Changes to agricultural practices needed for system to work By: Shane Sinenci When I introduced the charter amendment creating the new county Department of Agriculture, it was to address the need to rebuild Maui County’s agricultural system. A sustainable regional system will create job opportunities, provide food and economic security, promote better health for our […]
Opportunities abound to support affordable housing and multimodal transportation By Yuki Lei K. Sugimura Maui County’s infrastructure is on the verge of some major upgrades. As chair of the council’s Infrastructure and Transportation Committee and the Maui Metropolitan Planning Organization’s Policy Board, I’m grateful for the partnerships making these improvements possible. The council has a […]
Creating a locally based strategy for economic prosperity and resilience By Chair Keani Rawlins-Fernandez This year, the county is updating its fourth Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS), an economic roadmap to diversify and strengthen regional economies, for publication later this year. This update occurs about every five years, as a result of the Economic Development […]
Stay safe, and stay engaged by Council Chair Alice L. Lee If you’ve been watching TV or listening to the radio in the last few weeks, you’ve probably heard me and my colleagues in public-service announcements urging you to stay vigilant against COVID-19. We of course don’t purport to be public-health experts. But we […]
Collaborating to protect Maui County’s environment By Kelly Takaya King Preventing environmental damage is more effective than responding to ecological harm and does more to mitigate potential climate change effects. Protecting the fragile and precious natural environment on Maui County’s islands—and in the surrounding waters—begins with each one of us doing what we can as […]
Work of Maui Axis Deer Task Force a priority for new year by Yuki Lei K. Sugimura Published in The Maui News January 1, 2022 Spiraling growth in the axis deer population and drought conditions have resulted in deer moving into rural and residential areas, where they destroy livestock-feeding areas, cause environmental degradation and create […]
Water use and development plan for Maui advances By Shane M. Sinenci The Agriculture and Public Trust Committee has held 14 meetings on the Maui Water Use and Development Plan over the past year—continuing a process that began in the last council term—as we seek to set a course to provide adequate water for the […]
COUNCIL’S 3 MINUTES By: Michael J. Molina Published in The Maui News November 20, 2021 Downhill-bicycle tours continue to alarm Maui residents Some Maui residents are fed up with bicycle-tour groups—and have been for a long time. Guided, and sometimes, unguided bike tours race down the slopes of Haleakala all the way to Maui’s […]
COUNCIL’S 3 MINUTES By: Tasha Kama Published in The Maui News November 6, 2021 Honoring Those Who Work to Overcome Homelessness The issue of homelessness is a painfully visible problem in our community, one that reminds us of the many people who are chronically homeless due to mental illness or substance abuse and addiction. However, […]
COUNCIL’S 3 MINUTES By: Keani Rawlins-Fernandez Published in The Maui News October 23, 2021 ‘Āina Kūpuna Bill Aims to Keep Ancestral Lands in Kānaka ‘Ōiwi Hands Without having legislation in place sooner, many longtime Maui County families have been forced to sell portions or, in many cases, all of their ancestral lands due to […]
