Ask the Mayor: Irrigation Timing; Real Property Tax Records

The mayor answers questions from the public in this series.

By Mayor Alan Arakawa

Q: I am a full-time Lahaina resident and homeowner. I regularly use the pedestrian walkway that fronts Wahikuli Park in Lahaina. It is a wonderful feature and I am very grateful that you added it for us to enjoy.  I am contacting you to request that you please change the irrigation schedule. The irrigation is on for the majority of the walkway when it is heavily used in the morning hours between 6 and 7:30 a.m. Users are struggling to get around the sprinklers without getting wet; we are trudging through mud and wet grass clippings and ultimately getting wet and muddy. If the timers could be changed so that the irrigation of the green space was completed by 5:30 a.m. then the walkway would be clear and safe during its heavily used hours in the morning. Thank you for your time and consideration.

A: While we cannot always accommodate specific requests, I am pleased to report that our Parks maintenance staff were able to adjust the irrigation timing so that it now turns off at 5 a.m. I am glad that the public is able to exercise safely and in such beautiful surroundings- Maui truly is Nō Ka ʻOi.

Maui County Service Center where customers go to pay property taxes. Photo by Wendy Osher.

Q: Would you please tell us why all real property tax records are being digitized and now old records are being thrown out? The old paper records could be seen in full view but now have to ask for the right name, which is sometimes difficult when property owners have undivided interest in a parcel or we don’t know the exact TMK. Not everyone is computer literate.

A: After the Real Property field books were microfilmed in 1987, they became the official records because the physical books that were available to the public were subject to being removed and tampered with. It was found that people were even drawing in unpermitted additions on their own.

The official scanned records, per County rules, may be destroyed after the paper records are microfilmed. These digital files, which are searchable by TMK, name or location as with our other records, and can be viewed on County computers and will be available online for public access in the future.

The original books moved when the Real Property office changed location, but staff are always glad to assist with looking up a parcel.

Want to Ask the Mayor?

Submit your questions about County of Maui programs, services, operations or policies to Mayor Alan Arakawa via email: AskTheMayor@mauicounty.gov, phone: 270-7855 or mail: 200 S. High Street, 9th Floor, Wailuku, Hawaii 96793. Questions submitted will be considered for inclusion in the Ask the Mayor column.