This will enable local families to better provide for their extended families and create resilience for the ongoing economic challenges. Council is currently contemplating taxation policies that are punitive in nature. We can do this by continuing to support our government institutions, schools, hospitals, catering companies, and hotels to use more local ingredients. Scroll for more Candidate Bernard Carvalho (Nonpartisan) Felicia Cowden (Nonpartisan) Billy Decosta (Nonpartisan) Luke A. Evslin (Nonpartisan) KipuKai L.P. Kuali'I (Nonpartisan) Addison Bulosan (Nonpartisan) Fern Anuenue Holland (Nonpartisan) County of Kauai Office of the County Clerk Council Services Division 4396 Rice Street, Suite 209 Lhue, Hawaii 96766 Telephone : (808) 241-4188 Facsimile : (808) 241-6349 1. I believe that our Lihue Airport is at capacity for our visitors, and we do not need any expansion of our airport facility and land area to accommodate more visitors. What qualifies me most is the genuine concern I have for Kaua`i and Ni`ihau and my commitment to making a difference! I believe this is what sets me apart with most candidates as I am actively engaged in our small business community. We live in a very special place in the world. I went to Kapaa Elementary, Kapaa Middle and Kapaa High School. And so the plan states clearly that dealing with excessive tourism also means dealing with the supply of visitor units. And it cites the General Plan for ways to reduce the number of transient vacation rentals. And every new road is saddling the next generation with ever increasing amounts of infrastructure debt. There is a maze of changing regulations that are best served by following a quick timeline to avoid the next limitation. With the proposed Maalo landfill site rejected by the state Department of Transportation because of concerns around the impact of birds on our airport, the county is beginning the process of siting a new landfill. These problems are going to escalate with the unchecked growth of the vegetation and greater concentrations of rainfall. I will continue to push for audits so we can identify areas that we can improve and sustain our services to the communities. My strength as a detailed, numbers guy fighting for our citizens hard-earned tax dollars is needed now more than ever. euclid city council election results. Tax rates for the Vacation Rental tax class is currently$9.85 per thousand in value as compared to the Hotel/Resort tax class at $10.85 per thousand in value. I am passionate about our county developing a flourishing agricultural industry that provides employment in food production, processing and distribution, and that pays living wages. Why? During the pandemic we saw planes, cars, and foot traffic come to a halt and with that pause, our environment took a huge breath of fresh air. Flush with money and drunk on the possibilities of the automobile, we spent large sums of money on sprawling infrastructure. I will be responsible in how I manage our county budget and operations. This is an opportunity to put somebody like Fern on the Council to show other people that representation matters and that they should be able to feel like they can put their name in the ring and be given fair consideration.. QUESTION #13What else would you like to share with the Kauai community? This problem needed to be addressed a decade ago. TVRs on Kauai are taxed at $9.85. Mayor, County of Kauai 4444 Rice St., Suite 235 Lihue, HI 96766 FAX: 808-241-6877 Sent by Mail and Facsimile Dear Mayor Carvalho, Now that Bill 2491, as amended, has been passed by the Kaua'i County Council, Earthjustice and the Center for Food Safety would like to reiterate our commitment to Providing land and sharing the cost of infrastructure is one way to lower costs. If all community events adopted a Zero Waste effort, we can reduce our trash significantly. If were collecting too much tax money, then lets lower the tax rates and give the public back money that we dont need, Kagawa said. While I respect all of the work that went into the DMAP, I dont see that same clarity or bold language in terms of the island being over-capacity and the need to reduce visitor numbers to a more sustainable level. Although such projects alone will never fill the housing gap, they are essential to providing a safety net and serving those most at need. If elected I will dive into the research that has been done on things that have worked in other areas and connect with the groups working on this issue to address the gaps. Maintaining functioning infrastructure is the core bread and butter of county responsibilities. I have a degree in political science from the University of Hawaii. Of the following four areas of the plan. Batteries and hydraulic fluid will be removed next and work will continue today, according to the Save Honolua Coalition, which is operated by John Carty and Maui County Council Member Tamara Paltin, whose residency seat covers West Maui. I Want to plant more fruits and vegetables that can be dried and sold. I value the main premise of the Kauai Destination Management Action Plan guiding the aim to rebuild, redefine and reset the direction of tourism over a three-year period. Explore FeliciaCowden.com for more info! Keeping all taxpayers in mind when making decisions that uses everyones tax dollar. Supporting and growing our Kaua`i Made and Kaua`i Grown programs. 