Maui County · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in Maui County public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
Mauka collector road and evacuation route feasibility study
Kihei is essentially a one-road-in, one-road-out community, and testifiers called it a death trap in a fire, tsunami, or flood. The plan emphasizes the North-South Collector Road, but speakers say a real second highway exit is still needed.
South Maui Community Plan update (Bill 108)
The 20-year plan replacing the 1996 Kihei-Makena plan would guide where and how South Maui grows — housing, transportation, watershed management, and cultural site protection. Residents fear it locks in growth the roads, water system, and evacuation routes can't support.
Maui County Kokua Fund for emergency donations (Bill 93)
After the 2023 wildfires, over $140 million in donations went largely to an O'ahu-based nonprofit without Council oversight. Chair Lee's Kokua Fund bill would let the County accept emergency donations directly with quarterly reporting, giving the Council a window into where the money goes.
$1.6B CDBG-DR wildfire recovery fund status
Lionel Pascual described falling out of every aid program after his loss-of-use money ran out — making $14,000 too much to qualify for help but not enough to afford rent — and fears homelessness.
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.
Financial element requirements under 2.80B.070
Chair Paltin pressed Deputy Corporation Counsel Hopper on whether the plan's TBD costs and deleted revenue policies (like traffic impact fees) satisfy the code; Hopper said it meets minimum requirements but adequacy is the Council's call.
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.
H-3/H-4 Hotel District Zoning Referral
The committee is deciding which A-1/A-2 apartment-zoned condo properties can be rezoned to Hotel so their short-term rental uses continue after Bill 9 phases out TVRs in apartment districts. Each unit kept in TVR use is a unit not returned to the long-term housing stock.
Short-term rental zoning in the Sea Level Rise Exposure Area
Several testifiers warned that many affected buildings are oceanfront, in sea-level-rise impact zones and flood zones, with high insurance costs. One urged a sunset provision reverting vulnerable shoreline parcels to open space when erosion thresholds are hit.
Hotel rezoning of apartment-district TVR properties (Bill 9 exemptions)
Two resolutions would refer bills to the Planning Commission to let apartment-zoned short-term rental properties switch to hotel zoning and keep operating as visitor accommodations instead of returning to long-term housing. Most testifiers called this an unraveling of Bill 9 during a housing crisis; owners of flood- and erosion-exposed buildings pushed to be exempted. The committee adopted criteria 5-4 and put off any decision to September 9.
Bill 9 carve-outs: hotel rezoning referrals for apartment-district TVRs
Two resolutions would refer bills to the Planning Commission to let apartment-zoned short-term rental properties switch to hotel zoning and keep operating as visitor accommodations instead of returning to long-term housing. Most testifiers called this an unraveling of Bill 9 during a housing crisis; owners of flood- and erosion-exposed buildings pushed to be exempted. The committee adopted criteria 5-4 and put off any decision to September 9.
Lahaina rebuild and affordable housing funding
Opponents tied the rezoning fight to Maui's post-fire housing crisis: fire survivors face Hale Ola'a program endings, rising rent burdens, and units being converted to visitor use. Advocates pushed rent stabilization and warned that chipping away at Bill 9 breeds distrust in county government.
Rezoning 10 Walaka Street and Makai Sunset Inn (Res. 26-130)
The County is deciding which shoreline and near-shore condo properties get rezoned to Hotel districts so they can keep operating as short-term rentals instead of phasing into long-term housing under Bill 9. It's a tug-of-war between preserving tourism revenue and jobs versus adding units to the local housing supply.
Disaster Case Management Program Transition to County Control
Speakers split on priorities: one urged adding mental health and wellness funding to the budget; another fire survivor countered that housing, not counseling, is what survivors actually need.
County hiring is slow, rigid, and losing candidates
Departments can't fill vacancies fast enough — one applicant applied 16 times before being hired. Members want faster hiring, fewer HR filters between managers and applicants, and flexibility on minimum qualifications and pay steps.
Housing affordability and the Minatoya list
Testifiers on both sides anchored their arguments in Maui's housing crisis — FEMA housing aid ending within a year, thousands of TVR units sitting empty much of the year, and locals priced out. The core question: do these units become homes for residents, or stay visitor accommodations?
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.
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.
FY 2027 County Budget Proposal
Mayor Bissen's proposed budget raises spending by about $60 million (3.8 percent). West Maui residents say rising taxes and fees are pricing families off the island, and want more scrutiny of spending.
Proposed FY 2027 County of Maui Budget
The committee is deep in add-and-cut mode on the Mayor's proposed budget, with about $30 million cut and $40 million added so far — but a $17 million general fund gap still has to be closed, likely through property tax decisions on Friday. What survives these deliberations shapes county services, staffing, and your tax bill.
Fiscal Year 2027 County Budget
The committee is gearing up for budget review season, with updated department calendars and standardized question formats posted online. Deliberations begin at the March 17 meeting.
Lahaina Community Land Trust Funding Shift
The land trust asked the council to restore $6 million the mayor initially promised but dropped from the budget, plus keep $2.4 million from the Affordable Housing Fund — the money keeps Lahaina land in local hands as settlement payouts spur sales.
Maui Long-Term Wildfire Recovery Operations
Three years after the fires, most debris is cleared and rebuilding is well underway, but multifamily projects won't come online until 2029-2030, leaving a housing gap. The county is taking over disaster case management from the state this month.
Factory-built housing for the Lahaina burn zone
With FEMA housing ending and 946 families displaced, the Council is testing factory-built and modular homes in the burn zone. Supporters say it's the fastest way to keep Lahaina families housed; critics worry about losing construction jobs and long-term quality. Bill 15 passed first reading 6-3 with a five-year-style sunset and residential-only limits.