I would continue to support the completion of existing housing projects such as Lima Ola where the land is available but the need for additional financial support is limited. 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. 1050. We have had four years of additional emergency funding for either our 2018 flood event or the COVID pandemic. I have personally seen the effects of doing this. In little and big ways, we all need to be doing whatever we can to reduce our carbon footprint; and, as institutions and industries, like our county, our business community and our visitor industry, we need to be leading the way. The need to be prepared for this stream of funding for our overall infrastructure needs is very important. 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. Im eager to help better the lives of our local community with sound decisions at the council level. While I have an educational background in engineering, I strengthen my support and preparedness by listening to our site experts, visiting our facilities, requesting progress or status briefings and reviewing process materials. age of adaline comet. Another example is the work Kauai Sea Farms is doing with Nomilo Fishpond in Kalaheo. I lived in Germany as an exchange student where 20 years ago recycling is something everyone just does. Supporting our farmers markets and possibly expanding program. As your Council member I have been fiscally responsible with ensuring that balancing the budget, keeping our county services operating and all of our employees working and thriving. Also look at all areas to divert waste from going into the landfill. I believe we have to make sure we take care of our pensioners, first responders and County employees first. 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. The chair of the Nevada State Democratic Party is a felon convicted of grand theft in the 1990s and who was once ordered not to handle money at work without a probation officer's approval. I have a degree in political science from the University of Hawaii. Support the maintenance, enhancement, and protection of Kauais natural resources. We accomplish these objectives through the small businesses and nonprofits Im a part of. As a Council Member I would be committed to addressing these things. 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. Staycation At The Royal Hawaiian Hotel, Local Groups Sue County Over Poipu Beach Condominium Complex. For example, the State DOT received in the range of $16M for electric vehicle charging infrastructure statewide from the bipartisan infrastructure bill. I appreciate the goal to rebuild, redefine and reset the direction of tourism over a three-year period. Dennis Fujimoto / The Garden Island file Historic Kaua'i County Building. They are incredibly costly to build and maintain. These products can be made a certified community kitchens in partnership with our local slaughter houses. 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. Yes, I support establishing equitable property tax rates so that the services the county provides have the resources to execute fairly. 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. Legislative authority is vested in the seven-member County Council. Making sure we increase our Capital Improvement Projects investments as we have done in this most recent budget. The great work that Grove Farm has done is enable local farmers to be able to connect directly with their consumers at the Grove Farm Market every Saturday. We have an opportunity to diversify into growing more of our own food within the farming and ranching Department. Posted in . We must ensure it meets the highest and best environmental standards and we do everything we can to mitigate impact to surrounding communities and the environment. A Materials Recovery Facility has value especially for product that can be re-used on Kauai. 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. 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. I believe that the first step in dealing with transient accommodations on Kauai is to enforce existing laws and eliminating all illegal transient vacation and short term rentals. Encouraging recycling and reuse of construction and demolition waste, which makes up and estimated 24% of landfill waste. We need to assure that support funding is available, so we are able secure additional funding to complete these housing projects. Our policies assist Habitat For Humanity and Permanent Affordable Living as two valued non-profit development partners of homes for purchase. This posting is for the County of Kaua'i, Office of the County Clerk Recruitment #: EXEMPT-2223-021 If you have any questions regarding this non-civil service exempt position, please contact the County of Kaua'i, Office of the County Clerk at (808)-241-4188 (Monday - Friday, 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. HST). More bike paths that are not on the highway. Past administrations and councils do not favor audits for reasons that I cannot comprehend. We need to work with our Mayor and state delegation to work towards this. floodstop flashing green lights 0 Menu Close. While it may have been necessary to get us out of the deferred maintenance hole, the excise tax is a regressive tax that especially impacts low income folks. In line with these five general principles, Ive introduced or co-introduced the following legislation over the last two years: Eliminate all fees for affordable accessory residential units (ARUs); Provide Kauai homeowners with free septic systems; Prohibit community covenants from restricting against additional units and long-term rentals; Allow the construction of ARUs in the Lihue town core; Reduce the building code requirements for tiny houses; Eliminate minimum lot size restrictions for multi-family homes; Allocate 2% of real property tax revenue annually toward affordable housing (still in process); Incentivize residential space on top of commercial space through tax exemptions; Create a tiered tax structure to allow us to increase tax rates on high-value vacant houses and vacation rentals to fund affordable housing and incentivize those units to convert to long-term rentals (still in process); Increase the vacation rental property tax rate to disincentivize vacation rentals and apply nearly all of the money raised to affordable housing (measure failed). The consolidation of the ticket-lobby and baggage claim areas seems prudent. The County is currently pursuing three large housing projects in Kilauea, Waimea and Eleele. I support the intent of the plan which is focusing on short, intermediate, and long-term development needs of the Airport that meet aviation demands for potential environmental and socio-economic. I do not support a Lhue Master Plan that does not consider the increased effects on our entire island infrastructure with increased capacity. The council was effectively permitted to select anyone to fill Evslins seat. Council is currently contemplating taxation policies that are punitive in nature. Providing land and sharing the cost of infrastructure is one way to lower costs. 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. But, the industry has more than recovered. I am open to the idea of increasing all TVR property tax rates to resort property tax rates. These are the only non-subsidized units that can be built within a truly affordable range for many young families. 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. Not creating the waste is a better strategy than recycling. 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. Unfortunately, the plan does not consider the unintended consequences of increasing flight capacity. Similar numbers transitioned into the vacation rental tax class in 2021 and 2020. This is one of the most major issues that we face on Kauai. 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. 