Leasehold measure moves forward

Advertiser Staff

When more than 100 people signed up to speak on the City Council's latest attempt to strengthen the controversial mandatory leasehold conversion law this week, council members knew they were in for another round of emotional debate.

It took nearly five hours of discussion before the vote was taken and the measure moved forward another step by a 5-4 margin Wednesday.

Those voting in support of the measure were Duke Bainum, John Henry Felix, Steve Holmes, Gary Okino and Jon Yoshimura. Those opposed were John DeSoto, Darrlyn Bunda, Ann Kobayashi and Romy Cachola.

Supporters of the latest change in the leasehold law have described it as a clarification need to go forward with the intent of the law passed by the council in 1991. Opponents see it as an attack on the rights of landowners to hold onto their property even if they have built and rented condominium units on their parcels.

The majority of those who spoke at the meeting opposed the measure and described it as hurtful to Native Hawaiians, who benefit from the leasehold revenue through trusts that work to better the lives of Hawaiians.

Many of the people who came Wednesday night were brought together by the Queen Lili'uokalani Children's Trust, which opposes the measure.

Kilohana Duarte, of the Royal Order of Kamehameha I, said his organization is against the measure because it is a land grab. "Plain and simple, this proposed ordinance seeks to steal ali'i trust lands for the benefit of a few private individuals," he said.

The Hawai'i Council of Associations of Apartment Owners was among the few supporters of the law. President Jane Sugimura said the law would allow apartment owners to acquire the fee-simple ownership of the land under their buildings "at fair and reasonable prices."

Before the bill can become law, it must go back to council committee and then return to the full council for a vote. DeSoto said it will not be on the agenda for the Aug. 7 meeting in Kapolei. He said he doesn't think the city should condemn land to turn it over to lessees.

"I still don't see a public purpose," DeSoto said.

DeSoto is a long-time opponent of mandatory leasehold conversion and consistently votes against such bills.