoffmann, Co-Chairman
K. Angel Pilago, Co-Chairman
Hawaii County Council Committee on Planning
25 Aupuni Street
Hilo, Hawaii 96720
RE: Support of Bill 148 to Amend Chapter 25 (Zoning Code) Relating to Agricultural Tourism
Co-Chairmen I[offinann and Pilago and Members of the Planning Committee:
The Big Island Faun Bureau is composed of Hamakua County, Kohala County, Hilo County and Kona County
of the Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation. These tour organizations represent all commodities of the agricultural
industry on the Island of Hawaii and collectively have a current base of more than 425 members. The Big
Island Farm Bureau is amulti-county farm bureau under the auspices of the Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation
which currently has more than 1,500 members. 'Fhe Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation is a state farm bureau
under the auspices of the American Farm Bureau Federation which has a current membership of more than 5.6
million.
The role of government is to nurture free commerce and trade within certain guidelines and not to create
impossible or unnecessary hurdles. I believe that it is not a trite comment when it is said that "The State of
Hawaii is not business friendly" with respect to taxes, statutes, rules, and regulations.
Fhe importance of agriculture is exemplified by the following:
1. The Hawaii County General Plan goals for agriculture are: to identify, protect, and maintain important
agriculh~re lands on the Island of Hawaii; preserve the agricultural character of the island; and preserve
and enhance opportunities for the expansion of Hawaii's agricultural industry.
2. "The conservation and protection of imporia~lt agricultural lands; the promotion of diversified agriculture;
increasing agricultural self-sufficiency; and assurance of the availability of agriculturally suitable lands
are all conditions mandated by the Constitution of the State of Plawaii.
3. Agriculture provides revenue to the county and state in the form of taxes. For example, last year, as
reported by the Hawaii Agricultural Statistics Service, the farm gate value of coffee alone (parchment
basis) on the Island of Hawaii was estimated at $15.2 million and the total farm gate value oP the major
crops in the county was estimated at more than $125.3 million.
4. Last year, as reported by the Hawaii Agricultural Statistics Service, agriculture provided approximately
2,700 jobs within the county.
Agricultural tourism is an innovative concept. The marrying of agriculture and tourism is important for the
following reasons: a) consumers become educated about the growing, processing and selling of the agricultural
commodities that they purchase; b) farmers and/or processors become educated about the wants and needs of
consumers about their specific commodity or commodities; c) agricultural tourism will increase the revenues of
the farming enterprises, resulting in more collectable taxes for the government and d) agricultural tourism will
require trained guides and salespersons, thereby possibly increasing the labor pool.
For the year 2003, as reported by the Hawaii Agricultural Statistics Service, there were 89 farms in this county
with agricultural tourism activity with an estimated value of $12.6 million. About one-half of those farms were
engaged in growing coffee and/or macadamia nuts and the balance growing flowers and/or nursery products.
During that same year, 65 more farms in this county were planning to enter the agricultural tourism market in
the future. Statewide, in 2003, there were 187 farms with agricultural tourism activity with an estimated value
of $33.9 million. The County of Hawaii accounted for 48% of the farms with agricultural tourism activity and
37% of the total value.
Therefore, it can be concluded that agricultural tourism is becoming a vital economics tool for farmers and it
will also become another important revenue source for the county. In that light, an ordinance that encourages,
rather than discourages, the use of agricultural land in non-traditional ways would be a benefit not only to the
farming community, bul also to the County of Hawaii.
The Big lsland Farm Bureau is in support of the current draft of Bill 148 as written, except for the following:
I. Under Section 25-2-75, the plan approval application requirements should also include a notification
about the proposed agricultural tourism activity to all parties who may be affected, using the criteria set forth in
Chapter 25, Section 25 E-4 of the Hawaii County Code. However, no public hearing should be required and the
affected parties should be given a specific timeline in which to file comments to the Planning Director. Another
condition to the plan approval application requirements should be an on-site inspection of the subject parcel of
land by Planning Department personnel to verify the validity of the proposed agricultural tourism activity.
2. Under Section 25-4-15 (d) (1), the minimum amount of verifiable gross sales should be changed from
$10,000 to a value that is commensurate with the land area and the type of crop produced. For example,
according to the Hawaii Agricultural Statistics Service, in the 2003-2004 crop year, one acre of macadamia nuts
produced $1,800 worth of wet-in-shell nuts and one acre of Kona coffee produced $5,700 worth of cherry.
Other crops produce different average gross incomes per acre per year. Depending on the area of the parcel of
land in question and the type of crop produced, the gross sales will vary substantially, therefore, an across-the-
board fixed value cannot be assigned equitably. On the other hand, a parcel of land with newly-planted
macadamia nut trees will not produce any income for at least five years and not reach its maximum yield for at
least ten to fifteen years. Thus, using strictly an income basis to determine the validity of an agricultural
tourism activity is wtally without merit. An income tax Schedule F form should also be required to verify the
income status of the agricultural operation.
]n closing, the Big Island Farm Bureau requests the members of the Planning Committee adopt tha current draft
of Bil] 148 relating to agricultural tourism with the aforementioned revisions. Thank you for the opportunity to
comment on this very important issue.
