Springing into summer
By Tasha Kama
Summer is fast upon us, and the month of May was filled with tears of joy and moments to last a lifetime.
Our graduates are off to new adventures, our little ones have wrapped up their last days for the school year, and the Maui County Council completed its annual budget session.
This year’s budget was especially challenging given the circumstances we have all faced these past nine months. I commend my colleagues on the council for their tireless dedication, their fearless negotiations and their aloha spirit through it all.
Bill 60 (2024), approving the fiscal year 2025 budget for the County of Maui, will be considered for second and final reading on Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. My colleagues and I have worked countless hours to emphasize our community’s need for affordable housing and economic stability.
Considering the August 2023 wildfires’ vast impacts, the budget is specifically focused on addressing the needs of those affected by the disaster. I proposed the following priorities to the Budget, Finance and Economic Development Committee:
• Creating a new position in the Maui Emergency Management Agency to provide dedicated attention to older people and non-English-speaking residents during emergencies.
• Appropriating $3 million from the Affordable Housing Fund to Homestead Community Development Corp. for the Permanently Affordable Rental Unit Strategy, or PARUS.
The PARUS appropriation enables finding and purchasing housing that can be affordably rented to our residents, keeping those units out of the hands of off-island investors. This appropriation’s use is restricted to the West Side of Maui, where needs are overwhelming.
On May 8, the council passed a bill on emergency construction permits for Lahaina and areas of Upcountry Maui. Bill 21, CD1 (2024) was introduced by the Department of Public Works to amend Chapter 16.25 of the Maui County Code.
Under this bill, various permits will be consolidated into one application to shorten wait and processing times. Furthermore, the bill allows eligible property owners to exceed their current building footprint, and vacant landowners are permitted to build ʻohana units.
The County of Maui Recovery Permit Center opened its doors to the public on April 29 and issued its first expedited permit on May 15 to a family who lost their home to the Lahaina fire. With the county’s onboarding of 4LEAF Inc., we now have the capacity to manage the caseloads of disaster-recovery building permits that are expected in the coming years.
The wildfires exacerbated our existing housing shortage. As the council finishes the budget process, our attention rightfully turns to additional, meaningful efforts to address that shortage.
In the upcoming months, the council’s Housing and Land Use Committee will consider proposals to increase our housing supply. For instance, on Wednesday at 9 a.m., the owners of Queen Kaʻahumanu Center will discuss recommended changes to the Wailuku-Kahului Community Plan to facilitate the creation of housing at this evolving Central Maui landmark.
On another note, The Maui News announced that it was shifting from a daily printed newspaper to a hybrid electronic/printed model with a single weekly printed edition. For the county legislative process, The Maui News is the “paper of record” for publishing legally required county notices, for example, when proposed legislation passes first reading. Council staff is working to determine any if changes are needed due to the newspaper’s reduced printed publication.
While for many of our children summer is the time to rest and recharge, the Maui County Council will stay busy addressing issues that concern our community. We invite you to stay connected and participate in the public process throughout this summer season.
* Tasha Kama is the council’s presiding officer pro tempore and chair of the Housing and Land Use Committee. She holds the council seat for the Kahului residency area. “Council’s 3 Minutes” is a column to explain the latest news on county legislative matters. Go to mauicounty.us for more information.
