Excellent article:

From: http://www.kauaiworld.com/articles/2008/11/16/news/kauai_news/doc491fd91...

"A template for Lihu‘e tomorrow"
Visiting architects offer plan for sustainable town
By Luke Shanahan and Michael Levine - The Garden Island
Published: Sunday, November 16, 2008

"Community leaders and concerned citizens this week welcomed a team of architects from around the country for a workshop on sustainable design ideas for Lihu‘e, with three days of work summed up in a presentation Friday evening at the Kaua‘i Veterans Center.

The Sustainable Design Assessment Team program, which aims to provide broad assessments to help frame future policies and sustainability solutions, featured presentations on five main areas — land use and smart growth, transportation and transit, housing affordability, economic development and renewable energy — in setting up a “template for Lihu‘e’s tomorrow.”

Over three days, SDAT members, working in conjunction with the American Institute of Architects and traveling to Kaua‘i from as far away as New York and Washington, D.C., spoke with community members to get up to speed on design and development issues particular to the island in general, and the Lihu‘e area, specifically from the Wailua River to the Tree Tunnel road.

Updated at 2:54 p.m., Wednesday, November 5, 2008

State won't evict Kahana Valley Park families as revisions to law considered
http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/20081105/BREAKING01/81105063

Advertiser Staff

The six families living in Kahana Valley Park without residential leases won't be evicted by the state while the 2009 Legislature considers revisions to the law to address the issue, Department of Land and Resources chairwoman Laura H. Thielen announced today.
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"We have been working with legislators, some Kahana Valley residents and a member of the original park planning group to identify solutions that would meet the needs of the six families," Thielen said in a released statement.

DLNR had offered to relocate all six families to the residential area of the park. This offer was refused.

"Although we could not resolve this issue with the six families, we are encouraged it will be addressed during the 2009 legislative session," said Thielen, "We trust the Legislature will continue to respect the basic foundation of the public's right to access state parks, keep residential areas separated from the public areas and make Kahana Valley a public park that welcomes and enriches all residents and visitors of Hawai'i."

According to reports, at least two hundred supporters stood with the Kahana families early this morning to stop the threatened evictions.

Apparently, DLNR chief Laura Thielan has agreed to delay the evictions and meet with the families.

Here's the text from the Star-Bulletin:

Kahana Valley Evictions Delayed
Six Kahana Valley families were granted a temporary reprieve from eviction today, according to state Rep. Colleen Meyer.

More than 200 Windward Oahu residents blocked the entrance to Ahupuaa o Kahana State Park at dawn today to protest the actions of the state Department of Land and Natural Resources.

They were holding Hawaiian flags and signs that read, "stop the evictions," and "keep Hawaiian lands in Hawaiian hands."

However, at about 7:30 a.m. Meyer told the crowd that State Land Board Director Laura Thielen was willing to talk about the leases for the six families , which had expired 13 years ago.

Meyer said she had met personally or talked with Thielen throughout the weekend and was told that she was willing to meet not only with the six families, but with other residents of the valley.

Meyer said Thielen was concerned about talks going on too long.

However, Meyer told the Star-Bulletin that her concern is that this problem has been festering since the leases expired and she was wondering why the state was moving to evict the families at this point.

Deborah Ward, Land Board spokeswoman, declined to comment on Meyer's statement this morning.

This is sick. When there arenʻt nearly enough homeless shelters to accommodate for the many working people and families that are loosing their homes, where do we expect them to go?!

Posted on: Monday, October 27, 2008

Homeless face new city tactic: bus stop stools
Idea is to get rid of benches where people can sleep

By Mary Vorsino
Advertiser Urban Honolulu Writer

In response to increased complaints about homeless people sleeping at bus stops, city officials have been replacing long benches at stops in the urban core and Windward O'ahu with round, concrete stools.
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Homeless people sleeping at bus stops is not a new problem, officials with TheBus say, but rather one that has become more visible as more people ride the bus.

