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HomeMy WebLinkAbout06/12/2024 Public hearing minutes on BILL 2922 PUBLIC HEARING JUNE 12, 2024 A public hearing of the Council of the County of Kauai was called to order by Mel Rapozo, Council Chair, on Wednesday, June 12, 2024, at 8:35 a.m., at the Council Chambers, 4396 Rice Street, Suite 201, Historic County Building, Lihu`e, and the presence of the following was noted: Honorable Addison Bulosan Honorable Bernard P. Carvalho, Jr. Honorable Felicia Cowden Honorable Bill DeCosta Honorable Ross Kagawa Honorable KipuKai Kuali`i Honorable Mel Rapozo The Clerk read the notice of the public hearing on the following: "Bill No. 2922 — A BILL FOR AN ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 19, KAUAI COUNTY CODE 1987, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO REFRESHMENT CONCESSIONS AND INTOXICATING LIQUOR IN PARKS FACILITIES," which was passed on first reading and ordered to print by the Council of the County of Kaua`i on May 15, 2024, and published in The Garden Island newspaper on May 22, 2024. The following communications were received for the record: 1. Larson, Bret & Janice, dated June 11, 2024 2. Larson, Bret, (for Kaua`i Island Brewing Company) dated June 11, 2024 (Note: No one from the public testified on the Bill via oral testimony taken at the beginning of the meeting via the Zoom remote technology platform.) Council Chair Rapozo: Can we have the first registered speaker? JADE K. FOUNTAIN-TANIGAWA: The first registered speaker is Alice Parker, followed by Jeanne Funsch. Council Chair Rapozo: Good morning, Ms. Parker. ALICE PARKER: Alice Parker, for the record. I am not unhappy about the golf course having alcohol. I am for general parks because alcohol does decrease your reflexes and diminishes judgment. I do not think that our parks need that. We have other people there and all kinds of changing circumstances. It is not like sitting at home, enjoying...in places that you are really familiar with. Different PUBLIC HEARING 2 JUNE 12, 2024 BILL NO. 2922 things happen and I think that you need all your senses in full flow at parks and at places like that. Thank you. Council Chair Rapozo: Thank you. Next speaker. Jeanne, state your name for our captioner, please. JEANNE FUNSCH: Aloha. My name is Jeanne Funsch. Good morning. Introduction, I am Jeanne Funsch and my husband is Michael Lee. Together, we are Mike Lee Builders. Our business partners, the Larsons, Janice and Bret, are Kaua`i Island Brewing Company. Together, the four (4) of us, are the "Club at Wailua." We are the current concession contract holders; this Bill directly affects our operation. Yes, we have heard from many golfers that...quote, "the ability to purchase intoxicating liquor for consumption at the golf course will enhance the existing food and beverage concession options." In other words, patrons at the Wailua Golf Course are sincerely excited about the prospect of having the same services that are available at most of the other golf courses on Kaua`i. In fact, I think Kukui`olono Park & Golf Course alone may be the only other golf course that does not have these services, and for most of the golf courses in the country. As the current concession contract holders, we are really excited about being able to provide this service. We believe that providing this service will elevate the experience of golfing at the Wailua Golf Course to the experience level that golf patrons, both locals and visitors, that they expect when they come to a golf course and that they will remember afterwards. Michael and I are avid golfers. We are at the Wailua Golf Course several times a week. It is a great place to be, it really is. It is a great community of people. We have golfed all over the country and we know what a great golf day experience feels like. We remember it, we reminisce about it, and we return to those places when we are traveling. We want to make the Wailua Golf Course feel that way. The crew at the golf course, Dan and his crew, made it an amazing experience. The course is fantastic, and we really want to make the non-golfing part of a day-experience at the Wailua Golf Course elevate to that level, that the golf course already is itself. We want to make it an unforgettable experience, an experience that brings golfers together, and that brings golfers back. That is what we want to make happen here on Kaua`i. Council Chair Rapozo: Thank you. Ms. Funsch: Thank you. I cannot wait to invite you all to the opening. It is going to be awesome. Council Chair Rapozo: Is there anyone else in the audience wishing to testify? Mr. Sykos? LONNIE SYKOS: For the record, Lonnie Sykos. I am just curious, has the Council recapped the Council's discussion when the Council decided not to sell alcohol at the golf course in the past? I believe that Chair Rapozo was on the Council at the time, but perhaps not. Councilmember Kagawa was. We had long conversations here and so, where is the County Attorney? Bring the County Attorney up and tell the public that if we serve alcohol to someone and they hit a golf ball, goes out into highway, and causes an accident...if it hits another golfer, and God forbid it hits one of our employees...what is our liability? Just open the can of beer, take one (1) sip, and now your actions are influenced by alcohol. I started golfing when I PUBLIC HEARING 3 JUNE 12, 2024 BILL NO. 2922 was fourteen (14). I did not drink. I did not need to drink to go golfing. I continue to go golfing. I do not drink on the golf course. Why do you have to drink to golf? Do you have to drink to go bowling? Do you have to drink to play football? Do you have to drink to play paddle ball? My issue is with the liability that the County is taking on by a sport that has a potentially lethal weapon, the golf ball or the golf club, and having people getting intoxicated at our nickel. I understand that there is a financial issue here of trying to figure out how the vendor at the golf course can make a profit. I am all for the vendor making a profit, but bring the County Attorney up and tell us what our liability is going to be if a patron at the golf course injures someone with a golf ball after consuming the alcohol that we provided to them. Thank you. Council Chair Rapozo: Thank you. Is there anyone else in the audience wishing to testify? Seeing none, the public hearing is now closed. There being no further testimony on this matter, the public hearing adjourned at 8:44 a.m. Respectfully submitted, JADE . FO IN-TANIGAWA County erk :slr