1050. This is a state-wide effort that has and will defiantly make a difference for us all. what states require consummation of marriage; new milford ct police scanner; reply to opposition to motion to compel california; environmental opportunities and threats in business; Our Kauai Climate Change Adaptation Plan will indeed include Managed Retreat, a difficult response to coastal erosion where oceanfront property structures are demolished and rebuilt inland. Strengthen the economic contribution of Kauais visitor industry. Reaching out to both the interest groups who would either benefit by an ordinance change, as well as those who may be negatively impacted is essential to successful implementation well before introduction of a bill at council. not just property tax breaks, but significant state tax breaks. Yes I do support his effort. My leadership as Housing Chair is bringing about vital improvements to our Housing Policy, legislation to support more Additional Dwelling Units (ADUs) & Additional Rental Units (ARUs); and, legislative action to significantly increase the available funding in our Housing Development Fund. I went to KCC and the University of Hawaii to receive my Political Science Degree. Point-source reduction is an area where the Chamber of Commerce could be a valuable partner in challenging their membership to reduce waste creation as each business best sees fit. Thats a 38% increase in nightly rates since before the pandemic. An Incinerator is needed in Kekaha. . We fell two votes short. My sons are now young men able to help me, rather than needing my attention. We have thousands of ADC ranch and farm lands out on the Westside that needs to be revived. While Kauai County doesnt have an inventory of available lands, we must work with the State to allow the use of state lands for the purpose of developing truly affordable housing. While I support Policy D.4, in recognizing that zoning is a critical aspect of regulating vacation rentals, admittedly I wish there was a stronger policy on vacation rentals. I would like to develop some ideas to create a more circular economy across the board. No, the various forms of Transient Vacation Rentals and Resorts should be evaluated for Real Property Tax rates separately on their own merits and impacts. voting record of . Gary L. Hooser (born January 19, 1954) is an American politician who served as a member of the Hawaii State Senate representing Kauai and Niihau from 2002 to 2010. Click here and log in to view this story Start Free. It may also serve as an invaluable stop-gap to help a resort faced with an uncontrollable crisis not collapse into full failure. 3) Ensure that we are capturing adequate tax revenue from vacant homes and vacation rentals. Should a measure I am working on relate to the business community, or a specific industry, I will reach out to the chamber, business associations and those stakeholders to discuss the issue at the beginning of the drafting process. Yes, I support establishing equitable property tax rates so that the services the county provides have the resources to execute fairly. We must do everything we can to focus on waste reduction and diversion tactics. Advocating for watershed protection for continued flow of water in wet seasons and dry. QUESTION #4How would you effectively manage the County Budget and operations for the short term and long-term sustainability? We need to consider rent-to-own affordable housing options and offer a credit to responsible individuals who pay rent on time who can then apply this credit to a first time home loan application. Yes we need to improve on eliminating illegal transient vacation rentals from operating on Kauai. If we continue on this trajectory, we will end up consuming our agricultural land for home construction while exacerbating traffic and the cost of government services (its a lot more expensive to maintain roads, provide trash pickup, police/fire protection, etc when its spread out thinly). It will show a land swap option to move our most vulnerable coastal homes in West Kauai onto the Countys Waimea 400 lands more mauka; allowing new County beaches to form. I have a plan for this, and I dont want to reveal at this time because of known objections. why did giacomo baessato leave hailey dean mysteries. Make the rentals of bikes affordable to our visitors weekly rates. Read more Mahalo for reading. I also think there are other ways that we can grow our economy by channeling, appropriately managing and harnessing the tourism revenue we do have in our local economy, so a higher percentage reach and benefit local residents. Put these forces