Maui County · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in Maui County public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
Lobbyist regulation in Maui County
Maui is the only Hawaii county without real lobbyist registration and reporting rules. Bill 100 would require registration, training, reporting, and penalties — with some testifiers pushing back on the $5,000 fine for nonprofits. Deferred pending more questions.
Safe parking pilot program expansion (Bill 133)
Bill 133 would let people living in vehicles use other county-owned parcels, not just parking lots, and drop requirements for licenses, registration and safety checks at a temporary site for folks on Pulehu Road. It passed first reading and goes for final vote Friday — this meeting was the public's chance to weigh in.
Open Space Fund and wildfire fuel reduction
Rawlins-Fernandez wanted the Open Space Fund to pay for regular removal of wildfire fuel hazards, but pulled the proposal herself to avoid crowding the November ballot. She hopes to revive it in a future charter cycle.
South Maui Houselessness Strategic Plan
The committee revised Action 2.14 to require a strategic plan to house unsheltered individuals in South Maui, informed by any relevant studies rather than one 2022 report. Human Concerns leads the effort, with an estimated $100,000 cost.
Countywide homelessness plan still in development
Members pressed the new Human Concerns director for the administration's overall plan on homelessness — shelters, treatment beds, street medicine, prevention. The director said a draft plan is being compiled with community input but does not exist yet; the committee will request it in writing and expects a presentation July 27.
License plate reader data regulation (Bill 113)
Maui police already run about 32 license plate reader cameras on public roadways. Bill 113 bans selling that data for commercial use and forces county vendors to keep it locked down. The committee sent it to the full council with a 7-1 recommendation.
Settlement of USERRA lawsuit against Maui County
A former Maui police officer says the County skipped his retirement contributions while he was on four years of active military duty. Settling means paying public money to resolve the claim, though the amount stays confidential for now. The full Council makes the final call.
Ha'ikū Fire Station land entitlements and disputed title
Maui County wants to build a new Ha'ikū fire station on 6.1 acres it bought in 2007, but testifier Kane Alii Williams argues the land was never validly ceded and remains subject to Royal Patent 383, and has threatened a lawsuit. The committee moved the bills forward anyway, attaching a subsistence-farming condition for the remaining ag land as a compromise.
Firefighter union labor settlement and pay increases
The settlement resolves two prohibited-practices complaints between the County mayors and the firefighters union, ending a fight over the interest arbitration award. Firefighters keep step increases through 2029 and get extra 1.5% raises in 2027 and 2028; the union leader told the committee this matters as recruitment struggles and living costs climb.
Referral gaps between ethics board, council, prosecutors, and auditor
Chair Alice Lee pressed the ethics board on why the council is kept in the dark about cases — redacted decisions and no referrals to the council. Members agreed a better referral system between the ethics board, prosecutor, and county auditor is needed.
Ethics enforcement window for former county employees
Right now, county workers and board members can dodge an ethics case by resigning — the board lost three recent cases that way. Bill 55 gives the Board of Ethics six years from the violation (or from discovery if fraud was involved) to act, and it applies retroactively.
Nepotism in county hiring
Maui is one of only two Hawaii jurisdictions with no countywide nepotism policy — a gap the recent Spire audit flagged. Bill 99 would require hiring and promotions be based on merit, not family ties. Deferred for now.
Kona Low storm impacts on county parks
FEMA's disaster declaration left parks out of covered work categories, so the county paid out of pocket while an appeal is pending. Emergency work reimbursements may arrive within six months, but repair money could take six to nine months after invoices are submitted.
Safe parking pilot project for people living in vehicles
Maui County passed an ordinance in 2022 to let people living in their cars park safely overnight on designated county property, but four years later no site is operating. The contracted site behind Target flooded, pushing the start date out roughly five more months. Residents and advocates told the committee the delay is costing lives and safety.
Increased legal fees for August 2023 wildfire litigation
The county's excess insurer Safety National only agreed to cover $521,000 of an $854,000 bill from special counsel Meyers Nave, and after further negotiation the county's remaining share is $240,000. This wraps up the county's wildfire litigation legal funding asks — the insurer covers defense costs going forward.
