He oversees the company's four business units, as well as its functions for technology . The candidates for the Kaua'i County Council include, at top from left, the Rev. 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. 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. Please explain your answer. The coalition for years has advocated to protect the bay. 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. 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. We are currently doing some of this work through Tasting Kauai, a food tour company. 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. As long as we keep expanding, we can pay for the infrastructure. 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. But, the industry has more than recovered. By streamlining permitting processes and reducing the cost of water and taxes to allow farmers the opportunity to continue to farm. If elected, my focus will be on legislative bills that enable our local producers to be sustainable businesses and community organizations. 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. As an individual council member, I have been regularly and actively raising this issue with the County Administration. 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. There is no avoiding the disastrous impacts of climate change, but we can do our part to avoid the worst possible scenarios by reducing our carbon emissions to zero as quickly as possible. 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. FILE - Ross Kagawa to return to Kauai County Council after Gov. 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. Thats a 38% increase in nightly rates since before the pandemic. Affordable housing refers to those projects funded through County support, Federal tax credits, and/or imposition on developers. We established a monthly Downtown Lhue Night Market that brings local vendors and drives local buyers together. Instagram. To create programs that serve our children also develop new food security industries within our private sector to ensure a more sustainable lifestyle here on Kauai. 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. We have major road works happening over the next few years. The County needs to streamline the permitting for affordable housing. #1 were over capacity for tourists. I see this as a way the wealthiest residents can give back and help assist those that are struggling with housing and being displaced. Outreach efforts are already giving visitors important information upon arrival on how to be a responsible visitor and how to be respectful of our `aina and our people. I have tried to raise the vacation rental rate to equal the resort rate twice at budget (2019 and 2022). Kauai County Council can support this vision with adapting zoning ordinances to allow for the needed small, potentially moveable farm worker living units coupled with appropriate wastewater technology. Every time I go to these recycling locations I see trash bags and random items in the bins and my gut feeling is that no one is separating this at the main station so therefore it must be going to the landfill. Kauai County has a mayor-council form of municipal government. 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. But, for the reasons stated I think its the right decision. We also need to solve our traffic problem as this project once completed will create more traffic as well. Cultivating oysters, clams, and other value add products for the community. Profound events are far more challenging with resort properties. The entire budget process needs to be as transparent as possible and communicated in a simple and up to date way to the public. So must we! Maintaining or marginally reducing visitor numbers to a sustainable level (23,000-25,000) will be much harder if our airport is built out to accommodate more arrivals. More financial support and reduced taxes for food producing farmers. And, every year they come down in price. If the Master Plan does not contain an option for no-growth in arriving flights, I think its important for our State Legislators to commit to not fund improvements meant to expand capacity. I have personally seen the effects of doing this. Currently Councilmember Evslin & I are working with you and other stakeholders on a bill to support EV-ready charging stations in parking lots. I do not agree with discussions that occur off-line. Lastly, we need to divert food waste from our landfill to composting facilities. Having good common sense in our decision-making process that not all council members have. I lived in Germany as an exchange student where 20 years ago recycling is something everyone just does. Sounds a lot like our Native Hawaiian values of aloha `aina, kuleana, the kapu system and malama `aina. My individual choice is to honor the will of the voters and support the next person in line according to the vote totals from our election just three months ago, said Council Vice Chair KipuKai Kualii, voicing a sentiment shared by the five councilmembers who voted in favor of Ross Kagawa. The answer is diversion, diversion, diversion. We need to also continue to reform our zoning codes to reduce the amount that people have to drive. Yes, absolutely! First, I would aim to pick an agriculture item that we on Kauai want and need and do market research to see what other state or country has the same demand for. We need to address overcrowding and transportation options to our visitor destinations like the current Northshore shuttle program that is currently being discussed with the hope of implementation soon. Organizations such as KIUC, Surfriders Hawaii, Mlama Hulia, and other local agencies dedicated to mitigating the impacts of climate change. Felicia Cowden is a Kaua'i County Councilmember who is focused on Putting People First! We must allocate a location and move into planning and development of the new landfill. Areas like our land fill operations, work force housing, transitional housing to assist our houseless community, our Kupuna services, our unions and its members are fairly negotiated, the responsibility goes on and on. I believe we have to make sure we take care of our pensioners, first responders and County employees first. 