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. It may also serve as an invaluable stop-gap to help a resort faced with an uncontrollable crisis not collapse into full failure. 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. I would support the addition of one gate, but not three. This page shows you the collective voting record of all the Kauai County Council Members. In the time of the thirsty sugar crops, towns were built in the wetlands which are now returning to having routine flooding areas such as Kapaa and Waimea, as examples. I went to Kapaa Elementary, Kapaa Middle and Kapaa High School. I will work to address our solid waste concerns across the board. I believe that I can relate to and understand the needs of our diverse community and honor our unique and valuable history and culture while making good decisions for our future. Please check out my website at www.lukeevslin.com to see a full list of policies that Ive worked on and a list of proposed policies for the future. 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. These are the only non-subsidized units that can be built within a truly affordable range for many young families. Delivering Core Services Efficiently Prioritizing the efficient delivery of Public Safety (Police, Fire & Rescue) and Public Works (Roads, Parks, Sewage Treatment, Solid Waste & Water) services. Providing land and sharing the cost of infrastructure is one way to lower costs. L EGISLATIVE B RANCH 4396 Rice Street, Suite 209 . I was born and raised on Kauai. Kauai doesnt even need the climate to change to benefit by the Kauai Climate Adaptation Plans the county currently has underway. I am currently the Chair of Public Works, which is the largest division and handles all CIP assignments. Photo Courtesy: Ross Kagawa. QUESTION #1What is your vision for a thriving agricultural sector on Kauai and how can the County Council support that vision?. 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. Since being elected in 2018, I have been reaching to collaborate with the various departments of the State of Hawaii, and Federal granting to identify pathways for hazard and flood mitigation. It may not be appropriate across the board and I need to learn more. QUESTION #9What would you do as an elected council member to ensure that Kauai receives significant funding from the federal bipartisan infrastructure bill? More bike paths that are not on the highway. Our Kauai community has much to be proud of and continue to strive for. Improving our Airport in order to make it more efficient and safe is important. These problems are going to escalate with the unchecked growth of the vegetation and greater concentrations of rainfall. Theres a lot of great aspirational policies in the DMAP that require strong private, non-profit, and state partnerships. In the meantime, I will continue to push for and help develop systems of managed parking in our county parks. 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. 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. More excess revenue generated for 2022 occurred, in part, due to inflation on land values. Tourism remains a valued economic sector, as other sectors have emerged to offer greater stability and opportunity for the island. However, we fell two votes short of the five votes needed. I have been supportive of this idea because of the need to encourage long term leases. 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. My upbringing in a local family of fishermen, gardeners, gatherers, & hunters taught me the value of our `aina for our survival; for food sustainability & security. 3) We need to continually strive to make it easier for families to add on additional units (ARUs or ADUs) for their parents, children or long-term renters. In fact, only a few weeks ago nearing the end of budgeting, Councilmembers Chock, Evslin & I voted to increase the Transient Vacation Rental tax rate to the same level as Resort. He also served on the Kauai County Council for four years before becoming a Senator.. If we are both re-elected, I believe its very likely that Councilmember Evslin & I will bring the matter up for a vote again; especially if we the voters endorse dedicating 2% of our real property taxes each year to our Housing Development Fund by charter vote this fall. We could design and implement a MURF but securing that funding will take creativity and collaboration with other funding sources. We cant ignore the environmental crisis any longer. The focus will be on efficiency and accountability, so that any new system that is created doesnt cost our community more than it should. 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. August 13, 2022 (Primary) Kauai. 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. 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. Resorts have a more enduring impact. 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 continue to assist local businesses and community organizations as they pivot away from importing raw materials to sourcing local materials. I will be proactive with efforts to mitigate the impacts of climate change and reduce our contribution to it. Delays in permitting only adds cost to projects. Making sure our County Planners engage with Dept. As a Kaua`i County Councilmember for 3 of the last 4 terms, Ive proven myself to be hardworking, trustworthy and thoughtful. The tax rate for the Vacation Rental class is the second highest tax rate in the county. Jade Wai'ale'ale Battad, Dr. Addison Bulosan, Bernard Carvalho Jr., Mason Chock, Felicia Cowden and Mike. I hope we can invent a noiseless hybrid type of airplane in the future. Promoting local production for local consumption. We need to literally start planting seeds now for a thriving agricultural sector tomorrow. Routinely, I phone or drop by for a visit to businesses that may be adversely affected by policy that appears on our council agenda when introduced by colleagues. Make the rentals of bikes affordable to our visitors weekly rates. Our landfill is depleting and we need to have a program established. Sweden came up with a way to turn their trash into power by burning it. 