HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0128.009 2010-2012Murashige, Laura
From: Bill Walter [wwalter @whshipman.com]
Sent: Wednesday, July 20, 2011 11:39 AM
To: counciltestimony @co.hawaii.hi.us
Subject: Bill 270
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811 JUL 20 PP1 2 10
The above bill is problematic for a great variety of reasons including:
• This bill will add considerably to the cost of building houses (numbers estimated have
approached $25,000). How can anyone know if these costs are justified if there is no cost benefit
analysis performed?
• This bill makes it a criminal offense to break it in any part. Do we now need to increase jail
sizes, add more judges and the like because of infractions to the building code? Is this really the
approach that should be taken?
• This bill allows contractors to be the inspectors of record of their own work. If they made an
error - are they likely to actually catch it (they thought they were right the first time)? If they
purposely cut a corner - are they likely to turn themselves in?
• This bill assumes that homes on the entire island needs thousands of dollars of extra
insulation. The reality is that the vast number of homes on the island - even very expensive ones -
have neither heating nor cooling. Should they be insulated anyway?
The list could go on but the real point is that if the community has a strong need (and it does) for
affordable housing - this bill is counter productive. It adds cost in many cases without benefit. It
removes choice where there should be choice. The down stream - and unintended - consequences of
this bill are significant:
• Those who today can barely afford housing will be priced out and end up in the rental market..
• As the rental market becomes crowded over time scarcity will kick in raising prices. Those who
can barely afford to rent today will be forced to choose between:
o Reducing food and /or other needed purchases
o Adding more family or non family members to the home (overcrowding is a major cause of
household violence)
o Moving on to the beach or park or open space where ever it can be found.
What we seriously need is a group of professionals from both the private and public sector to go
through all factors and costs that are a part of home building. We need to know what costs are
absolutely required, which ones are "nice to have ", which ones are called for in some locations but not
others (and how to regulate based on those factors) and which costs should be a personal choice. This
should become the basis of the code for the Island of Hawaii. Lets build according to what is needed by
our residents - not according to what someone in a far off land thinks we might need as reviewed in a
very short period of time by a few here - driven by the base they were given.
This issue is serious and highly consequential. Please consider a delay to allow some of this study to
occur.
Comm No, / Z$. %
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7/20/2011