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. 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. 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. Over the last 20 years, nearly 40% of new homes were built on agricultural land and less than 1% in the multifamily zoning districts in our town cores. High land costs require most owners to have employment or some other primary source of income. We can not keep asking our environment to give to us sustenance and for us not to give back. 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. My careful scrutiny of our Budget helps ensure we adequately fund these core services and maintain our Public Works infrastructure. I believe its critical to have early engagement so that we can draft the best bills possible. Contact Information 4396 Rice Street, Suite 209 Lihue, Hawaii 96766. We need to find county solutions to reduce the cost of housing. If we are going to say we have a recycling program we really need to do it. In 1979, Harris was elected to the Kauai County Council where he served a single two-year term. Make the rentals of bikes affordable to our visitors weekly rates. Budgeting Responsibly & Limiting Taxes Budgeting Responsibly, Managing Costs and Limiting Taxes (Being Accountable Always). 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. In order to empower our community to practice waste diversion practices we must establish a recycling program and a Materials Recovery Facility. Addison Bulosan (Nonpartisan) Bernard Carvalho (Nonpartisan) Felicia Cowden (Nonpartisan) Billy Decosta (Nonpartisan) Luke A. Evslin (Nonpartisan) Fern Anuenue Holland (Nonpartisan) The council was effectively permitted to select anyone to fill Evslins seat. Since we have a problem with pesticides and herbicides, I want to continue with whatever agriculture we have going now. We are out of time. 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. I was the recipient of the congress Bundestag scholarship and lived in Germany for a year. Putting this price tag of a MURF on our residence of Kauai will cripple their monthly budget. Net working with the right people is very crucial. What accelerates this challenge is that we continue to increase our trash output by not practicing more waste diversion systems and at the same time were not enabling our community to be part of the solution. Our landfill is almost full and recycling needs to be made a number one priority. And a primary barrier for many businesses right now is attracting and retaining employees which stems at least partially from the high cost of housing. A plan needs to be in place for some point in the future for maintenance and modernization. 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. While there is not clear research evidence showing or disproving the concept, I think its reasonable to assume that increased capacity will likely induce demand for traveling to Kauai or vice versa, that limiting capacity would limit arrivals. From a zoning perspective, we also need to reduce the demand for developing on agricultural land. My top priorities are affordable housing, and recycling. Most of our primary facilities were built in a different era, with different regulations with many too close to the shoreline. What parts to you oppose? Please include your views on recycling, landfill site, source reduction, and other strategies. My life long community and environmental advocacy has motivated me to run for public office. 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. Making sure our County Planners engage with Dept. Holland also spoke on her own behalf before councilmembers ultimately chose Kagawa. Of those, 123 converted from residential or homestead use to TVR Thats 123 less homes available on Kauai last year alone and resulted in a net decline overall in the number of resident occupied homes on Kauai. I would investigate all options for funding under this measure for all the areas of the bill that funding is being provided for. Second, we must utilize innovative agricultural practices by empowering local businesses and community organizations. 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. Why? My preferred solution is to support our Mayor and Administration however I can with 1) the permitting of a new landfill across the highway at Kekaha Mauka, 2) seeking State approval for a vertical expansion of the existing landfill that would extend operations through November 2030, 3) doing extensive outreach and education to get our citizens to play a decisive role in helping us avoid a garbage crisis by changing more habits and diverting more waste; composting, recycling, reusing materials and source reduction, 4) excavating waste from the oldest part of the landfill, separating out recyclables and reburying the waste on top of the landfills newest section; and, 5) creating a construction and demolition reclamation center to dispose of construction and demolition garbage, which makes up the largest portion of the current landfills waste stream. 