South Maui mold remediation after Kona storms
Cook won $2 million to help South Maui residents, small businesses and community organizations address mold and environmental health impacts from the spring flooding — worded carefully so FEMA reimbursement isn't jeopardized.
Wildfire health impacts and the Ho'ola program
University of Hawaii researchers asked for $2 million in county co-funding to expand the Maui Wildfire Exposure Study's Ho'ola initiative — screening residents for toxic exposure, lung damage and PTSD, and connecting them to care.
Emergency Proclamation
A 47-year West Maui volunteer asked whether health-and-safety projects — like his fire station — can get exemptions from slow permitting, and suggested the county outsource to clear backlogs.
Community center and emergency shelter for Lanai
Stanley Reiders pushed for a community center below the skate park that could also serve as an emergency shelter, noting most Lanai homes are wooden and vulnerable to hurricanes.
Maui Humane Society funding
The island's only open-admission shelter says it's stretched past its breaking point — over 5,000 animals a year, no permanent vet services on Molokai, and post-fire demand surging. It's asking for roughly 8-55% increases across its county contracts.
Pulehu Road Homeless Encampment
Council members flagged a growing homeless encampment along heavily-traveled Pulehu Road, raising safety concerns with Kona storms approaching. The department said discussions are underway but no concrete plan exists yet.
Hana Mamas behavioral health proposal ($650,000)
A volunteer group of Hana moms is asking for $650,000 in FY28 for a sober living house and 'aina-based outpatient treatment programs. They also flagged that the 2020 census badly undercounted Hana — about 793 residents versus the ~2,100 they counted themselves — and want funds for a community-run census and voter registration drive.
Public safety staffing — Hana community police officer and frontline retention
Noe Lecker and others asked for a dedicated community police officer for Hana. Lt. Bonacorsi explained the district runs Kipahulu to Ko'ipu with sometimes just one or two officers per shift. Testifiers also urged funding for Hana police and fire recruitment and retention in the isolated district.
MPD Budget Transparency and Federal Contract Compliance
A testifier asked the council to tie the police department's $140 million proposed budget to measurable compliance with public records laws, citing alleged unauthorized federal contracts (including ICE) and UIPA violations. The NNK audit showed MPD underspent its budget by $5.5 million last year.
Aloha House substance abuse treatment funding gap
Maui's only accredited residential substance abuse treatment program says it faces a $500,000 gap, mostly in nursing payroll, while Medicaid enrollment barriers delay admissions. Council members discussed grants, opioid settlement funds and contract increases as possible remedies.
Regulating low-speed electric bicycles
Bill 16 would require riders under 18 to wear helmets and ban wheelies and other unsafe maneuvers on low-speed e-bikes. Departments support it, but discussion revealed the real danger is high-speed e-motorcycles and e-dirt bikes, which are already illegal — and a pending state bill (HB 2021) could supersede local rules.
FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force agreement (Bill 92, CD1)
The committee killed the bill authorizing the Mayor's agreement with the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force after residents warned the partnership could entangle local police in federal immigration enforcement and surveillance of political dissent. The existing 2007 MOU remains in effect, and some members and testifiers want the county to formally withdraw from it.
Building heights in Lahaina historic district
Bill 1803 would amend the West Maui Community Plan to set building heights for new construction behind the Lahaina National Historic Landmark District. Residents are weighing how tall rebuilt buildings should be as Lahaina recovers from the 2023 wildfire.
Donated emergency cell towers for fire department
After the 2023 fires knocked out West Maui communications, the county is borrowing rapid-deployable cell towers from AT&T FirstNet via STComms. Fire can have a coverage bubble up within about two hours anywhere on the county, including Lanai and Molokai.
Child abuse and human trafficking prevention
Maui accounts for nearly 24% of Hawaii's identified sex trafficking victims despite about 11% of the state's population, and one in five Maui adults reports four or more adverse childhood experiences. Providers say prevention funding continuity and local trafficked-youth shelters are lacking.
County Lawsuit Against Utility Over Wildfire Negligence
Maui County is suing Hawaiian Electric, saying the utility’s negligence helped spark the wildfires. The case is basically a fight over who foots the bill for billions in damage—and that answer will shape how the island rebuilds.