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HomeMy WebLinkAbout01/16/2014 Public hearing transcript re Bill 2514 PUBLIC HEARING JANUARY 16, 2014 A public hearing of the Council of the County of Kaua`i was called to order by Mason K. Chock, Sr., Chair, Finance & Economic Development (Tourism / Visitor Industry / Small Business Development / Sports & Recreation Development / Other Economic Development Areas) Committee, on Thursday, January 16, 2014, at 1:36 p.m., at the Council Chambers, 4396 Rice Street, Room 201, Historic County Building, Lihu`e, and the presence of the following was noted: Honorable Mason K. Chock, Sr. Honorable Gary L. Hooser Honorable Ross Kagawa Honorable JoAnn A. Yukimura Honorable Jay Furfaro Excused: Honorable Tim Bynum Honorable Mel Rapozo The Clerk read the notice of the public hearing on the following: "Bill No. 2514 – A BILL FOR AN ORDINANCE AMENDING SECTION 5-2.3, KAUAI COUNTY CODE 1987, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO THE COUNTY MOTOR VEHICLE WEIGHT TAX," which was passed on first reading and ordered to print by the Council of the County of Kaua`i on December 4, 2013, and published in The Garden Island newspaper on December 11, 2013. The hearing proceeded as follows: EDUARDO TOPENIO, JR., Administrative Assistant to the County Clerk: We have one (1) registered speaker, Mr. Chair, and no written testimony. His name is Roger Ridgley, Jr. Mr. Chock: Okay. Please come up. There being no objections, the rules g � were suspended. ROGER RIDGLEY, JR.: Good afternoon. I will not take up much of your time. I am here and concerned about this Bill for the simple fact of... Mr. Chock: Please state your name for the record. Mr. Ridgley: I am sorry. My name is Roger Ridgley, Jr., from A Tow in Paradise. This tax you guys are putting on us— what is this tax for, what is the reason for the tax, and where does this tax money go? Those are the questions I have to ask. Last year, I paid one thousand two hundred twelve dollars ($1,212) in weight tax for two (2) trucks. I had to get rid of the third truck because I had to cut back and could not afford to run the truck. I also pay nine thousand one PUBLIC HEARING 2 JANUARY 16, 2014 BILL NO. 2514 hundred thirty dollars ($9,130) per truck to replace tires. I have two (2) trucks and each truck has ten (10) tires on it. I get between ten thousand (10,000) and fifteen thousand (15,000) miles on wear on a tires because of the road conditions, and I have been told that is where some of this money goes. On top of this, you want to raise my tax again to seven hundred twenty-seven dollars and five cents ($727.05) for next year. With this increase in tax, you will be hurting many business people like myself. I am against the increase and I ask you to vote "no" to this Bill. There are other ways to get these funds. Thank you. Mr. Chock: Thank you for your testimony. Councilmembers, if there are clarifications that we wanted to follow-up on, do we have a way to get in contact with our speakers? Do we have contact information to follow-up on? Mr. Topenio: Yes, Chair. Mr. Chock: Okay. If we can vet that outside, we also have Council Services Staff who can also do that if you have any clarifications to any of the things that are being said. Thank you. Ms. Yukimura: Mr. Chair? Mr. Chock: Yes? Ms. Yukimura: The thing is that if there are clarifications that would be useful for the whole public to know, it would be useful; therefore, I will always ask clarifying questions on testimony. I do not think our rules prohibit that. Just for the information or to clarify certain things with one person when it could really be helpful for everybody to know the answers, I think it is really useful. Mr. Chock: There is no disagreement with you, Councilmember Yukimura. I think that what I would like to urge us to consider is that these processes can go on for a long time and the dialogue could go back and forth. I think that we can vet some of this in the next round at the Committee Meetings, or that is what my hope is, where question and answers could be followed through on. My hope is that we can keep it to listening to what the public has to say in this venue. Ms. Yukimura: Mr. Chair? Mr. Chock: Yes. Ms. Yukimura: I just want to say that whatever happens here in the public hearing may either bring people to the Committee or else cause them to stay at home at the Committee because either some thing got clarified or they realize what its implications are, and then they want to come to the Committee Meetings. Wherever we have a chance to clarify at the outset, I think we need to. In this case, the money would go into the Roads Fund, which does repair the roads. Mr. Chock: Thank you for clarifying it anyway. Chair Furfaro: Roger, I will respond to your questions in detail about the breakdown of the Highway portion in writing. Committee Chair, I think the answer you got from Councilmember Yukimura is sufficient for this public PUBLIC HEARING 3 JANUARY 16, 2014 BILL NO. 2514 hearing, but the entitlement is there to get the answer. The bulk of it goes to road repair and improvements. Typically, it is not for us to engage in conversation. During this specific public hearing time here is to take testimony and the Committee Chair is correct. I will respond to you in writing. Is your address on the testimony sheet? Mr. Ridgley: Yes. Chair Furfaro: Very good. Thank you. Mr. Chock: Is there anyone else who wants to testify on this item? Mr. Topenio: No, Chair. Mr. Chock: Okay. Thank you. The meeting was called back to order, and there being no further testimony on this matter, the public hearing adjourned at 1:41 p.m. Respectfully s bmitte i�/rte ED �O'T:•E /O, J.'/ Administrative A- sta to the County Clerk :cy