RAM GAD POD

Sorry! No interview this week, but I have a great guest lined up for next week. In the meantime, please settle for the following Notes from the GAD:

Real Property Tax Reform: As you are aware, Bill 58 and Bill 59, relating to tax classifications and tiered real property tax rates, passed in the Council a few weeks back. Nevertheless, there was a lot of testimony that spoke to a need for more public outreach and education prior to implementing the framework outlined in these pieces of legislation. With that in mind, on Friday, Dec. 13 from 9-11 a.m., RAM will be hosting Councilmember Alice Lee for a presentation regarding the Council’s real property tax reform efforts, followed by a question and answer session.

Water Shut Down in Paia and Kuau: Tonight, Thursday, Dec. 12 all customers on the County water system in Paia and Kuau will have their water shut off from approximately 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. (Friday morning). Depending on the conditions encountered while work is being conducted, customers in Sprecklesville may also be affected. Please store water and plan accordingly.

Central Maui Landfill: Beginning Sunday, Dec. 15 the landfill will begin opening on Sundays for residential green waste disposal only from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. No commercial green waste or commercial/residential trash will be accepted. Please note that illegal dumping of green waste is commonly linked to the spread of invasive species, and should be avoided.

West Maui Community Plan: The next Community Plan Advisory Committee meeting is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 17 at Waiola Church’s Keopuolani Hall, and it will focus on a final review of policies and actions related to all five Goals of the Community Plan. Agenda and other information available at www.wearemaui.org.

Economic Outlook: NAR recently held its Real Estate Forecast Summit and the information shared was generally pretty optimistic. A group of prominent real estate industry economists that attended released a consensus forecast that projects continued but slowing economic growth in 2020. NAR’s Chief Economist, Lawrence Yun, stated that he believes real estate to be “on firm ground with little chance of price declines,” but he cautioned that “more supply is needed to assure home prices as well as rents do not consistently outgrow income gains.” Overall, a recession is seen as unlikely in 2020, but it is not completely out of the question.

100 Real Estate Agents Who Care: Pohaku Kepler is a senior at Kihei Charter School and his goal is to get 100 REALTORS to donate $100 each in order to raise $10,000 for Habitat for Humanity. All the money raised will go towards helping families right here in Maui County. Check out www.100RealEstateAgentsWhoCare.com for more information and to donate.

REALTOR Party Mobile Alerts: REALTORS, please sign up for mobile alerts by texting the word “REALTOR” to the number 30644. This is an easy way to ensure you are in the loop next time RAM needs your help.

Susan Halas has been a keen observer (and occasional participant) of Maui politics since 1976, and her insights are both fascinating and invaluable. This interview is an exploration of Susan's long career in journalism from her start at the New York Times in 1965 through her impressive career covering politics for various publications here on Maui. Aside from exploring Susan's career, we also go on a few tangents and get into many side discussions regarding the current state of affairs in Maui County. This was a fun episode to record because Susan and I are friends, but we are the type of friends that disagree and occasionally shout at each other, so be forewarned that the volume might spike a couple times while you are listening. Also, be forewarned that there is an abrupt and awkward transition around the 1.5 hour mark, as I had to cut out about an hour of us going on even more tangents and shouting at each other. Nevertheless, the interview is still fun, informative, and nostalgic in the best ways. 

Mahalo for Listening! 

Here are the key points if you don't have time to listen.

Water Shut-Down in Kula: On Thursday, December 5th, a portion of homes in the Poli Poli and Middle Roads area will have their water shut-off from approximately 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. Department of Water Supply customers along these roads are encouraged to store water and adjust schedules as appropriate.

