Maui County · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in Maui County public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
Keokea Industrial urban growth boundary expansion (North Kihei)
Haleakala Ranch and Kaonoulu Ranch propose a large phased residential development adjacent to Kulanihakoi High School, with three village hubs. Supporters call it logical, walkable growth; critics fear promises will vanish once land changes hands.
Lānaʻi bypass road condition
A decades-old condition required Pūlama to build a bypass road around Lānaʻi City once half the units were occupied — a trigger the downsized project will never hit. The committee split 5-4 on deleting it, with members arguing over safety, evacuation, and who should pay for infrastructure.
Lānaʻi Project District 2 (Kōʻele) zoning change (Bills 24 and 25, 2024)
The committee added a sunset to the water-reporting condition: five years of quarterly reports, then annual reports or until a Phase 2 approval, whichever comes first. Water accountability on Lānaʻi stays on the books but won't run forever.
Maui Research & Technology Park zoning amendments (Bill 141, 2026)
Bill 141 shifts commercial acreage to residential in the Kihei tech park so homes are less dense, while keeping the 1,250-unit cap. Residents watching Kihei growth will see the same number of homes spread over more land, and slightly less commercial build-out.
Real property tax review board under strain
Five unpaid volunteers handle up to a thousand tax appeals a year in seven-hour meetings, denying over 95% of appeals. The commission suggests routing simple appeals through a county desk review first and questions whether adjudication should rest on volunteers at all.
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.
Fiscal Reserve Fund Proposal
A sharp exchange: Chair Lee and Member Batangan pressed the managing director on whether the administration pads the budget with big carryover savings, noting the emergency fund exists for disasters. Nishita countered that the Council itself has added tens of millions to the budget above the mayor's requests in recent years.
Temporary wastewater service for new Central Maui school
The new Central Maui school in Waikapu is set to open in 2031, possibly before the county's new wastewater plant is running. This agreement reserves 14,500 gallons per day of temporary capacity at the existing Wailuku-Kahului facility as a plan B.
Wastewater disinfection concerns at Wailuku-Kahului facility
Testifier Travis Lincoln proposed a novel donation-funded model to accelerate 100% R-1 disinfection at the Kihei and Kahului plants, citing elevated fecal bacteria in UIC reports; Mike Moran pressed for clarity on whether South Maui's injection well water is actually UV-treated given poor water quality at Cove Park.
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.
Gulch and drainage-way protection policies
Proposed policies would bar new permanent structures in or within 100 feet of gulches and drainageways, but Public Works Director Molina warned the blanket restriction could kill needed flood mitigation and drainage projects. Deferred for more work.
Protection of Wahi Kupuna and cultural resources
The committee approved policies ensuring Native Hawaiian access to kuleana lands, preserving historic roads like the King's Trail with restoration encouraged where practicable, using Ike Kupuna in development design, and supporting a South Maui cultural center and museum.
Infrastructure Priority for 100% Affordable and Workforce Housing
New rules push affordable and workforce housing near jobs, schools and transit, spread across South Maui's neighborhoods (minus conservation Sub-Area 6), and encourage developers of 10+ unit projects to face local community associations first. A fight over banning affordable-housing 'credits' was punted to a countywide code change.
County acquisition of flood-prone Waipuilani parcels
South Maui has flooded every year since 2021; testifiers described dead soil, choked wetlands, and debris-filled waters, urging the plan to require stormwater systems, gulch protection, and wetland restoration before new development.
North-South Collector Road and eminent domain
Mayer called Piʻilani an eight-to-ten-mile cul-de-sac and estimated 6,800 additional vehicles if all planned units build out; the possible road link to Veterans Highway is a two-lane road with no funding in the plan.
Piilani Promenade land-use conflict with LUC order
The committee wrestled with whether to keep an 80/20 residential/commercial policy for Piilani Promenade when a Land Use Commission decision and order currently bars residential use there. Corp counsel flagged it as odd to mandate uses the LUC has prohibited; members discussed 'if-then' language in case the landowner goes back to the LUC, plus a lingering ~$20 million subdivision bond for the Kaonoulu extension road.