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. In looking at other counties, Maui tax rate for TVRs is actually higher than that of hotels. 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 can do this by continuing to support our government institutions, schools, hospitals, catering companies, and hotels to use more local ingredients. Which elements of the DMAP would you move to implement in the next two years? Ross Kagawa. This is relatively close to DMAP policy A.2, the Universal Fee Model. Shipping food in, rather than producing it here, is also a major factor in how we, in Hawaii, impact the climate. The tax collected could become discounts available for local families. I do not support an adjacent landfill in Kekaha, I believe the Mn Plain needs massive rehabilitation and Kekaha has taken enough trash and toxins, and this location is again too close to the coast and water table. We accomplish these objectives through the small businesses and nonprofits Im a part of. I would work with our State and Federal counterparts to secure adequate funding for our County. 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. They are not the same. 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. In council, I do my best to offer these perspectives of balance in our conversations that most often do not make it into the articles of the reporters. With population growth now hovering just above zero and only around 100 homes built per year on Kauai, were currently facing an infrastructure crisis. 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. It will be sad, if a local family (2-3 generations) needs to sell their vacation home because they cannot afford the taxes. how to get a legendary blook in blooket; 5 minute presentation about yourself 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. Addressing deferred maintenance on infrastructure is money well invested. Every study on affordability includes increasing supply as a prerequisite for affordability. If elected, Ill work with community organizations and our county administration to get this process started. 0 of 16 precincts reporting. And that the majority of vacation rentals on Kauai are owned by non-residents. Thats a 38% increase in nightly rates since before the pandemic. We have to ensure that those that have dedicated their lives to the county are covered for their retirement and health care needs. Dennis Fujimoto / The Garden Island file Historic Kaua'i County Building. We need to help our community choose local first. If elected, as the legislative body for our county, our impact on infrastructure projects is to make sure they are funded to be able to accomplish the job. 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. QUESTION #4How would you effectively manage the County Budget and operations for the short term and long-term sustainability? 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. I will work with our administration to practice waste diversion in all departments and lead by example by starting with the county council. 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 absence of the general public and business adding dimension to policy considerations can easily result in reckless policy development. Continue to support the Mayor in this area. Traffic, poor maintenance of public infrastructure, and abuse of natural resources are just a few consequences of overtourism. Ensure the authentic Hawaiian culture is perpetuated and accurately presented in experiences for residents and visitors, materials and marketing efforts. We also made significant cuts to our travel and training budgets. On our own, the County cant solve all of these issues (as some issues like water infrastructure require state funding and regulatory support), but there are two realms where the County plays a vital role: zoning and property taxes. She had 1,176 votes less than Kagawa. 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. 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. The following came from KipuKai Kualii, candidate for Kauai County Council. As a council member, I will engage at all levels within the business community to assure that the relevant issues, concerns, and suggestions are heard and brought to the table for discussion. 3) Ensure that we are capturing adequate tax revenue from vacant homes and vacation rentals. Most of our primary facilities were built in a different era, with different regulations with many too close to the shoreline. No, the various forms of Transient Vacation Rentals and Resorts should be evaluated for Real Property Tax rates separately on their own merits and impacts. Weak enforcement of illegal transient accommodations allows for the destruction of residential neighborhoods. My strength as a detailed, numbers guy fighting for our citizens hard-earned tax dollars is needed now more than ever. 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. Supporting the maintenance of the old plantation irrigation systems. In the short term I would start with adjusting the county pay scale as the core and work outward. As the owner of Tasting Kauai, the only food tour company providing food tours on every side of the island, our mission is to increase the demand for local ingredients by only featuring local restaurants and chefs that use local ingredients. I Want to plant more fruits and vegetables that can be dried and sold. I strongly support renovations and re-routing the pedestrian flow of the airport, but I oppose increasing the rental car capacity and increasing the size of our airport. The other area would be to secure a solid river and stream maintenance program. We also have a well-established grain growing company called Hartung who could and currently is growing grains that can finish our local beef into a well marblized product that could satisfy the non-grass fed consumers. 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. Christopher Calio is the president and chief operating officer of Raytheon Technologies Corporation. In 2002/2010 he represented Kauai and Niihau in the Hawaii State Senate (2002/2010) where he served as Majority Leader. Kauai Real Estate, Huge Traffic Delays, Snorkelers Rescued Off Lawai Beach, Kauai Council Member Sentenced, May 31, 2022; . Another example is the work Kauai Sea Farms is doing with Nomilo Fishpond in Kalaheo. 