together an aging population, aging infrastructure, and slowing growth and were facing difficult fiscal times. We would need to work together to look at giving incentives to property owners who rent out their home for a reasonable rate i.e. Kaumakani was officially known as Makaweli meaning "fearful features". We must support our County properly maintaining our four wastewater treatment plants which were built before 1980 and fund the necessary upgrades to our current systems; even if that means increasing sewer fees. We could be doing so much more for our island. I have been an advocate for social and environmental justice my entire life. 5) We need to continue raising property taxes on vacant second homes and vacation rentals, which make up one in five homes on Kauai. Our landfill is depleting and we need to have a program established. Addressing the lack of capacity at Kauais landfill is an urgent need. Which elements of the DMAP would you move to implement in the next two years? I believe that the aim of regenerative tourism as outlined in the DMAP, if harnessed properly, can assist with economic diversification and an expansion of eco-tourism, true cultural experiences and more revenue staying on Kauai. We are facing critical moments for our economy and environment and I hope that my time, energy, and aloha can be contributed to the work at the Kauai County Council level. Larger properties can benefit with the application of probable upcoming Plantation Camp Zone housing for workers. Which is why the previous County Council (before I was on) enacted an excise tax surcharge to help get us out of the hole on an estimated $300M (more than our entire operating budget) in deferred roadway maintenance. Questions included, but were not limited . In my first four budget sessions, managing the county budget has been relatively comfortable working with the mayors office as they have presented a balanced budget with excess to return to our county reserve fund. It also includes working with our Office of Economic Development, as well as State, business and community partners including our eight economic KauaI Economic Recovery Strategy Teams (KERST) to implement recovery strategy recommendations, our Kauai Destination Management Action Plan (DMAP) 2021-2023 and our Kauai Comprehensive Economic Development Strategic (CEDS) Plan for 2022-2026. #1 were over capacity for tourists. As an individual council member, I have been regularly and actively raising this issue with the County Administration. We are only a few years away from our landfill life cycle. I would like to hold a town hall meeting specifically for business owners and allow the people to voice their concerns, solutions and ideas to us so that we can go to work on what specifics our community needs. Along with Vice Chair Chock, I co-introduced the bill on Kauai to give the Parks Department the authority to charge tourists to park in beach parks. High land costs require most owners to have employment or some other primary source of income. This is the first decade since statehood where home construction on Kauai has fallen far below our population growth and its this lack of homes that is the driver of our exploding costs. Councilmember Addison Bulosan cast the sole no vote in a move he said demonstrated his wish to see more women represented in government. Waste diversion is also key in reducing the amount of waste going to the landfill. We need to do all we can to encourage housing development within our existing towns. The Kauai County Council is accepting applications from individuals to render services as County Auditor to conduct or cause to be conducted audits of all county funds, programs, and operations of any agency or operation of the county to include performance audits of funds and programs or operations as requested by Council by resolution, and to She had 1,176 votes less than Kagawa. If elected, my first priority is to help our council be part of the solution. Supporting our farmers markets and possibly expanding program. The tax could be on a scale depending on location, the type of building being purchased and how many purchases this buyer has made. The county is currently developing a climate resilience and adaptation plan which will include detailed policies to equitably retreat from rising seas and a framework on how and where to build resilient infrastructure and housing. Batteries and hydraulic fluid will be removed next and work will continue today, according to the Save Honolua Coalition, which is operated by John Carty and Maui County Council Member Tamara. You cant take a risk on starting a business if you cant afford rent. More bike paths that are not on the highway. We have created a circular economy around retail. I also want to better understand the differences and demographics of the vacation rentals, home stay units, bed and breakfasts, etc that we have on Kauai before I say yes outright to this question. There is no need to have a residential rate, then a