Press Release for immediate publication 6/21/20
The Hawaii Bar Owners Association would like to announce an accommodation provided by the Honolulu Liquor Commission for the benefit of bar owners and liquor licensees of Oahu.
As a result of the Liquor Commission hearing last Thursday, June 6, 2020, a waiver request was granted that could benefit all Oahu licensees for this difficult year of 2020. The Irish Rose Saloon sought a waiver of the payment of the annual renewal fee due on June 30th for an agreed payment over 90 days. The request was granted by the Commission with an agreed payment schedule.
This Commission action will allow other licensees to seek that waiver individually for payment of the renewal fee with an extension of payment to an agreed payment schedule of up to 90 days.
Given the circumstance of the current Corona Virus lockdown a number of on-premise licensees have experienced severe cash flow problems.
This presents problems for both the licensee and the Commission as both need a source of income to operate. The Honolulu Liquor Commission operates separately from State or City & County funding and solely under the license fees they collect from the licensees. To lose the licensee due to a lack of funds on their part and making the annual renewal license fee payment deadline of June 30th impossible to meet would damage both the economy, the licensee, and the Commission.
Licensees have been without income for 90 plus days and are not in the position to currently pay all fees timely.
This arrangement allows for the extension of payment until after the bars have been allowed to operate and re-establish a cash flow. It allows for the licensee’s survival and the continued cash flow to the Commission to continue their operations.
This would provide for an extended period up to 90 days, or September 30, 2020 to complete payment of the license renewal fee per license. Each licensee could arrange, with the administration, a timeline they agree to pay that application fee.
Each licensee would still be responsible to submit by June 30.
- A completed Application
- Certificate of Insurance (COI) for current $1 million liquor liability
- DCCA registration and compliance
- Current tax clearances
- Submission form requesting an extension of payment (form below.)
The Commission will allow the request to be handled by the administration, providing all other compliance is fulfilled. If a licensee needs an accommodation over and above that provided by the administration, that request will be scheduled for hearing before the Commission at the next available setting.
The required form for submission is available at HIBOA.org and must be directed ASAP to liquor@honolulu.gov.
We members of the Hawaii Bar Owners Association would like to thank the very considerate and cooperative individuals involved in providing this solution for 2020. Chairman Joseph O’Donnell, and the fellow commission members, Administration Director Don Pacarro with Assistant Administrator Anna Hirai and Chief Investigator, Peter Nakagawa. We also thank Big Island Director Gerald Takase for his timely suggestion for a current solution.
Mahalo,
Bill Comerford
Chairman
Hawaii Bar Owners Association
Form to request extension of application fee payment
(Feel free to edit. PDF and .DOC below)
Letter of Request for Extension of
Liquor License Renewal Fee payment for FY21
Send to liquor@honolulu.gov
To the Honolulu Liquor Commission:
I, ________________________________ (Owner, Agent, Manager)
Respectfully ask for an extension of payment for my license renewal fee for
License #: _____________________________
DBA: ________________________________
Renewal Amount: $____________________________
…For a period of 30/60/90 (pick/circle one) days after pick-up of the FY21 license and will pay, in full, the above amount within that period, to the Honolulu Liquor Commission.
Proposed payment schedule (weekly, monthly): ___________________
Contact Phone#: ___________________________________
Email: ____________________________________________
__________________________ ______________________
Signed Date/Day
Sample-Submission-For-Liquor-License-Payment-Waiver