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. 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 support curbside recycling and efforts to make recycling easier and more convenient for residents. Climate change is here to stay, its going to be a huge problem in future generations and its going to get worse but we are human beings a we a smarter than that. Im thrilled that we have the Kauai Destination Management Action Plan (DMAP) to help implement by working with our Mayor, our Office of Economic Development and Business, Community & Tourism Industry leaders. If re-elected, I will continue to work on policies like those outlined above to help reduce the cost of housing for Kauai residents. Advising nonprofits, campaigns, and mission-driven businesses on strategic communications, digital advocacy, cause marketing, and partnership development. We must support our County properly maintaining our four wastewater treatment plants which were built before 1980 and fund the necessary upgrades to our current systems; even if that means increasing sewer fees. The restorative agricultural practices, community engagement, and land preservation is vital for a thriving agricultural sector. 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. Kiewit and Mcubbins (2014) refer to this as the fiscal ice age. Once we have identified the actual number of legal accommodation units, we need to reassess their impacts to our communities and tax them accordingly. 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. 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. Kauai County Council Candidates Below are the candidates that responded to our survey. Why? 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 agree with the level of the LIH to a minimum. As a Financial Advisor it is important to work as a team, and we need to work as a team to find the best plan and be prepared for profit and loss both in short term and long term goals that everyone agrees on. When you account for the cost of gasoline on an average commute and the cost of maintenance, many electric vehicles are already cheaper to own and operate than their fossil fuel counterparts. We know that a lot of younger women and a lot of younger people in general dont vote Theyre not voting because they dont see themselves reflected in the system, nonprofit director Nikki Cristobal, who is also Bulosans partner, testified. Kauai, along with every other state and county in the country, is facing strong long-term fiscal headwinds from two sources: demographics and infrastructure. 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. Staycation At The Royal Hawaiian Hotel, Local Groups Sue County Over Poipu Beach Condominium Complex. This problem reveals the policy conflicts between our infrastructure needs and allowing zoning approvals to lie dormant for decades. If we are going to say we have a recycling program we really need to do it. Affordable housing is the, or one of the, most urgent issues we must tackle. A thriving agriculture sector includes small diversified farms, neighborhood food production, livestock, loi kalo, and export crops in which Kauai continues to be the Garden Island. Increasing taxes on vacant homes and TVRs can both discourage that practice (and get more homes on the market) and help ensure that we have a revenue base to get through the fiscal ice age. Kauai County Council. I am impressed by the action plan and agree with the objectives. Councilmember Carvalho has been my partner in this effort. 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. A strong area of economic diversification that has rapidly and recently grown is residents who remote work or have other avenues of external income. We allocate proper funding in our budget process to ensure all capital improvement projects are moving in a timely fashion. I understand the major issues our community deals with related to drug abuse and addiction on Kauai. Flush with money and drunk on the possibilities of the automobile, we spent large sums of money on sprawling infrastructure. Its not a coincidence that KIUCs electricity rates are the lowest in the State AND that we have by far the most renewable energy on the grid. Expanding our local products and supporting their local consumption, as well as export markets, is key to growth for the agricultural sector. floodstop flashing green lights 0 Menu Close. 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. But, for the reasons stated I think its the right decision. 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. Also, if the project to relocate Runway 3-21 will be to facilitate an increase of visitors, I think it should be postponed. Supporting our farmers markets and possibly expanding program. The answer is diversion, diversion, diversion. 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. Construction and Demolition is a large contributor to our landfill. All members of the County Council are elected on a nonpartisan, at-large basis to two-year terms. A Materials Recovery Facility has value especially for product that can be re-used on Kauai. A policy I wish to develop is the ability of a tax class to change in the middle of a budget year. 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. Holding these mainland investors more accountable to their responsibility here on the island is a must. 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. And the motion failed both times. We need to hear from our farmers and ranchers to develop best policies. We are facing critical moments for our economy and environment and I hope that my time, energy, and aloha can be contributed to the work at the Kauai County Council level. I currently serve as one of three (3) Councilmembers from the State of Hawai`i on the National Association of Counties (NACo) board. Below are those that responded by deadline and their answers. QUESTION #13What else would you like to share with the Kauai community? kauai obituaries july 2020 19 3407 . In order to empower our community to practice waste diversion practices we must establish a recycling program and a Materials Recovery Facility.