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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0739.337 2016-2018 P1'PC COUNTY CLERK COIL 73q COUNTY OF HAWAII RRECEIVED From: Bryan Brev Time 10:50 ODM By de. To: Council Testimony Date 10/16/lb Subject: Economic Impact Report on Bill 108 BEFORE VOTE Date: Monday,October 15,2018 9:01:13 PM Would appreciate your help. Lower Puna economy needs all the help it can get. -Bryan Office of Eileen O'Hara October 13 at 1:29 PM - SHORT TERM VACATION RENTAL (Bill 108) returning to County Council on Tuesday, Oct. 16th at 9:30am in the Planning Committee. UGH! While I agree regulation is needed, I cannot support this draconian attempt to regulated short term vacation rentals (STVRs) in an omibus, one-size-fits-all, bill. Historic County zoning applications make the impact of this bill very different district to district. The impact of this bill on the Puna District was negative initially and after the devastation of the lava event which took out a substantial number(best guess between 300-400 STVRs) of the STVR industry in Lower Puna, it spells economic doom. I have tried every tactic to 1) slow this bill down from passage upon its original submittal in Feb. 2018, and 2) add flexibility to the rigid "grandfathering" basis to allow new STVRs to develop in areas hard hit by natural and manmade disasters. I managed to change a few things, but it is still the case that new STVRs will not have an avenue to develop on land classified as State Ag (97% of the properties in Lower Puna) or on RS -residential single family zoning(2% of properties in Lower Puna). In Puna,we don't have acreage zoned in hotel/resort and very very little other zoning classes where STVRs are allowed under code. HOW THIS BILL WORKS - Good Old Grandfathering: - If you own and manage a STVR on either Ag or RS zoning and live on the same property (same tax map key)this bill will not affect you. - If you own a STVR on a separate property (different tax map key)that is zoned Ag or RS and you can provide records that your STVR structure is permitted and you've been diligently paying your Transient Accommodation Tax(TAT) and your General Excise Tax(GET), AND provided you haven't any major complaints from surrounding property owners, you'll be able to pay a fee ANNUALLY to maintain a NON CONFORMING USE permit. Once you cease to operate,the Non Conforming Use permit cannot be passed on with the sale of property (hence grandfathering which is a way to eliminate this use). - If you own a property separate from your primary residence property and were planning to build and operate a STVR, or you wish to transition your home to a STVR as you plan to move to another location, you will not be allowed to do so under this bill as the date of adoption will be the date upon which you have to document you've been paying TAT and GET. - If you previously operated a legitimate (permitted and paid taxes) STVR that was obliterated by lava which we estimate was between 300-400 STVR units in Lower Puna, you will not be able to establish your past business on new properties zoned Ag or RS as the documentation of paying taxes is a historic requirement based on the date the bill passes. • Comm. No. -.1337 Ref. To: P I PG Ref. Date OCT 1 5 2018 - ECONOMIC IMPACTS - STVRs and the associated jobs created for management, maintenance, repairs and construction,was one of Lower Puna's most viable economic drivers. Accommodating visitors within the district also insured tourists dollars were spent in Puna, particularly in Pahoa at our local stores and restaurants. The economicimpact of this bill on Puna will slow down our efforts to recover from the May 3rd event SIGNIFICANTLY. Please join me in calling for an Economic Impact Analysis by District of Bill 108 before it is allowed to be voted in. I'm the only council member objecting to this bill at this point and need support of everyone in requesting that an Economic Impact Study be done before it is passed into law. PLEASE TESTIFY!! Testimony can be emailed to: Counciltestimony@hawaiicounty.gov and must be submitted by 9:00am Monday, Oct. 15th or COME IN PERSON to testify (3 minutes allowed) from any of the remote videoconferencing sites at 9:30am Tuesday, Oct. 16th. The hearing will be held in the Kona County Council Chambers. Remote sites are: -Hilo County Council Chambers - Pahoa County Council Office (2 doors down from 7-11 in Pahoa O'Hara's office) -Naalehu - Waimea County Council Office (Parker Square Richard's office) -Hawi Forwarded message From: Bryan Brey<bryanbrey• gmail.com> Date: Mon, Oct 15, 2018 at 4:38 PM Subject: Economic Lnpact Report on Bill 108 BEFORE VOTE To: eileen,ohara@hawaiicounty.gov<eileen.ohara@hawaiicounty.gov>, jen.ruggles@hawaiicounty.gov<jen.ruggles@hawaiicounty.gov> Would appreciate your help. Lower Puna economy needs all the help it can get. -Bryan Just a community FYI. Regardless of how one feels about the proposal to ban any new vacation rentals in Puna and anywhere outside of millionaire/billionaire "resort" zones, I'd think any thinking person would agree that our island should certainly understand the economic impact of this before moving forward. Apparently, former economist O'Hara is calling for an economic impact study of the bill before going forward. Allon the Council currently are apparently saying, no, they'd rather not know, and just want to pass it anyway! Reposting this from a friend who is working to improve the bill to minimize the harm to Puna and other Ag areas which have almost no other economic activity. "The county council is having another committee meeting Tuesday the 16th at 9:30am in Kona.All of the satellite offices will be open to submit testimony. I had a conversation recently with someone close to the council and it has become brutally apparent that they have no interest in having an economic impact report done for the Bill. The council members aren't economists, they cannot predict the economic impact of the Bill. Except for Mrs. O'Hara who is actually an economist and the only councilor calling for an economic impact report to be done! Without this report,the county is basing the Bill off their best guess, not factual information. At this point, I am calling on everyone in the group to go bombard your councilors and demand an economic impact report be done for Bill 108 BEFORE it is passed. Email them, call their offices, submit testimony. Ill see all the Kona hosts on Tuesday at the hearing! 1 Valerie Poindexter valerie.poindexter@hawaiicounty.gov (808) 961-8018 2 Aaron Chung aaron.chung@hawaiicounty.gov (808) 961-8272 3 Sue Lee Loy sue.leeloy@hawaiicounty.gov (808) 961-8396 4 Eileen O'Hara eileen.ohara@hawaiicounty.gov (808) 965-2712 • 5 Jen Ruggles jen.ruggles@hawaiicounty.gov (808) 961-8263 6 Maile David maile.david@hawaiicounty.gov (808) 323-4277 7 Dru Kanuha dru.kanuha@hawaiicounty.gov (808) 323-4267. 8 Karen Eoff karen.eoff@hawaiicounty.gov (808) 323-4280 9 Tim Richards tim.richards@hawaiicounty.gov (808) 887-2069"