Describe how the business causes you as a member of our community problems.

I love Kailua. I love the neighborhoods and I have lived in almost all of them. I love the people, locals, military, newcomers, etc. But when I can't get out of the boat ramp parking lot for 2 hours because of tourist buses unloading and then backing out again to allow another bus in to unload, it has become an uncontrolled annoyance and frustration. The State and the City and Country have certain laws regarding tourism and tourist activities, but if these issues are covered, they are not enforced. The same holds true with B&Bs' and vacation rentals. Those that have followed the law, more power to them, but the majority have not followed the law and are not licensed and should not be actively renting on this basis. This again disrupts our daily lives and needs more enforcement. It is time to make the leaders of Kailua and the entire Island of Oahu aware of the problems created by uncontrolled rampant tourist activities in residentila neighborhoods. They should not be allowed, these activities need to be brought to the attention of those who seem to be ignoring them. If the only way that the spotlight can be brought upon these wrong, illegal and arrogant activities is to protest, then I will be there!
Email: fintwain@aol.com

ICQ: 55

Location: Kailua, Oahu

Location: Kailua, Oahu

I would greatly appreciate it if you could provide these specific laws that the "State and the City and Country" have regarding tourist operations in Kailua. Additionally, it would be even better if you could provide pictures of these buses and the off loading and boarding of tourist at Kailua Boat Ramp. Do you have anything against canoe regattas? Because I know that those guys are always clogging up the parking lots from Kalapawai to the Kailua Boat Ramp, and even into Lanikai.

On another note, it would be great if you could provide some evidence of those who are not following the regulations that are in place for B&B's.

Location: kailua

Want to help ?

Location: Kailua, Oahu

Aloha Nick,

Yup the traffic in Kailua is ridiculous just trying to drive from boatramp to Kailua on a weekend without any races or buses is a chaos in itself. with the added buses it does cause problems and add a tourist dragging a kayak in the road and you have an accident waiting to happen. Then add all that roadwork and its more of a mess..
I love to see ALL people enjoying the beach but living in the neighborhood it does get irritating trying to just go to the store.
Kailua is overcrowded and that we all agree upon.. Some things we jus got to deal with and others we can try to prevent and this is what the majority of people who live in Kailua is trying to get across.
Good idea to get pictures up ~ I'm sure someone got pictures.. as for me I got the picture stuck in my head.

Aloha ~ Lynn

Location: Kailua Beach , Oahu

Regarding providing evidence..
One can do a search using the GIS site that the Dept Of Planning & Permiting has online to verify if its a legal B&B or Temporary Vacation Unit.
This site does have links to direct people to sites that go into detail about laws and regulations. B&Bcoalition even gives step by step directions on how to check and or report. I just skimmed through their site but do intend to check it out further.
Or maybe someone else viewing would like to give input on that..
As a homeowner when we operate a business out of our home we do check into zoning laws and other things before putting it into operation - People are aware of running things illegally..
As a rental manager in Kailua for many years I know that they cut off permits for the under 30 day rentals back in the 80's so anyone that began renting units after that ...well, they are more than likely running it illegally.. Our family didn't jump on the bandwagon of Vacation Rentals B&B because my father believed firmly in helping those at home first -- meaning community not only family.. So his rents were always way below the going rental rate.. but when a big house or the taxes went up we had to raise rents.. Now its mostly family living in our units due to the increase of rents on the island.
For specific dates and rules I do encourage people to do their own research that way things don't get left out and it is more clear.. I left some links and I'll gather more..
Thanks for your input Nick
Mahalo Nui Loa ~ Lynn

Location: Kailua Beach , Oahu

Again interesting but it is not evidence. Is the B&B coalition community group who is against illegal B&B's? So wouldn't they be a little biased?

As for under 30 day permits, that is quite easy to get around. I just do 30 day rentals and have the visitors sign the 30 day lease with a clause that says if they cut their stay short, they will be charge a pro rata rate.

For example, I want to make $500 dollars a day on my 30 day rental. I have the visitors sign a 30 day agreement to pay $15,000 a month with a clause that allows them to pay a pro rata rate if they cancel but I retain a minimum of 4 days.

