HomeMy WebLinkAbout2026-06-24 Tim Williams TestimonyFrom: Tim Jack
To: Planning LPC Testimony
Subject: Bill 147 Testimony - 6/30 Session
Date: Wednesday, June 24, 2026 9:33:57 AM
Aloha Commissioners,
I am a full-time Hawaiʻi Island resident and homeowner. Mahalo for the opportunity to submit testimony on Bill
147.
I respectfully ask that, as you consider this bill, you put yourselves in the shoes of the residents whose homes and
livelihoods may be affected.
I live on agriculturally zoned property with mature fruit trees. I donate a significant amount of produce to nearby
residents and also sell produce locally at farmers markets.
To help cover the rapidly rising cost of housing, utilities, insurance, maintenance, and daily life, I rent extra rooms
within the same single-structure home where I live full time. I am not operating a hotel or an investor-owned
commercial vacation rental. I am simply renting unused space within my primary residence to help make the cost of
living on Hawaiʻi Island sustainable.
As Bill 147 moves forward, I respectfully ask the Commission to recommend that:
1. Homeowners retain the right to rent rooms or permitted living space at their primary residence, including
residences on agricultural land, subject to reasonable health, safety, parking, noise, and occupancy standards.
2. Hosted rentals within a homeowner’s primary residence be clearly distinguished from unhosted, investor-
operated vacation rentals.
3. Agricultural homeowners not be subjected to an expensive, uncertain, or burdensome special-permit process
merely to rent rooms within the same lawful dwelling where they reside.
4. Enforcement be used first to help owners understand the rules and correct legitimate issues, not primarily as
a punitive tool that eliminates an otherwise responsible homeowner’s ability to operate.
There is an opportunity to protect residents, strengthen the local economy, support responsible agricultural
landowners, and establish fair standards for hosted rentals. I trust the Commission will help guide Bill 147 toward
that balanced outcome.
Mahalo for your consideration,
Tim Williams