Maui Council confirms directors of Planning and Human Concerns departments

The Maui County Council voted 8-0 Friday to confirm Jacky Takakura as planning director and 6-2 to appoint Margaret Willis as director of the Department of Human Concerns.

Government Relations, Ethics and Transparency Committee Chair Kauanoe Batangan noted Takakura’s decades of dedicated county experience, her steady leadership style and her positive relationships with department staff.

Eva Blumenstein, the Department of Water Supply’s planning program manager, testified in favor of Takakura’s confirmation, noting she has known and worked with Takakura for over 25 years.

“I’ve always admired her integrity and high work ethic,” Blumenstein said. “She doesn’t dilly-dally. She’s proactive. She identifies a problem, resolves the problem and prevents the problem from recurring. She won’t leave dull issues for others to resolve. She tackles them with her team.”

The Council then approved Willis, with dissenting votes coming from Council Members Yuki Lei Sugimura and Batangan. Council Member Nohelani Uʻu-Hodgins missed the meeting.

Explaining on her “no” vote for Willis, Sugimura said the county needs a director who meets residency requirements and maintains established ties to the community, adding she knows of at least three other applicants who qualify with residency requirements.

“I will not be supporting the nomination at this time,” Sugimura said.

Willis is from Southern California where she has served as director of Los Angeles County’s Benefits Entitlement Services Team, managing over 100 staff who assist more than 5,000 homeless and at-risk disabled individuals in securing stable income.

Batangan said he also continued to have concerns about Willis’ eligibility to serve in the position, but he did not hold it against her personally.

“Ms. Willis, if you’re watching, I just want you to know that I really am rooting for you,” he said. “Your success will be our success, and I want the best for this community.”

Council Chair Alice Lee supported the nomination, noting Willis brings extensive expertise in designing and implementing programs on homelessness and housing stabilization. Lee praised Willis for “her compassion, strong communication and charismatic personality and the understanding and care she displayed for the various groups she’d be supporting as director of Human Concerns.”

Housing and infrastructure action

In other action, council members passed on first reading Bill 48, which would allow full or partial fee waivers for residential workforce housing units, even if the project itself is not 100% affordable.

Housing Director Richard Mitchell testified in support of the bill. He explained the legislation waives 100% of fees for affordable and below-moderate-income workforce developments, while providing a 50% fee waiver for residential workforce housing units that fall into the above-moderate-income category.

Council Member Tamara Paltin introduced an amendment authorizing the Housing Department director to determine qualifications for the waivers if certain requirements are met. The legislation is modeled after similar fee waivers in Kauaʻi County and in the city of Austin, Texas, she said.

Council members also gave initial approval to a bill providing $3.5 million to close a funding gap for the planned Central Maui wastewater facility in Waikapū, bringing the total to $14 million.

“The funding will keep the project on track,” Sugimura said, adding that a prior state grant-in-aid had lapsed. “The project supports housing, commercial development, (and) wastewater capacity in Central Maui.”

Donations and community funding

During the meeting, the council also accepted two off-road fire trucks donated by the Daniel R. Sayre Memorial Foundation. The specialized vehicles hold 1,250 gallons of water and can navigate rough terrain.

Foundation Executive Director Laura Mallory Sayre said the all-terrain trucks are “game changers” because they can reach difficult areas during fires. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and wife Lauren Sanchez supported the project personally.

Finally, the Council advanced a budget amendment allocating $180,000 to the Boys and Girls Clubs of Maui for facility repairs on Molokaʻi. The funding pays to restore a county-owned building for after-school youth programs.

“We know the difference it makes in their lives,” said Boys and Girls Clubs of Maui Director of Operations Thomas Daya.

He noted the youth center’s needs are greater than expected. “We’re working very hard to get our services, programs and opportunities for the kids over there,” he said.