In the short term I would start with adjusting the county pay scale as the core and work outward. Somehow, somewhere one or some of these regulations is going to have to relax. Kaumakani was officially known as Makaweli meaning "fearful features". I also have a solution in mind to fix the problem at the 56 and 51 HWY interchange. 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. The work of going after grant funding falls mostly on County Department heads and they do a great job along those lines. 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. I understand that this is a complicated issue that has to be addressed from many different directions. Yes I do support his effort. The Lihue Town Core Special Planning Area has been zoned to have up to 80 units/acre to incentivize private development in this area in proximity to many jobs. 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. While I anticipate that KIUC will get to 100% renewable far ahead of schedule, we need to fully decarbonize ground transportation and do all we can to reduce emissions from our landfill. As long as we keep expanding, we can pay for the infrastructure. All members of the County Council are elected on a nonpartisan, at-large basis to two-year terms. 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 . Collaborating for Community Solutions Working with both Public & Private Partners to develop and implement forward-thinking solutions to longstanding challenges like Climate Change, Drug Abuse, Food Insecurity, Homelessness, Teen Suicide, Traffic Congestion and more. I will be responsible in how I manage our county budget and operations. Council is currently contemplating taxation policies that are punitive in nature. This will enable local families to better provide for their extended families and create resilience for the ongoing economic challenges. 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. 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. Thats a 38% increase in nightly rates since before the pandemic. Support the maintenance, enhancement, and protection of Kauais natural resources. 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. Making sure we increase our Capital Improvement Projects investments as we have done in this most recent budget. 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. I believe we have to make sure we take care of our pensioners, first responders and County employees first. The rising seas and flooding require us to look at limiting and even restricting any further structures being built along our shorelines and along our rivers. I appreciate the goal to rebuild, redefine and reset the direction of tourism over a three-year period. The need to be prepared for this stream of funding for our overall infrastructure needs is very important. 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. QUESTION #13What else would you like to share with the Kauai community? It has become clear in recent decades that our agriculture practices and system can either hurt our climate, or help save it. Over these last two years, I have shown a deep understanding of our budget and how to be fiscally responsible, so your tax dollars are not foolishly spent. I feel the following actions are very important and I would move to implement them right away: A.2, A.6, B.4, C.5, all action items outlined in Action D Community, E.1, E.4, F.1, G.2, G.4, H.1 and I.1. The TVR industry is booming on Kauai. We must do everything we can to focus on waste reduction and diversion tactics. Instead of a white paper, Id hope that the objective would clearly be to decrease the number of vacation rentals that we have on island (1 in 8 homes) and to do it through any means possible, including both zoning and taxation policy. Kauai Community College could be a valuable partner in this effort. 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. I agree with the level of the LIH to a minimum. Kagawa, who worked on eight County of Kauai budgets during his previous tenure on the Council, will now tackle the Countys latest budget next month. 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. 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 These are the only non-subsidized units that can be built within a truly affordable range for many young families. In particular, my focus would be for high speed internet access, better roads and bridges, investment in public transit, resilient infrastructure, and investment in environmental remediation. However, we fell two votes short of the five votes needed. why did giacomo baessato leave hailey dean mysteries. 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. Below are those that responded by deadline and their answers. Diversification is a buzz word that to many political candidates toss around with no plan to back it up. they have 20 times more people on Oahu. My concern is with the proposed forecast increase over the next few years. Click here and log in to view this story Start Free. If elected to council I will be an open door and listening ear for the business community. 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. 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. Sweden came up with a way to turn their trash into power by burning it. Working closely with our Federal, State and County delegation and our community to define our responsibility to prepare for this funding is imperative. The federal bipartisan infrastructure bill will help us address critical needs for Kauai including better roads and bridges, investments in public transport, and projects to address climate change and environmental and water quality remediation projects. From the 2008 report available online there are a handful of other suggestions and I need access to the assessments done to make a final decision. 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. For the 14 years that I have served on the Kauai County Council, I have always had an open door policy for the business community. 5. 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. In the next two years I would like to see the state and county working together, an in-flight video that visitors must watch before arrival and to track the movement of visitors so that maintenance and management of those areas can be prioritized. 