But some do - like longtime Kaua'i politician Ross Kagawa, who has been chosen to fill a vacancy on the Kaua'i County Council. They are: Better management and enforcement of laws that protect Kauais natural resources Management of the number of visitors Education of visitors and residents Transportation issues and infrastructure Two-way communication and industry collaboration Support for local businesses. The compound annual growth rate of the passengers incoming between 2018-2023 is 3.2% at a time where I do not think we can cope with increased visitors and many feel we are at capacity. 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; Regardless of what happens with the Master Plan, its vital for us to work to reduce the number of visitor accommodations on Kauai as that is still the Countys best tool for managing the industry. Whats most important to me here is to learn from the many stakeholders in our economy who are working on diversifying our economy, taking the best ideas from the collective and doing what I can to support moving them forward. I do support expanding our TSA lines and hope that in the plan TSA will also be provided with more up to date equipment so that everyone can get to their next destination. My environmental science background will help with important decision making around environmental issues that will need to happen in coming years. I have over thirty years experience working and volunteering in Government, Labor Unions, Non-Profits and Community Organizations. 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. My 10 years of involvement locally in State and County politics has led me to understanding that this is a way to make a difference for the betterment of Kauai and our people. Im eager to help better the lives of our local community with sound decisions at the council level. As a computer programmer I always had to solve problems. The Council members asked questions of the applicant regarding the Certificate of Need criteria. We need to cut out the vacation rental rate and just make it clear that your property is strictly residential or if any part of it is used as a vacation rental then you pay the hotel and resort tax rate. In looking at other counties, Maui tax rate for TVRs is actually higher than that of hotels. These problems are going to escalate with the unchecked growth of the vegetation and greater concentrations of rainfall. I lived in Germany as an exchange student where 20 years ago recycling is something everyone just does. 3) Ensure that we are capturing adequate tax revenue from vacant homes and vacation rentals. We also need to solve our traffic problem as this project once completed will create more traffic as well. Written by on 27 febrero, 2023. My first focus would be to help local working families by creating incentives and reducing the financial barriers for additional dwelling units and additional rental units. Whereas a resort that falls into becoming a distressed property presents significant, even overwhelming, responsibility for the county and community. COUNTY OF KAUAI https://kauai.gov . In the tourism industry, we must continue to focus on regenerative and restorative visitor experiences that continue to empower our local businesses and organizations. I see this as a way the wealthiest residents can give back and help assist those that are struggling with housing and being displaced. An Incinerator is needed in Kekaha. It may be appropriate to have some sort of sliding scale or tiered criteria for this. Expanding & Maximizing Existing Infrastructure Besides additional funding, we must support expanding and maximizing our existing infrastructure. We need to site a new landfill and move on it as soon as possible. The 2022-2026 CEDS is designed to sustain and grow the progress from the previous CEDS; continue the ongoing efforts to mitigate the effects of COVID 19; and, create and achieve new goals that support the economic vision set forth in our Kauai General Plan. These products can be made a certified community kitchens in partnership with our local slaughter houses. The following came from KipuKai Kualii, candidate for Kauai County Council. To be a candidate for the Kaua'i County Council you must be a resident and a "qualified voter" for two years preceding the election. A 41-year-old Kauai man who agreed to run drugs and collect money for a drug trafficking organization headed by a former Kauai County Council member and supplied by Samoan gang members, was . For example, the State DOT received in the range of $16M for electric vehicle charging infrastructure statewide from the bipartisan infrastructure bill. At this point we need to look at what resources we have and start creatively using them and also look at what we dont have and create it to meet our needs while simultaneously planning on a way to make money from outsiders. LIHU'E With newly appointed state Rep. Luke Evslin heading to O'ahu, the remaining six members of the Kaua'i County Council now must select a replacement to fill his vacant seat. 2) Not build any new roads. This page shows you the collective voting record of all the Kauai County Council Members. As a small business owner, President of Rice Street Business Association, Board member of Lhue Business Association, and former board member of the Kauai Chamber of Commerce and Kauai Filipino