HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0578.013 1996-1998
Jun 10 98 03:27p Steven Handy 808-935-6170 p.l
' STEVEN IIPNDY
1032 FiUFCL`Ati S"R.EE:
HTLO, HAWAII 55720
PH (8U8)y.)5-1397 ?'A?: (P~G8)935-6170
FACSIMILE TRANSb1IS5ION
DATE: June 10; 1998 C
TO: Hawaii COUllty COUriCll
Honorable Council. >Cembers
FF1U: 1~TG: )6u-3291
CC: Hilo Downtoum In,provemer,t hesociation
REP- Resolution 276-94
Downtown Hilo parking :'ax P~7cratorium
Not only am I in fa~~or of the resolution. to extend the moratorium,
T :could like to ask you consider total removal of all parking mercers and
desiynace on-street parking stalls as "Custom=r Parking Only"
Yes, I am a downtown Hi:C merchant and active member of the Hilo
D.I.A., however, I am also a customer of downto~•~n Hilo and taxpayer it
is as customer and taxpayer that you arc ,asked to consider my viewpo:.Ix.
With a great deal of alarn., I read racela news articles in which
con•.ments of both council n;arioera and ccnnty officials refer rn the
moratorium costing the Coant~~ a:~d tar:oavers ^lost revenue". If these
comments are true, their thir_king is c?eiinitelp skewed and not geared is
support of the taxpayers ti;e ~ ser~~e. E.:cuse me, please, bur wt,at
was actually Happening was tine taxpayer cad 7i1o customer was
being assessed a parking tax tahi~h ~:;as '~xrdl,~ sufficient to "subsidize"
public service employment in czder to coiLect the parking rax- with the
parking tax moratorium tine Co~,Ilay "ee.,;es"`_1:e taxpayer money and offers
the opportunity to red~~ce um~ecessary Cou~aty overhead.
Ir. support of removing Lhe -mere-<_~ aI: snowing full well, parking
ordinances still need to be _:nzorc_d, I' -:uld li};e you to consider
the °ollowiny comments.
Petuni enforcement tc the 9oii,.e ::hc, as I unda,-stand it, are
r25pOI181b1e fOr enfOrClny d11 parkl:7:J :'rd.aailG°_S COU_7t~f wide and receive
all parking enforcement re~,~er.us for ~:-:.nc., so. Bear in mind taxpayer
subsidized county meter personal are r,;:~.~»osed to enforrp mPrered
parking only with the Police er.fcrcicr X11 other parking limitations i?
Hilo. Even then, many of us 1,elieve C<~tn~~r~~ :-net°r' personnel rarely
took enforcement action. When rare ac!:i,cr.~.ras taken, it was usually
against customers and nevCr roe ~,no:<~_ chronic abuse by some do'rrntown
ovmer and worker.
2. Do~•mto~~m Hilo custonura, itor> and raerchant~ are being
singled out and unjustl~,~ assessed par'<ing taxes. Where else in the
County, with exception o`_ thE- County and Seats Offices, is the public
assessed a par:{ing tax, Co va~,-k o:, l,ablic streets? Nor. ;n Waimea, Kailua-
xona, HOnokaa, nOC On B~ayan 1`~'P_, i10t ai, ' }le [.'171 verSl ty nOr
commeroial street frontage~~ G^:;-~:a'.:gre else on t.`_Ze island' So, why only
downtown Hilo? It's not fair-
in closing, while I thaa.c ,ou for to}:,.sc3 the time to visit
th-,;5 downtown Hilo onl}~ issue, ou r.._~,~izt: ...so consider trying not to
second guess our needs to rm.:,_!; and a.lo~-r d.,'~~ntown Hilo the opportunity
to be a little bit more se'~`~o-~.~0_nJ.n:,_ ':tn n~,ilht be surprised at what
happens . r halo ~ ~ ~ Oe~s 1~~.
`CY~~~ lilb No. ~~~p
itef. Totem
ReF `tan. l_0