FRIDAY, MARCH 25, 2016 | WEST HAWAII TODAY 10A The proposed sites for the 16 Keauhou Bay moorings are shown. SPECIAL TO WEST HAWAII TODAY KEAUHOU: Residents gathered more than 2,000 signatures opposing the plan in 2013 Armer said the paddlers and a Keauhou Bay stakeholders group found the EA “sparse, shallow and without data to support their conclusions.” “If it were to go through, that $720,000 in total cost would be $50,000 per mooring that nobody wants,” he said. “The study is faulty from the perspective of safety. We expect to challenge it and we’re disappointed in this first draft.” Residents gathered more than 2,000 signatures opposing the plan in 2013. That opposition hasn’t gone away. “It’s the same old thing; they’re not listening to any of us,” said Mindy Dant, whose family owns the Fairwind II and three other commercial vessels operating out of the harbor. “They want to treat the bay like a parking lot.” Most of the new moorings would be concentrated on the south side of the bay, with slots for two 60-footers, two 50-footers, three 40-footers and nine 30-foot vessels, which could be moored without affecting water quality, consultants for Anchor QEA found. But the plan contains a second alternative that would remove the nine existing moorings and place the same number on the south side of the channel, without adding to the total. A third option of no action would fail to address vessels that now encroach on the channel, according to the EA. The 16 engineered moorings with 32 anchors would replace the aged, unpermitted and makeshift moorings already in place, and would organize the mooring grid to increase capacity. Some of the current moorings are undersized concrete blocks, some are in the navigation channel and one is a train wheel, consultant Finn McCall told residents last summer. The configuration would avoid conflicts with the navigation channel and ensure continued use of the bay for non-motorized recreation like paddling, kayaking and snorkeling on the north side, consultants said. Being rid of the substandard moorings would also help protect coral, they said. The plan aims to meet demand for increased moorings on an island and in a state where that capacity is sorely lacking, according to DOBOR. Opponents see the plan entirely differently. About 50 people showed up at the last public meeting on the moorings in July 2015, and those who testified said the addition of boats would cramp the narrow waterway, increase pollution from bilges and put more vessels at risk of breaking away during heavy swells that sometimes roll into the bay. Some simply do not wish to see the birthplace of King Kamehameha III built up more than it already is. The plan fails to adequately address westerly swell that can turn the bay into a washing machine, Dant said. “It’s almost like a funnel, a really narrow, shallow bay,” Dant said. “When the swell comes in, it has nowhere to go. (DLNR Chair) Suzanne Case and the governor need to step up and have open ears, because this plan pretty much puts the state in liability.” But Deborah Ward, spokeswoman for the state Department of Land and Natural Resources, said that Sea Engineering did study the wind and wave conditions at the bay. “The EA does address inclement weather conditions and indicates that the mooring permits will include a provision for vessels to leave the bay during inclement weather conditions,” Ward said in an email. A 30-day public comment period follows the release of the draft EA. Info: http://oeqc.doh. hawaii.gov.- CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1A Legislators add restrictions to vacation rental taxes bill HONOLULU — Hawaii lawmakers have made changes to a controversial bill aimed at simplifying tax collections for vacation rentals to prevent the operations from being run illegally. The legislation as it stands would let online lodging service Airbnb and similar companies collect general excise and transient accommodation taxes on behalf of hosts and pay the money to the state, The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported (http://bit.ly/1RkjVlj). Sen. Rosalyn Baker, chairwoman of the Commerce, Consumer Protection and Health Committee, said the amendments require Airbnb to notify hosts who want to use its service that they must comply with local ordinances. “It’s an attempt to make sure in no way that people who are using the platform are able to evade local laws,” she said. “It’s meant to be a bit of a deterrent. If you know that you have to make the statement, you better be able to back it up or you could get dumped off the site.” Opponents of the bill have argued that it would make it harder to identify hosts that are violating zoning laws. The Institute for Human Services, the Hawaii Appleseed Center for Law and Economic Justice and other groups have asked the state Department of Taxation to withdraw its support of the bill and petitioned Gov. David Ige to veto the legislation if it gets passed. Baker said the amendments were meant to address some of the concerns brought by the bill’s opponents. Kathleen Pahinui of Save North Shore Neighborhoods has been a critic of illegal vacation rentals, which she says have increased home prices and rents and contributed to homelessness. She said the amendments are an improvement, but that more work still needs to be done. “It really now puts companies like Airbnb in the position of having to make sure that people are in compliance,” said Pahinui. “There are still loopholes that they need to close, but it’s easier to fix something that’s moving in the right direction.” Cyn Wang, Airbnb public policy manager, said the company is committed to working with legislators to ensure hosts pay their taxes, which totals an estimated $15 million each year in Hawaii. “We’ve listened carefully to feedback from the community throughout the legislative process, and we’re open to the proposed amendment because it seems to respond directly to an area of concern,” she said. