The Policy Committee on Planning, Land Use and Economic Development convened on Tuesday, April 7, 2026, at 3:18 p.m., delayed by approximately 1.5 hours due to a prior committee running late. The meeting addressed two major bills: Bill 66 (the General Plan update) and Bill 147 (transient accommodation regulations). Seven council members were present, with one excused. Extensive public testimony was heard on both bills, covering the General Plan 2045 vs. 2026 debate and short-term rental regulations.
Aloha and good afternoon. Welcome to the Policy Committee on Planning, Land Use and Economic Development. Hi, we're convening the meeting. If you could please take your seats and refrain from speaking because we are getting to official council business. Thank you. Today is excuse me, decorum. Excuse me, decorum. We've started the meeting. If you need to have a conversation, I ask that you take it outside. After everyone waited for an hour and a half to testify, thank you so much for your patience. Today is Tuesday, April 7th, 2026. We are calling this meeting to order at 318 p.m. I apologize for the delay. Our last committee ran very late, but I appreciate the public's patience. Present for committee today are council members Heather Kimball, Michelle Galimba, Fresh O'Nishi, James Houstis, and Jennifer Kagiwada joining us shortly. Our council members Holaka Inaba and Rebecca Viegas. Excused is Councilmember Matt Kenneli Kinefelder. My name is Ashley Kirkwitz, Chair and Presiding Officer. At this time, we will be taking statements from the public. Mr. Ariselli, could you please check in with our Outer Sites Zoom and take testifiers here in Hilo and Kona? Thank you. Thank you so much, Chair. Just noting that we do not have any testifiers at your remote sites. We do have a number of testifiers via Zoom and here in the Hilo Chamber. So we'll do is we'll start with our a couple testifiers in Hilo, then we'll take a couple testifiers via Zoom, and then we'll continue that rotation until we've exhausted our list. So first off, testifying here in the Hilo chamber is Marie or Mari Ruland testifying on Bill 147 to be followed by Dr. James Juvik testifying on Bill 66. Mari, when you begin, you'll have three minutes after you introduce yourself. So please begin whenever you're ready. Oh, sorry, you'll just have to turn the mic on by hitting that green button. There you go. Good afternoon, Council members. Thank you for your time and your uh commitment to the community. My name is Marie Rulin, and my husband and I have lived in Hilo since 1987. I am a retired RN from the Hilo Medical Center, and I was the director of home care. I retired in 2012. We have five children, 11 grandchildren, and it is a pleasure and a privilege to be the owner of a short-term rental since 2000. My rental is a 330 square foot room attached to our home. We have welcomed thousands of local mainland international guests over the last 25 years. Many have become friends and have returned. Many are parents of UHH students. I've been supporting some of these students at the request of their parents. I mean, you know, they they're the only ones that I knew, uh they knew in Hilo. So I said, here's my number. Have them call me if you need anything. The majority of my guests are tourists who have never been to the Hawaii before. Many are looking for local venues to to rent due to the higher cost of the local hotels. Hilo Hawaiian starting at about 172, Nani No starting at 300 something, plus the incredibly high rental car rates in Gilo. Since 2000, I have paid state GET, TAT, in addition since 2025, and paid TAT taxes to the County of Hawaii.