Wailea Golf Plan dispute
The draft plan contains an earlier owner-proposed Wailea Golf plan that would leave one golf course and open the Blue Course to development. The Wailea Community Association and condo owners want the committee to substitute a negotiated compromise that keeps the Blue and Gold courses and allows development only on the Emerald Course.
North Kīhei Mauka residential designation
Haleakalā and Kaonoulu Ranches are defending the plan's North Kīhei Mauka Residential area against arguments it adds too many units. The ranches say they're finalizing easements for a north-south road corridor and asked that flood-mitigation work mauka be documented for the committee.
Recycled water expansion and possible desalination
A fire survivor credited pencil cactus with saving his property and urged county-wide planting as living firebreaks; another asked the county to fund reclaimed water delivery to Bishop Estate lands so dry fields stop becoming fire hazards.
North Kihei Road Relocation and Shoreline Management
Erosion has already eaten 600 feet of Mākena Lane, and the plan now 'must' address the inevitable relocation of North Kīhei Road. The committee added the MPO and DPW as lead agencies so the project can be prioritized for federal funding.
County Parcel Adjacent to Kihei Police Station — Passive Park vs. Housing
About 140 undeveloped acres next to the Kīhei police station could become a passive park protecting rare wiliwili dryland forest and cultural sites — but Housing is preparing an affordable-housing RFP for the same land. The committee paused for the administration to weigh in.
Accessory Dwelling Size Standards (Bill 27, 2026)
The committee struck a plan action item because recent county laws already allow kitchenettes and two ADUs per residential property. Members flagged that many residents — and even building inspectors — don't know these changes exist yet.
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.
Kīpūola Kauhale — Maui's first kauhale community
After a deep cultural discussion with Native Hawaiian CPAC members, the committee agreed to build at least one pu'uhonua or culturally infused safe low-barrier shelter — and tripled the cost estimate to $30,000 per unit. The term was kept deliberately broad to avoid repeating the divisiveness around Pu'uhonua o Nēnē.
Workforce housing policies vs. Chapter 2.96 conflict
Attorney Kiola Whitaker warned that policies 2.2.18, 2.2.19 and 2.2.26 (requiring housing location 'to the extent practicable' and a genealogical-ties preference) could conflict with recorded workforce housing agreements under Chapter 2.96, delaying housing. Housing Director Remy Mitchell agreed and endorsed moving the preference language into the code. The committee marked all three policies for revisit.
Workforce housing policy conflicts with Chapter 2.96
Housing agreements attorney Keola Whitaker warned that requiring community-plan compliance at discretionary permitting could void recorded workforce housing agreements; Housing Director Mitchell agreed 'encourage' and moving the genealogical-ties preference to the County Code would be safer, and the committee marked the policies for revisit.
Fiscal plan requirement under Code 2.80B.070
Testifiers Albert Perez and Dick Mayer insisted the code requires a fiscally sound financial program, not just a spending wish list. Deputy Corp Counsel Hopper said the draft meets minimum requirements but the council can demand more precision — including revisiting a CPAC-deleted transportation funding policy (impact fees, rental surcharges).
Water supply and the Kamaole Aquifer
Testifiers said the aquifer is at or near its sustainable yield, developers plan energy-hungry desalination, and the plan adds thousands of units without guaranteed water — calling it high-risk for the aquifer, reefs, and ratepayers.
Coastal retreat incentives for shoreline properties
The committee is exploring how to help shoreline property owners in the sea-level-rise exposure zone move inland by transferring their water and utility rights to a new parcel — but only for early adopters, not those who hold out and armor the shoreline. It was tabled pending wastewater and water department details.
South Maui gulch flooding and sediment management
Drone footage showed repeated flooding and sediment buildup on the Keahuaiwi, Waiakoa, Kūlanihākoʻi, and Waipuʻilani gulches, flooding homes, businesses, and roads in Kihei. Testifiers said development in flood zones and narrow channelization make it worse, and pushed for wide gulch buffers and wetland preservation.
