Happy holidays!

As we close out 2019 (and my first year in elected office), I just want to send out a huge mahalo to all of you for the support, feedback, and engagement in the issues. As I reflect on the year, I’m really happy that we were able to achieve so much together. My one regret is that other than bringing down the cost of housing, my core reason for running was to do more to reduce carbon emissions on Kaua’i and prepare for the impacts of climate change—and I have barely moved the needle. While there have been some successes, there is so much more that needs to be done at every level. My New Year’s Resolution for 2020 is therefore to double down on island-wide mitigation and adaptation efforts (along with getting better at putting my phone away when I’m with my kids!). If you’ve got policy ideas or have seen inspirational policies from elsewhere, please send them over!

In other news…

1) The final bill of our ARU incentive package passed on Wednesday! Which means that the entire package will be going into effect. It brings the permitting cost from $10k-$20k down to $0 for an Additional Rental Unit as long as the homeowner commits to keeping it affordable for 5 years. Click here for more info on the entire package. The final bill of the package (click here for more info on it specifically) allows ARUs to be built on Rice St—which ensures that property owners in our commercial center can take advantage of the fee waivers. This is a key component of reducing the cost of housing island-wide, along with preserving open space and ag land, ensuring that people who want to live close to where they work can afford to do so, reducing carbon emissions, ensuring the viability of local businesses on Rice St, and giving our aging population more options to age at home close to services. As you can tell by the 7,534 emails I’ve sent on the topic—I’m pretty excited about it.

2) Our bill to define and allow tiny houses in all zoning districts passed unanimously on Wednesday! That means our building code will be updated soon to allow more flexibility in the design and construction of small footprint houses—allowing for lofts, low ceilings, access to the lofts, and egress from them. I’m also excited about this, and would love to hear if you all know of anyone who ends up taking advantage of it. Click here for more info on the bill.

3) Three weeks ago our resolution urging the Board of Water Supply to reduce the Facilities Reserve Charge for smaller footprint homes, multi-family homes, and certified Affordable ARUs passed unanimously. And, just yesterday the Board of Water voted to reduce the FRC from $14,115 to $9,880 for guest houses and ARUs. There is still a lot more to be done to ensure that the FRC is charged equitably, but I’m really happy that the Board took such quick action.Click here to review the Resolution we sent over.

4) An op-ed written by Councilmember Chock and myself published in The Garden Island last week explaining the rationale and intent behind our bill to ensure that all TVRs are taxed at Vacation Rental rates ($9.85 per $1k assessed value). I want to be clear that our bill is NOT the same as the bill recently passed by the City and County of Honolulu which charges all vacation rentals (including homestays and B&Bs) at the Resort rate ($13.90 per $1k assessed value). Click here to check out the op-ed and click here to check out a brief Powerpoint explaining what the bill does.
 

5) I just updated my website for a complete list of bills and resolutions I’ve introduced or co-introduced this year. It has details on the bills including their current status. You can check it out here. And, if you know anyone that might be interested in receiving these periodic email updates—please encourage them to sign up to receive emails here.

6) Lastly, almost none of the above policies appeared in any form in our local newspaper. So, if you're interested in staying up to date on everything happening at council or important activity occurring in various boards and commissions-- check out the policy site Eye on Kauai. She does a great job of attending every meeting and putting out good articles with policy explanations, an overview of the dialogue, and final vote count on every issue.  

Have a great holiday season and a happy new year! Thanks again for all you do and for staying engaged in the issues (and for making it to the end of my always-too-lengthy emails). 

Aloha,

Luke

Councilmember Kipukai Kuali’i and Luke Evslin are introducing Proposed Draft Bill No. 2761 to simplify the construction of tiny houses in all zoning districts. While there is currently no prohibition on building small footprint houses, in practice there are a number of regulations in our current building code that make their construction difficult. For the first time ever, the 2018 International Residential Code (IRC) includes an appendix drafted specifically to define a tiny house and to loosen up most of the building code issues that prevent their construction. Appendix Q legalizes lofts, lowers the minimum ceiling height to accommodate them, creates egress requirements specifically for lofts, and allows for stairs and ladders that can fit in small spaces. Proposed Draft Bill No. 2761 would adopt Appendix Q from the 2018 IRC into the Kaua’i County Code, but it amends the square footage maximum for a tiny house from 400 square feet to 500 square feet. Because Appendix Q repeatedly references other sections from the 2018 IRC, and the County of Kaua’i has not yet adopted the 2018 IRC, the proposed Draft Bill also includes those references written out in their entirety.

The proposed draft bill does not make any changes to the zoning code. So, a tiny house would still need to be permitted as either the main dwelling, an ADU, an ARU, or a guest house. And, all tiny houses still need to comply with all applicable state laws regarding waste water. Lastly, Appendix Q does not apply to movable units such as trailers or RVs.

There are four main reasons that it’s important allow tiny houses to be built:

1) They are cheap to build. Our General Plan outlines the need for 9,000 new homes by 2035 and tiny houses can be a cheap source of housing for single people and small families.

2) Tiny house communities have been built as public homeless shelters in other municipalities.

3) The Kaua’i County Council recently passed a bill allowing for kitchens in guest houses (defined as units under 500 sq. ft.) and allowing guest houses to be built on all lots. We should be doing all that we can to make it easier to build and live in those units.

