Facing a 60-day deadline placed on the City by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), City Council members will be hearing Bill 42 to address the financial shortfall for rail. Bill 42 (introduced in 2017) has been amended and must be passed to allow city money to be spent on rail.
Council Chair Ernie Martin introduced Bill 60 to provide the Department of Planning and Permitting with the tools to enforce citations for stop work orders, which some contractors and homeowners have ignored in their quest to build “monster homes.” The bill would make it a misdemeanor subject to fines and penalties including $2,000 and up to a year in jail. Chair Martin acknowledged at the hearing that this bill goes above and beyond just monster homes but those violations have been the most egregious.
Bill 53, which addresses the proliferation of monster homes, will be voted on Wednesday, September 12, in its last hearing before City Council. The bill attempts to strengthen enforcement provisions for buildings and structures erected, constructed, enlarged, altered, repaired, moved, improved, removed, or converted without the necessary permits.
Council Chair Ernie Martin is making his final push to reduce the City’s building permit backlog before leaving office. Bill 65, introduced by Martin, would allow for an expedited process for building permits for one- and two-family dwellings and would aid in addressing Oahu’s housing inventory challenges.
