Committee approves director appointments for Department of Housing, ‘Ōiwi Resources

A Maui County Council committee on Tuesday made approvals for leadership positions in Maui’s two newest departments, offices which were both initiated by Maui voters via charter amendments in November 2022.

In a meeting Tuesday of the Government Relations, Ethics and Transparency (GREAT) Committee, council members approved mayor-appointed Richard Mitchell as the director of the Department of Housing and Kumu Hula Kaponoʻai Molitau as the director of the Department of ‘Ōiwi Resources.

Both acting directors will move forward for a vote of full council, as decided by a 7-0 vote on Tuesday. Mitchell and Molitau began their roles earlier this month.

Acting Director of Housing Richard Mitchell said on Tuesday his first priority is filling eight vacancies within his department, which houses Administrative, County Program, Federal Program and Housing and Community Development divisions. Other priorities included evaluating and thinning a “lengthy” list of projects in the pipeline, and entertaining and looking for new ways of providing affordable housing.

“The enormity of the challenge ahead in leading the Department of Housing is self evident,” said Mitchell in his opening remarks.

Mitchell paused briefly, then continued, breaking the chamber’s silence.

“… this is something I speak to from personal experience,” said Mitchell. “As a young man who grew up in public housing, whose personal success is the fruit of countless unnamed individuals that understood the privilege of public service, it’s an honor for me to be able to give that act, if not pay it forward to the residents of Maui County.”

The call to create a Housing Department — which Maui County residents did when they voted to pass a ballot measure in November 2022 — “was born out of long-standing weariness with the slow production of affordable housing exacerbated by our recent wildfires, that both figuratively and literally drains away the spirit of our community,” said Mitchell.

During the discussion period, several council members expressed confidence in Mitchell’s ability to excel as Housing director based on personal experiences some had with him and his professional background.

Mitchell, affectionately known as “Remi” by his friends, was praised by Council Member Keani Rawlins-Fernandez, who said on Tuesday that the nickname represents his “Reliability, Excellence, Mentorship, and Integrity.”

Mitchell holds a Juris Doctorate degree from Syracuse University’s College of Law (1995) with a certificate in international legal studies, a Master’s degree in urban planning from the University of Michigan, and a Bachelor’s degree in architecture from Cornell University. He worked as an attorney specializing in real estate transactions and land use at two Seattle law firms from 2008 to 2018 and served as general counsel and chief legal adviser in the Washington State Office of the Governor under Christine Gregoire from 2005 to 2008. In addition, he served as one of five commissioners in King County (Wa.) Housing Authority from 2010 to 2014.

Chiefly, Maui Mayor Richard Bissen highlighted Mitchell’s roots growing up in public housing, which drew him early in his career to design architecture and work on a redevelopment project in his hometown neighborhood in East London.

Public testimonies also exemplified Mitchell’s impact on Maui, since moving. Mitchell joined Rotary Club of Kīhei-Wailea and followed recommendations to immerse in paddle culture with Kīhei Canoe Club during his first years on Maui.

“He was a very quick study, a very driven person and rapidly became a competent steersman,” said paddler Berney Coleman, regarding first impressions of Mitchell. “He is driven to success. If he decides to do something, he’s going to do it. […] I think Remi would be a wonderful choice to be director of Housing.”

Maui County Department of ‘Ōiwi Resources Director Kumu Hula Kaponoʻai Molitau fittingly presented his opening statement in ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi and English.

In it, Molitau credited the 1978 constitutional convention and Hawaiʻi’s people for “elevating protection around resources and customs.” He explained that, “as a political subdivision of the State, the Maui County Department of ‘Ōiwi Resources is dedicated to protecting all natural resources and Hawaiian customs and traditions. We are mindful of our Hawaiian history and culture, striving to fulfill the philosophy of Hawaiʻi’s state motto: ‘Ua mau ke ea o ka aina i ka pono’ [The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness]. With that, I humbly thank you for the opportunity.”