Real Property Tax Reform: As you are aware,  Bills 58 and 59, relating to tax classifications and tiered real property tax rates, passed in the Council on second and final reading a couple of weeks back. Nevertheless, there was a lot of testimony that spoke to a need for more public outreach and education prior to implementing the framework outlined in these pieces of legislation. With that in mind, on Friday, December 13th, from 9-11 am, RAM will be hosting Councilmember Alice Lee for a presentation regarding the Council’s real property tax reform efforts, followed by a question and answer session. This event is free but it is for RAM members, and we ask that you please register in advance. Just a word of warning, there is a possibility that this event will be canceled due to scheduling issues that we are working on resolving, but I will keep everyone posted on that.

Maui Landlord Series: Due to the success of our annual Landlord Summit, RAM and the Maui Homeless Alliance are organizing a series of workshops to educate landlords and get them working with housing assistance programs. The first workshop is scheduled for Monday, Dec. 9, from 9 - 11 am at MEO. This Maui Landlord Series workshop will feature a HUD informational session as well as a landlord/tenant rights panel discussion. Moreover, we will also be accepting food donations for the Maui Food Bank. If you know any landlords or property managers who might be interested in attending, please have them register for this free event at eventbrite.com.

SMA and Shoreline Rules Changes: The Planning Department will be holding informational meetings on proposed changes to the SMA and shoreline rules for Maui island. At these meetings, representatives from the Planning Department will give an overview of the proposed changes and the rationale behind them, answer questions, and take input and suggestions. The meetings will begin at 5 pm, and the dates and locations are:

The proposed rules and some Frequently Asked Questions can be found at https://www.mauicounty.gov/121/Planning-Department under "Hot Topics." Also available there is the presentation that Dr. Chip Fletcher gave to the Maui Planning Commission on October 22.

100 Real Estate Agents Who Care: Pohaku Kepler is a senior at Kihei Charter School and his goal is to get 100 REALTORS to donate $100 each in order to raise $10,000 for Habitat for Humanity. All the money raised will go towards helping families right here in Maui County. Check out www.100RealEstateAgentsWhoCare.com for more information and to donate.

Tasha Kama is Presiding Officer Pro Tempore of the Maui County Council, and she holds the Council seat for the Kahului residency area.  Writing a description for this episode is extremely difficult, because I don't want to come off as too bias, but it is no secret that I am a fan. Councilmember Kama is not the type of person that immediately comes to mind when you think "politician," but that is what makes her so exceptional in my book. Having raised 11 children on Maui and spent years as an activist and community organizer well before seeking political office, it is undeniable that CM Kama is deeply rooted in the Maui community and is genuinely committed to making Maui a better place. Regardless of whether you agree with CM Kama's approach to politics or not, she is someone who is certainly deserving of respect and admiration. I'm going to go ahead and think of this episode a "Thanksgiving Special," because it felt more like I was getting together with my favorite auntie than conducting an interview. Seriously, after I stopped recording she gave me lemon bars and we chatted about Christmas decorations. I hope you enjoy this episode, and I am thankful for all you folks who keep listening. 

Short update today! If you don't have time to listen, here are the highlights:

Real Property Tax Reform: Bill 58 and Bill 59, relating to tax classifications and tiered real property tax rates, passed in the Council on second and final reading. Nevertheless, there was a lot of testimony that spoke to a need for more public outreach and education prior to implementing the framework outlined in these pieces of legislation. With that in mind, on Friday, December 13th, from 9 a.m.-11 a.m., RAM will be hosting Councilmember Alice Lee and Marcy Martin for a presentation regarding the Council’s real property tax reform efforts, followed by a question and answer session. This event is free for RAM members, and we ask that you please register to attend through the Paragon MLS homepage

Maui Landlord Series: Due to the success of our annual Landlord Summit, RAM and the Maui Homeless Alliance are organizing a series of workshops to educate landlords and get them working with housing assistance programs. The first workshop is scheduled for Monday, Dec. 9, from 9 - 11 a.m. at MEO. This Maui Landlord Series workshop will feature a HUD informational session as well as a landlord/tenant rights panel discussion. Moreover, we will also be accepting food donations for the Maui Food Bank. If you know any landlords or property managers who might be interested in attending, please have them register for this free event at eventbrite.com.

