HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0936.017 2008-2010 Murashige, Laura
From: Janet Hara [Janet @tihcpa.com] t 7
Sent: Saturday, October 30, 2010 1:19 PM r S 1 f ; 1 1 1
To: counciltestimony @co.hawaii.hi.us .'.0i I -
Subject: written testimony in favor of bill 298 amending Chapter 27
Attachments: Nov 5 testimony re bill 298.pdf 11,‘ A4,
Nov 5 testimony re
W2941:1_
pd...
Attached is my written testimony regarding Bill 298 which I am submitting for
the Nov 5 meeting of the County Council.
If you have any problems with the attachment please call me at 987 -4563 or at the contact
information below.
Thank you for your assistance.
Janet Hara
Janet Hara, CPA
Taketa, Iwata, Hara & Associates, LLC
101 Aupuni Street, Suite 139
Hilo, HI 96720
janet@tihcpa.com
Phone: (808)935 -5404
Fax: (808)969 -1499
www.tihcpa.com
Confidentiality notice: The information contained in this email and any attachments to
this message from the accounting firm of Taketa, Iwata, Hara & Associates LLC may be
confidential client communication. The information is intended only for the use of the
individual or entity to whom it is addressed. If you are not the addressee or the
employee or agent responsible to deliver this electronic message to its intended
recipient, you are hereby notified that any review, use, dissemination, distribution,
disclosure, copying or taking of any action in reliance on the contents of this
information is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error,
please immediately notify us by telephone at
808 - 935 -5404 and delete or destroy any copy of this message.
IRS Circular 230 Disclosure: To ensure compliance with requirements imposed by the IRS,
please be informed that to the extent this communication and any attachments contain any
federal tax advice, such advice is not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used,
for the purpose of avoiding penalties that may be imposed under the Internal Revenue Code
or promoting, marketing, or recommending to another person any transaction, arrangement or
matter addressed herein.
Comm. No. 6 1 31. 17
1 Ref. To: p1 cou.VlG
Ref. Date N011 0 4 2010
November 5, 2010
Honorable Councilman Yoshimura,
Chair, Hawaii County Council
Re: Written testimony in support of Bill 298 (Revisons to Chapter 27 Flood Ordinance)
Sent via Email
Dear Council Chair Yoshimura:
I am writing to you in support of the proposed changes to Chapter 27 regarding flood
management.
The Hara family has owned property on the makai side of Kilauea Avenue since sometime in the
50's. The building was managed by Stanley Hara until his recent passing. Unfortunately the
building has a large amount of deferred maintenance that we are just beginning to assess.
It is our understanding that the FEMA flood inundation line currently lies just makai of our
parcel. However when the 50 foot buffer is added, we fall under Chapter 27. It is also our
understanding that the 50 foot buffer is not required by FEMA. We are unclear that this buffer
helps us in any way and actually will cause us quite an additional expense.
Our buildings are old and will require substantial new investment. We want to improve them
but clearly the cost to do so is important. Although we have not yet done any complete
inventory of what needs to be repaired nor prepared any plans, we believe that we will need to
upgrade the roof and other building elements and improve the parking around the building. We
are very concerned that the current definition of "substantial improvement" will limit our ability
to make these repairs in an efficient, well planed, cost effective way over the next few years.
We like the look and feel of downtown. We are not looking to change that. But we must fix our
building over time. Our family has been part of downtown for a long time and we want to stay
there.
We ask the Council to eliminate the 50 foot buffer zone and to return to the definition of
substantial improvement back to 50% every 3 years.
Thank you for your consideration.
/(1
anet . Hara, Manager
Diastan, LLC