The front page publicity being hurled at us about Bill 108 to help regulate short-term rentals is feeding the frenzy and very tilted to the negative.
There is so much negative news being shoved at us and now this paper is helping to feed what has become the neighbor versus neighbor mentality more commonplace in our national scene. The Feb. 14 West Hawaii Today editorial was a letdown to your readers, your paper and its previously great journalist accomplishments. Unfortunately the editorial throws mud on those accomplishments. The rational and responsible course would be to present supportable facts and let the system deal with issues.
There are several misstatements in the editorial and had the author bothered to read and fully understand the genesis, intent and process of this bill introduction and its meaning, it’s plain to see that taking a position with someone else’s newsworthy negativity was much easier and sensational. The truth is available in the public record.
Bill 108 was not “crafted” by Councilor Eoff as is stated. It was the mayor’s office who, with the Planning Department, Finance Department and other interested parties, crafted the language as a group with named council members with the intention of having councilors Karen Eoff and Dru Kanuha introduce it – the administration itself cannot.
As chair of the Council Planning Committee and in the best interest of the public, she accepted to work with co-sponsor Kanuha. One truth of the matter is that there are provisions regarding the specific requirements in different zoning districts embedded in the County General Plan (LUPAG) and state law (HRS 205—2) for rural and Agricultural Districts. They have simply been unenforced as are many of our laws.
This entire subject has come to the front due to residents beleaguered by those who abuse the law by navigating around it to their benefit. I speak from experience having been in two residential homes where short-term rental use was within two doors away. The disruption in noise, speed, radios, pool parties and loud entertainment are beyond the norm from people who are purely on vacation and have no sense nor care for neighbors, hours or residential harmony. The current one in an agricultural zoned area may be totally against zoning law.
Councilor Eoff is, in my opinion, to be held honorable in her willingness to take on a subject where there is known strong opposition, to bring it to the people for open discussion and to proceed directly to the County Ethics Committee for a clear opinion on the facts and to withdraw Bill 108 pending that response. Your highly biased headline of Feb. 15 clearly tilts the subject differently.
I support your unbiased printing of letters to the editor you choose to publish regardless of its rant, anger, misinformation and “sometimes good” but for the editor to fan the flames with fake news is irresponsible and does not serve the public good.
Steve Lopez is a resident of Kailua-Kona.