LIHUE —Three public hearings were held last Thursday afternoon by a four-member County Council without members Mason Chock, KipuKai Kuali‘i, and Arthur Brun (who was present for the first portion of the meeting) who were excused.
The first bill was for an ordinance amending Kauai County Code 1987, relating to development standards within residential districts.
The purpose of Bill No. 2749 is to, “amend the setback standards involving residential structures,” according to the bill which went through first reading at the May 8 council meeting.
“On an effort to standardize the requirements to avoid any confusion, the department feels it is necessary to revise the current language to assist contractors, developers, architects, and the homeowner by allowing more flexibility in siting a building on a residential lot, and it will further remove some inconsistencies relative to the setback requirements,” the bill reads.
No public testimony was given on the bill.
The only written testimony was submitted by the Kauai Board of Realtors on the bill, which has now gone through the public hearing phase and first reading, but now and a second and final reading into order to become effective.
“We support the purpose of the bill that would relax the setback requirements to enable homeowners to better utilize their property without creating adverse impacts on all property owners,” Executive Officer Karen Ono wrote in the submitted written testimony on the bill.
The next bill public hearing was held for was Bill No. 2750, which is a bill for an ordinance amending 5a-51 of the Kauai County Code 1987, relating to real property tax leans and foreclosures. No public testimony was taken on the bill and written testimony was submitted by the Kauai Board of Realtors.
The purpose of the bill, which passed first reading unanimously during a May 8 meeting, is to authorize the Department of Finance to assess a fee for the filing of the release of real property tax liens.
“As an organization representing 600 Kauai Realtor members and all homeowners, we hereby support the intent of bill 2750 as requested via the Finance Committee Chair Luke A. Evslin to add to the current ordinance a paragraph that will allow the County Finance Department to release the lien on a property owner who has paid their delinquent real property taxes including principal amount, penalties, interest, and recording fees and have failed to notify the Bureau of Conveyance,” Ono wrote in written testimony submitted to the council.
The third bill is related to the removal of a requirement to file an annual affidavit, which will give the Real Property Tax Office the ability to require a new affidavit to be required only when a multi-year lease expires.