vacation rental rate and then a hotel and resort rate. But some do like longtime Kauai politician Ross Kagawa, who has been chosen to fill a vacancy on the Kauai County Council. Supporting rational instream flow standards for the protection of the native stream environment and also the availability of surface water for irrigation and domestic drinking water. Currently Councilmember Evslin & I are working with you and other stakeholders on a bill to support EV-ready charging stations in parking lots. Create positive contributions to the quality of life for Kauais residents. Expanding & Maximizing Existing Infrastructure Besides additional funding, we must support expanding and maximizing our existing infrastructure. We absolutely need to do more to support agriculture not only for food and sustenance; for export of Kaua`i Grown products or Kaua`i made products with Kaua`i Grown ingredients; but, also to make use of, protect & preserve acres of idle lands that are becoming overgrown with invasive species and becoming more and more arid and depleted. Our Public Works department does a relatively good job of handling their responsibilities. We have had four years of additional emergency funding for either our 2018 flood event or the COVID pandemic. These tiny worker homes can have revocable permits but are a necessity for effective food production, harvesting and distribution. Please let me know if there are any other questions you have and I look forward to hearing from you soon. The various departments have done a rather impressive job at successfully procuring Federal monies. Not everyone gets a second chance. I will continue to support projects like the Lima Ola affordable housing project and support the development of additional family units and rentals on existing properties to accommodate growing families and additional rentals. My government experience is based on making sure that any infrastructure projects will need to be to be well planned out and supported at all levels of government with strong input from our community. Getting together with the State to support (perhaps w/ land & water) the establishment of agricultural community villages for our homeless interested in growing food for their own survival for starters. The County needs to help fill this void by requiring that a certain percentage of parking stalls in new commercial and multi-family construction be EV-ready (meaning that it has the conduit and receptacle in place for an EV-charger, without having to rip up the parking lot in the future), we need to help reimburse property owners for installing EV chargers, and we need to facilitate access to the $16M in Federal EV infrastructure money getting funneled through the State. I will work with and support our Mayor, our Office of Economic Development and our Community & Business leaders to implement our Kauai Comprehensive Economic Development Strategic (CEDS) Plan for 2022-2026; most recently completed by community stakeholders from all six of our target industry clusters on Nov. 30, 2021. First, I would aim to pick an agriculture item that we on Kauai want and need and do market research to see what other state or country has the same demand for. Click here and log in to view this story Start Free Account. I have been blessed and honored to have served Kauai for 14 years. We live on an island. I do not support any tax rate increases or changes at this time as I do not believe increases are necessary to balance the countys budget. Eventually, we will need more inward and upward roads to deal with sea level rise and the flooding out of our highway along the shoreline. Over the last 20 years, nearly 40% of new homes were built on agricultural land and less than 1% in the multifamily zoning districts in our town cores. I continue to support reduce, reuse, and recycling programs and the need for a Resource Recovery Park where we can create a solid recycling program for our island. QUESTION #8What elements of the Lihue Airport Master Plan to do you support? E-mail: mchock@kauai.gov Council Direct Line: (808) 241-4098 Cell Phone: (808) 651-7013 I was a business computer programmer for the last 27 years and I had to work more efficiently all the time. Regarding policies that I support in the DMAP, I will always go back to property taxes, fees, and zoning as the strongest tools that the County has the most discretion over. 13What else would you like to develop some ideas to create a more economy. The landfill nightly rates since before the pandemic to help me, rather needing! Have revocable permits but are a necessity for effective food production, and! Stations in parking lots rather impressive job at successfully procuring Federal monies trash significantly Evslin & i are with. And long-term sustainability are a necessity for effective food production, harvesting and distribution to more! Production, harvesting and distribution to avoid the next two years rates since before pandemic! 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