4) The Kaua’i County Council recently passed a bill allowing for increased lot coverage on residential lots, so many properties now have a small amount of buildable land that could only fit a tiny house.

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The work of campaigning is unlike anything I’ve ever done before. I’m much more comfortable reading a working paper from the National Bureau of Economic Research than I am waving signs on the side of the road or knocking on people’s doors. But, as I’m learning, part of running for office is to force yourself out of your comfort zone. For me, it’s all WAY out of my comfort zone.

As Barack Obama wrote in the Audacity of Hope, campaigns are “sometimes uplifting, occasionally harrowing, but always slightly ridiculous.” The reason we swallow our shame and jump through these hoops (waving, knocking, standing on street corners passing out fliers, etc.) is to connect with people. Not just to get you to vote (though that’s helpful too), but to glimpse into your life. Whether it’s just an instant of eye contact on your way to work or a conversation about policy on your doorstep — these are the connections that allow for understanding and, ultimately, better decision making.

I strongly believe that the only way to represent all of Kaua’i is to develop the capacity to empathize with everyone. Much more important than any specific policy or ideology is the ability to see an issue from someone else’s perspective. So that when we disagree, as we eventually will, I can understand where you are coming from and you can understand where I am coming from.

From housing to climate change, the choices we make over the next few years will determine our island’s course for generations. And there are no simple solutions. To move forward we need both the courage to act boldly and the ability to engage in difficult and emotional conversations. If we allow the corrosive tribalism that’s overtaken national politics to dominate our local dialogue, we make it harder to work together on solutions. And if we mix up personal identity with policy prescriptions, then progress becomes impossible.

Seeing each other as neighbors and community members rather than members of an opposing ideology is the most important step we can take towards building a new kind of politics. One that’s focused on solutions and not divisions.

And so I step out of my car, I grab my banner, and I wave.

This is a leap that I never expected to take. I have never been elected to public office, I'm not any good at asking people to donate money, and I don't have all of the answers. But, I believe in you. I believe in the power of democracy and the potential of our communities. And I believe that together, we can build a better future for Kauaʻi. 

My name is Luke Evslin. I was born and raised in Wailua by my parents, Dr. Lee and Micki Evslin. I currently live in Kapahi with my wife Sokchea and our daughter, Finley. By working hard, perpetuating our shared values, and staying committed to finding solutions-- I hope to earn your support for a seat on the Kauaʻi County Council. I don't expect that we will agree on all things, all the time. But, I do hope that you can trust me to be honest, to make decisions based on the best available evidence, and to remain open and accountable to you. 

Ten years ago I started a business along with two of my closest friends. At the time, it was difficult to get a Hawaiʻi built outrigger canoe— as most production had been outsourced to China. Our lives were formed around canoe paddling, and so we felt strongly that it was important for canoes to be built in Hawaiʻi.

After talking about it for years, we rode our bikes to the industrial center, and with nothing but an idealistic dream— we signed a lease that day.

It felt like we’d just jumped off a cliff.

But, we landed on our feet. Within two months we were in production. Within two years, we were Hawaiʻi’s largest producer of outrigger canoes. And now the team of talented craftsmen at our shop have built over 2,000 canoes.

But to get there, we had to take that first jump.

I also know that taking a leap doesn’t always work out how we’d expect. In 2010, I took the most fateful jump of my life. I jumped out of my escort boat in the Molokaʻi Hoe and was hit by the boat's propeller five times across my back. There’s nothing like lying in the back of a fishing boat in a pool of your own blood to make you come to terms with life. But, in preparing myself to die, I ended up learning about the value of life. For the duration of that 45 minute boat trip, I felt completely connected to everyone. For a brief moment I could feel a link between me, my family, my friends, and my community. Within hours the feeling was gone. But, the impact it made on me has never left. That day I realized that if there’s a meaning to our lives— it’s in those connections.

The long recovery process changed my life. It forced me to move away from my business on Oʻahu and temporarily back in with my parents on Kauaʻi. And, in a roundabout fashion, it brought me to this decision today.

And so now I’m taking another jump. I am running for a seat on the Kauaʻi County Council. And I hope that you will come with me.

I am worried about the future of Kauaʻi. I worry that the cost of housing will never come down and that my generation will be forced to move away because we can’t find a place to live. I worry that the three feet of sea level rise I am likely to see within my lifetime will decimate our economy and environment in ways that we can’t even begin to imagine. I worry that our island of finite resources can't handle endless growth, and, from the other side of the spectrum, I also worry about how we're going to deal with the fiscal impact of declining population growth and an aging population. Most of all, I worry that right when we need it most— growing divisiveness in our local and national discourse will prevent collective long-term solutions on any of these fronts.

Yet, I am running for Kauaʻi County Council because I have hope. I believe that Kauaʻi can fix our housing crisis while retaining the character of our island. I believe that we can get to 100% renewable electricity and transportation by 2045. I believe we can see sustained economic growth while preparing for a rapidly changing climate. And I believe that we can strengthen our communities in the process. 

None of it is inevitable. Not even close. But, I’m running for office because I believe that they are possible. I am running for office because I know that when we come together to talk about solutions and when we engage in democracy and our civic institutions, we discover that we’re all fighting for the same things. That we are all part of the same community. I am running for office because I have hope. 

As I take this leap of hope, I hope that you will leap with me.