Honolulu Mayor Signs Bills into Law

Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell took action on the following bills yesterday by signing them all into law. These bills were passed by the City Council on October 7.

Bill 33 – Relating to public parks. The purpose of this ordinance is to amend the fee for attendant and custodian services.
               

Bill 44, CD2 – Relating to Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve. The purpose of this ordinance is to increase the entrance fee for nonresidents and vehicle parking fee and to establish an entrance fee for licensed motor carriers entering the Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve.

“As we continue to better balance the conservation efforts with the eventual return of visitors to the Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve, it is important that we secure stronger financial support for the maintenance of this natural treasure,” said Mayor Caldwell. “This bill makes the bay more economically sustainable, by increasing fees for tourists and commercial operators, without increasing fees for local visitors to the nature preserve. That way we can focus on our continued partnerships towards the preservation of this unique environment. Mahalo to the Council for their continued support of the bay.”

Bill 51 – Amending the Land Use Ordinance relating to group living facilities, requiring that except in certain circumstances, they must not be located within 1,000 feet of the next closest group living facility.

“This will provide an opportunity to create livable and walkable communities within a half mile of institutions of higher learning on O‘ahu, with enrollment of over 10,000,” said Mayor Caldwell. “We want our students to be able to live closer to the places they go to learn. By creating this kind of community atmosphere, it will help provide students with the best educational experience.”

Bill 52, CD1 – Relating to the Department of Enterprise Services. The purpose of this ordinance is to amend the Rental Schedule Rates for the Neal S. Blaisdell Center and Tom Moffatt Waikiki Shell to permit adjustments to rental rates and/or substitution of larger facilities to allow for required physical/social distancing to prevent the spread of COVID-19, as recommended and/or mandated by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, State of Hawaii, and other relevant organizations.

“We appreciate the City Council’s support of Bill 52 which will allow essential meetings and functions to continue to be safely and affordably held at the Blaisdell facilities,” said Mayor Kirk Caldwell. “A 30-person training or examination, which could have been held in a small conference room pre-COVID-19, would now require a large conference room to meet physical distancing requirements.  Bill 52 makes it possible for a Blaisdell tenant to use the larger conference room while paying the rental fee for the smaller conference room.”

Bill 54, CD1 – Relating to County tax credit. The purpose of this ordinance is to update and amend the eligibility requirements regarding the verification of income documents needed to approve the application of the real property tax credit to certain homeowners.

“This bill allows the city to maintain the accuracy of the applicant’s income verification and facilitate the processing of thousands of applications in a timely manner,” said Mayor Caldwell. “Last year 3,820 applications were submitted and processed for this important tax credit, which amounted to about $5.4 million.”