So if they want to stay for a month I get $15,000. If they want to leave after 5 days, I get $2500. They signed a 30 day lease/rental agreement. Am I in violation of the B&B regulations? It sure looks like a 30 day rental agreement to me.

There are probably 2 reasons why legal B&B owners are upset about this. First, they have to compete with those who operate illegally. No longer can the legal B&B's flex their muscle and charge high rates because they no longer have a monopoly over the industry. Second, illegal B&B's don't pay the hotel room tax, which is fairly substantial. For this reason, they have a high profit margin.

I can go on and on. I am very familiar with this subject area and I don't need to resort to telling "wonderful" stories about Kailua in order to shake people's emotions. This is not emotional its logic and common sense.

Finally, the idea that you need to be from Kailua and/or live in Kailua in order to say something about Kailua is ridiculous. What if Nu'uanu residents wanted to close down the Pali Highway? Would Kailua residents be precluded from objecting because they are not from Nu'uanu?

Almost everyone in Hawaii pays taxes (the tourists pay a lot of taxes and don't even live here) and for that reason any Hawaii tax payer can say anything about any place in Hawaii; however, the issue does get a little clouded when you talk about schools (I know why it gets clouded, do you?).

Location: kailua

>>>>>Again interesting but it is not evidence. Is the B&B coalition community group who is against illegal B&B's? So wouldn't they be a little biased?<<<<
Of course it would be more biased but THEY would be the ones to go to - to get the real truth about the laws regarding B&Bs and illegal ones..And not run around stories about how it benefit us other members of the community , you know , the ones not running B&B's or in that market. The ones who bust our behinds all day ..The ones who instead of finding loopholes to rip people off the normal members of our Kailua community the ones who go to work and come home to their family.. Do you have children?

>>>>As for under 30 day permits, that is quite easy to get around. I just do 30 day rentals and have the visitors sign the 30 day lease with a clause that says if they cut their stay short, they will be charge a pro rata rate.
For example, I want to make $500 dollars a day on my 30 day rental. I have the visitors sign a 30 day agreement to pay $15,000 a month with a clause that allows them to pay a pro rata rate if they cancel but I retain a minimum of 4 days.
So if they want to stay for a month I get $15,000. If they want to leave after 5 days, I get $2500. They signed a 30 day lease/rental agreement. Am I in violation of the B&B regulations? It sure looks like a 30 day rental agreement to me.<<<<<<

Whew thanks for being honest "I just do 30 day rentals" and admit that you are one of those operating an illegal B&B .. I am familiar with how to get around with it as I am familiar with how to get around alot of things. But thats very informative for others who often wonder how do they get away with it..


>>>>There are probably 2 reasons why legal B&B owners are upset about this. First, they have to compete with those who operate illegally. No longer can the legal B&B's flex their muscle and charge high rates because they no longer have a monopoly over the industry. Second, illegal B&B's don't pay the hotel room tax, which is fairly substantial. For this reason, they have a high profit margin. <<<<

So guess you have a high profit margin , which more power to you - I can see why those who try to follow the rules would be upset in the matter.

>>>>>I can go on and on. I am very familiar with this subject area and I don't need to resort to telling "wonderful" stories about Kailua in order to shake people's emotions. This is not emotional its logic and common sense.<<<<

See you may be very educated and familiar with how to get around and how to operate a business but what about the simple things in life - Like how to have a family and be that father who passes down stories of your home, remember Kailua is our home some of us never left the islands some of us been around and came back home because there is no place like home.. What about those treasures that money can't buy??? Is everything supposed to be about money?? Those stories are legends they are passed down generation to generation they live in the hearts and souls of each generation!! They are what makes Kailua Kailua!! When people tell stories even visitors like tourist they dont' want to talk about how much money they spent they talk about memories .. so I have to say to resort to telling stories is not a tact its a fact .. Its our Kailua Stories and this is what many of you are failing to realize this isn't all about Money This is about our home our lives Our stories..


