State task force tackles slow Hawaii building permit process

A task force recently created by Hawaii’s Legislature has begun to work on “simplifying” the building permit process statewide in an effort to unleash more construction and economic development.

The 34-member panel held its first meeting Thursday at the state Capitol, with most of the five-hour effort devoted to understanding the work of county and state agencies involved in processing building permits.

One big and perhaps not-too-surprising takeaway from presentations and discussions at the meeting was that the involved agencies have significant staff vacancies that reduce permit processing capacity.

At the Honolulu Department of Planning and Permitting, 14 of 33 positions handling commercial property permits are vacant, and on the residential side there are six vacancies among 32 posi