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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES |
H.C.R. NO. |
204 |
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TWENTY-FIFTH LEGISLATURE, 2009 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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HOUSE CONCURRENT
RESOLUTION
REQUESTING THE CITY AND COUNTY OF HONOLULU TO INCREASE FINES FOR MULTIPLE VIOLATIONS OF county PROPERTY and public health ordinances.
WHEREAS, Hawai’i is the most beautiful state in America and Honolulu is the loveliest capital city, and tourists and residents alike enjoy the beautiful scenery and charming neighborhoods; and
WHEREAS, most residents take pains to maintain their properties, but there are those who neglect their homes and allow them to get run-down; and
WHEREAS, there may be cases where a wealthy person has purchased dozens of homes in a small area, allowed many of them to remain vacant, used by vagrants, become overgrown, and caused neighboring homes to lose value; and
WHEREAS, the City has, in one case, issued 16 citations to one individual who owns 24 properties when the individual failed to obtain demolition permits, allowed the properties to become overgrown and blighted, and when other county ordinances were violated; and
WHEREAS, a few violations may not seriously impact one neighborhood, but when an owner allows several properties to amass multiple uncorrected violations in a relatively short period of time, then the sheer number becomes an egregious insult to other owners and reduces the value of nearby homes; and
WHEREAS, a reduction in the property value of homes in an area also provides grounds for the reduction of real property taxes, creating a perfect storm of events in a time of global recession when the City and County of Honolulu, like other counties and the State, are facing budget problems; and
WHEREAS, if a person owns at least five properties that have amassed five citations in a period of 5 years in a one square mile area, then it is incumbent on the City to assess a sufficiently significant fine to encourage that person to maintain his property in accordance with community standards or subdivision covenants; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-fifth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2009, the Senate concurring, that the City and County of Honolulu is requested to increase fines when an owner is cited for multiple violations for property violations within a certain time period and within a certain area; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Honorable Mufi Hannemann, Mayor of the City & County of Honolulu, all Honolulu City Council members, the Kahala Community Association, the Kahala Business Association, and the Waialae-Kahala Neighborhood Board No. 3.
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OFFERED BY: |
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Property and health ordinances; fines; multiple violations