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. We have implemented a shoreline set back already. With my experience as a small business owner and experience in managing budgets with several local nonprofits, my focus will be ensuring our taxpayer dollars are used effectively and efficiently. I hope we can invent a noiseless hybrid type of airplane in the future. Updating our Ag Dedication criteria will before council this week. kauai parks and recreation. Allowing rapid development of new visitor and investment luxury housing currently underway is in direct conflict with our priorities. 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. We have created a circular economy around retail. We must assist local businesses and community organizations that pivot away from hiring outside professionals to hiring local professionals. Reduce, reuse, recycle is a key component. Forcing luxury homes into sales is not likely to achieve the goal of transforming a property into a home for our existing working population. I see this as a way the wealthiest residents can give back and help assist those that are struggling with housing and being displaced. 2) Not build any new roads. I will work hard to make public workers accountable to deadlines. The Kauai General Plan says it best: 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. In my opinion, a thriving agricultural sector consists of both small and large farms producing food, lumber, and energy crops. Kagawa has spent the past two years as a COVID-19 specialist in the Kauai Emergency Management Agency. QUESTION #10How would you ensure that planned County infrastructure projects on Kauai move forward in a timely manner? 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. COUNTY OF KAUAI https://kauai.gov . of Water to ensure water distribution expansion plans line up with plans for increased density and infill development within our town centers, as well as for other housing development in the larger town areas. I Want to plant more fruits and vegetables that can be dried and sold. 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. **NOTE: These voting records ONLY reflect Affordable Housing and Climate Change ** Arryl Kaneshiro. 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. There was a net increase of 133 TVRs on Kauai in 2022. And by doing so, we can also keep money in our local economy and save residents money. Josh Green appointed former councilmember Luke Evslin to his direct staff. We also deferred a significant amount of road repairs and road resurfacing. 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. 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. Continue to support the Mayor in this area. While I agree with the DMAP that the fee system should be universal and apply to both county and state parks in a simple to use smart phone app, for that to occur requires leadership from the State. 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. Waste to energy is a clean and safe way to get rid of our trash and create energy. I will continue this practice if elected. For this reason, I am unwilling to raise any Real Property Tax rates in the coming seasons as it is imperative to avoid collapsing our businesses and property owners that are unprotected by a valuation cap. We also passed a bill I co-sponsored with Councilmember Evslin supporting tiny houses; legalizing sleeping lofts, lowering ceiling heights & allowing for stairs and ladders designed for small spaces. 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. This site was listed as a viable site through a comprehensive study that was done on potential landfill locations on our Island. Our county has a affordable rental program that go we a property tax break for second home investors to rent to our local families under an affordable rental agreement. I personally have lost faith in our recycling efforts. The night market is unlike other Night Markets as attendance are majority local people. Evolving environmental regulations have eliminated any new location to be an appropriate site for our next landfill. I am a strong advocate of performance audits. The following came from Ross Kagawa, candidate for Kauai County Council. 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. My environmental science background will help with important decision making around environmental issues that will need to happen in coming years. QUESTION #9What would you do as an elected council member to ensure that Kauai receives significant funding from the federal bipartisan infrastructure bill? #2 Vacation rentals take away resident occupied housing and increase the cost of housing island wide. Partnership with organizations such as the Chamber of Commerce, Kauai Board of Realtors, Hawaii Lodging and Tourism Association, Carpenters Union, Lihue Business Association, Hawaii Farm Bureau and so forth is invaluable. The county recycling program needs to be refreshed as soon as possible. We have a large population of people and businesses on Oahu that could be our exporting market. 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. Our trip to Washington DC was a bridge between funding sources and projects. Nelson Mukai Rachel Secretario Ross Kagawa Governor Candidates Duke Aiona David (Duke) Bourgoin Kai Kahele Lynn Barry Mariano Caleb K. Nazara Lieutenant Governor Candidates Keith Amemiya Ikaika Anderson Tae Kim Sylvia Luke Sherry Menor-McNamara US Rep Candidates Joe Akana Patrick Pihana Branco Nicole Gi Brendan Schultz Steven B. Sparks And, by pursuing these, we can also save taxpayers money and reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. 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; While I think that the State and Federal governments can play an important role in helping support both agriculture and domestic manufacturing for the County, I see our primary role in stimulating the economy as reducing the cost of housing, investing in vibrant and walkable town cores, and ensuring that real farmers are paying very minimal property taxes. Leveling out the rates and getting more funding for our housing fund would ultimately mean we could provide more workforce housing for our hospitality workers, teachers, nurses and all our working families. As part of the Kauai Food Hub, and hosting the Ai Pono Eat Local Challenge these last few years, I have had an opportunity to better understand the issues that are holding up expanding local food production on Kauai. To be clear, I am absolutely a strong supporter of recycling, the critical siting of our next landfill, source reduction and taking advantage of any innovations or new technologies that can help us find a sustainable and resilient way to address our solid waste challenges. Climate change is quite possibly the biggest threat we will be facing for the unforeseeable future. Government services and infrastructure are much cheaper to provide within our existing town cores than spread across our agricultural lands. I would like to develop some ideas to create a more circular economy across the board. Our Public Works department does a relatively good job of handling their responsibilities. In 1979, Harris was elected to the Kauai County Council where he served a single two-year term. A carrying capacity study needs to be done immediately. In looking at other counties, Maui tax rate for TVRs is actually higher than that of hotels. After the second presentation on May 17, I appreciate the 4 different alternatives for solutions to improving our Lhue Airport. I want to continue to serve and ask for your support. Funding the new facilities or repairing our aging infrastructure is the largest barrier often requiring council approval of grants or bonds. I went to Kapaa Elementary, Kapaa Middle and Kapaa High School. 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