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS A vacation rental is pictured. COURTESY PHOTO PET CHRONICLES It’s four o’clock and like clock work all the cats at the hospital have decided it is time to be fed. Everyone of them is following around members of our staff, meowing out their complaints at the time delay and telling them to hurry it up all ready, because they are starving. As the staff were feeding the cats one cat was noticeably missing from the herd. Bamboo was no where to be found, and she is defi nitely not one to miss a meal. The girls called out for her and starting shaking her food container… still no Bamboo. They let the dogs out of the offi ce to go in search of her and still no Bamboo. They check all of her favorite places to see if perhaps she was curled up somewhere sound asleep and still no Bamboo. When they came and found me to let me know she was missing I thought they were joking. I laughed at the folly and then realized they were serious. I began to search for her too. Since they are just out and about all day, I fi rst went into the lobby thinking she got out when the door was open to the front. No Bamboo. Then I opened the back door out to the giant back dog run with the 8’ fence. Still no Bamboo. I search on top of every cabinet, and all the while calling out for her. We searched behind the dryer perhaps she fell and was stuck…still no Bamboo. All the other cats were locked in their cages, and were watching us look for their naughty sister and I heard a small muffl ed meow. I opened the door for the dryer terrifi ed of the thought, thinking she climbed in after a load was removed, still no Bamboo. I looked in our offi ce open all the doors looking behind the small fridge in the corner, still we could not fi nd her. As I left the offi ce I heard the little meow again, but it sounded so far away. I went to the other end of our offi ce and opened the door out to the little lanai, still no Bamboo. I yelled for the staff to come and listen for the little meow…nothing not a peep. They all stood there looking at me like I was crazy. My phone rang it was my kids calling to tell me the bus was 5 minutes from their stop and here I was 15 minutes away dealing with an emergency. I certainly could not tell my son his cat had gone missing. I began to panic. As I grabbed for my purse on my desk I heard the little meow again and then again. I reached under my desk and tapped on the column of drawers and again I heard the little meow. I opened all the drawers one by one and when I got to the the large bottom drawer that I don’t think I have opened in many months out popped a very startled looking Bamboo. She jumped out of the drawer and gave us all a look like “what the hell took you idiots so long”. She looked at the Pike like perhaps he may have had a paw in her being stuck in the drawer. How she got in there we do not know. All we know is we were so very glad we found her. When I got to the bus stop to get the kids they asked what the emergency was. I had to tell them about their very naughty cat’s prolonged game of hide and seek. I told them how we searched and searched for her and how we started to panic in earnest that she was missing for more than 45 minutes. They both laughed as I told them the story and they both were happy we found her. I guess it just goes to show why curiosity so often kills that cat. This cat is offi cially on her 2nd life and I am hoping she gets to make it through all 9 lives, but at this rate… I have a feeling hers is going to be a very interesting and very crazy story for sure. Stay tuned for more tails of the devil cat… aka Bamboo. 808-322-2988/Fax 808-322-2303 7:30-5:00 Monday-Friday 78-6728 Walua Road • Kailua Kona www.keauhouvet.com 8-5 pm on Saturday Emergency call 24/7 Jacob Head, DVM Kai ‘O—pua’s 17th Annual Pau Hana Regatta Sunday April 17 S E C O N D A N N U A L Dog Paddle Registration is at 8:00 am Racing starts at 9:00 am D IVI S I O N S Bar/Restaurant/Hotel • Professional Government • Retail • Construction Also...compete for the Best Team Costume Awards C R E W S Men | Women | Mixed For more information, D O U B L E H U L L D I V I S I O N S T O O ! Early registration: $110/6-person crew Race day registration: $120/6-person crew Double Hull: $200/12-person crew Enter 6-person crew, your Double Hull entry is only an additional $60 Entry fee includes after-regatta lunch sponsored by Huggo’s & Corona! Kai ‘O–pua will supply paddles & steersmen if desired. For more information, to register or to set a practice time for your crew, call 938-8577 1 Dog 1 Human 1 SUP Bring your pup for a dog gone good time! 1/4 mile course with fi nish at the Kailua Pier we will assist you at the cul de sac with SUP drop off $15 entry fee. $5 of every entry goes to Hawaii Island Humane Society AWARDS FOR SMALL, BIG & STUFFED DOG DIVISIONS For more information, call 769-0876 REGISTRATION 8 AM DOG PADDLE 9 AM All proceeds go to the club’s outrigger racing activities. Kai ‘O–pua Canoe Club is a 501c3 non-profi t. Enter and pay online at kaiopua.org/pauhanaregatta.asp Early, discounted entries must be done online by Thursday, April 14
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