Senate Bill 2919 allows counties to phase out short-term rentals island-wide in an attempt to solve the island’s critical housing shortage.

While I applaud the intent of these rather draconian measures, I feel the unintended consequences have not been fully explored.

Back in 2008, Maui Mayor Charmaine Tavares closed over 1,000 unpermitted short-term rentals on Maui’s north shore. Legally, the mayor had every right to take this action.

I was playing music at a popular north shore watering hole back then and the place was usually packed every night with visitors, especially windsurfers and kiteboarders from around the world.

Most of these seasonal guests were staying in nearby short-term rentals.

Within days of the action by the mayor, business disappeared.at our musical venue and many others.

It seems that many of our north shore visitors were not going to just move to some fancy hotel many miles away on Maui’s south shore. They were just going to go somewhere else.

The economic impact was devastating; not just to the owners and operators of short-term rentals, but to waiters, waitresses, gardeners, house cleaners and many others.

I see the same thing happening with Bill 2919 except on a much wider scale.

I would urge Mayor Richard Bissen and his administration to take a more nuanced approach to this very complex and divisive problem.

Randolph Coon

Kula