This power granted by the Kauai County Charter led to a last-minute surge in testimony from residents advocating for Fern nuenue Holland, a community organizer and leader against developers plans to build a hotel at the site of the former Coco Palms resort. In the event of a hurricane, a war, a prolonged economic downturn, or another catastrophic lockdown, there is minimal impact on the full living units in the TVR category. 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. Make the rentals of bikes affordable to our visitors weekly rates. Lihue Airport was built as an inter-island facility rather a trans-Pacific airport, so I accept that changes are needed for our aging airport to better manage even the volume we currently experience. Serving Kauai these last four years has been the greatest honor of my life and I am incredibly grateful to the voters for giving me this opportunity. My preference is in the direction of Alternative 1 of the Lihue Airport Master Plan, as it is the least changed. Housing is easily the biggest issue that we face on Kauai, and I believe that the county has to pursue an all-of-the-above strategy to help solve the crisis. We must be cautious to not exhaust our landowners/homeowners ability to adapt to inflationary pressures that are likely to continue. Making plots available at all our County housing projects for vegetable gardens; these could be the training grounds for future vegetable farmers. 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. And, every year they come down in price. A Materials Recovery Facility has value especially for product that can be re-used on Kauai. And every new road is saddling the next generation with ever increasing amounts of infrastructure debt. I support curbside recycling and efforts to make recycling easier and more convenient for residents. Meaning that state and local governments have to allocate increasing shares of their budgets on retirement benefits that they have promised to their past and current employees. This leaves less money for all other essential services like transportation, parks, and public safety. Another key component of my plan is stress the importance of our game mammals here on State and private lands that these species are an important food source to many families and that word, eradicate should be banned from our food source management plan, we should create an Industry that incorporates wild meat into processed products like, sausage, jerky, burger, etc. 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. The County General Plan recognizes that agriculture is an important element in Kauais identity as a rural place, and it represents our greatest opportunity for economic diversification and food self-sufficiency. Yes, absolutely! 5. The work of going after grant funding falls mostly on County Department heads and they do a great job along those lines. The answer is diversion, diversion, diversion. Reduce, reuse, recycle is a key component. There is no need to have a residential rate, then a vacation rental rate and then a hotel and resort rate. If Im not mistaken, I believe this position of parity on real property taxes has been one supported by the Hawai`i Lodging & Tourism Association (HLTA) and Im thinking of the Kaua`i Chamber also. 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 was the recipient of the congress Bundestag scholarship and lived in Germany for a year. I humbly ask for your vote, as an opportunity to give back to what has been given to me. We can move unspent CIP funds to other projects during the budget process and we can ask for status updates at any time and I have done both. The problems we face are graver than ever, but I am confident that we have the tools as a county to reduce the cost of housing while transitioning to a zero carbon economy and to do it all while improving our quality of life and strengthening our communities. Christopher Calio is the president and chief operating officer of Raytheon Technologies Corporation. 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. Last but not least, we must create equity within our property tax system that protects our local families. According to the Department of Business and Economic Development, the average daily rate for TVRs in 2022 is $386.74 compared to $279.70 in 2019. However, I have also been interested in bringing parity to the existing tax rate structure by increasing the rate of Transient Vacation Rentals to the same level as Resorts. Legislative authority is vested in the seven-member County Council. Providing land and sharing the cost of infrastructure is one way to lower costs. Affordable housing refers to those projects funded through County support, Federal tax credits, and/or imposition on developers. More County Housing Projects- We must push for more housing for local residents by supporting replicating successful projects like our 30-unit Kealaula transitional housing, our 53-unit Pua Loke affordable rentals and our multi-phase, multi-unit Lima Ola project in Ele`ele that includes senior, single family and affordable housing. We need to improve our port security and get drugs off our streets while we work to address the issue holistically with counseling programs, on island detox and treatment centers and housing first solutions. I see myself as the bridge that can connect all areas and work towards finding solutions to move issues forward. 