Honolulu Changes Its Event Permitting To Favor The WSL’s Recent Lobbying

The Department of Parks and Recreation for the City and County of Honolulu announced today that the proposed changes to its Shore Water Event permits have been approved and will be taking effect immediately.

The changes are due, in large part, to a lobbying effort from the World Surf League which sought multi-year permits in order to facilitate event sponsorship.

Despite claims that the City and County would hold a second hearing on the proposed rules following the initial July 3rd hearing today’s press release states, “The content of the provided testimony did not warrant the need for an additional public hearing.”

In addition to the multi-year permits the new rules eliminate the previous appeals process, changes the application deadlines, allows for cancellation of events due to beach erosion, and provides for increased variances under the purview of the Director of the Department of Parks and Recreation.

The deadline for applications under the new rules is September 28th, 2018.

Entrepreneurially-minded individuals may realize that this creates a real opportunity for potential financial windfall. While it’s likely a foregone conclusion that the WSL will receive any and all permits for which it applies, the off-chance that they might be denied seems enough to justify filing applications. Whoever is granted permits under the new rules will own them for three years, a true chance to wring some dough out of what is essentially the privatization of a public resource.