Chamber of Commerce, I love working with our business community in solving our mutual challenges. Thats partially because its so time consuming and expensive to develop within our town cores, so were pushing our development into our agricultural areas. Farm eco-tourism can grow. Our property tax rates are by far the lowest in the nation, which means that mainland investors find Hawaii an attractive place to park their money and reap the rewards of our appreciating real estate market. This problem needed to be addressed a decade ago. Yes we need to improve on eliminating illegal transient vacation rentals from operating on Kauai. Offering a more permanent 2% revenue stream into the Housing Revolving Fund to the voters through a ballot initiative is an imperfect measure that I will support. Yes, we need to give incentives to individuals who see individuals breaking the law. Expanding our local products and supporting their local consumption, as well as export markets, is key to growth for the agricultural sector. I will work hard to make public workers accountable to deadlines. I was born and raised in Kapahi and I understand the issues that matter to our islands. I am impressed by the action plan and agree with the objectives. Out-smarting inflation is a big ask, especially when the main developer is the government through tax-payer funding. This housing strategy has been a cherished and successful pathway in Kauais past. I understand we have the lowest property tax rates in Hawaii, and the entire nation. Since we have a problem with pesticides and herbicides, I want to continue with whatever agriculture we have going now. Some owners may return to live in them full-time. We live on an island. 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. February 27, 2023 equitable estoppel california No Comments . I am open to the idea of increasing all TVR property tax rates to resort property tax rates. We established a monthly Downtown Lhue Night Market that brings local vendors and drives local buyers together. Enough tourists as is. One of the many lessons that Ive learned in my four years on the County Council is the value of listening before making a decision. My vision includes a mix of diversified agriculture along with indigenous foods and agriculture practices. 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. This will drastically reduce methane emissions at the landfill, it can save restaurant owners money by reducing their service levels for trash hauling, and it can help create a viable by product (compost) that can be used by farmers all of which helps keep money circulating on Kauai. The County Councils biggest responsibility is balancing the county budget every year. Funding the new facilities or repairing our aging infrastructure is the largest barrier often requiring council approval of grants or bonds. 3. 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. That includes providing direct assistance to businesses & community non-profits such as the the federal bipartisan infrastructure bill. Our landfill is depleting and we need to have a program established. I was the spokes person for Honolulu Recovery systems/ Honolulu Disposals Recycling program, and have lived in a country where relying is something you just do everyday. Our solid waste crisis is on a timeline and we need to act now. The need to be prepared for this stream of funding for our overall infrastructure needs is very important. As they describe, the surge in retiring baby boomers at a time of slowing population growth means that the ratio of retirees to active workers continues to skew towards increasing numbers of retirees relative to active workers. In addition, I support the continuation of the current Kilauea Agricultural Park program throughout our island. A strong area of economic diversification that has rapidly and recently grown is residents who remote work or have other avenues of external income. We must be cautious to not exhaust our landowners/homeowners ability to adapt to inflationary pressures that are likely to continue. I do not have enough information on the Lihue Airport Master Plan, to really support it. of Water Planners updating the County Water Plan to guide system expansion, improvement, rehabilitation, and rate structures that support growth consistent with housing development plans; and, Making sure our County encourages, steers and incentivizes residential developments in Lihu`e in order to take advantage of that treatment plants significant excess capacity. Yes, absolutely! I also helped spearhead sending a Council charter amendment proposal to the voters to approve dedicating 2% (est. The entire budget process needs to be as transparent as possible and communicated in a simple and up to date way to the public. I would revitalize buildings that could be used as shelters and homes for the low income and homeless. I feel like its a duty to be here today and to put my name forward as part of this position, she said before noting she will run in the next Council election in 2024. Also working with DHHL to revitalize their Ag lands in Anahola is on my agenda. If re-elected, I will continue to work on policies like those outlined above to help reduce the cost of housing for Kauai residents. Rice Camp Senior Housing, Lihue, Kauai. Top priority projects would get done first than feasible