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. they have 20 times more people on Oahu. I am passionate about developing a flourishing agricultural industry that provides employment in food production, processing and distribution, and that pays living wages. And by doing so, we can also keep money in our local economy and save residents money. real property taxes. Similar numbers transitioned into the vacation rental tax class in 2021 and 2020. Unfortunately, the plan does not consider the unintended consequences of increasing flight capacity. A retail shop designed as a membership where were able to provide support systems through workshops and collaboration. Yes we need to improve on eliminating illegal transient vacation rentals from operating on Kauai. Our policies assist Habitat For Humanity and Permanent Affordable Living as two valued non-profit development partners of homes for purchase. I believe that the aim of regenerative tourism as outlined in the DMAP, if harnessed properly, can assist with economic diversification and an expansion of eco-tourism, true cultural experiences and more revenue staying on Kauai. Please let me know if there are any other questions you have and I look forward to hearing from you soon. I will also support efforts to ensure TVRs are properly providing recycling and other ways we can work to limit the waste that ends up in our landfill. Kauai County Subarea Health Planning Council ---DRAFT--- Meeting Minutes February 14, 2023 2:00 PM Hawaii Time Virtual Zoom Meeting and Physical Location at the Keoni Ana Building, 1177 Alakea Street, Suite 402 MEMBERS: Jillian Kelekoma, Nicholas Pananganan MEMBERS ABSENT: Jen Chahanovich GUESTS: Ruth Baker 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. 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. I am open to the idea of increasing all TVR property tax rates to resort property tax rates. I am committed to addressing our drug problem in a meaningful way. QUESTION #1What is your vision for a thriving agricultural sector on Kauai and how can the County Council support that vision?. 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. The restorative agricultural practices, community engagement, and land preservation is vital for a thriving agricultural sector. In that same Tax Review commission memo, the chair of the commission writes that Adjusting RPT rates to capture more revenue from high-value houses and non-resident owners can produce tens of millions more dollars per year that counties can use for growing needs. Raising the vacation rental rate by $1 to equal the resort rate will raise $4.5M which can be used for much needed affordable housing projects in Waimea, Lima Ola, Kilauea, and elsewhere. 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; I will continue working closely with our Mayor and our Administrations budget team to address any challenges with our budgeting and operations always with our sites on both short-term and long-term sustainability. As we push development into our agricultural areas, were forcing residents into longer and longer commutes. I am currently well engage in our business community and will continue to interact to ensure their interests are heard and acted upon. This is a State issue, we need to comply on the length of the run way. This also makes us more resilient to climate disasters elsewhere. Councils job is to approve their efforts and help to fine-tune project strategies through listening to constituents and asking relevant questions. NACo is While I know the Administration already works with a lobbyist in Washington, DC who is tracking all opportunities for federal funding for our County, I will continue to bring back and share valuable information on federal resources available for our County from NACo conferences and other virtual meetings and workshops. 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. An effective tax rate for these homes can incentivize them to convert to resident housing and help fund the construction of affordable housing. In the summer of 2010, Hooser resigned his Senate seat to run for the office of Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii. There is little environmental impact or infrastructure burden. 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. We need to reestablish this pattern as it is essential to best governance. While we have to blaze forward on solutions to our pressing problems, I remain committed to working with stakeholders to the greatest extent possible before introducing legislation that could impact them. Councilmember Carvalho has been my partner in this effort. Making sure our County works closely with the Dept. The following candidates ran in the primary for Kauai County Council on August 13, 2022. Our State and Federal partners need to recognize that the Hawaiian islands have unique characteristics different than a continent. We have gone through numerous discussions on the siting of a new landfill namely the Maalo site in Hanamaulu. For this years budget, we have funded most of our long overdue deferred maintenance, we are making significant investments in capital improvement projects and we are replenishing our reserves which was absolutely critical during the worst parts of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a Council Member I would be committed to addressing these things. Kauai County Council. I will be a proponent of green energy and reducing our dependence on foreign oil. Having a working relationship with the Engineer and Deputy Engineer ensures we are working very cohesively together. Continue to work on our checks and balances system of government is working and not rubber stamping budget requests by the administration. We allocate proper funding in our budget process to ensure all capital improvement projects are moving in a timely fashion. 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