Shane Sinenci

Shane Sinenci holds the County Council seat for the East Maui residency area.
He is the Chair of the Agriculture and Public Trust Committee.

For Immediate Release: July 23, 2019

Press Release by: Councilmember Shane Sinenci

Councilmember Sinenci issues urgent appeal to the governor to refrain from using long-range acoustic devices on cultural protestors

WAILUKU, Hawaii – Maui County Councilmember Shane Sinenci today announced he has made an urgent plea to Gov. David Ige to prioritize safety and respect and refrain from using long-range acoustic devices, or LRADs, on residents protesting the construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope planned for the summit of Mauna Kea.

Sinenci issued a letter to the governor on July 16 in response to the news TMT construction would begin and that the Department of Land and Natural Resources had purchased an LRAD, a crowd-control tool that emits loud warnings or sounds over long distances. In his letter, Sinenci stated: “`Ohana is one of our most treasured values which includes all kanaka maoli including our DLNR personnel, police, other first responders, and other government workers.”

It is anticipated that Hawaiians and other cultural protectors, all ages from kupuna to keiki, may continue to be at the summit to exercise traditional Native Hawaiian cultural and religious access, as well as protest the construction of the TMT. Sinenci further stated that “it is unsettling” to read news accounts of potential LRAD deployment “on our people by law enforcement personnel.”

Sinenci’s letter noted the use of LRAD has been controversial in other parts of the country and has led to claims of permanent damage, including hearing problems and migraine headaches, and to lawsuits being filed against the government agencies that employed the piercing sound machines to disperse peaceful protesters. In New York, a case is proceeding to trial after a federal judge declared that use of the LRAD can be considered assault and excessive force, Sinenci wrote.

A full copy of Councilmember Sinenci’s letter to Gov. Ige can be located at mauicounty.us/sinenci.

For more information, please contact Councilmember Sinenci’s office.

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Telephone: (808) 270-7246 (Councilmember Sinenci)

Web: mauicounty.us/sinenci/

Email: Shane.Sinenci@mauicounty.us

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Download Councilmember Sinenci’s correspondence to Gov. Ige, date July 16, 2019, urging sensitivity and safety toward ‘ohana on the summit of Mauna Kea:

Download (PDF, 68KB)

COM Connect: https://www.mauicounty.gov/2024/COM-Connect

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COM Connect App Helps Residents Share Information with Maui County

Wailuku, Maui – The County of Maui announced the availability of a new app which will enable residents to participate in community-based reporting from their cell phones/mobile devices or web.

Powered by SeeClickFix Inc. technology, COM Connect (short for) County of Maui Connect is a place-based reporting platform which allows residents to document neighborhood concerns and improvements alike, ranging from litter and flooding to damaged sidewalks and malfunctioning traffic signals. The app is available for free through most iPhone and Android app stores and is already active.

“Technology has once again made our world a smaller place, and this is a good thing for all of our residents,” said Mayor Alan Arakawa. “With COM Connect people will be able to participate more and be a part of the process that it takes to run a community.”

COM Connect will allow residents also report community issues, as well as view, comment on and vote to fix problems submitted by their neighbors. Citizens can even create their own “watch areas” to receive notifications about all issues reported in their community, enabling them to follow the progress of all service requests – not just the ones they report.

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Staff

Don Atay, Executive Assistant
Gina Young, Executive Assistant
Dawn Lono, Executive Assistant

District Office Staff

Mavis Oliveira-Medeiros
P. O. Box 877
Hāna, Hawaiʻi 96713
Ph: (808) 248-7513

Please note:
The Office of Council Services (OCS) Hāna District Office has temporarily relocated to the Hāna Cultural Center at 4974 Uakea Road, Hāna, HI 96713.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are following preventative measures for social distancing and not able to take any in-person meetings.
Please contact OCS staff at the following for any matters of the Council: Council.Hana@mauicounty.us or (808) 248-7513.