Skift Take
Quality of life and running a business should go hand-in-hand, but without regulations the demands of locals and the whims of tourists often collide so that nobody has fun.
The administration of Mayor Peter Carlisle confirmed Friday that companies cannot conduct commercial activities -- from kayak rentals to tour buses -- on any city beach or park at any time without a specific license under a bill that took effect July 1.
Bill 5, which the City Council introduced in 2011 and approved this year, was designed to ban business activity at Kailua Beach Park on weekends. But city attorneys have concluded that the wording of the bill also means "commercial activities without permits are not allowed" at all Oahu parks under city jurisdiction at all times, city spokeswoman Louise Kim McCoy said Friday.
The city's interpretation appears sweeping and could affect a large number of enterprises that conduct business on city parks, such as dive tour operators and food trucks.
City officials said after a week of warning companies, about two dozen citations have since been issued against businesses at Kailua Beach, among them kayak rental companies.
