Former Maui Planning Director Hunt accepts directorship in Santa Barbara

By Wendy Osher

Former Maui Planning Director Jeff Hunt will be leaving Maui next month to take on a job as the director of Long Range Planning for the County of Santa Barbara in California.   The new job includes a $3.5 million budget with the responsibility of supervising 18 planners and updating the Comprehensive Plan and community plans for the county.

File photo.

Hunt, who resigned from his post as Maui Planning Director in April, has been working for the past few months as the West Maui planner in the Current Planning Division.  During his time as director, he oversaw the crackdown on illegal transient vacation rentals and also worked on the county’s General Plan update.

Hunt said he has only good feelings about Maui and his position as director.  “I think I did try and I’d like to think I accomplished much in improving the system; but frankly, there are still a lot of improvements left to go,” said Hunt.

Hunt’s last day with the County of Maui will be October 22^nd.  “We will miss Maui, but the job offer was too good to turn down,” said Hunt, who will be earning a larger salary than the Mayor of Maui County in his new post.

Hunt moved to Maui five and a half years ago from Colorado.  “We moved from ski country at 9,000 feet in the Colorado mountains to Maui, so I think we’re fairly adaptable,” said Hunt.  “I’m looking forward to getting settled in a very nice community, but will miss Maui at the same time,” he said.