WHAT'S HAPPENING RIGHT NOW
HONOLULU CITY COUNCIL UPDATE
(as of 12/13/2009)

COUNCIL ZONING  HEARING TUESDAY 12/16/09 ON BILL 7 CD2.

Bill 7 will remove the current "prohibition" of B&Bs and allow widespread
"permitting" - into every O'ahu Neighborhood. If Bill 7 becomes law, the
impact on our residential neighborhoods will be profound. Make sure you
attend the Council meeting at 10:00 in the Council Chambers.  Bring
Testimony or come and listen then decide what to say - you can sign up at
the meeting or just wait until the end to speak.
            
links:  Bill 7 CD2  and   Bill 7 CD2 FD2   (Links UPDATED: 12/13/09)
              
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STOP COUNCIL BILLS 08-6 AND 08-7  NOW

 
Despite his previous commitment to oppose council resolution 05-187, given in a speech
to the Kailua Chamber of Commerce in December 2005, Mayor Hannemann has
seemingly changed his mind and NOW supports the legalization of B&Bs throughout all
of O’ahu’s neighborhoods.
 
Under the direction of Mayor Hannemann, the Honolulu Department of Planning and
Permitting (DPP) revised the Council’s original resolution with its own version and has
submitted both the original and the DPP’s version to the Planning Commission for action.  
In January, the Honolulu Planning Commission voted unanimously to DENY both the
council and DPP versions of 05-187.

Click:
          Why not 08-6 and 08-7
 
GET INVOLVED NOW
 
It is not too late to save your neighborhood.  All neighborhoods will be impacted if
Council Chair Marshall has her way and either bill passes the council.  The other eight
council members must be shown how catastrophic Marshall’s plans for mass-legalization
will be for O’ahu’s neighborhoods.
 
You can help by (in order of effectiveness – most effective first):
 
»  Visit your council member in person and let them know in no uncertain terms that you
oppose B&Bs in your neighborhood.  An appointment will be required.  They may
offer vague references to protections and limitations in the bills in their response.  Be
prepared to educate them with specifics.  
 
 Click:           City contact info

 
If they refuse to meet face-to-face, contact them by telephone and speak to them
personally.  Especially important - Identify yourself as their constituent.
 
»   Attend the council meetings and offer written and especially verbal testimony.  Tell
them which neighborhood you live in and identify your council member if he/she is
present.  If they are not present, verbally express your dissatisfaction with their
absence.
 
» Write your council member with your concerns about both bills.  Fax in your letter if
possible and fax to all other council members.  If fax is not available, drop off your
letter at their office or mail it in.   Email if that’s all the time you have.  Emails are as
easy to delete as they are to compose.  Hard correspondence will receive more
attention and carry more weight.  Best yet – write and email!  
 
 
»  Attend your Neighborhood Board meeting.  At the meeting, stand up during the
‘Community Concerns’ time on the agenda and speak your piece against the
introduction of these B&B hotel rooms into your neighborhood.  Refer everyone to
the SONHawaii.org website for further information.
 
During the meeting, your council member or their representative will give a short
presentation, after which the public is invited to ask questions.  Ask the
councilmember where they stand on this issue and let them know your approval or
dissatisfaction with their answer.  Remember to be polite and on-point.  Don’t be
afraid to put them on the spot, they really don’t mind and are used to public scrutiny.
 
The time and location of your Neighborhood Board meeting is posted at:
 
           http://www.co.honolulu.hi.us/nco/index.htm  

 
»  Write letters to the Editor of all O’ahu’s publications.  Make sure you follow their rules
for format and length.  Here are the links – letters to the Editor.
 
» Volunteer for SONHawaii activities, such as sign-waving, attending public meeting,
telephoning friends and neighbors – every voice helps.  If enough of us speak up, the
council will hear us.
 
» Ask your social organizations, labor unions, professional organizations, church,
neighborhood association, etc. to take a stand against any expansion of B&Bs
specifically.  Contact SONHawaii if you need help with this effort, we will be glad to
follow up with information and contact.  Prompt the organization to ask their
membership, through their newsletter or email chain, to contact their councilmember.