SMA and Shoreline Rules Changes: The Planning Department will be holding informational meetings on proposed changes to the SMA and shoreline rules for Maui island. At these meetings, representatives from the Planning Department will give an overview of the proposed changes and the rationale behind them, answer questions, and take input and suggestions. The meetings will begin at 5 p.m., and the locations and dates are as follows:

The proposed rules and some Frequently Asked Questions can be found at https://www.mauicounty.gov/121/Planning-Department under "Hot Topics." Also available there is the presentation that Dr. Chip Fletcher gave to the Maui Planning Commission on October 22.

REALTOR Party Mobile Alerts: REALTORS, please sign up for mobile alerts by texting the word “REALTOR” to the number 30644. Aside from the initial confirmation text, you will only receive notifications when a call for action is initiated, a reminder regarding voter registration, and a reminder to vote in the upcoming elections. This is an easy way to ensure you are in the loop next time RAM needs your help.

100 Real Estate Agents Who Care: Pohaku Kepler is a senior at Kihei Charter School and his goal is to get 100 REALTORS to donate $100 each in order to raise $10,000 for Habitat for Humanity. All the money raised will go towards helping families right here in Maui County. Check out www.100RealEstateAgentsWhoCare.com for more information and to donate.

This week's guest is Max Tornai, Development Director for Habitat for Humanity on Maui. I met Max at the Maui Nui Attainable Housing forum and we immediately hit it off. Habitat for Humanity is an exceptional organization, and I knew I needed to have Max as a guest to discuss some of the great work they are doing right here on Maui. In this episode we discuss the various ways in which Habitat Maui is serving the community, opportunities for our REALTORS to get involved (www.100RealEstateAgentsWhoCare.com), as well as Max's history and thoughts on how our County can increase housing opportunities. If you are looking to learn more about Habitat for Humanity and the many opportunities they provide to serve the community, I encourage you to listen to this episode. 

Mahalo,

Jason

The title on this episode is real. The Honorable Michael P. Victorino, Mayor of the County of Maui, really did take the time to sit down for a RAM GAD POD interview on October 3rd, and it was awesome. Mayor Victorino is an energetic and approachable leader with a wide range of professional experience and a fascinating life story. In this interview we learn a lot about the Mayor, his decision making process, issues he has evolved on, and his top concerns for Maui County moving forward. My favorite part of the interview was learning that that Mayor loves comic books and hearing about his humble beginnings, but even the policy discussions were meaningful and enjoyable. My one regret is that I start the interview by introducing Mayor Victorino as Mayor of the "Maui of County," but what's  done is done and I will have to live with that shame forever. Nevertheless, this is still a great episode overall and I hope you enjoy it. 

Mahalo!

Jason

Below are some of the highlights from this week's notes, but give this episode a listen for further discussion of ongoing real property tax reform measures and to hear about the NAR Conference & Expo in San Francisco.  

Real Property Tax Reform - Community Meeting: Councilmember Tasha Kama will be holding a community meeting at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, November 20th, at the Kahului Community center located at 275 Uhu Street, Kahului. Marcy Martin, Senior Real Property Technical Officer for the Department of Finance, will provide a brief presentation on the nature of the proposed changes, followed by an opportunity for attendees to ask questions.

West Maui Community Plan: The next CPAC meeting will be on Tuesday, November 19th at Waiola Church’s Keopuolani Hall at 5:30 p.m., and will focus on policies and actions related to Goal 2.3: Responsible Stewardship of Resources, Culture and Character. There will also be a meeting at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, November 21st at King kamehameha III Elementary School Cafeteria, which will focus on policies and actions related to Goal 2.2: A Complete, Balanced and Connected Transportation network. Agendas and additional information can be found at www.wearemaui.org.

