State legislation backed by a Kaua’i lawmaker would identify important agricultural lands, clarify allowable uses, and allow one-time changes from agricultural to rural state land-use classifications for areas that are classified as agricultural but are really rural residential in nature,
State legislation backed by a Kaua’i lawmaker would identify important agricultural lands, clarify allowable uses, and allow one-time changes from agricultural to rural state land-use classifications for areas that are classified as agricultural but are really rural residential in nature, like Wailua Homesteads.
“Where it’s already rural, we should call it what it is,” said Rep. Ezra Kanoho (D-13th District).
Because of residential development, areas such as Wailua Homesteads aren’t conducive to agriculture, he said.
The state constitution mandates protection of agricultural lands, encouragement of diversified agriculture, and provision of lands suitable for agriculture. But the state also needs a system to identify and classify those important agricultural lands, according to Kanoho.
Regarding current Koke’e State Park cabin lessees and farmers who have made infrastructure improvements to their leased lands, Kanoho said he’ll also propose a system to either compensate or give preferential treatment at the time of bidding for leases.
Meanwhile, another Kanoho-proposed bill that wasn’t passed last year by the Legislature would stimulate economic activity and allow business owners to be more productive, he claimed.
A common practice for businesses is to hire a company to handle hiring, payroll, taxes and other paperwork and personnel functions, allowing the owner to focus on running the company.
The problem has been that when the business owner writes a check to the company doing the other chores, and the company cuts payroll checks and other disbursements, the money moving is taxed twice, Kanoho explained. He said once is enough.
The Legislature’s 2002 session convened this week.
Staff writer Paul C. Curtis can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 224) and mailto:pcurtis@pulitzer.net