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. Expanding & Maximizing Existing Infrastructure Besides additional funding, we must support expanding and maximizing our existing infrastructure. We can do this by appropriately taxing unused and non-resident owned property and directing that additional tax revenue towards workforce and affordable housing for local people. So we really need to analyze, Well what do we do? QUESTION #13What else would you like to share with the Kauai community? Covid policies interrupted the regular attendance from strategic members of these organizations. He worked as an accountant before spending nearly 20 years as a teacher. 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. Questions included, but were not limited . We absolutely need to do all that we can collectively to address our housing shortage disaster! I hope we can invent a noiseless hybrid type of airplane in the future. I personally have lost faith in our recycling efforts. 808-652-4363. kauai hotels kama'aina rate 2021; mary katherine backstrom net worth 2020; blackstone managing director salary. But, like a game of hot potato, as soon as the music ends (or the population stops growing), its the current tax payers who are stuck footing the bill. In the next two years, Im looking to implement all of the actions that were identified in the DMAP by the steering committee. Several examples are Aloha Aina Poi Company and Kumano I Ke Ala, Iwi Kua, and the work they are doing on the west side to restore existing agricultural systems and providing that local ingredients to local businesses and people in that ahupuaa. Industrial food systems are energy-intensive and fossil-fuel based. 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. The tax collected could become discounts available for local families. The low hanging fruit is to allow the development of the DHHL farmlands which allows for housing. But, for the reasons stated I think its the right decision. I have been supportive of this idea because of the need to encourage long term leases. I dont want more expansion for more flights. We have gone through numerous discussions on the siting of a new landfill namely the Maalo site in Hanamaulu. I would continue to work with the State and Federal representatives to support options that will mitigate the impacts of climate change on Kauai. A thriving agricultural sector is critical for our food security, for our economy and ultimately for our survival. And, by pursuing these, we can also save taxpayers money and reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. We must continue to support our local agriculture, local service providers, and local producers in order to establish a more resilient and sustainable community. We are currently working on three major housing projects and recently just completed two. TVRs on Kauai are taxed at $9.85. The Kauai Tourism Strategic Plan clearly outlines that our infrastructure only has the capacity for 25,000 daily visitors but that we are almost always above that. I understand improvements for safety, convenience and comfort; however the people dont want more gates and more flights. Councils job is to approve their efforts and help to fine-tune project strategies through listening to constituents and asking relevant questions. Spending money allocated to Kauai otherwise other islands will take our portion and Kauai will lose out. Our County received a Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery Grant for $13.8 million to transform and construct our roadways, walking and biking paths in our downtown core of Lihue. 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). The pandemic has strengthened our farmers markets across the island and we must continue to enable our local people to afford local ingredients. 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. If elected it would be important to make sure that there is ample opportunity for the business community to give their input and by providing early evenings and Saturday meeting times. Although such projects alone will never fill the housing gap, they are essential to providing a safety net and serving those most at need. I will work to address our solid waste concerns across the board. 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) An example of innovative work is the work Mlama Kauai is doing with establishing a Food Hub and a place where farmers can prepare their products to be consumer ready. If Oahu can do it so can we. We have created a circular economy around retail. I will be responsible in how I manage our county budget and operations. Have watch dog groups in each community to sound the alarm when things, i.e road repair are not dragging on endlessly. Weak enforcement of illegal transient accommodations allows for the destruction of residential neighborhoods. If we are going to say we have a recycling program we really need to do it. Government services and infrastructure are much cheaper to provide within our existing town cores than spread across our agricultural lands. 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. The county also needs to immediately stop spraying weed killer chemicals in the areas they maintain. Out-smarting inflation is a big ask, especially when the main developer is the government through tax-payer funding. I was unable to access the Airport Development Plan Chapter of the Lihue Airport Master Plan and the Implementation Plan Chapter, both I feel I need to better understand areas I may oppose. These would be areas that I would prioritize and immediately investigate how we are able to tap into the funds for these projects. And I believe that that is one of the best tools that we have to increase the cost of traveling to Hawaii, reduce numbers at some of our overcrowded sites, and raise money for our infrastructure and natural resources preservation. COUNTY OF KAUAI https://kauai.gov . Lastly, we must increase