SMA and Shoreline Rules Changes: The Planning Department will be holding informational meetings on proposed changes to the SMA and shoreline rules for Maui island. At these meeting, representatives from the Planning Department will give an overview of the proposed changes and the rational behind them, answer questions, and take input and suggestions. The meetings will begin at 5 p.m., and the locations and dates are as follows:

The proposed rules and some Frequently Asked Questions can be found at https://www.mauicounty.gov/121/Planning-Department under "Hot Topics."  Also available there is the presentation that Dr. Chip Fletcher gave to the Maui Planning Commission on October 22.

REALTOR Party Mobile Alerts: REALTORS, please sign up for mobile alerts by texting the word “REALTOR” to the number 30644. Aside from the initial confirmation text, you will only receive notifications when a call for action is initiated, a reminder regarding voter registration, and a reminder to vote in the upcoming elections. This is an easy way to ensure you are in the loop next time RAM needs your help.

100 Real Estate Agents Who Care: Pohaku Kepler is a senior at Kihei Charter School and his goal is to get 100 REALTORS to donate $100 each in order to raise $10,000 for Habitat for Humanity. All the money raised will go towards helping 2-4 families right here in Maui County. Check out the “100 Real Estate Agents Who Care - Maui” Facebook page for more information.

Real Property Tax Reforms: (ACTION REQUESTED) On November 8th, the County Council will be considering several changes to the County’s real property tax system. The most significant change is a tiered structure for property taxes, but the Council will also be discussing revised classifications and doing away with condominium declarations to the Department of Finance. The plan to get rid of annual condo declarations to the department of finance is VERY BAD, and it could have some major ramifications on tax rates and affordable housing.

I mentioned this last week, but I failed to convey proper distress about the issue of doing away with these condo declarations to the department of finance, that was a mistake. I need to give credit to Tom Croly, who you might know from his work with the Maui Vacation Rentals Association, for cluing me into what I was missing. Some of you may recall that the County tried something along these lines about 2 years ago, and RAM played a major role in stopping it. If these bills move past the first reading, we may need to have a call for action to stop them again.

The key issue we should be alarmed over is that one of the property tax reform bills, referred to as the classifications bill, “eliminates the need for condominium owners to declare the actual use of their units to the Department of Finance. Instead, condominium units will be classified based on their highest and best use unless an exception applies.” Well, based on this there are about 2,000 apartment-zoned condominium owners that may get stuck paying the “short term rental” tax rate unless they qualify for the owner-occupied exception.

If you are a RAM member, you should be aware that we advocate for taxation based on actual use, rather than highest and best use. Moreover, RAM takes a position that this “highest and best use” method of taxation will have a negative impact on the inventory and affordability of long term rentals in such properties. I encourage you all to submit written testimony via email to [email protected], and feel free to copy your County Council members on those emails. Moreover, I encourage you to testify in person on Friday, November 8th at 9 a.m. in Council Chambers on the 8th Floor, 200 South High Street.

Draft EIS filed for EMI: Alexander & Baldwin and EMI have filed a draft Environmental Impact Statement for the proposed lease of water in the East Maui areas of Nahiku, Ke’anae, Honomanu, and Huelo. A statutory 45-day public review and comment period is now open and will continue through November 7, 2019.

West Maui Community Plan: There are two Community Plan Action Committee meetings this week. The first meeting is Tuesday, November 5th at Waiola Church’s Keopuolani Hall at 5:30 p.m., and the second meeting is Thursday, November 7th at King Kamehameha III Elementary School Cafeteria at 6:30 p.m. For meeting agendas and more details visit www.wearemaui.org.

Maui Boards and Commissions: Applicants are being sought for 42 vacancies on Maui County boards, commissions, councils, and committees. The application deadline is Nov. 15, 2019. Anyone interested in serving on a board or commission should first apply online at www.mauicounty.gov/Boards, or pick up a paper application in the County building.