The following testimony was submitted by the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii for consideration by the Honolulu City Council’s Committee on Zoning on Aug. 21, 2024.
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Aug. 21, 2024, 9 a.m.
Honolulu Hale
To: Honolulu City Council, Committee on Zoning
Calvin Say, Chair
Tyler Dos Santos-Tam, Vice Chair
From: Grassroot Institute of Hawaii
Ted Kefalas, Director of Strategic Campaigns
RE: Bill 39 (2024) — RELATING TO BUILDING PERMITS
Aloha Chair Say, Vice-Chair Dos Santos-Tam and other members of the Committee,
The Grassroot Institute of Hawaii supports Bill 39 (2024), which would remove the affidavit requirements for individuals and businesses applying for building permits.
Current law requires an affidavit that shows ownership of the lot where the building permit would be used, and paperwork that states the owner has no outstanding fines or liens payable to the city.
However, these rules can make it more difficult for some owners, such as businesses or individuals who own multiple lots, to receive building permits. Some applicants might struggle to obtain an affidavit in a timely fashion. For others, an outstanding fine on one property could prevent them from receiving a building permit to do work on another.
Removing this bit of red tape would be a step toward making Honolulu’s building permit process more efficient.
Grassroot prefers the current draft to the CD1 submitted by Chair Say because the proposed amendment would require that names and contact information for every contractor and subcontractor be provided in each building permit application.
We believe adding more requirements to the application process runs counter to the intent of the bill.
Thank you for the opportunity to testify.
Ted Kefalas
Director of Strategic Campaigns
Grassroot Institute of Hawaii
