HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0200.024 2006-2008 SUISAN Company, Ltd,
1965 KAMEHAMEHA AVE. P.O. BOX 366 HILO, HAWAII 96720 PHONE: 808-935-8511
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Apr;117,2007 ~
Hawaii County Council
County of Hawaii
Ben Franklin Building 2"d Floor
Hilo, Hawaii 96720
Re: Bill 156 Draft 4 Affordable Housing Requirements for Industrial Pazk
Developments
Deaz Chairman Hoffman and Members of the County Council:
I appreciate this opportunity to offer testimony on behalf of Suisan Company, Ltd.
on BiII 156 Draft 4 Affordable Housing Requirements for Industrial Park Developments.
Suisan Company is celebrating its 100a' Anniversary hi 2007. One hundred yeazs
in business is quite an achievement and we are very proud of this accomplishment.
Over the past one hundred years, the company has suffered through tsunamis,
economic slumps, and many other difficult challenges that we have managed to endure
and overcome.
The company has provided food, a basic necessity of life, for the entire Big Island
over all these yeazs and we realize how important a role the company plays in our
community. Suisan now employs 190 employees, all residents of the Big Island in Hilo
and Kona.
After a hundred years in business, we continue to prepare for the future. We
anticipate the need to adjust to mazket conditions, including our plans to expand and
relocate to more efficient facilities for our future growth and to improve our service to
our customers on the Big Island.
Suisan has concerns about the inequity and hazdship that Bill 156 would cause our
business as we proceed with our expansion plans to more efficient facilities if the
relocation of our existing facilities and employees to another location required some form
of industrial zoning.
This bill would require Suisan to incur the cost of earning or paying for affordable
housing credits, even if its employees have housing, as they do today. The potential cost
of satisfying such an affordable housing requirement may conceivably prevent us from
relocating our facilities and impact our service level to food businesses in the County of
Hawaii.
We humbly request the Council's careful consideration of this bill and its impacts
upon local businesses. While many businesses have not been in existence as long as
Suisan Company, their interests and ability to survive are the same as ours. We feel Bill
156 in its current form is not an effective affordable housing strategy. The bottom line is
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Ret. Uate APR 18 2~~1 r
FAX: 808-935.2737
Page 2
Hawaii County Council
the potential effect of this bill would hurt not only our company but also many other
businesses. Your consideration of our concerns would be very much appreciated.
Sincerely yours,
SUISAN COMPANY, LTD.
~~G~~~
Gl T. Hashimoto
Executive Vice-President &
General Manager