REFLECTIONS AND GOOD NEWS FOR THE HOLIDAY SEASON….and OTHER INFORMATION OF INTEREST
REFLECTING ON THE LEADERS WHO HAVE SERVED THE PUBLIC WITH INTEGRITY AND GRACE: ANN KOBAYASHI – As we close 2020 – a most difficult year – we applaud COUNCILMEMBER ANN KOBAYASHI for her untiring commitment to public service and leadership with such grace and integrity as well as her friendship to so many. Sadly she will be retiring from Honolulu City Council when we need her most, but she tells us she will continue to serve the public. Two of her former colleagues, former Honolulu Budget Director Ivan Lui-Kwan and Senator Donovan Dela Cruz write in Civil Beat’s Community Voice” We applaud her dedicated public service over decades to the people of Hawaii. In a world dominated by political polarization, her leadership has been marked with courage, political wisdom and integrity. She stands out as a shining light for effective leadership,” If you’d like to take a moment to reflect on Councilwoman Kobayashi’s service to Hawaii and other effective leaders that we can continue to learn from today, read the article here.
HAWAII EXPECTED TO GET $200M IN NEWLY PASSED FEDERAL RELIEF FUNDS – Hawaii residents are expected to get $200 million in financial relief out of a whopping $900 billion new federal funding package that just passed Congress this past Monday — a comprehensive measure that reads 5,500 pages long. Rejuvenating our struggling communities here in Hawaii, it will:
Extend the unemployment benefits deadline through March 14, 2021, adding a weekly $300 Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) on top of state unemployment benefits for 11 weeks.
Provide a $600 one-time check to qualified Hawaii residents.
Provide grant money for small businesses and additional funding for business owners who didn’t receive a Paycheck Protection Program loan.
Extend the eviction moratorium (which was supposed to expire 12/31) to Jan. 31, 2021 for renters. Rent payments are still due.
If you own your home, the moratorium and foreclosure deadline as well as the deadline to request an initial COVID-19 forbearance have both been extended through Feb. 28, 2021.
Include about $150 million for COVID-19 testing and contact tracing, and $35 million to fund vaccine distribution efforts.
A stipulation for medical providers and insurers who must negotiate acceptable payment for out-of-network doctor, hospital and air ambulance bills incurred during emergency care. Patients will owe only their typical in-network costs.
Provide a $10 billion injection into childcare grants, which can be used to help families with copayments and tuition for childcare while ensuring that childcare providers can remain open despite decreased enrollment.
$600 SECOND-ROUND STIMULUS CHECK: When will it come?A second round of stimulus checks could soon land in your bank account as early as next week if President Trump signs the $900 billion economic relief package just passed by Congress this past Monday. The bill now heads to the White House for the President’s signature to become law. Here’s what you need to know:
Single people earning up to $75,000 will receive $600, while married couples earning up to $150,000 will receive $1,200.
Dependent children will receive the same $600 checks as adults.
The $600 will be directed toward each dependent child under 17 years old, which means that adults who are nevertheless claimed as dependents — such as college students and older high school students — won’t qualify for the checks.
The same type of income phase out as in the CARES Act, with the stimulus check payments reduced for earnings above $75,000 per single person or $150,000 per married couple.
No checks for single people earning over $87,000 or married couples earning more than $174,000.
Adult dependents, such as seniors who are claimed as dependents on their adult children’s tax returns, won’t qualify for the checks.
Couples who include an immigrant without a green card would qualify.
Social Security recipients, SSI recipients, and VA beneficiaries will automatically receive checks
To check on how much you might receive, click here.
$400 COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIP: Application Deadline Dec 29 – The University of Hawaii Community Colleges (UHCC) Kūlia Scholarship for Spring 2021 has a limited number of scholarships for tuition and fees for up to $400 will be awarded to Hawaii residents whose employment has been affected due to COVID-19. The scholarship is to support students striving to complete a college degree to pursue new directions. To apply, click here. Deadline for applications for UHCC and the Kūlia scholarship is December 29.
FEDS EXTEND DEADLINE FOR HONOLULU RAIL – The federal funding to the rail project grant was set to lapse at the end of this year, but an appropriations bill extends the deadline to the end of next year for the City and HART to submit the financial plan to the Federal Transit Administration. While this extension buys more time, HART and the City must now revise their financial plan and come back with something that can actually work. The project is having difficulty with the city-center portion of the rail going from Kalihi to Ala Moana. HART and the City had different estimates of cost and completion. The City suggested a reasonable timeline for completion of the final leg, with the City projecting completion in 2033 but HART predicting sooner completion five years earlier. For more information, click here.
OTHER INFORMATION OF INTEREST
REAL PROPERTY TAX ASSESSMENTS ARE HEADED TO YOUR MAILBOX – The City is sending property tax notices on the assessed value of your properties for the 2021-22 tax year. Your property tax is based on the property’s value based on a rate set annually by the Honolulu City Council. Actual tax bills are then mailed to property owners in July. Assessed values for 2021 are based on how much the city estimated the properties were valued on Oct. 1. Property owners who don’t receive their assessment notices by Dec. 31 are advised to call 768-7000 or visit the Real Property Assessment Division offices at 842 Bethel St. or Kapolei Hale, Room 206.
If you want to file an appeal:
Call the Appeal Hotline at 768-7000 between 7:45 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. daily for inquiries. Email to bfsrpmailbox@honolulu.gov.
The appeal period is between Dec. 15 and Jan. 15. Hand-delivered appeals will be accepted until January 15 @4:30pm; mail appeals must be postmarked by January 15; and filings online at realpropertyhonolulu.com must be received by 11:59 p.m. on Jan. 15.
Appeals are not accepted via email or fax machine.
A $50 deposit is required for each appeal. Checks should be made payable to City and County of Honolulu.
GIFT CARD SCAMS DURING THE HOLIDAYS – Gift card scams are among the top schemes used every holiday season. Here’s what you need to know:
Whether you’re buying or using the gift cards, always do your homework on the company first.
Treat the gift card like cash.
Scammers steal the code on the gift card to collect the money loaded on them. If the gift card has been tampered with, take it back to the store immediately.
Check the expiration dates when buying gift cards. An expired gift card is useless.
IF YOU NEED TO TRAVEL DURING THE HOLIDAYS– If you must travel during the holidays, be careful and consider following these safety measures when traveling:
Check out the areas where you will be traveling. See a website like Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center here and refrain from traveling to areas where the number of COVID-19 cases is on the rise.
Avoid seeing people who may already face a heightened risk of COVID-19.
