Upcountry community meeting to discuss ongoing wildfire recovery, Nov. 9

A community meeting to discuss ongoing wildfire debris removal and recovery efforts will be held tonight, Thursday, Nov. 9 in Makawao.  The meeting runs from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Mayor Eddie Tam Complex Community Center, located at 931 Makawao Avenue. 

The meeting was jointly organized by the Office of Mayor Richard T. Bissen, Jr., the Maui Emergency Management Agency and Council Vice Chair Yuki Lei Sugimura who represents the Upcountry residency area.

“I thank Mayor Bissen and his administration for helping to organize this important meeting,” said Council Vice-Chair Yuki Lei Sugimura.  “Our community has many questions regarding the debris removal process and health impacts in the aftermath of the fires, and the best way to answer those questions is to speak directly with our community members.”

The meeting will feature resource personnel from the US Army Corps of Engineers, US Environmental Protection Agency, Maui Emergency Management Agency and the Office of the Mayor.  

“I also want to thank the other agencies participating in tonight’s meeting,” said Sugimura.  “My office has worked with many of the agencies to meet with property owners who lost their homes in the fires, and we want to make sure that the rest of the community is addressed as well.”