Kula water, axis deer, and downhill bicycle tours are topics at KCA meeting

The Kula Community Association hosts a virtual community meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 23, 2022, from 7 to 8:30 p.m.

Topics include: water, axis deer, and commercial bicycle tours. Maui Police Chief John Pelletier will also outline his general plans for the department.  

Residents may attend the meeting live on Zoom. During the presentations questions can be submitted via the Zoom Chat.

Water Situation:  Members will discuss the December ‘kona low’ storm that hit Kula particularly hard.  “Water came rushing down some of the gullies and broke the Upper Kula water line. This resulted in many days of uncertainty for residents who were told that it was not safe to drink the water.  The problem was compounded by inadequate, changing, and confusing information coming from the County on the pipeline’s status and the need to boil water because E. coli was in the system,” according to a KCA meeting announcement.

County Managing Director Sandy Baz and Emergency Management Director Herman Andaya will help describe how to better cope with water problems and improve communication between the County and residents.  Department of Health Maui District Health Officer, Dr. Lorrin Pang will address water quality issues.

Also on the subject of water, Council Member Shane Sinenci will describe a new proposal to establish a potential “County Water Authority” to manage and distribute water from the East Maui watershed.

Axis Deer: The feral animals are impacting gardens and crops and causing traffic concerns.  The County is proposing to spend money to begin addressing this issue. Council member Yuki Lei Sugimura will discuss the plans, starting with the fencing of the Kula Ag Park.   

Downhill bicycle tours: The KCA says this activity has been, “a nuisance and safety concern for upcountry residents for several decades.” Organizers say, “There’s a feeling that new regulatory legislation will be needed to make this activity safer. KCA has put together a draft County ordinance and has been working on this problem with council member Michael Molina who will be giving an update on the status of new county legislation.”