Name on ballot:

Fern Anuenue Holland

Running for:

Political party:

No answer submitted

Campaign website:

votefern.com

Current occupation:

HAPA’s Director Fair & Sustainable Food Systems

Age:

39

Previous job history:

Environmental & Community Consultant (Jan 2013 – Present) as Independent Contractor

Administrative Team, Community Organizer & Environmental Scientist (March 2017 – Jan 2024) with Hawai`i Alliance for Progressive Action (HAPA)

Server, Bartender & Manager (Aug 2012 – March 2020) at Tahiti Nui Bar & Restaurant

Environmental Officer (June 2011 – May 2012) with Queensland Department of Transport & Main Roads, Bundaberg, Australia

Environmental Scientist (Jan 2010 – May 2012) with GHD Queensland, Australia

Previous elected office, if any:

None

Please describe your qualifications to represent the people of your district?

I love Kauaʻi. I was born and raised here and have a lifelong commitment of service to Kauaʻi and our community. As a homeowner, experienced local business owner and previous hospitality worker, I understand the everyday struggles that many residents face. I want to help us come up with practical real solutions to address our pressing issues and create a better future for Kauaʻi and the world.

I have a Bachelor’s of Science with triple majors, in Marine Biology, Wildlife Management, and Environmental Sciences. I believe my education and professional background will help me in making important decisions around environmental issues that will need to be made in coming years.

Having high moral and ethical standards is very important to me. My commitment to being transparent, clear and communicative in the things I support and don’t, with an explanation and an open mind, and door, is an important qualification I possess.

What is the most pressing issue facing the voters you seek to represent, and how would you address the problem?

The lack of affordable housing and the increased cost of living is the biggest issue facing our county. This economic pressure is the reason we have seen an exodus of local families and Kauaʻi’s workforce, a loss of generational families, and the creation of an unsustainable economy. We must push hard for county solutions that will reduce the cost of housing and food in order to keep local families on Kauaʻi. We need to prioritize and diversify our economy to provide good paying jobs and keep money on Kauaʻi.

It is critical we acquire and direct funding for truly (at or less than 80% AMI) and permanently affordable housing projects. I will support existing organizations and initiatives to provide real supply solutions, efforts to de-incentivise short term transient vacation rentals, and the encouragement of long term affordable housing rentals.

I support homeowners being allowed more flexibility regarding the adding of additional units on their properties. I also believe we need to make the permitting process easier to navigate. I will support the expansion of county sewer systems in existing areas where there is zoned capacity for new homes, starting in Kapaʻa, Koloa and Wailua. Critical upgrades and improvements are also needed for wastewater treatment facilities. I believe this is a long term solution that will allow homeowners to build an ADU (Additional Dwelling Unit) without the high costs and complications of septic installation.

What would you propose to improve traffic congestion on the island of Kauai?

My approach will be to connect with the planners already working on current solutions to find out how I can help them solve traffic concerns. Wherever I can, in my capacity as a Councilmember, I will help to address project needs by finding funding or support to get them completed.

I will work with the State Department Of Transportation to revisit making a second lane from Kapaʻa to Lihue, alleviate other bottleneck locations, and develop alternative routes as part of emergency management and traffic mitigation.

I support expanding public transportation so residents can more regularly rely on bus services and so more visitors can experience Kauaʻi without renting a car. I will look at getting the bus running on Sunday and work to facilitate expansion. I understand the County struggles to hire drivers and I will look at how we address this. Marketing the County website getaroundkauai.com may also help visitors not need a rental car.

Creating more employment around Kauaʻi while providing housing in Lihue and central areas can also help to reduce cars on the road. Providing more options for housing where jobs are concentrated provides options for people who want to live closer to their workplace.

What are the best ways for county government to alleviate homelessness and to increase the availability of affordable housing?

I will work for housing first solutions and comprehensive plans that address the interconnected social issues our community faces around houselessness. I support a comprehensive approach that looks to address houselessness, drugs and the cycle of poverty issues holistically.

I also understand we need to look at affordable housing separately with an urgent and comprehensive plan. We need to increase supply of real and permanent affordable housing units, discourage non-residents from buying second homes here for use as vacation rentals, and help keep homes in the long term rental market. I will look for out of the box solutions to help offset and reduce rental costs, as well as encourage and incentivize home owners to rent their homes on long term affordable leases.

I will dive into the research that has been done on what has worked in other areas, and connect with the groups already working on this issue. I want to help improve and streamline more affordable housing projects and support development projects like the Lima Ola affordable housing project and efforts to bring in State and federal support to fund such projects. I will also support the development of additional family units on existing residences and programs that can help applicants with the permitting and approval processes.

What can the county do to help Kauai residents cope with the overall high cost of living in Hawaii?