Sincerely,
Howard T. Yamasaki
President
BIG ISLAND FARM BUREAU
P.O. Box 2341
Kealakekua, Hawaii 96750
Phone: 324-6011
Fax: 322-9633
Email: bifb cr veriwn_net
September 20, 2005
Pete S. Hoffmann, Co-Chairman
K. Angel Pilago, Co-Chairman
Hawaii County Council Committee on Planning
25 Aupuni Street
Hilo, Hawaii 96720
RE: Support of Bill 148 to Amend Chapter 25 (Zoaine Code) Relafin¢ to Aericultural Tourism
Co-Chairmen Hoffmann and Pilago and Members of the Planning Committee:
The Big Island Farm Bureau is composed of Hamakua County, Kohala County, Hilo County and Kona County
of the Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation. These four organizations represent all commodities of the agricultural
industry on the Island of Hawaii and collectively have a current base of more than 425 members. The Big
Island Farm Bureau is amulti-county farm bureau under the auspices of the Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation
which currently has more than 1,500 members. The Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation is a state farm bureau
under the auspices of the American Farm Bureau Federation which has a current membership of more than 5.6
million.
The role of government is to nurture free commerce and trade within certain guidelines and not to create
impossible or unnecessary hurdles. [believe that it is not a trite comment when it is said that "The State of
Hawaii is not business friendly" with respect to taxes, statutes, rules, and regulations.
The importance of agriculture is exemplified by the following:
1. The Hawaii County General Plan goals for agriculture aze: to identify, protect, and maintain important
agriculture lands on the Island of Hawaii; preserve the agricultural character of the island; and preserve
and enhance opportunities for the expansion of Hawaii's agricultural industry.
2. The conservation and protection of important agricultural lands; the promotion of diversified agriculture;
increasing agricultural self-sufficiency; and assurance of the availability of agriculturally suitable lands
are all conditions mandated by the Constitution of the State of Hawaii.
3. Agriculture provides revenue to the county and state in the form of taxes. For example, last year, as
reported by the Hawaii Agricultural Statistics Service, the farm gate value of coffee alone (parchment
basis) on the Island of Hawaii was estimated at $15.2 million and the total farm gate value of the major
crops in the eount,y was estimated at more than $125.3 million.
4. Last year, as reported by the Hawaii Agricultural Statistics Service, agriculture provided approximately
2,700 jobs within the county.
Agricultural tourism is an innovative concept. The marrying of agriculture and tourism is important for the
following reasons: a) consumers become educated about the growing, processing and selling of the agricultural
commodities that they purchase; b) farmers and/or processors become educated about the wants and needs of
consumers about their specific commodity or commodities; c) agricultural tourism will increase the revenues of
the farming enterprises, resulting in more collectable taxes for the government and d) agricultural tourism will
require trained guides and salespersons, thereby possibly increasing the labor pool.
For the year 2003, as reported by the Hawaii Agricultural Statistics Service, there were 89 farms in this county
with agricultural tourism activity with an estimated value of $12.6 million. About one-half of those farms were
engaged in growing coffee and/or macadamia nuts and the balance growing flowers and/or nursery products.
During that same yeaz, 65 more farms in this county were planning to enter the agricultural tourism market in
the future. Statewide, in 2003, there were 187 farms with agricultural tourism activity with an estimated value
of $33.9 million. The County of Hawaii accounted for 48% of the farms with agricultural tourism activity and
37% of the total value.
Therefore, it can be concluded that agricultural tourism is becoming a vital economics tool for farmers and it
will also become another important revenue source for the county. In that light, an ordinance that encourages,
rather than discourages, the use of agricultural land in non-traditional ways would be a benefit not only to the
farming community, but also to the County of Hawaii.
The Big Island Farm Bureau is in support of the current draft of Bill 148 as written, except for the following:
1. Under Section 25-2-75, the plan approval application requirements should also include a notification
about the proposed agricultural tourism activity to all parties who may be affected, using the criteria set forth in
Chapter 25, Section 25-2-4 of the Hawaii County Code. However, no public hearing should be required and the
affected parties should be given a specific timeline in which to file comments to the Planning Director. Another
condition to the plan approval application requirements should be an on-site inspection of the subject parcel of
land by Planning Department personnel to verify the validity of the proposed agricultural tourism activity.
2. Under Section 25-4-15 (d) (1), the minimum amount of verifiable gross sales should be changed from
$10,000 to a value that is commensurate with the land area and the type of crop produced. For example,
according to the Hawaii Agricultural Statistics Service, in the 2003-2004 crop year, one acre of macadamia nuts
produced $1,800 worth of wet-in-shell nuts and one acre of Kona coffee produced $5,700 worth of cherry.
Other crops produce different average gross incomes per acre per yeaz. Depending on the area of the parcel of
land in question and the type of crop produced, the gross sales will vary substantially, therefore, an across-the-
boazd fixed value cannot be assigned equitably. On the other hand, a parcel of land with newly-planted
macadamia nut trees will not produce any income for at least five years and not reach its maximum yield for at
least ten to fifteen years. Thus, using strictly an income basis to determine the validity of an agricultural
tourism activity is totally without merit. An income tax Schedule F form should also be required to verify the
income status of the agricultural operation.
In closing, the Big Island Farm Bureau requests the members of the Planning Committee adopt the current draft
of Bill 148 relating to agricultural tourism with the aforementioned revisions. Thank you for the opportunity to
comment on this very important issue.
Since • ly,
H azd T. Yamasaki ~
President