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Nonbinding measure urges mayor to impose yearlong moratorium
By CHRIS HAMILTON, Staff Writer
POSTED: March 8, 2008
http://www.mauinews.com/page/content.detail/id/501240.html?nav=10
WAILUKU — Maui County Council members sent a proposed one-year moratorium on time-share units to the Planning Committee on Friday.
The nonbinding resolution drafted by Council Member Jo Anne Johnson calls on Mayor Charmaine Tavares’ administration to consider halting construction of time-share projects while the developments are studied and debated by council members, the community and industry experts. Johnson wants an independent study to measure the economic, social and environmental costs and benefits of time shares on Maui. Such a study could take a year to complete.
In September, council Chairman Riki Hokama proposed to cap time shares to 2,200 units, although county records show there are 2,461 time-share units and more projects in the works, including two towers in Kaanapali.
Johnson said she expects time-share developers would submit a slew of applications for projects before any proposed limit can be imposed by the county.
“They are going through as fast as they can possibly get through,” Johnson said.
She said she gets calls every day from constituents asking her why she isn’t doing more when Maui’s infrastructure is already nearly at capacity.
“We need to at least send a message to the administration that we are concerned,” Johnson said. “I hate to say it’s just a pathetic attempt to try to bring attention to this issue.”
Several council members, including Joe Pontanilla and Mike Victorino, expressed concern about the motion and its language.
The meeting also began with pleas by a number of local carpenters and labor union officials to not support any measure that would further damage an already-struggling industry.
“A lot of people here they are not going to have jobs,” said construction worker Andrew Kaine. “Without work, what are we going to do?”
Hokama, who was absent Friday, had argued that time-share owners spend less than half as much as hotel customers per day and the operations provide comparatively low-wage jobs.
Opponents also complain that high-priced time shares raise the price of homes for everyone and make affordable housing all the more difficult to achieve.
However, time-share proponents say that the vacation homes stabilize the tourism by getting owners to keep coming back. Owners of the units pay the hotel room tax on rental revenues and a higher real property tax rate, and while they might not spend as much per day on restaurants and entertainment as hotel guests, the initial investment is significant.
In other action, the council’s Public Works and Facilities Committee will review a proposal by Victorino to prohibit the consumption of alcohol in public parks where playground equipment is present from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The current law only prohibits drinking within 1,500 feet of a school.
The council also approved spending an additional $20,000 in legal fees with the firm of Ashford & Wriston for defending former Mayor Alan Arakawa in the county’s six-year-old fight to acquire property at Montana Beach to expand Baldwin Beach.
Last month, the council’s Budget and Finance Committee endorsed a $4.1 million settlement. According to the new resolution, the county has spent $240,130 in private legal fees so far on the Montana Beach dispute.
• Chris Hamilton can be reached at chamilton@mauinews.com.
By CHRIS HAMILTON, Staff Writer
POSTED: March 8, 2008
http://www.mauinews.com/page/content.detail/id/501240.html?nav=10
WAILUKU — Maui County Council members sent a proposed one-year moratorium on time-share units to the Planning Committee on Friday.
The nonbinding resolution drafted by Council Member Jo Anne Johnson calls on Mayor Charmaine Tavares’ administration to consider halting construction of time-share projects while the developments are studied and debated by council members, the community and industry experts. Johnson wants an independent study to measure the economic, social and environmental costs and benefits of time shares on Maui. Such a study could take a year to complete.
In September, council Chairman Riki Hokama proposed to cap time shares to 2,200 units, although county records show there are 2,461 time-share units and more projects in the works, including two towers in Kaanapali.
Johnson said she expects time-share developers would submit a slew of applications for projects before any proposed limit can be imposed by the county.
“They are going through as fast as they can possibly get through,” Johnson said.
She said she gets calls every day from constituents asking her why she isn’t doing more when Maui’s infrastructure is already nearly at capacity.
“We need to at least send a message to the administration that we are concerned,” Johnson said. “I hate to say it’s just a pathetic attempt to try to bring attention to this issue.”
Several council members, including Joe Pontanilla and Mike Victorino, expressed concern about the motion and its language.
The meeting also began with pleas by a number of local carpenters and labor union officials to not support any measure that would further damage an already-struggling industry.
“A lot of people here they are not going to have jobs,” said construction worker Andrew Kaine. “Without work, what are we going to do?”
Hokama, who was absent Friday, had argued that time-share owners spend less than half as much as hotel customers per day and the operations provide comparatively low-wage jobs.
Opponents also complain that high-priced time shares raise the price of homes for everyone and make affordable housing all the more difficult to achieve.
However, time-share proponents say that the vacation homes stabilize the tourism by getting owners to keep coming back. Owners of the units pay the hotel room tax on rental revenues and a higher real property tax rate, and while they might not spend as much per day on restaurants and entertainment as hotel guests, the initial investment is significant.
In other action, the council’s Public Works and Facilities Committee will review a proposal by Victorino to prohibit the consumption of alcohol in public parks where playground equipment is present from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The current law only prohibits drinking within 1,500 feet of a school.
The council also approved spending an additional $20,000 in legal fees with the firm of Ashford & Wriston for defending former Mayor Alan Arakawa in the county’s six-year-old fight to acquire property at Montana Beach to expand Baldwin Beach.
Last month, the council’s Budget and Finance Committee endorsed a $4.1 million settlement. According to the new resolution, the county has spent $240,130 in private legal fees so far on the Montana Beach dispute.
• Chris Hamilton can be reached at chamilton@mauinews.com.
