Expediting new housing opportunities through the ʻOhana Assistance Program By Alice L. Lee Under the ʻOhana Assistance Program, the County of Maui will provide grants of up to $100,000 to help build accessory-dwelling units. I introduced the legislation to create the ʻOhana Assistance Program to facilitate more housing for our residents. Building more accessory-dwelling units, […]
Preserving Lahaina’s historic character By Tamara Paltin In anticipation of the rebuilding process in Lahaina, we must preserve and restore historic and cultural structures and sites that were damaged in the Aug. 8 fires. As we chart a path forward, we must recognize why Lahaina is historic and what we can do to preserve the […]
Collaboration and civic engagement – Ringing in the New Year By Nohelani Uʻu-Hodgins On behalf of the Maui County Council, I’d like to wish everyone a Happy New Year filled with hope, prosperity, and resiliency. Maui County faced many challenges in 2023, but we persevered together. In 2024, my goal is to address various community […]
Reflecting with gratitude, enduring with fortitude By Yuki Lei K. Sugimura 2023 has been a year like never before. Of course, the Aug. 8 wildfires have had a profound impact on all of us, and our focus shifted to prioritize those directly and indirectly affected by this life-changing disaster. The unprecedented event brought people from […]
Fostering a supportive environment for the mental health of our ‘ohana and community By Shane M. Sinenci As we enter the holidays and the season of Lono, we reflect on this year’s events, as it has been a challenging year for us and the world. The August 2023 fires continue to warrant our kōkua. For […]
Meeting critical housing needs through community-led efforts By Keani Rawlins-Fernandez In every disaster, our community has shown up for one another, responding quickly to cobble together critical support systems that provide basic needs not made immediately available by the government—including water, food and medicine. Now, our residents are asking our elected officials to step up […]
Perpetuating the kānaka maoli, ʻāina and history of Maui Komohana By Tamara Paltin Throughout history, the kānaka maoli of West Maui have learned to adapt to their environment under indigenous stewardship. Their ancestors’ experiences, teachings and moʻolelo have been passed down through the generations, which has resulted in the cultivation of a give-and-take relationship with […]
Preventing disaster through community collaboration By Gabe Johnson Although so much has changed since the devastating fires of Aug. 8, the principles of good government remain the same. Local leaders must make decisions to address the concerns of residents. I heard the community loud and clear—that the county should ensure such a terrible disaster never […]
Community input critical for council’s recovery efforts By Alice L. Lee, Council Chair The council is committed to working with residents to develop a comprehensive recovery and resiliency plan in response to the August 2023 wildfires. We are grateful for the verbal and written testimony we’ve received so far and continue to ask for more […]
Priorities for disaster prevention By Tom Cook There was an amazing turnout at last week Wednesday’s Government Relations, Ethics and Transparency Committee meeting in Lāhainā, and I was disappointed I was not able to attend this important meeting in person due to COVID-19. However, I was able to participate remotely, where I listened to residents’ […]
