Phase out transient vacation rentals to phase in new opportunities By Gabe Johnson On Tuesday, the Maui Planning Commission discussed a bill to phase out transient-vacation rental use in apartment zoning districts. So, it might seem like I’m copying and pasting from their agenda if I said, “the purpose of the bill was to clarify […]
Exploring disaster resilience: reflections on my journey to Japan By Tamara Paltin As the chair of Maui County Council’s Disaster, Resilience, International Affairs and Planning Committee and the councilmember from West Maui, I was invited by the Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs and the U.S.-Japan Council to participate in the Kibou (“Hope”) for Maui Leadership […]
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 […]
Sustainable water stewardship through the East Maui Water Authority By Shane M. Sinenci When I took office five years ago, one of my first goals was to address our uncertain water future. Our communities have been left out of watershed planning and forced to navigate the privatization of our local water and the effects of […]
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, […]
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 […]
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 […]