BARRY MARKOWITZ / SPECIAL TO THE STAR-BULLETIN Duke Bainum and Mufi Hannemann shook hands yesterday prior to a forum at the Koolau Country Club sponsored by two Windward Oahu business groups.

Candidates address
Windward concerns

Windward business people wanted to know how the next mayor would address illegal bed-and-breakfast establishments and vacation rentals.

And they also wanted to know if the candidates running for mayor supported moving a landfill to Kailua.

In a forum sponsored by the Kailua Chamber of Commerce and the Kaneohe Business Association at the Koolau Golf Club, leading candidates Mufi Hannemann and Duke Bainum sounded off on those and other issues affecting Windward Oahu.

The City Council is slated to decide later this year where to put the next landfill, and the Windward business groups wanted to know if the candidates supported putting the landfill in Kapaa Quarry.

Bainum said he has always opposed a landfill there. "Kapaa Quarry is not the place for a landfill because I can see where this is headed," Bainum said.

He said that there is a reason "landfills are located in dry areas," especially after seeing Kapaa Quarry fill with rainwater and foreseeing the potential for "trash bubbling over."

Both called for alternative technologies and more recycling.

Hannemann said there should be alternatives to landfills. Although he does not want another landfill, if the City Council should pick a site, that community should have benefits to make up for having the landfill in their back yard.

"You don't want it in your back yard, and let me make it also very clear, the Leeward side doesn't want to have it in their back yard," Hannemann said.

Bainum and Hannemann also said more needs to be done to crack down on unregistered bed-and-breakfast operations, especially when they affect existing residential neighborhoods like those in Kailua.

"It is not comforting for me to know that the present administration perhaps has not heeded the calls to the concerns that was expressed repeatedly throughout the years about this burdensome industry that is obviously causing an impact on your quality of life," Hannemann said.

Bainum said bed-and-breakfast businesses and vacation rentals have to be good neighbors.

"That means they have to be considerate of our residents when it comes to parking and noise and other issues," Bainum said.

He called for enforcing the current laws, even if it means finding a way to help finance more inspectors.

"We can craft a licensing fee that will provide plenty of money to monitor and to enforce the law," Bainum said.

Hannemann also said that if beefing up the number of inspectors is what is needed, then "so be it."