#Charmaine Tavares

Lanai residential refuse customers will receive a credit of $27 on their June/July refuse collection statement for a three-month disruption of service. Refuse collection was disrupted from December 2009 to February 2010 when the island’s only refuse truck experienced mechanical problems. In order to accommodate the narrow streets of Lanai, the refuse truck is smaller […]

Construction has started on the new recycling and redemption center on the island of Lanai. The $235,727 first Phase includes grubbing and grading. When work on Phase I is complete this summer, the facility will begin accepting HI5 beverage containers. When Phase II is complete, services will be expanded to include acceptance of glass and […]

Maui Mayor Charmaine Tavares returned to the council yesterday (Tuesday, May 18, 2010) urging members to restore full funding for the South Maui Park and the Fire Department’s helicopter.  Tavares said the deletion of $250,000 for Countywide Parks Facilities would hamper the completion of Phase 1A of the South Maui Community Park.  She said reduction […]

Maui Mayor Charmaine Tavares urged the council on Tuesday to reconsider funding for the Department of Parks & Recreation and the Department of Fire and Public Safety. Her testimony was given prior to the passage of the budget on first reading in a unanimous 8-0 vote. The latest adjustments proposed by the Mayor were not […]

Twelve county facilities will undergo an energy audit study as part of a contract utilizing federal stimulus funds. The $50,000 90-day contract was awarded to Honolulu-based Energy Industries, LLC, utilizing funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Mayor Charmaine Tavares announced the project today saying, “The results of the energy audit will take us […]

The Maui Police Department celebrates National Police Week from May 10 through May 14, 2010. A ceremony honoring five officers and one U.S. National Park Ranger killed in the line of duty will be held at the Wailuku Police Station on Monday morning. The five officers who will be honored are Officer Harry Fung (November […]

Maui Planning Director Jeff Hunt resigned from his post, opting to return to his earlier position as West Maui Planner with the department’s Current Planning Division. Maui Mayor Charmaine Tavares today named Kathleen Ross Aoki as Hunt’s replacement. Aoki most recently served as Deputy Director. The deputy position will be filled by currently Planning Division […]

By Wendy Osher The state legislature did not vote before Friday’s deadline on a proposal to take the county’s share of the Transient accommodation tax or TAT.  Now it’s a wait and see situation as county mayors across the state monitor the latest developments. “We’re not out of the woods quite yet,” said Maui Mayor […]

By Wendy Osher Local celebrities will bag groceries this Saturday in celebration of Earth Day, and in advance of a plastic bag ban that is set to go into effect on January 11, 2011. The plastic bag reduction bill prohibits the distribution of plastic bags at the point of sale.  When the council passed the […]

By Wendy Osher Lanai Councilman Sol Kahoohalahala is the latest contender to express interest in the Mayor’s race.  He made the announcement of his intent to run before a small gathering of kupuna on Maui on Sunday. Kahoohalahala currently serves as Chair of the council’s Planning Committee and vice-chair of the council’s committee on Economic […]

By Wendy Osher The County’s Air Ambulance could be saved under a proposal raised today before the Council’s Budget and Finance Committee. After initially requesting the elimination of the service last month, Maui Mayor Charmaine Tavares issued a follow up request to utilize real property revenues combined with emergency funds to cover the county’s share […]

Governor Linda Lingle yesterday proclaimed April as Alcohol Awareness Month in the state of Hawaii.  Here on Maui, the county is hosting a town hall meeting tonight (Wednesday, April 14, 2010) to discuss underage drinking prevention.  The county obtained $1.46 million in state and federal funding to address the issue.  The meeting runs from 5:30 […]

(Posted by Wendy Osher) The 13,000 member United Public Workers Union announced the endorsement of Maui Mayor Charmaine Tavares on Tuesday in her bid for re-election. The endorsement is the second from a union after the mayor secured support from the ILWU on March 3, 2010. UPW State Director Dayton Nakanelua called Tavares’ leadership “smart […]

Fifty-five women in Maui County were recognized as part of Women’s History Month in Maui County.  The honorees were nominated by the County’s Committee on the Status of Women (CSW) following a proclamation by Maui Mayor Charmaine Tavares declaring March as Women’s History Month. In her remarks, Tavares said, “Women have played major roles in […]

By Wendy Osher [flashvideo file=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YW0QLC0zbIo /] [flashvideo file=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bY7fUbgXIU /] [flashvideo file=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pn8O7PgS6Qk /] [flashvideo file=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4eXnNw_ahM /] The Baldwin High School girls Softball team and County of Maui remain at odds over a suit filed over alleged discrimination.  Three players, their parents and their coach were granted a preliminary injunction Friday in the case, claiming inadequate field […]

By Wendy Osher Maui Mayor Charmaine Tavares unveiled her proposed FY 2011 budget today that calls for 12 furlough days, real property tax adjustments and fee increases for some services.  The following video is the first part of her address in which she gives an overview of the budget, explains components of her Operating Budget, […]

By Wendy Osher [flashvideo file=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbMYwrjqi2Y /]  Maui Mayor Charmaine Tavares unveiled her proposed FY 2011 budget today that calls for 12 furlough days, real property tax adjustments and fee increases for some services.  The following video is the second part of her address in which she details highlights of her Capital Improvement Project budget, explains […]

By Wendy Osher The Mayor’s new budget proposal calls for 12 furlough days, real property tax rate adjustments and a fee increase for some services.  Tavares said the furlough schedule affects HGEA and UPW workers as well as the Mayor’s directors and deputies and other managerial staff, reducing compensation for affected employees by 4.6%, and […]

Mayor Charmaine Tavares joined Hawaii’s three other mayors in expressing gratitude over the United Public Workers Unit 1’s ratification vote for a new collective bargaining pact.  Tavares said she is pleased with the approval vote of 88% Tavares said the collaboration demonstrates that when discussions are held face-to-face, agreements can be reached with good results. […]

Maui Mayor Charmaine Tavares unveils her 2011 Fiscal year budget on Monday, March 15, 2010. The County Charter requires that the Mayor and her Administration submit to the County Council a proposed operating budget in March of each year. Last year, the mayor proposed a $573 million budget that included CIP funding for a new […]