>>>>>>Finally, the idea that you need to be from Kailua and/or live in Kailua in order to say something about Kailua is ridiculous. What if Nu'uanu residents wanted to close down the Pali Highway? Would Kailua residents be precluded from objecting because they are not from Nu'uanu? <<<<<<<
I keep telling and stating ALL ARE WELCOME I don't dictate who says what .. I would love it if others would talk .. I'm not going to waste my time on this one because thats just another dig..

>>>>>>Almost everyone in Hawaii pays taxes (the tourists pay a lot of taxes and don't even live here) and for that reason any Hawaii tax payer can say anything about any place in Hawaii; however, the issue does get a little clouded when you talk about schools (I know why it gets clouded, do you?). <<<<

And yes, this is another topic many people have issues with. < wheres my coffee > I would like to hear ya point of view on that one... educate me I was always wonderin on that topic with our tourist industry boomin with 7 point million people visiting our schools should be lined with gold.

And good mornin' Nick glad you stopped by you are very informative

Location: Kailua Beach , Oahu

Nope.

Location: Kailua

Schools aren't lined in gold because the taxes used to fund/repair schools are not directly associated with the GE Tax, Hotel Room Tax, and Other taxes. They come from a very different and specific localized tax pool.

As for sitting around hearing stories from relatives....yeah, that would be nice and all if the average person didn't have to work 2.5 jobs in order to support their family. It sounds nice and nostalgic and all but the reality is, if you don't come from a place or family of privilege, then you can't partake in "story time".

That's pretty much the bottom line. I am sure you can relate to waking up early in the morning in order to cook for your family and then whisking them off to school. That's only the start of your day because then you have to go to work and put in 8-10 hours, juggle between after school care only to return home (returning home if you are fortunate enough to only have one job) to cook for your family and get them ready for bed, which leaves you with about an hour of quiet time where you organize your bills, clean the house and prepare for the next day, only to do the same thing again tomorrow. I am sure you can relate. I don't see where the "story time" fits in.

Granted, there are a few privileged people out there who can afford to stay/work from home and don't need to worry about a lot of these issues. But we still need to factor in travel time. There aren't that many jobs in Kailua and the majority of Kailua's residents travel through traffic to either downtown or out to Kapolei. In any event this shaves off another 1 hour driving each way. In sum, the average working person after tending to their family and fulfilling their workplace obligations wind up with 5 1/2 to 6 hours of sleep and no time to do anything else.

So as I see it, the best business to have would be a work from home situation. You work from home and near the schools your children attend. You don't need to drive through traffic for hours on end. You don't need to juggle babysitters because your are working from home. In fact, you can even instill values and work ethic into children by having them help out with the business. By doing this you allow a lot of time for "story time" with relatives. Welfare is another alternative, but the feds are cracking down on this.

Location: kailua

Well I guess since I got Portuguese We can tell stories real fast..
There is always time for family time.
And Yes Hawaii People and Families Know what its like to Bust Ass to work.. but that's what's special about us folks in Hawaii- We always make time for the Ohana..
"Gotta Live A Lil' Hawaiian Style"
You heard of Hawaiian Time- Thats Why We Are Always Late Cuz We get Time For "Talk Story"
Family is important talking story or "story time" as you put it is an essential part of raising children It does take a community to raise a child .. and that is why I would want a neighbor who is a role model and not just a fly by night visitor - On vacation partyin' - My Children learn from Aunty who they don't know but "Talks Story " with them Aunty is someone they met on the bus...
Talking Story don't take much time but leaves an impression that is a lifetime!!
Memories are a good thing and good for us

Location: Kailua Beach , Oahu

I don't appreciate having a Bed in Breakfast as my neighbor...It is because travelers come in all hours of the night, they are excited,wide awake and getting settled in at wee hours of the mornings at times...so..it makes getting up for work a bit hard when your sleep has been interrupted. You never know if there is a break in going on....or another guest coming for their vacation...I say no bed and breakfast in residential neighborhoods..
(unless you have a ten acre lot.)

Location: Kailua

B&B’s and vacation rentals change the character or the feel of the neighborhood for the worse. These operations are businesses, not neighbors. You need neighbors in order to have a neighborhood!