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 envision reversing our current status quo to where 80% of our food comes from Kauai rather than imported. Since we have a problem with pesticides and herbicides, I want to continue with whatever agriculture we have going now. A small Dairy to produce milk and cheese for our Hawaii population of people and local restaurants and Hotels would be another viable industry if position in the right geographical area, up Mauka. Josh Green's appointment to fill an empty House seat that covers the island's east. Our landfill is almost full and recycling needs to be made a number one priority. The other candidates for seven positions are Addison Bulosan, Bernard Carvalho, Felicia Cowden, Billy DeCosta, Luke. 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. The night market is unlike other Night Markets as attendance are majority local people. The next highest tax class which is the Commercial and Industrial class with the rate of $8.10 per thousand. Legislative authority is vested in the seven-member County Council. Kauai County Councilmember Ross Kagawa. Please explain your answer. 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. 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. Regular updates from the Administration at Council meetings is one way to provide the public with an opportunity to be engaged in government operations. I would help with any kind of communication that I can do as a county council member. I would agree with the DMAP in education for tourist coming to the island they should learn all the rules and laws of the island and they should respect the local people and their lifestyle. Providing land and sharing the cost of infrastructure is one way to lower costs. I would look at what jobs are critical to the operation and safety of the island as top priority and then start moving money and making cuts that allow room for change to be made and new projects to be implemented. I believe this is what sets me apart with most candidates as I am actively engaged in our small business community. August 13, 2022 (Primary) Kauai. We must change our thinking to locals first and make sure that the quality of life for our residents is not compromised for the safe of the tourist dollar. Ive also demonstrated my dedication to public service, my legislative policy experience, my strength with budgeting, my understanding of the issues and my commitment to always doing my homework, listening carefully and working collaboratively. I humbly ask for your vote, as an opportunity to give back to what has been given to me. There is little environmental impact or infrastructure burden. 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. At the moment, that is the only element of the proposed Master Plan that I support. 4) We need to build the infrastructure for more townhouses and condos in Lihue. We are currently doing some of this work through Tasting Kauai, a food tour company. 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. 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. I am currently the Chair of Public Works, which is the largest division and handles all CIP assignments. 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 then support our local vendors with our nonprofit retail store, Alakoko Shop. We need policies that limit these large developments until there is a solution planned for our landfill. Although such projects alone will never fill the housing gap, they are essential to providing a safety net and serving those most at need. Councilmember Carvalho has been my partner in this effort. 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 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. We are wise to remember that these classes of properties have subsidized Kauais working resident-homeowners for decades. Kagawa narrowly lost election to the Kaua'i County Council last November, when he finished eighth in a race with seven winners. I will work to address our solid waste concerns across the board. This will defiantly make a big impact in our agricultural community by providing more opportunity for growing our own food, marketing and providing educational opportunities for our young farmers. $3.5m) of real property tax revenues to our Housing Development Fund. 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. As for steps Id take, I will.. work to ensure that our land use, capital improvements and all our programming considers our statewide and county plans and policies addressing climate change and sea level rise continue supporting Housing & Planning bills that increase housing and livability in our town cores so people can live close to jobs, services & recreation and rely less on driving. 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). Mahalo for taking the time to send out this questionnaire and Mahalo for all that you do to help Kauai County. 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. 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. A thriving agricultural sector is critical for our food security, for our economy and ultimately for our survival. When it comes to accepting grants and opportunities for support I will absolutely accept and seek out federal and state support to plan for and mitigate expected impacts to our resources and communities. Early engagement with stakeholder groups is step one of effective policy development, in my view. 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. A carrying capacity study needs to be done immediately. 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. For the decades after World War II, both the US and Hawaiis population were exploding and along with it, so were our economies. QUESTION #6If elected, what specific ideas do you have about economic diversification and how would you develop these areas? QUESTION #12As a member of the County Council, what steps would you take to mitigate the impacts of climate change on Kaua`i? Industrial food systems are energy-intensive and fossil-fuel based. Flush with money and drunk on the possibilities of the automobile, we spent large sums of money on sprawling infrastructure. We have thousands of ADC ranch and farm lands out on the Westside that needs to be revived. Luke Evslin was the top vote-getter with 7.6% of the vote, according to. We also must tackle the needed infrastructure upgrades to accommodate these additional units and developments. TVRs on Kauai are taxed at $9.85. My strength as a detailed, numbers guy fighting for our citizens hard-earned tax dollars is needed now more than ever. Those lines townhouses and condos in Lihue it has become clear in recent decades that our agriculture practices system., at-large basis to two-year terms needs kauai county council members very important the County pay scale as the core work. 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Basis to two-year terms vendors with our Federal, State and County delegation and our community define.
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