The following testimony was submitted by the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii for consideration by the Hawai‘i County Council on Nov. 8, 2024.
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Nov. 8, 2024, 1 p.m.
Hawai‘i County Building
To: Hawai‘i County Council
Heather Kimball, Chair
Holeka Goro Inaba, Vice-Chair
From: Jonathan Helton, Policy Researcher
Grassroot Institute of Hawaii
RE: Bill 212 — RELATING TO BUILDING PERMIT EXEMPTIONS
Aloha Chair Kimball, Vice-Chair Inaba and other members of the Council,
The Grassroot Institute of Hawaii supports Bill 212, which would increase the permit exemption value threshold for non-structural repairs and maintenance from $7,500 to $25,000.
Bill 212 would also exempt accessory structures of 1,000 square feet or less on agricultural-zoned land from needing a building permit.
Removing these types of work from needing a permit would assist homeowners, farmers and ranchers in doing low-risk work on their properties. For example, Home Depot data on countertop installations in Kailua-Kona indicates that the costs for these projects often exceed the $7,500 threshold.[1]
If these projects were cleared from the permit pipeline, permit reviewers could focus their time elsewhere, speeding up the process for everyone.
Grassroot’s newest report, “Seven low-cost ways to speed up permitting in Hawaii,” addresses other reforms that the County should consider adopting to streamline the permitting process.
Thank you for the opportunity to testify.
Jonathan Helton, Policy Researcher
Grassroot Institute of Hawaii
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[1] “Countertop Installation Projects in Kailua Kona, HI,” Home Depot, accessed Sept. 27, 2024.