Development in flood zones and wetlands
Testifiers Albert Perez and Johann Lall urged the committee to stop approving housing in flood zones, especially affordable housing, since those residents can least afford flood losses. The discussion shaped policies on buffers and mauka-to-makai watershed planning.
Protecting kuleana access, trails, and cultural resources
Testimony says burials exist on the property but weren't included in the 2010 archaeological survey. Officials say monitoring and, if needed, rerouting the waterline could avoid disturbing iwi kūpuna.
Managed retreat fund and Paia Mantokuji
A testifier opposed a $2.5 million managed retreat fund request by the Paia Mantokuji mission, saying it funds shoreline armoring instead of relocation and comes with state bills seeking environmental exemptions.
Sea level rise and shoreline management retreat
Members debated whether the County should flag properties for rezoning based on sea level rise exposure, flood zones, or shoreline setback — and whether conditions like certified shoreline surveys and managed-retreat removal plans should attach. Storm damage from recent Kona Lows and hurricane swells framed the urgency.
Climate Action and Resiliency Plan tracking
Gabe Johnson pushed to lock in 20% of TAT revenues — about $13 million a year — for climate resilience, but colleagues said the county already spends $90 million and worried about tying up a shrinking revenue source. The proposal was filed 7-2.
Neighborhood connectivity and cul-de-sacs
CPAC Chair Rob Weltman argued cul-de-sac connectivity is a life-safety issue post-fire, letting people walk or bike out of dead-end neighborhoods. The language survives as Action 1.15, and the committee wants cul-de-sacs specifically named there.
Growth concurrency and impact fees
Multiple testifiers said the plan lets development outrun infrastructure — roads, water, wastewater, schools. They want concurrency requirements restored and impact fees so luxury growth for off-island buyers stops being subsidized by local taxpayers.
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.
Kīhei Mauka bypass and evacuation routes
After the 2023 fires and a tsunami scare, South Maui residents are scared about having only one road out of Kīhei. Public Works said the mauka bypass is a state project with no progress, and the county can't "require" the state to build it — but landowners and the Maui MPO may help get it moving.
Developer infrastructure debt accounting
Longtime watchdog Christopher Salem again demanded a full ledger of thousands of old private developer reimbursement agreements he says shifted tens of millions onto residents.
Upcountry water meter list and supply
The parcel has two 5/8-inch water meters, and Water Department staff said no additional meters can be added right now because the meter list closed in 2013 — which complicates plans for agriculture on the remaining 20 acres.
CPAC policies removed by the Planning Commission
Former councilmember Kelly King and others asked the committee to restore the community-written CPAC version of the plan, saying infrastructure-first requirements and funding-study mandates were stripped out before transmittal.
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.
Pāʻia Sugar Mill Redevelopment — Community Plan Amendment and Change in Zoning
The old mill site could become a light-industrial village with manufacturing jobs, workforce housing, food processing and community event space. The committee shaped conditions on water, evacuation, chain stores and open space before sending it to the full Council.
Vehicle Disposal Fee Fund balance and fee adequacy
The $25 vehicle disposal fee has banked roughly $19 million while the program only serves registered vehicle owners. Members and a testifier pushed to expand uses — abandoned cars without known owners, EV battery disposal, neighborhood cleanups — and revisit whether the fee is too high.
Council oversight of disaster donations
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.
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.
Herbicide use waiver on county roadsides
Public Works says it can't keep up with vegetation by hand along 1,000+ miles of road shoulders and wants a two-year waiver to spot-spray herbicides at intersections, guardrails, and pavement cracks. Members worried about glyphosate, kids on sidewalks, runoff into the ocean, and the $7 million already spent on equipment and staff for nonchemical methods.
Waihuli Wells water agreement with DHHL
Three new Upcountry wells could supply water for over 1,000 homestead lots and, eventually, roughly 2,880 homes for Hawaiian Home Lands beneficiaries, whose Maui waitlist tops 9,000 people. The County gets a larger, more resilient water system; DHHL gets faster housing. Some members worried the County gets no share of the new water for general public needs.