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. The more we legitimately recycle the less will go into the landfill. In college I took courses in climate science and learned about climate adaptation and mitigation. By increasing rates closer to US continental rates, we make it less attractive for offshore buyers to buy property in Hawaii and run TVRs. As we increase demand, we must increase supply by supporting our local farmers and future farmers. And, by pursuing these, we can also save taxpayers money and reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. Here is a direct excerpt (lightly edited for length) from the opening statement I made in May, 2022, on my rationale for increasing the vacation rental rate: I am proposing this increase and allocation for three reasons. 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. Our landfill is depleting and we need to have a program established. Thank you. 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. I believe we have to make sure we take care of our pensioners, first responders and County employees first. 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. We have pressing infrastructure needs, bridges and roads and wastewater to list just a few, and I believe these are priorities before we increase our visitor counts and flights. 1) We need to build more homes in and around our existing towns. We are on a journey nothing is cyclical. The 2016-2018 Kauai Tourism Strategic Plan (KTSP) was unique among government sponsored reports in its clear-headed recognition that we are over capacity for tourism, that we need bold change, and that we should strive to keep our visitor count within 23,000-25,000. The development of a landfill will likely take longer than we currently have, before Kekaha expires in five years, and we will be shipping our waste off island at a huge cost to taxpayers. Every study on affordability includes increasing supply as a prerequisite for affordability. I am currently well engage in our business community and will continue to interact to ensure their interests are heard and acted upon. But, from a legislative perspective policies A.2 and D.4 are the two where the County Council has the most power to leverage change. I see this as a way the wealthiest residents can give back and help assist those that are struggling with housing and being displaced. Chapter 8.2 of the General Plan states that All TVRs should pay. My preference is in the direction of Alternative 1 of the Lihue Airport Master Plan, as it is the least changed. If elected to council I will be an open door and listening ear for the business community. Provide more opportunities to discuss items on the council agenda prior to legislation being proposed. I would continue to support the Aloha Plus Challenge program which focuses on six areas, Clean Energy; Local Food Production; Natural Resource Management; Waste Reduction; Smart Sustainable Communities: Green Workforce and Education. Giving friendly reminders that this is what these people are being paid to do. I went to Kapaa Elementary, Kapaa Middle and Kapaa High School. I also want to dive into the things holding approved projects up and work with County departments to understand and address the ways things can be improved and streamlined. Legislative authority is vested in the seven-member County Council. To start the county could start with preparing and feeding our soil to give agriculture ventures a boost when they are ready. 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? Monitor these projects on a regular basis on our council agenda. I will be responsible about how we move forward with our operations as well, ensuring we are planning for the long term but ensuring we meet our short-term needs. Cultivating oysters, clams, and other value add products for the community. Click here. QUESTION #6If elected, what specific ideas do you have about economic diversification and how would you develop these areas? I know issues of the island because I was born and raised on Kauai Im willing to change my stance on any of the issues, Im a good listener and I lead by example. I was the recipient of the congress Bundestag scholarship and lived in Germany for a year. 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. I hear theres a big surplus. Which elements of the DMAP would you move to implement in the next two years? Recruiting and retaining qualified staffing is a continuous challenge. The top two objectives that I work on daily are the focus on creating positive contributions to the quality of life for Kauai residents and supporting the maintenance, enhancement, and protection of Kauais natural resources. 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. Yes, we need to give incentives to individuals who see individuals breaking the law. He oversees the company's four business units, as well as its functions for technology . I support improving the terminals, public parking, and cargo area. We know that a lot of knaka iwi (Native Hawaiians) dont vote. I would love to partner with the Kauai Chamber for a point-source reduction challenge among businesses to reduce pressure on our landfill. I totally support the Kauai Destination Management Action Plan which is a well-developed plan that brings forth the need to better manage and balance our tourism industry with our local infrastructure, natural resources, and our residents. 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. Another focus is on prioritizing workforce housing and affordable housing in county permitting processes so that these projects dont increase exorbitant costs because of timing. They have a great start with the community partnerships. But, rather than trying to micromanage the Administration, I spend the bulk of my time thinking about and working on policy that I do have discretion over. The other candidates for seven positions are Addison Bulosan, Bernard Carvalho, Felicia Cowden, Billy DeCosta,. Our County should also work in partnership with private entities wherever possible to create additional wastewater treatment facilities. Continue to work on our checks and balances system of government is working and not rubber stamping budget requests by the administration. If were serious about preserving our Kaua`i quality of life, we have to be willing to do our part as responsible stewards of our island home. Early engagement with stakeholder groups is step one of effective policy development, in my view. It is not something we can avoid any longer. I have a plan for this, and I dont want to reveal at this time because of known objections. I am committed to doing everything I can to fight