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.
Kula (Waiakoa) gym damage and possible total loss
High winds blew off the gym's roof and rain soaked its wooden structure; a structural engineer is evaluating whether it's a total loss, with results in about 60 days. Officials reclassified it out of the parks exclusion so FEMA may help pay, and historic, archaeological and accessibility reviews complicate any rebuild.
Emergency evacuation routes for South Maui
Testifiers repeatedly called Kihei a one-way-in, one-way-out 'death trap,' citing four-hour gridlock during a tsunami warning and the Lahaina fire. Many demanded infrastructure and a second exit before any more homes are built.
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.
Emergency preparedness for kūpuna and disabled residents
Councilmember Paltin asked whether evacuation transportation for elderly and disabled residents could be strengthened in the plan; Human Concerns described ongoing work with MEO and MIMA, including wheelchair-capable shelter buses used during Hurricane Lala.
Countywide disaster preparedness and evacuation planning
Councilmember Paltin asked whether evacuation transportation for elderly and disabled residents could be strengthened in the plan; Human Concerns described ongoing work with MEO and MIMA, including wheelchair-capable shelter buses used during Hurricane Lala.
Wildfire evacuation and infrastructure-first growth
The Lahaina fire hangs over this plan. A 4-1 vote failed to restore the old rule that infrastructure must exist before new development, but members kept citing evacuation access, cul-de-sac connectivity and grid hardening — and a noted single transmission line into Lahaina makes power shutoffs a regional risk.
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.
Facial recognition technology moratorium question (Bill 112)
The county doesn't own facial recognition tech yet, and Bill 112 would set rules for if it ever does. Several members balked — one wants an outright ban — so action was deferred, and the administration has paused real-time crime center plans in the meantime.
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.
Emergency Shelters and Closures
Maui County just published the official list of emergency shelters and closures, so when a storm or emergency hits you can see exactly where to go and what’s shut down. It’s basic preparedness info—check it before you need it.
Workplace safety and harassment policy review
Vice Chair Paltin asked whether HR rules cover employee safety from the public — referencing a gun incident at a county building and the council's funding of a campus security plan. The team confirmed HR-related safety and violence policies fall within the project's review scope.
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.
West Maui Recovery Grants
SBA disaster loans cover homeowners, renters, businesses and nonprofits for losses from the March 10–24 storms. Late applications are accepted until August 13, 2026, and economic injury applications until January 2027 — many residents, especially on Molokai, still don't know homeowners and renters qualify.
Kula Hospital recovery advocacy
The state-run Kula Hospital, housing severely handicapped patients who were relocated to Oahu, isn't a county facility but county leaders are advocating for its repair. About eight patients sent to Oahu are experiencing separation anxiety from family caregivers.
El Niño and hurricane season preparedness
With a Super El Niño forecast, the Office of Recovery is embedding in emergency operations earlier, expanding office space, and building on workforce experience from this disaster. Councilmembers were urged to flag vulnerable spots in their districts and keep communicating with property managers before storms hit.
Kona Low storm recovery and FEMA reimbursement
The March 2026 Kona Low storms damaged 92 county sites island-wide, adding over $100 million to recovery needs on top of $2.36 billion from the wildfire. FEMA is changing its reimbursement process, and the county is fronting money it wasn't budgeted for, with a FY 2027 budget amendment expected.
Board of Ethics continuity
The ethics board just lost its chair and secretary to term limits as it rolls out big new initiatives. Letting members serve one extra five-year term would keep that expertise in place.
Board of Ethics Staffing
The five-month-old Ethics office reported it has already outpaced two years of typical output — 62 advisory opinions, 25 complaints closed — and needs two more staff, including a second attorney for contested cases. Funding (Bill 193) passed final reading; the salary-setting bill went to committee.
Federal HUD policy shift on homelessness funding
HUD restructured Continuum of Care funding on June 1, moving away from Housing First toward transitional housing and treatment requirements. Members and the director flagged concerns about barriers to entry.
Routing county claims to Corporation Counsel
Right now residents file injury and property damage claims with the County Clerk, who just forwards them along but keeps fielding frustrated claimants' questions. The proposed charter change sends claims directly to Corporation Counsel, but county attorneys say that could conflict them out of representing the county in resulting lawsuits, and Risk Management's office is too small and short-staffed to receive the public.
Board of Ethics reappointment
The Board of Ethics wants its members reappointable for one successive five-year term without a waiting period, saying it now has full-time staff and multi-year initiatives — lobbyist rules, a nepotism ordinance — that need institutional continuity.
Loud vehicle sound system fines (Bill 119)
Bill 119 would raise fines for blasting amplified music from vehicles, up to $1,000 for repeat offenses. Police and prosecutors said seizing stereo systems isn't practical, so the forfeiture piece is being dropped. Skeptics note zero citations were issued in 2024, raising questions about whether bigger fines change anything.
Settlement of Charlotte Martin lawsuit against the County
A negligence and vicarious-liability claim against the County over a February 2023 incident between Martin and a vehicle driven by a Maui police officer at Kepaniwai Park. The settlement vote was deferred because the trial moved to 2027.
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.