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Home My WebLink AboutCOM 0739.182 2016-2018My name is Debbie Sharp, aka Aloha Debbie. I have been a property manager for 37 years, specializing in vacation rentals for 25 years. Thank you for your attempt to regulate short term vacation rentals. I do think there should be appropriate guidelines for the vacation rental business here on the big Island... but I do not feel that draft 3 of Bill 108 is acceptable. It does not fix the problems First of all, I strongly urge you to postpone any motions for the passage of this bill based on the recent events. Tourism and the vacation rental business have been hit hard by the volcano eruption. Already there is a 50% occupancy loss at the hotels. I would assume it's about the same in the vacation rental homes. We have definitely noticed the slow down and we have worked hard to keep the reservations we have in place. Our business is located on the north end of the big island so we are not affected by the vog too much, but nevertheless we are affected when the trades are not blowing. people are scared and nervous because of all the media. The cruise ships have stopped coming .... Hawaiian Airlines is reducing their flights... This is not good. We really don't need another obstacle to the tourism business right now when we are fighting for our livelihood. We are talking thousands of families that depend on this business to feed their families and pay their bills. First the volcano displaces hundreds of families without homes and now you will take away the jobs of hundreds of people! Many repeat Airbnb rentals have been offered to evacuees from Puna at a discounted price to help with temporary housing. So you see these vacation rentals are a gift to the big Island right now. Quit saying that they are changing the lifestyle of our neighborhoods, when we are helping our neighbors! M. X o. � 9111 T� Ref. To: LME Ref, Date JUN 1 8 2018 PC, From: Debbie Share -+. To: Council Testimony Subject: Testimony - Bill 108 - June 18 - 2 PM "' a►`' C... ''•< ; Date: Friday, June 15, 2018 12:21:47 PM Dear County Council My name is Debbie Sharp, aka Aloha Debbie. I have been a property manager for 37 years, specializing in vacation rentals for 25 years. Thank you for your attempt to regulate short term vacation rentals. I do think there should be appropriate guidelines for the vacation rental business here on the big Island... but I do not feel that draft 3 of Bill 108 is acceptable. It does not fix the problems First of all, I strongly urge you to postpone any motions for the passage of this bill based on the recent events. Tourism and the vacation rental business have been hit hard by the volcano eruption. Already there is a 50% occupancy loss at the hotels. I would assume it's about the same in the vacation rental homes. We have definitely noticed the slow down and we have worked hard to keep the reservations we have in place. Our business is located on the north end of the big island so we are not affected by the vog too much, but nevertheless we are affected when the trades are not blowing. people are scared and nervous because of all the media. The cruise ships have stopped coming .... Hawaiian Airlines is reducing their flights... This is not good. We really don't need another obstacle to the tourism business right now when we are fighting for our livelihood. We are talking thousands of families that depend on this business to feed their families and pay their bills. First the volcano displaces hundreds of families without homes and now you will take away the jobs of hundreds of people! Many repeat Airbnb rentals have been offered to evacuees from Puna at a discounted price to help with temporary housing. So you see these vacation rentals are a gift to the big Island right now. Quit saying that they are changing the lifestyle of our neighborhoods, when we are helping our neighbors! M. X o. � 9111 T� Ref. To: LME Ref, Date JUN 1 8 2018 I personally have financially helped those in need in Puna and I won't be able to do that if you kill my vacation rental business! Which I've been doing for over 25 years. We manage homes in Kohala ranch which by all appearances, it looks like you aim to stop vacation rentals in ag zoning. These are large luxury homes which do not disturb anyone's lifestyle because they're on acreage. They have the least effect on the neighborhood. I have listened to your council meetings on TV and the discussion of a "reachable" person versus a licensed person. Your arguments do not hold water. One of the members was stating that state law requires a licensed person to manage more than one unit. They have introduced bills at the state level that will change it to be a licensed person always. How can state law prevail when even on the County Council not all the members are knowledgeable about what the law specifically states and what the proposed changes are. Do you think the general public will be knowledgeable or comply? Seriously do you think the cleaner or the gardener is going to pick up the phone in the middle of the night? Only a person with a license who has their livelihood at stake, will be motivated. Over and over again I hear the testimonies that there are two major complaints: 1) too much noise and an unresponsive person to call 2) non payment of GE and TAT taxes. So if they're not paying their GE and TAT the likelihood is they are not paying their state income taxes either. A licensed person is required to issue a 1099 their owners. A licensed person is required to have this in a property management contract. This assures that all taxes are paid. A licensed person must respond to complaints or be subject to RICO. They risk their license and their business if they do not operate with integrity and public responsiveness There are laws that prohibit a Handyman from performing more than $1000 worth of work on a property. A licensed person is required in order to protect the public. Well most of the rental revenue is well over $1000 a week. You must insist that a licensed person manage the property if you want to alienate noise problems and other neighborhood problems. A licensed person is in the business for the long-haul. Their reputation is at stake. Their income is at stake. I heard a council member say that he had a constituent that couldn't afford to pay a property manager... It seemed if all of you changed your attitude at that point about the language in the bill. If they can't afford a professional manager, they should not be in the vacation rental business. These are the greedy mainland people that your neighborhood people are complaining about. They don't want to pay a fee to someone who's going to manage it properly. They think they can do it on their own with their housekeeper. And you probably think I'm trying to drum up business for myself... which is not the case at all.... I am semi retired now going from 24 properties to 4 properties to manage... But I'm speaking for my profession and the value that we have to maintain the integrity of Vacation Rentals in Hawaii It is ridiculous to think that stating that you have a "reachable "person is going to solve neighborhood problems and it certainly not going to solve the tax problem unless you're constantly looking at thousands and thousands of tax returns? How many rentals do we have on this island? We need Vacation Rentals on the Big Island. This is our primary economy. You would be stifling the big Island right now when we need tourism the most ... do not approve this bill at this time ....you need to do more research and more discussion and let us get through these hard times... with out rocking the boat more than it's already rocking! There temporary suspension of Norwegian Cruise Lines' port calls in Hilo and Kailua-Kona cost local businesses an estimated $750,000 per visit, while the ongoing closure of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park has cost the island $455,000 in visitor spending per day. The ag zoning paragraph needs to be defined and clarified. Kohala Ranch and Kohala Estate have 49 vacation rentals on VRBO. There are up to 5 service people required for each home: Manager, Housekeeper, Landscaper, Pool Care, Handyman.... So there are 250 jobs lost right there if you pass this bill. That does not even include ag zoned Captain Cook, Oceanview and Discovery Harbor. I urge you to NOT pass this bill! "AlohaDebbie" Sharp O RB -13 827 Aloha Kai Properties LLC ® RB -22329 Reservations: 808-989-7773 www.AlohaKaiProperties.com