for local families. [I will try to] make sure our mayor and his administration are doing all they can in all areas and be supportive, Kagawa said. I would revitalize buildings that could be used as shelters and homes for the low income and homeless. Recycling should is a must and something that we should already be doing. We must continue to support our local agriculture, local service providers, and local producers in order to establish a more resilient and sustainable community. Staycation At The Royal Hawaiian Hotel, Local Groups Sue County Over Poipu Beach Condominium Complex. The DMAP is a positive forward step in creating a better relationship with tourism that feels less extractive to local residents. Students can become entrepreneurs and also work for somebody. Again, this would be investing into our local future workforce & creatives while being able to make money from out of state student enrollment. I am currently the Chair of Public Works, which is the largest division and handles all CIP assignments. Reducing imports and expanding the agriculture sector, if done correctly can be a major step in addressing climate change. Our Kauai community has much to be proud of and continue to strive for. LIHU'E In a procedure unique among Hawai'i counties, Kaua'i County councilmembers unanimously voted Wednesday to approve raises that will likely affect some of their own salaries. An Incinerator is needed in Kekaha. I look forward to supporting more discussions in all the above areas. 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. Delays in permitting only adds cost to projects. Our trip to Washington DC was a bridge between funding sources and projects. Im committed to having an open- door policy and look forward to working with our businesses. Photo Courtesy: Ross Kagawa. The focus will be on efficiency and accountability, so that any new system that is created doesnt cost our community more than it should. how to get a legendary blook in blooket; 5 minute presentation about yourself kauai obituaries july 2020 19 3407 . More excess revenue generated for 2022 occurred, in part, due to inflation on land values. Somehow, somewhere one or some of these regulations is going to have to relax. 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. I know they paid their shade of taxes during COVID when none of them had any revenue coming in, but I would like to ensure those local families who had their family vacation rentals not get priced out. A retail shop designed as a membership where were able to provide support systems through workshops and collaboration. 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. I do not have enough information on the Lihue Airport Master Plan, to really support it. I will continue to have timely conversations with our Managing Director, the Mayor, our Housing Director and others in our County Administration leadership on federal funding opportunities to get a sense of their thinking and effort, as well as to learn of ways to be supportive; staying informed of our Administrations federal funding efforts could mean an easier, quicker vote of support on the Council when theyre trying to expedite a grant application that has to meet a quickly approaching deadline. While we advocate for healing ourselves, we must also demand healing for our environment. I believe its critical to have early engagement so that we can draft the best bills possible. 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. The seller gets his price, the buyer pays the discounted price and the county pays the difference out of the pool of taxes collected from out of state purchases. Top priority projects would get done first than feasible jobs next and then everything else according to budget and importance. E-mail: mchock@kauai.gov Council Direct Line: (808) 241-4098 Cell Phone: (808) 651-7013 To ensure short and long term fiscal health, we need to: 1) Reinvest in our existing towns. I currently serve as one of three (3) Councilmembers from the State of Hawai`i on the National Association of Counties (NACo) board. references explore and understand land use, zoning, and permitting with the objective being to create a white paper. Although many, including myself, had hoped for a Curbside Recycling Program by now, our Mayor and Administration has determined it isnt economically feasible because of the extreme cost and because it would only increase our diversion rate by 5%. I will attend events and meetings that help me better understand the needs of the business community and I will engage in ways that can support those needs wherever I can. Ensure the authentic Hawaiian culture is perpetuated and accurately presented in experiences for residents and visitors, materials and marketing efforts. I support the development of a dirty MRF that will help us divert waste from the landfill. My strength as a detailed, numbers guy fighting for our citizens hard-earned tax dollars is needed now more than ever. We must support our County working closely with the Dept. 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. 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. What parts to you oppose? The tax collected could become discounts available for local families. As we successfully provide this item locally we could move toward exporting it and accomplish two goals with one project which is moving toward food sustainability and create income via an export. Advising nonprofits, campaigns, and mission-driven businesses on strategic communications, digital advocacy, cause marketing, and partnership development. Kagawa replaces Luke Evslin, who Gov. The next highest tax class which is the Commercial and Industrial class with the rate of $8.10 per thousand. Bold action must be taken to better manage tourism to protect the environment and residents quality of life. The plan states that 1 in 8 homes on Kauai is a vacation rental, compared to 1 in 24 homes statewide. Thank you. We must continue to assist local businesses and community organizations as they pivot away from importing raw materials to sourcing local materials. 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. Last but not least, we must create equity within our property tax system that protects our local families. 