local demand for local ingredients so local production can be scaled. FILE - Ross Kagawa to return to Kauai County Council after Gov. The restorative agricultural practices, community engagement, and land preservation is vital for a thriving agricultural sector. QUESTION #7What is your opinion of the Kauai Destination Management Action Plan (DMAP)? A benefit is an infusion of capital, on island, through their spending. I would continue to put pressure on County, State, and Federal Governments to continue fixing our highways and bridges and infrastructure. Most of our primary facilities were built in a different era, with different regulations with many too close to the shoreline. While there is talk about airport expansions, tourism management and focusing on the right visitors, we fail to acknowledge the horrific impacts that tourism is having on our local residents. 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. 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. We guide food tours in town core centers, bringing visitors to locally owned restaurants and chefs that utilize local ingredients. One part of the plan calls for us to transition to a new regenerative tourism; one that gives back more than it takes. The TVR industry is booming on Kauai. The main pressure is on housing costs. Holding these mainland investors more accountable to their responsibility here on the island is a must. 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 One of the greatest things that has to happen for our island is to have our own recyclery. Kauai County has a mayor-council form of municipal government. QUESTION #10How would you ensure that planned County infrastructure projects on Kauai move forward in a timely manner? It will be sad, if a local family (2-3 generations) needs to sell their vacation home because they cannot afford the taxes. We need to also continue to reform our zoning codes to reduce the amount that people have to drive. Staycation At The Royal Hawaiian Hotel, Local Groups Sue County Over Poipu Beach Condominium Complex. 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. We have had four years of additional emergency funding for either our 2018 flood event or the COVID pandemic. There are many ways that we can do this. 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. Which elements of the DMAP would you move to implement in the next two years? QUESTION #8What elements of the Lihue Airport Master Plan to do you support? 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. In the interim, tourists would be housed in hotels where they could move about the grounds . The County is currently pursuing three large housing projects in Kilauea, Waimea and Eleele. Having a working relationship with the Engineer and Deputy Engineer ensures we are working very cohesively together. All local sellers source from local vendors, thus fulfilling the circular economy. We need a greater general parking area and to expand the TSA and ticketing areas. I support the development of a dirty MRF that will help us divert waste from the landfill. $3.5m) of real property tax revenues to our Housing Development Fund. 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? Kauai, along with every other state and county in the country, is facing strong long-term fiscal headwinds from two sources: demographics and infrastructure. To do this I will support efforts to expand local food production, processing facilities and infrastructure and work with community organizations to address needs to assist with marketing and distribution of local food while we also work to support current and next generation farmers. If elected, my first priority is to help our council be part of the solution. We need to hear from our farmers and ranchers to develop best policies. More bike paths that are not on the highway. I have a plan for this, and I dont want to reveal at this time because of known objections. 3) Ensure that we are capturing adequate tax revenue from vacant homes and vacation rentals. As a Kaua`i County Councilmember for 3 of the last 4 terms, Ive proven myself to be hardworking, trustworthy and thoughtful. As Housing & Intergovernmental Relations Committee Chair, I have absolutely been interested in creating additional funding for our Housing Development Fund. 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. Regardless of short term or long term, as with any finances, I will not overspend. I believe its critical to have early engagement so that we can draft the best bills possible. 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. And, of course, I really appreciate all of you being willing to engage with us when we reach out to you! 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. Keeping all taxpayers in mind when making decisions that uses everyones tax dollar. Kagawa narrowly lost election to the Kauai County Council last November, when he finished eighth in a race with seven winners. My strength as a detailed, numbers guy fighting for our citizens hard-earned tax dollars is needed now more than ever. I do not have enough information on the Lihue Airport Master Plan, to really support it. 177 . These are the only non-subsidized units that can be built within a truly affordable range for many young families. He oversees the company's four business units, as well as its functions for technology . Sweden came up with a way to turn their trash into power by burning it. If we could agree that the long-term goal is sustainability then we would need to work backwards to see how we can begin making moves in the short term to move us in that direction. 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