Council Member Tasha Kama congratulated Committee Chair Nohelani U’u-Hodgins and Mayor Bissen on “giving Hawaiians a seat at the table.”

“I am so excited,” said Council Member Kama. “Now, Hawaiians have a seat at the table at the County. As a department, [‘Ōiwi Resources] has equal footing with all of the other departments, Parks and Recreation, Public Works… Therefore, now that you have a new kid in the sandbox, our hope is that we can all play together nicely, and that everything we do is going to look at our host culture, local people and looking at how we can all collectively work together to make this County better than we found it.”

Council Member Rawlins also brought up “one of the purposes” of putting the department on the 2022 ballot, which was “to prevent foreseeable problems or lawsuits” that have cost the county time and money.

“Often in the past, in our history, a project is proposed, advice from kanaka is provided. Kanaka are often disregarded as activities against progress, and then disaster strikes and kanaka are called in to fix the problem,” said Council Member Rawlins. “So in creating this department, it was to give voice to those that have kuleana to this place, that understand the ecology, hydrology and moʻolelo of this place.”

Molitau was prepared to list a few goals for his department, which included emphasizing ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi in government and everyday life, “changing the mindset” that surrounds Maui’s place names, ensuring proper management of natural resources used in cultural practices, and involving Hawaiian perspectives in County issues.

Council Member Tamara Paltin asked Molitau specifically his thoughts on restoring Mokuʻula, a hot-button water management issue that reignited after the August 2023 wildfire, when the island wetlands returned.

“When I think about Pūnāwai (streams), that is kūpuna-driven. That is a natural resource,” said Molitau. “Those Pūnāwai are returning for us to acknowledge that they’re present. We need to have those conversations. Kūpuna, they should have a right to speak; kūpuna doesn’t have a right to speak currently, so we are its mouth.”

Molitau is the founder of Native Intelligence in Wailuku, a Hawaiian cultural resource center and retail business. For the past 21 years, he has taught youth, kūpuna, and other kumu in Hawaiian dance, oli, and chant as Kumu Hula of Hālau Nā Hanona Kūlike ʻO Piʻilani. He is also rebuilding Heiau Kealakaʻihonua on Maui and training future kahuna kakalaleo to preserve Hawaiian protocols and practices. Molitau collaborates with ʻŌiwi leaders across Polynesia and is currently pursuing a PhD in Indigenous Studies on Heiau and Cultural Protocols at Awaianuiarangi University in Aotearoa.

Molitau noted that ‘Ōiwi Resources Department is “the first of its kind within Hawaiʻi,” and because of that, he wanted to be a part of an opportunity “support and defend the collective thoughts and minds of cultural integrity.”

A vote of 7-0 approved the recommended adoption of resolutions 24-110 and 24-111 to approve both directors’ appointments for the County’s newest departments. The vote now moves to full council.

In addition, the following candidates from the Mayor’s Nominees for various boards were approved by the GREAT Committee on Tuesday:

• Randol Leach (Board of Ethics)
• Jeffrey Steven Borge (Board of Water Supply)
• Benjamin Ray Ostrander (Conservation Planning Committee)
• Joaquin Perreira Freitas, Jr. (Cost of Government)
• Chase Leigh Traphagen (Council on Aging)
• John “Keone” Edward Ball (Fire and Public Safety Commission)
• Richard Bruce Woodford (Liquor Control Commission)
• Keʻeaumoku J. Kapu (Maui County Cultural Resources Commission)
• Gary Lee Passon (Maui Planning Commission)*
• Rebecca Lopez (Pāʻia-Haʻikū Advisory Committee)
• Shane Keala Awahi (Public Works Comission)
• Steven James Notman (Public Works Commission)
• Clint Leslie Hansen (South Maui Advisory Committee)
• Brian Thomas Ward (South Maui Advisory Committee)

*Candidate Gary Lee Passon up to fill vacancy in Maui Planning Commission for Kīhei, which is not currently represented. The nine-member MPC has three vacant positions and seeks qualified candidates amid important planning decisions.