jobs next and then everything else according to budget and importance. We need to look at out of the box solutions to help offset and reduce rental costs and encourage and incentivize home owners to rent their homes on long term affordable leases to local families. We allocate proper funding in our budget process to ensure all capital improvement projects are moving in a timely fashion. Voters on Kauai also sorted through more than two dozen candidates to elect members to the seven-seat County Council. This is a State issue, we need to comply on the length of the run way. There are many ways that we can do this. 3) We need to continually strive to make it easier for families to add on additional units (ARUs or ADUs) for their parents, children or long-term renters. More bike paths that are not on the highway. We need to start with providing more agricultural programs and awareness in all of our schools starting from preschool and really working hands on with the elementary schools. To ensure short and long term fiscal health, we need to: 1) Reinvest in our existing towns. There should be a pick up like we have for garbage for correctly separated and cleaned items. 2) We need to put more money toward affordable housing to leverage private, state, and federal funds. not just property tax breaks, but significant state tax breaks. However, due the close proximity to the airport and birds that could pose a hazard to the airport area, this location is no longer acceptable. Again, whats most important to me here as well, is to learn from our partners like the Chamber, Kaua`i Visitors Bureau, the Hawai`i Lodging & Tourism Association (HLTA) and all the many stakeholders in our tourism economy who are working on diversifying our economy and rebuilding a new Regenerative Tourism industry, taking the best ideas from the collective and doing what I can to support moving them forward. Sounds a lot like our Native Hawaiian values of aloha `aina, kuleana, the kapu system and malama `aina. We live in a very special place in the world. We need to do all we can to encourage housing development within our existing towns. **NOTE: These voting records ONLY reflect Affordable Housing and Climate Change ** Arryl Kaneshiro. Councilmember Decosta and I are currently working on some comprehensive changes to our agricultural dedication program along these lines. Right now our countys vision is to, Increase agricultural income and opportunities on Kauai through working closely with farmer groups to assist them in obtaining resources and other assistance to solve industry problems or take advantage of opportunities. My vision would to be to follow through with more programs focusing on educating the children and families in our community. The more we legitimately recycle the less will go into the landfill. I will continue to be supportive of the valuable efforts made by our Mayors administration and the housing department. And by doing so, we can also keep money in our local economy and save residents money. This is an essential step to assist TVRs to return to a homestead tax class in the event of a sale. Increases to the affordable housing inventory are desperately needed. We need to work with our Mayor and state delegation to work towards this. I believe we must find ways to discourage off shore vacation rental home buying, which is playing a part in pushing local families out of the market. Preserving our open space, Forest areas to create a carbon to oxygen footprint. The night market is unlike other Night Markets as attendance are majority local people. In a memo to the Hawaii Tax Review Commission, the Commission Chair Beth Giesting writes that: Hawaiis low RPT rates result in low annual expenses, and that also makes local real estate a relative bargain for investors and affluent second home purchasersto the extent that units are purchased for vacation rentals or second homes, there is less housing available for people who live here., #3 If youre taking a home off the housing market, then you should help with the construction of an affordable home. 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.. Not everyone gets a second chance. While its not yet clear how those funds will be distributed to the counties, we can help set up incentives and possibly mandates for EV charging infrastructure to ensure that we can hit the ground running to maximize the amount of funding we receive. I need to be briefed on the current details and studies of the sites being considered now that Kalepa (the previous choice) has been denied. In addition, I will work with our county administration, state and federal representatives, to execute a comprehensive plan in a timely manner to establish a new trash storage system. Although such projects alone will never fill the housing gap, they are essential to providing a safety net and serving those most at need. The statewide funding of $600B for DHHL housing development for our Hawaiian Beneficiaries and $60M for Ohana Zone developments to assist our houseless population are more solution potential in the pipeline that I will support wherever needed. Tourism remains a valued economic sector, as other sectors have emerged to offer greater stability and opportunity for the island. Please explain your answer. Josh Green appointed to represent House District 16 in the state House of Representatives earlier this month. kauai hotels kama'aina rate 2021; mary katherine backstrom net worth 2020; blackstone managing director salary. I would support the addition of one gate, but not three. 