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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2024-04-03 PL-CCI-2024-000004 Bill 122 Sue Strauslin Testimony From: Sue Strauslin To: WPCtestimonv Subject: Bill 121&122 Date: Wednesday,April 3,2024 5:55:16 PM To: Windward Planning Commission April 3, 2024 25 Aupuni Street Hilo, HI 96720 Re: April 4, 2024 Commission meeting Bill 122 PL-CCI-2024-000004 to repeals Bed and Breakfast Bill 121 PL-CCI-2024-000003 to add owner hosted STVR to new regulation and scrutiny From: Susan Strauslin 120 Woa Road, Hilo, HI 96720 808-217-5442 sstrauslinna msn.com Issues with Bill 121 PL-CCI-2024-000003 to add owner hosted STVR to new regulation, reporting requirements and scrutiny 1. From my understanding, if Bill 122 passes, we will then have to register as an owner hosted STRV and go through a lengthy application process, even though we just went through the lengthy process to attain permission for our B&B. This will duplicate our upfront costs and time. 2. Increasing costs and regulation on owner hosted STRVs will be a burden to many owners. A vast majority of short term rentals are owned by locals. Most of these owners are over 50. Most of them own a single rental unit. These are local families who depend on this income to make ends meet. When they rent a room or an ohana or a tiny home to a visitor family, they spend that money locally. The profits stay here on the Island. As hundreds of local residents have made clear in their testimony, this bill will hurt them. It will reduce their income, increase their costs and in many cases it will shut them down entirely. 3. The process being proposed by the authors of this bill is a lengthy, arduous and cumbersome process. In fact, it is so cumbersome that many homeowners will be forced to hire a consultant to navigate it. 4. The foundations of this regulatory effort are flawed. The significant financial and logistical problems this bill creates far outweigh the benefits it seeks to create and it does nothing to address the affordable housing crisis here on the Big Island. 5. Unfair reporting requirements: It is fundamentally unfair to ask a homeowner to spend several hours a month generating tax documents and reports. If they only have 30 hours per month to run their operation, a 3 hour requirement is nearly 10%of their available time. Issues with Bill 122 PL-CCI-2024-000004 to repeals Bed and Breakfast 1. On January 4th 2024 we were approved to run a Bed and Breakfast on our 10 acre parcel with a residential house and farm in Pauka'a. We are just getting started and now you want to take that away. I don't understand why you would suggest this after just giving us the permission. I also see new applicants of B&B's on the agenda. What is the point of removing B&B's from permitted uses? 2. The county of Hawaii and the state of Hawaii both rely on tourism for it's economy. Putting forth bills to discourage tourism is counter intuitive and a threat to those who have established STVR and Bed and Breakfasts and rely on the income to survive in this state. The income these establishments generate feed the local economies both with the taxes they generate and with attracting tourists helping local businesses to thrive. 3. Each situation is different and in my case, we have a 10 acre farm which is subsidized by the B&B income. If you take away our B&B income, you take away our ability to continue with the farm, thereby removing local grown food sources from local families. We will then be forced to sell our property, one that we have specifically designed to be a B&B, losing our investment.