I am passionate about helping us develop a more circular economy, where more of the revenue we generate stays on the island and benefits local residents more directly. To meet growing inflation, rising rent prices and our outrageous cost of living, we must think of out of the box bold solutions to provide and encourage high paying quality jobs for our people. To make a significant difference inflation really needs to be addressed at the state and federal levels.

I believe that there are ways we can invest more in our economy and tap into revenue from existing tourism in a way that keeps more money on the island. Investing in innovation and entrepreneurship is another means that can assist us in addressing rising inflation.

Property tax is the primary lever the County Council can work with directly in the sense of directly lowering costs for struggling residents. Some ideas could be increasing exemptions and/or tax breaks for owner occupied (and long term rental) properties. Another mechanism may be to tie exemptions to inflation. This way when inflation goes up then tax exemptions also increase.

How prepared is the county to deal with a major natural disaster and what would you do to improve preparedness and responsiveness?

We need to be a lot more prepared than we are. To improve disaster preparedness, we must review and improve our current response protocols and procedures. I support detailed, step by step, disaster response plans, specific to location and potential disaster. I believe that in order to streamline our response, it is important that we work with existing, on the ground, community leaders and businesses and review our siren policies and activation protocols and ensure we continue to expand on our warning systems.

Recent flooding in Wailua and Koloa is another reminder about how vulnerable we are to natural disasters. It is heartbreaking to see community members hurting due to flooded homes, cars and lost property, while feeling like our systems and responses failed them. It is important we develop island-wide flood mitigation plans that specifically address our unique flooding issues, sea level rise, and ensure the safety of our dams and reservoirs.

With a Wildlife Management major, which includes fire management and an understanding about the true threat of overgrown invasive species and poor land management, I understand the ways we have lost important ecological services from widespread landscape alteration and the increased fire risk we are dealing with because of it. As an ecologist, I understand the need for large ecosystem restoration projects, and how to accomplish them, as part of building resilience and natural protections.

What measures, if any, should county government take to regulate short-term vacation rentals?

I believe we must find ways to discourage off shore vacation rental home buying, which is playing a part in pushing local families out of the market. We need to look at ways to help offset and reduce rental costs and encourage and incentivize home owners to rent their homes on long term affordable leases to local families.

Continuing to hold a hard line enforcing closure of illegal short term home rentals is an important part of our role. I will be willing to look at what a phased reduction approach could look like. This would be a phased reduction in TVRs that first address the rest of the illegal short term rentals, then phases out those outside a VDA (Visitor Destination Area) or under certain conditions. This phase out approach could help free units located in what are traditionally residential areas. I would look at Maui efforts and collaborate with other counties to see what is working, and not, for their communities.

What more needs to be done to reduce crime on the Garden Island?

Reducing crime requires a multi pronged approach. 1. Improving education and prevention efforts. 2. Addressing issues associated with the cycle of poverty, like houselessness, drug addiction, and mental and physical health care. 3. Ensuring effective enforcement and just punishments, which includes the use of drug rehabilitation and re-entry programs.

Supporting police needs and the expansion of their community engagement are also an important part of addressing crime. Supporting health care access and coverage is a part of addressing the causes of addiction and homelessness, and crime that can be associated.

What will be your top priority if elected?

Creating more affordable housing will be my top priority if elected. We must urgently create solutions that will reduce the cost of housing and support affordable housing efforts in appropriate locations. Solutions that preserve our environment, community, and rural way of life. We must continue to develop more projects like the Lima Ola affordable housing project, support the permitting and development of additional family units and rentals on existing properties, tackle infrastructure upgrade needs, and push back against a short term rental market by supporting initiatives that encourage long-term affordable housing rentals.

Unfortunately, our landfill and solid waste issue must be a top priority for the Council. We are out of time. The development of a landfill will take longer than we currently have, as the current Kekaha landfill expires in just a few years. If a solution is not found immediately, we will be shipping our waste off island at a huge cost to taxpayers. It is critical that we address this pressing issue and responsibility, and that we do this to the highest environmental and sustainability standards.

Is there anything more that you would like voters to know about you?

I have been an advocate for social and environmental justice my entire life. My life long community and environmental advocacy has motivated me to run for public office. My 12 year local involvement in State and County politics has taught me that this is an effective way to make a difference for the betterment of Kauaʻi and our people.

I am committed to doing everything that I can to fight for local families. I believe that I can relate to and understand the needs of our diverse community, honor our unique and valuable history and culture, while making good decisions for our future.

I am committed to creating solutions for Kauaʻi’s drug problems, including fentanyl overdose threats. We need to improve our port security and get drugs off of our streets. We must address the issue holistically with counseling programs, on island detox, treatment centers, and housing first solutions.