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; floodstop flashing green lights 0 Menu Close. Similarly, the Biden White House released a housing plan that Reward jurisdictions that have reformed zoning and land-use policies with higher scores in certain federal grant processes. Along these lines, its our job to help make these reforms in our zoning code to help set up our various Departments to maximize the chances of receiving grant money. If elected, my focus will be on legislative bills that enable our local producers to be sustainable businesses and community organizations. We must allocate a location and move into planning and development of the new landfill. Increasing the size of the airport makes no sense to me unless we plan to increase the size of our island along with it. Creating an inventory of homes which would add to the supply would then bring down the demand and stabilize the prices of the housing industry, basic economics. The low hanging fruit is to allow the development of the DHHL farmlands which allows for housing. Questions included, but were not limited . My ideas are focused around establishing a stronger circular local economy that empowers our small businesses and entrepreneurs. Industrial food systems are energy-intensive and fossil-fuel based. In the meantime, I will continue to push for and help develop systems of managed parking in our county parks. Luke Evslin was the top vote-getter with 7.6% of the vote, according to. The average property tax rate in the US for resident occupied homes is $12.40 per $1k assessed value. More bike paths that are not on the highway. They are not the same. And the motion failed both times. Make the rentals of bikes affordable to our visitors weekly rates. For example, the nonprofit I lead, Rice Street Business Association, works directly with Zero Waste Kauai and every event that happens in Downtown Lhue diverts waste and appropriately allocates materials towards composting and recycling. Its necessary for our quality of life and for getting us to a place of thriving and not just surviving. Managing the introduced changes to nature are our strongest challenges with wilderness overgrowth of albizia, hau and other plants choking the natural flow of the rivers and streams, causing wetland flooding, stream stagnation and heavy property damage in storms. And, of course, I really appreciate all of you being willing to engage with us when we reach out to you! I would continue to work with the State and Federal representatives to support options that will mitigate the impacts of climate change on Kauai. I understand improvements for safety, convenience and comfort; however the people dont want more gates and more flights. 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. The following candidates ran in the primary for Kauai County Council on August 13, 2022. I have tried to raise the vacation rental rate to equal the resort rate twice at budget (2019 and 2022). We can do this by continuing to support our government institutions, schools, hospitals, catering companies, and hotels to use more local ingredients. Contact Information 4396 Rice Street, Suite 209 Lihue, Hawaii 96766. I have been an advocate for social and environmental justice my entire life. Because everything from zoning to property taxes impacts the business community, I send most of my draft legislative work to the Chamber of Commerce for input before finalizing a bill for the agenda. But some do like longtime Kauai politician Ross Kagawa, who has been chosen to fill a vacancy on the Kauai County Council. A strong area of economic diversification that has rapidly and recently grown is residents who remote work or have other avenues of external income. Lihue, HI 96766 . I will work with our community organizations such as Kumano I Ke Ala, Waip Foundation, Mlama Hulia, Kauai Farm Bureau, Kekaha Agricultural Association, Kauai Cattlemens Association, Mlama Kauai and all other organizations to work on legislation that enables our farmers to meet the demand for local ingredients. Enough tourists as is. Shipping food in, rather than producing it here, is also a major factor in how we, in Hawaii, impact the climate. 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. We have a large population of people and businesses on Oahu that could be our exporting market. Out-smarting inflation is a big ask, especially when the main developer is the government through tax-payer funding. Another example is ina Hookupu o Klauea, Waip foundation, and Hui Makainana o Makana and the work they are doing on the north shore of the island. Those are immediate questions that we need to answer in the budget coming up., Facebook I would suggest imposing a tax automatically on anyone purchasing homes and property from out of state. After the second presentation on May 17, I appreciate the 4 different alternatives for solutions to improving our Lhue Airport. One house on Kauapea Road pays roughly the same or more taxes as all the houses along the perpendicular village street of Kilauea Road on which I live. This is one of the most major issues that we face on Kauai. With permitted worker housing on farms, the likelihood of economic productivity is strengthened. broward health medical center human resources phone number; . This will enable new workforce housing in areas closer to work, reduce environmental and cultural impacts of urban sprawl, and reduce cost of production with pre-existing infrastructure. 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. Put these forces together an aging population, aging infrastructure, and slowing growth and were facing difficult fiscal times. Thats a 38% increase in nightly rates since before the pandemic. If elected, Ill work with community organizations and our county administration to get this process started. 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. This is a state-wide effort that has and will defiantly make a difference for us all. I have been supportive of this idea because of the need to encourage long term leases. Aside from the simple math of an aging demographic, we also are facing an infrastructure crisis. We must also support our County working in partnership with private entities wherever possible and proposing new residential developments in Lihu`e in order to take advantage of that treatment plants significant excess capacity. In the interim, tourists would be housed in hotels where they could move about the grounds . The budget is our main responsibility and balancing and or cutting the budget to ensure all areas of our counties responsibilities are met. 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. And that the majority of vacation rentals on Kauai are owned by non-residents. YouTube In other words, government, and the developer, usually in partnership, bear the development costs to house individuals and families unable to obtain market-rate housing. Christopher Calio is the president and chief operating officer of Raytheon Technologies Corporation. 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