South Maui beach parking zones get Maui Council nod; first priority for residents

Maui County Council members unanimously gave initial approval Tuesday to a measure that would establish paid parking zones at South Maui beach parks, a move to give residents first priority access to some of the island’s most popular beaches.

Bill 79 passed first reading unanimously and moves on to second-and-final reading. The bill had been considered in the Water and Infrastructure Committee, chaired by South Maui Council Member Tom Cook. More details are available in a committee report here.

The legislation is a step toward implementing Maui County’s new PARK MAUI program. The program is being introduced in phases, with the first phase including paid parking at Kamaʻole beach parks and existing paid parking zones in Wailuku.

Under the new law, residents with a valid Hawaiʻi driver’s license will be able to park for free at South Maui beaches, with priority access before 10 a.m. on weekends and holidays. Non-residents will be charged a flat rate of $10 per day and will only be able to park after 10 a.m. on weekends and holidays.

The system will use a mobile app and physical kiosks where users can scan their Hawaiʻi driver’s licenses to verify residency. Parking ambassadors will be on site to assist users and, after an initial grace period, enforce compliance. Violators could face citations or impoundment.

PARK MAUI officials anticipate the program launching in South Maui by early 2026. This will happen after all permitting processes are complete and the app has been fully tested.

In other action, council members:

• Adopted Resolution 25-139, which expresses the Council’s support for conveying public land in the vicinity of the Kahului Community Center and Kōkua Pool for a 100-unit workforce rental housing project by Hale Makua Health Services in partnership with Alakaʻi Development. The project, located at 275 Uhu St., is aimed for housing for entry- and mid-level healthcare workers, teachers and displaced wildfire survivors. More details are in the committee report.
• Passed on second-and-final reading Bill 108, which authorizes the mayor to enter into an intergovernmental agreement with the US Geological Survey for water resource exploration in West Maui. According to the bill, the Maui County Department of Water Supply and USGS, an agency of the US Department of the Interior, would jointly fund a water-resource monitoring program from Oct. 1, 2025, to Sept. 30, 2026. Of the program’s total cost is $321,217, Maui County would pay $270,558 and USGS the balance of $50,659.
• Referred to the Water Authority, Social Services and Parks Committee Bill 119, which would amend the County’s Noise Control ordinance to increase fines: from a range of $25 to $100 to $250 for the first offense; from $100 to $250 to $500 for the second offense; and from $250 to $500 to a $1,000 fine for the third offense. A conviction for a third offense also requires forfeiture of the sound amplification system or its components up to $1,000 in value and a combination of forfeiture and fine totaling $1,000.
• Passed on first reading Bill 93, which amends the County’s fiscal 2026 budget for the Maui Police Department to transfer one equivalent personnel and $57,192 from a vacant emergency services dispatcher position to an investigator position in the department’s administration program.
• Authorized a lease extension for 2145 Kaohu St., Suite 206, to the Hawaiʻi Government Employees Association, Local 152, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, AFL-CIO, to June 30, 2026, and then month-to-month for a period of no more than six months.
• Referred to the Government Relations, Ethics and Transparency Committee Bill 118, introduced by Council Member Tamara Paltin, to disband the Commission on Children and Youth. According to the bill, the commission “rarely” gets public feedback; there are difficulties recruiting volunteers to serve on the panel; and the Department of Human Services takes up 10 hours per week staffing the commission.

Council members also passed on second-and-final reading:

• Bill 95 amending the fiscal 2026 budget to add a $50,000 appropriation to a grant for Sustʻāinable Molokaʻi.
• Bill 96, amending the fiscal 2026 budget to add a $126,796 appropriation to the Department of the Prosecuting Attorney’s Victim/Witness Assistance Program.
• Bill 97, amending the fiscal 2026 budget to add a new appropriation of $54,496 to the Maui Emergency Management Agency for the Federal Emergency Management Agency Hazard Mitigation grant program.
• Bill 98, amending the fiscal 2026 budget to add a new appropriation of $25,000 to the 2025 Ka Pewa Youth Leadership Summit. (The additional funding comes from a decrease of $25,000 from the Office of the Mayor, Administration Program, Boys & Girls Club of Maui Inc.)

The Council’s next regular meeting is on Sept. 8.