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. Budgeting Responsibly & Limiting Taxes Budgeting Responsibly, Managing Costs and Limiting Taxes (Being Accountable Always). Thats a 38% increase in nightly rates since before the pandemic. In college I took courses in climate science and learned about climate adaptation and mitigation. QUESTION #10How would you ensure that planned County infrastructure projects on Kauai move forward in a timely manner? And that the majority of vacation rentals on Kauai are owned by non-residents. I was the recipient of the congress Bundestag scholarship and lived in Germany for a year. Any additional density on agricultural land (like the constant push to allow ADUs on ag land) increases the value of agricultural land, increases the likelihood of non-farm development of that ag land, and makes it less likely that a farmer can pay off a loan or mortgage on the property. Regenerative tourism focuses on the supply-side, host communities and ecosystems, rather than just the visitors needs and wants of the market-demand approach. I do not support a Lhue Master Plan that does not consider the increased effects on our entire island infrastructure with increased capacity. The average property tax rate in the US for resident occupied homes is $12.40 per $1k assessed value. The County has our Economic Board that funds these projects through grants and other funding sources. Kauai Community College could be a valuable partner in this effort. Dennis Fujimoto / The Garden Island file Historic Kaua'i County Building. Our State and Federal partners need to recognize that the Hawaiian islands have unique characteristics different than a continent. 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 Expanding our local products and supporting their local consumption, as well as export markets, is key to growth for the agricultural sector. The safety features that include extension of the runway and realignment of the taxi-ways are important. 9,622 votes 11.21% . Since being elected in 2018, I have been reaching to collaborate with the various departments of the State of Hawaii, and Federal granting to identify pathways for hazard and flood mitigation. The County can help by providing incentives to the agriculture industries. Sports tourism is a huge market that we should explore. While we do control the power of the purse, the County Council has no authority over the timelines for infrastructure projects. The tax could be on a scale depending on location, the type of building being purchased and how many purchases this buyer has made. If elected I hope to spend the time as a council member moving the island toward economic sustainability, revitalizing the county parks and the county sponsored sport leagues and work on solutions that will help local people find housing. QUESTION #3What specific tools and policies would you use as a council member to ensure that our working middle class residents can afford to buy or rent a home on Kauai? I support upgrades, maintenance and necessary safety changes. My careful scrutiny of our Budget helps ensure we adequately fund these core services and maintain our Public Works infrastructure. Evolving environmental regulations have eliminated any new location to be an appropriate site for our next landfill. Efficiency is his byword. We need to continue to better manage and balance the number of visitors that come to our island. We also have a well-established grain growing company called Hartung who could and currently is growing grains that can finish our local beef into a well marblized product that could satisfy the non-grass fed consumers. Lastly, we need to modify the agricultural dedication process, especially for small farms, to ensure that bonafide farmers are paying minimal taxes and that wealthy land owners arent using the system simply as a tax haven. If elected, my first priority is to help our council be part of the solution. He oversees the company's four business units, as well as its functions for technology . After the second presentation on May 17, I appreciate the 4 different alternatives for solutions to improving our Lhue Airport. I have the time to attend boards and commission meetings, community events, and have on-site visits with constituents, neighborhoods and businesses for stronger understanding of their specific needs. I hope to bring the consideration of our children back to the table when making decisions and provide a way where the voice of the people is heard by the council and mayor. A plan needs to be in place for some point in the future for maintenance and modernization. The other candidates for seven positions are Addison Bulosan, Bernard Carvalho, Felicia Cowden, Billy DeCosta,. I am blessed with the ability to be your full-time council member without the competition of an outside job or a personal business to run. Understand we have the lowest property tax rates to resort property tax rates to resort property tax in. With more programs focusing on educating the children and families in our local products and supporting their local consumption as... 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