Ridership is up significantly — about 5 percent in September over year-earlier figures — as commuters try to save money and skirt high gas prices.

So far, the city has spent about $11,000 on the seating initiative, removing benches and installing 55 stools at 12 bus stops in urban Honolulu and Kane'ohe. Wayne Yoshioka, city Department of Transportation Services director, said the city will continue the program on a "case-by-case" basis in response to rider complaints.

"The benches were being used as makeshift beds by many people that were out there," Yoshioka said. "In an effort to provide areas for people to sit, but still discouraging people from sleeping, we started replacing benches with stools."

Date: Sat, 25 Oct 2008 10:45:38 -1000>
From: Lela M. Hubbard <lmhubbardhawaiiantel.net>

Please ask the Governor and Lt. Governor to stop these unfair and
unconscionable evictions by sending them this EMail or one you compose.>

Governor.Linglehawaii.gov">Governor.Linglehawaii.gov ltgovhawaii.gov >

Please send this to your EMail List post haste.>

Also only if hundreds are at Kahana Valley at 12;01 AM Monday would we be
able to physically stop this. Usually evictions occur in the early
morning.>

Many of us were part of the original protests for the preservation of this
living cultural park.

Earlier in the year I left a power point presentation on the evolution of
our gathering rights and other rights in the State Constitution which was
presented to the Honolulu Civic Club Club by a student of Melodie
MacKenzie from the UH Law School with a DLNR officer who was part of the
Mokuleia rousting of a child. DLNR was abusing those rights re overnight
fishermen; I thought the presentation could educate them.>

Please call me at 487-2311 or Ikaika Hussey at 221-2843 if you can make
the camp in Sunday night..> Mahalo,> Lela M. Hubbard> Na Koa Ikaika> >
*******

Saturday, October 25, 2008 Honolulu Advertiser> >
State Evicting Some Residents From Kahana Valley Cultural Park>
Residents say flawed laws hurting those with ancestral ties> >
By Eloise Aguiar, Advertiser Windward Writer> >

KAHANA After living in Kahana Valley for generations, families that once>
fought the state for the right to stay there and won now face eviction> on
Monday.> >

http://www.kauaiworld.com/articles/2008/10/17/news/kauai_news/doc48f866d...
"Affordable housing projects progress"
By Nathan Eagle - The Garden Island October 17, 2008

More than 150 affordable housing units have been completed over the past year and nearly the same amount are under construction at sites from Kekaha to Anahola, county officials said this week.

An additional 573 units have been slated, but those projects remain in the early stages, such as tentative subdivision approval and building permits.

Despite the significant progress, the most recent studies show that demand for affordable and low-income housing continues to outpace inventory.

A 2006 Ward Research study shows a near-term demand for 1,116 affordable homes and 1,213 low-income homes.

Determining the need is an imperfect science, officials said, noting drastic fluctuations in the market. But, they added, the fact remains that quality homes are being built that average residents can afford to live in.

Housing Planner Barbara Pendragon, Housing Agency Development Coordinator Gary Mackler and Housing Director Ken Rainforth updated the Kaua‘i County Council on the status of the affordable housing task force projects on Wednesday at the Historic County Building.

The fourth and final phase of the agency’s Kalepa Village project is estimated to be completed by March 15, 2009, county documents show. Construction is underway for the last 40 rental units of the project’s 180 total units.

Council defers property tax reform

by Nathan Eagle - The Garden Island

The Kaua‘i County Council’s Committee of the Whole yesterday unanimously deferred a bill to reform the real property tax system.

The seven-member body will resume its deliberation on the proposed legislation Sept. 3 at the Historic County Building.

The previous Aug. 27 deadline for the council to pass the bill for the administration to have enough time to implement the changes to affect the 2009 tax roll was extended until at least Sept. 10, county officials said.

