Council to appoint East Maui Regional Community Board members Friday

The Maui County Council will vote to appoint members of the East Maui Regional Community Board at its meeting Friday at 9 a.m., Council member Shane M. Sinenci announced today.

The Water Authority, Social Services and Parks Committee, chaired by Sinenci, recruited and vetted East Maui Regional Community Board applicants following approval of a charter amendment by 64% of the voters at the Nov. 8 election. The board members will appoint the director and approve a long-range watershed-management plan and other related programs.

“I am excited to see the formation of this important community board,” said Sinenci, who holds the council seat for the East Maui residency area and introduced the charter amendment. “They will bring community input into restoration and management of the East Maui watershed to ensure our water resources are sustainable for generations to come.”

Sinenci said his committee held four meetings to interview 19 candidates. Seven voting members of the new board are appointed by the council and four by the mayor.

The council has until July 1 to unilaterally make appointments to the board, Sinenci said. After that, the council will need to wait for recommendations from the new independent nomination board, also established by a charter amendment last year, before making appointments.

The board’s first priority will be to hire the East Maui Water Authority’s director and give input to the state’s long-term East Maui watershed plan, Sinenci said.

“I am proud of the work this committee has done to vet candidates,” he said. “All the candidates did an excellent job of answering the many detailed questions posed by committee members.”

In-person, online and phone testimony is welcome at all meetings. Testimony instructions are on the meeting agendas, available at: mauicounty.us/agendas.