Council gives initial approval for creating new ordinance for a Food and Nutrition Security Plan

Maui County Council members unanimously passed a bill on first reading last week that would codify a Food and Nutrition Security Plan as a permanent framework guiding agricultural development and food access in Maui County.

At its Aug. 6 meeting, the Agriculture, Diversification, Environment and Public Transportation Committee recommended approval of Bill 98 on first reading. Council Member Gabe Johnson authored the legislation to integrate the plan as a new chapter in the Maui County Code.

A 2024 survey indicated 60% of Maui County residents and 70% of wildfire survivors reported cutting back on groceries for financial reasons. “Housing costs are astronomical, and, as they say, rent eats first,” Johnson said during the committee meeting. “The importance of food and nutrition security for our community cannot be overstated.”

The aim of the plan is to ensure residents have access to affordable, nutritious and culturally appropriate food as “a foundation of a healthy community where everyone can thrive,” he said.

Department of Agriculture Director Rogerene “Kali” Arce said the county imports most of its food supply, leaving communities vulnerable to environmental disasters and supply chain disruptions.

“We must cultivate a more sustainable and self-sufficient community food system, which includes how we produce, process, prepare, market and distribute food, as well as handle waste management,” she said during the committee meeting.

Arce called the food and security plan a “foundational instrument to guide the local production of more plant and animal foods, which contribute to building self-sufficiency and enhancing the county’s economy.”

The county Department of Agriculture developed the plan from 2023 to 2025, she said, noting that the plan is in alignment with her department’s purpose to increase food production and ensure residents have sufficient access to locally grown food.

The plan requires the Department of Agriculture to publish an online dashboard tracking progress within 120 days of the bill’s effective date. The department will provide annual updates and submit a revised plan to the council every five years.

Testifying before the committee on behalf of the Maui County Farm Bureau, Hugh Starr asked the committee to defer action on the bill. Starr requested more time for producers to review the plan against pending county zoning rewrites and the state’s Important Agricultural Lands Act.

Starr emphasized that food insecurity flows from challenges faced by farmers and ranchers, including inadequate labor and housing, and navigating complicated and often antiquated land use laws.

After being questioned by Council Member Tamara Paltin, who asked for clarification on why the Farm Bureau would “want us to just stop in our tracks right now,” especially since the bill would require a 120-day clock in an online dashboard to monitor progress of food production and security.

Starr said the Farm Bureau was unclear about the bill’s process and wanted an opportunity to weigh in before second and final reading.

Johnson offered to meet with the Farm Bureau offline to address members’ concerns.

Deputy Corporation Counsel Adrian Reifsnyder told the committee the legislation remains advisory and establishes no legal enforcement mechanisms other than a requirement to create a dashboard for regular reporting of progress.

In other action, council members voted 9-0 to pass Bill 81 (2025) on second and final reading. The measure requires greater transparency in county administration disclosures about county-owned land. Council Vice Chair Yuki Lei Sugimura, chair of the Council’s Budget, Finance and Economic Development Committee, introduced the bill.

According to committee discussion on July 28, the bill amends the current Maui County Code to mandate that the administration disclose any funding source restrictions in budget transmittals when county-owned property acquired with special-purpose funds is proposed for a different use.

Also on second and final reading, the Council passed the following bills amending the county’s fiscal 2027 budget:

• Bill 103 (2026), relating to the real property tax exemption expiration date for wildfire-impacted properties.
• Bill 104 (2026), relating to a new appropriation for a grant of $500,000 from the Department of the Army for watershed assessment.
• Bill 105 (2026), relating to new community development block grant appropriations for the Arc of Maui for $38,001 and Kaupō Community Association for $92,937.
• Bill 106 (2026), relating to changes in the conditional language for the Lahaina Restoration Foundation to include Hale Aloha.
• Bill 107 (2026), relating to a new appropriation for a grant of $390,038 from the Hawaiʻi Department of Health for a rural health transformation program.

Council members also referred to the Housing and Land Use Committee a bill to amend the Pāʻia-Haʻikū Community Plan land use designation to light industrial for 19.9 acres in Pāʻia.

Council members also referred to committee Bill 112 and 113, which drew vehement public testimony in opposition to proposals for facial recognition technology and disclosure, sale and commercial use of license plate reader data.