Bill 2274 would transform the current real property tax system based on zoning to a system based on use, shifting some of the burden on residents to resorts in an effort to be more equitable.

It would also repeal the tax caps currently in place while drastically increasing exemptions for owner-occupied homes.

Council members said technical and substantive amendments to the 147-page bill are expected to be introduced at the committee’s next meeting.

For agendas and to view the bill in its entirety, visit www.kauai.gov

Series: Part 2

Residential tax rates would fall, but proposed repeal concerns public

by Nathan Eagle - THE GARDEN ISLAND

• Editor’s note: This is the second part in a series on the proposed property tax system reform. Part 1 appeared Aug. 15.

Dogged by an anxious public and a ticking clock, the Kaua‘i County Council tomorrow will plunge into its work on a bill to drastically reform the real property tax system.

The revenue neutral Bill 2274, which was submitted to the seven-member legislative body on May 30 by late Mayor Bryan Baptiste’s administration, would provide significant tax relief to residential property owners through a couple key maneuvers, county officials said.

The reduction on average to an owner/occupants’ net tax bill would be more than 30 percent, according to the administration.

“The bill strives to find equitability,” said Eric Knutzen, who served as facilitator of the county’s eight-member Real Property Tax Committee.

The proposed property tax system, which reduces the overall number of tax rate classes from eight to four with a focus on use as opposed to zoning, would significantly boost certain homeowner exemptions.

While repealing the 2 percent annual limit on tax increases for properties owned and occupied by residents, the bill would raise the current $48,000 exemption for a primary residence on Kaua‘i to $300,000.

Similarly, the current $96,000 exemption for residents age 60 and older would jump to $325,000. The $120,000 exemption for residents age 70 and older would leap to $350,000.

http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080817/NE...

Hawaii plan tackles public housing crisis

'Turnaround plan' in works critical as emergency concerns mount

By Mary Vorsino
Advertiser Urban Honolulu Writer

As far back as the early 1970s, lawmakers, advocates and residents were decrying backlogged maintenance, deteriorating buildings and rising crime at public housing projects statewide.
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Today, after years of little action, failed oversight and inadequate funding, the crisis has become increasingly acute, with an estimated $320 million in backlogged capital needs, more than 500 vacant units awaiting repairs and a host of emergency maintenance concerns, from no or intermittent hot water, to sewer lines that back up, to elevators that don't work.

"If something is reported to them to be repaired," said Petina Rios, a resident at Wahiawa Terrace, "they always give an excuse they don't have money."

The mounting issues — made more critical given the dearth of affordable housing in the Islands and that some 8,000 people are waiting to get into public housing — threaten to render public housing ineffective as a safety net for families facing homelessness and as a decent place for poor families to work their way out of poverty.

DHHL’s Wailua commercial plans halted
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by Blake Jones - The Garden Island

WAILUA — The Department of Hawaiian Home Lands has frozen plans to develop a commercial project makai of Kuhio Highway in Wailua, though it is moving forward with the much larger mauka residential community.

Income from the commercial component was expected to jump start the master community of up to 700 homestead lots; however, revenue bond funding became available earlier this year and will be used instead to the same end.
*

Hawaiian Home Lands Director Micah Kane, speaking to the governor’s Kaua‘i Community Advisory Council Wednesday at the War Memorial Convention Hall, said the $10 million allows the residential project to stick to its timeline while the department explores new options for the commercial side.

Earlier this year Hawaiian Home Lands sought proposals from developers for the 52-acre makai parcel pegged for retail, time share, resort, wholesale, industrial or office use.

The request for proposal generated a few offers, but the entire concept seems to be off the table for now.

“We pulled back on that development plan,” he said.

Asked if the department could have pursued one of the commercial proposals while still applying the bond money, Kane said, “We didn’t have to.”

The Wailua residential project includes up to 700 homestead lots for Native Hawaiians, a school, parks, community center, infrastructure improvements and a bypass road on 400 acres.