Nā ʻOhana o Lele calls on Gov. Green to meet demands for Lahaina recovery, rebuilding

Nā ʻOhana o Lele, a coalition of community members in Lahaina, today called on Governor Josh Green to meet three demands for the recovery of the community.

The demands are:

• Give the Lāhainā community time to grieve. “The fire occurred only 10 days ago, and many people are still in shock and mourning. The governor should not rush to rebuild the community without first giving people time to heal, especially without including the community itself in the planning.”
• Put the community first in any planning process for rebuilding. “The governor should work with the community to develop a plan that meets the needs of the people. Fast-tracked development cannot come at the cost of community control.”
• Amend the Emergency Proclamation to ensure that Ch. 92 Sunshine Law remains in full force. This law guarantees the public’s right to know about government decision-making and the discussions and information used in that process. The governor should ensure that all decisions about the rebuilding of Lahaina are made in the open and with full participation of the Lahaina community.

Governor Green has weighed in on the issue of involving the community in the planning process, addressing the issue in a previous press conference. He said that he would be exploring options to do a moratorium on any sales of properties that have been damaged or destroyed, amid concern raised over ill-willed investors and any type of land-grab situation.

“I’ll also tell you that this is going to impact how we view, because of tragedy, how we view all of the development in our state. And much of what we do, is challenged by other laws, federal and otherwise, that don’t let us restrict who can buy in our state. But we can do it deliberately during a crisis, and that’s what we’re doing. So for my part I will try to allow no one from outside our state to buy any land until we get through this crisis and decide what Lahaina should be in the future,” he said.

Keʻeaumoku Kapu, a spokesperson for Nā ʻOhana o Lele said, “Our diverse Lahaina community stands together, strong and resilient. But we need time to heal and to come together. We also need to be involved in the planning process for rebuilding our community. We ask that the governor meet our demands and work with us to create a better future for Lahaina. Come talk to us.”

Representatives with Nā ʻOhana o Lele describe the group as a coalition of community members “who have been taking action on many fronts to care for their beloved ʻohana, friends, and community.”

The coalition expressed ongoing grief surrounding the fire that destroyed much of Lahaina on Aug. 8. “The community is still reeling from the loss, and many people are still displaced from their homes. The governor’s plan to rebuild the community must be based on the needs of the people, not the interests of developers,” members said.

In addition to the demands presented, Nā ʻOhana o Lele calls on the governor to “work with the community to rebuild Lahaina. The future of the community depends on it,” the group said.