Maui Council approves MPD participation in Joint Terrorism Task Force with the FBI

Maui County Council members have given initial approval to Bill 92, which authorizes the mayor to enter into an agreement with the Federal Bureau of Investigation for Maui County to participate in a Joint Terrorism Task Force, Honolulu Division. Passed Friday, the measure advances to the full Council for second-and-final reading.

According to a report from the Council’s Budget, Finance and Economic Development Committee, the proposed agreement would commit the Maui Police Department, which has previously participated in the task force, to provide personnel with salaries, benefits and agency-related training costs covered by Maui County. Meanwhile, the FBI would cover mandated training and provide office space, equipment and pay for authorized travel away from Maui County. Also, overtime costs may be reimbursed by the FBI if a separate cost-reimbursement agreement is executed and funding is available.

MPD’s support of the terrorism task force does not coordinate with the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement or other Department of Homeland Security activities. The County’s participation “enhances coordination with federal authorities, helps the County detect and prevent threats, and provides additional training and resources” to the Police Department, which would retain supervisory responsibility over County personnel. The County also has the discretion to decline participation in task force activities.

Budget Committee members “expressed concern about the potential effect of federal involvement on constitutional rights and local independence,” the report says. “Your Committee emphasized the importance of ensuring that JTTF participation does not compromise civil liberties or diminish County authority in public safety.”

The committee voted 7-1 in favor of recommending passage of Bill 92, with Council Member Keani Rawlins-Fernandez dissenting. Council Member Tamara Paltin was absent and excused at the time of voting.

Benjamin Sadoski, submitting written testimony on behalf of UNITE HERE Local 5 and its 10,000 members working in the hospitality industry statewide, cast doubt on federal administration activities in a time when federal immigration officers are carrying out raids of undocumented immigrants nationwide.

“We do not feel that the federal administration’s actions represent who we are as a union, and we are highly concerned about the direction these actions are going, especially with regard to how members of our communities are treated and our rights under the law,” Sadoski said. “We have no confidence that the FBI – a part of the Executive Branch – has any intention of changing course. We do not believe that the Maui Police Department should share data, staff, or resources with the FBI at this time. It is not in the interests of working people or our communities.”

Maui Police Chief John Pelletier responded to a query from Budget Committee Chair Yuki Lei Sugimura, who asked “what officer liability does this agreement create, and how are County interests protected?”

Pelletier said: “Liability exists if we are not part of this task force.” He quoted from the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force page that says: “The FBI is committed to remaining agile in its approach to the terrorism threat, which has continued to evolve after the September 11, 2001, attacks. After these attacks, the threat landscape has expanded considerably and international terrorism remains a serious threat. The threat of domestic terrorism also remains persistent overall, with actors crossing the line from exercising First Amendment-protected rights to committing crimes in furtherance of violent agendas.”

The police chief said Maui County’s “interests are protected by the Maui Police Department’s ability to have the intelligence and support from the FBI and JTTF partners, which enable us to be prepared or prevent terrorist attacks.”

In other action Friday, council members:

Passed on first reading Bill 99, which amends the fiscal 2026 budget to provide a “preservation rate” for water used primarily for Native Hawaiian species habitat preservation or restoration.

Approved on first reading Bills 100 and 101, which amend the fiscal 2026 budget for the Department of Water Supply to provide $750,000 from a state revolving-fund loan for granular-activated carbon filter replacements at the Napili and Honokahua well field.

Passed on first reading Bill 82, which amends the definition of “authorized emergency vehicle” to include vehicles used by the Maui Emergency Management Agency.

Approved on first reading Bill 21, which exempts uses within the park and public-quasi-public districts of Dole Park on Lānaʻi from the Maui County Code’s chapter on “Off-street Parking and Loading.”

Passed on first reading Bill 78, which grants a change in zoning from agricultural to R2 residential district for nearly 0.71 acres at 1550 Nukuna Place in Wailuku. (More details are available here and here.)

Approved on first reading Bill 111, which simplifies the application process for Maui County’s circuit breaker tax credit program for qualified homeowners by allowing those who’re at least 78 years old to verify income through submission of an affidavit instead of Internal Revenue Service documents.

Passed on first reading Bill 113, which allows property owners who miss the Dec. 31 deadline for the home or long-term rental exemption to file for a partial exemption by Sept. 30 of the tax year, subject to a penalty; and clarify the Jan. 1 effective date for the home exemption.

Approved on first reading Bill 114, which clarifies that vacant Hawaiian Home Lands are exempt from real property taxation, including the minimum tax, except that improvements on the leased property are subject to the minimum tax beginning on the lease’s eighth year.

Passed on first reading Bill 109, which updates requirements for outdoor lighting fixtures to minimize light pollution and support public safety, security, crime prevention and quality of life for residents.

Approved on first reading Bill 130, which renames the Animal Control Board the “Dangerous Dog Adjudication and Appeals Board.”

Passed on first reading Bill 133, which amends the fiscal 2026 budget (Office of the Mayor, Economic Development Program) to decrease funding for the Makawao-Pāʻia-Haʻikū residency area cleanup by $15,000 and increase the appropriation for the Aloha Classic by $15,000.

Approved on first reading Bill 134, which amends the fiscal 2026 budget to shift $450,000 within the Maui Emergency Management Agency to provide $250,000 for the Living Pono Project and $200,000 for the Hāna Business Council.

Passed on first reading Bill 135, which amends the fiscal 2026 budget to provide $10,000 to the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Passed on second-and-final reading Bill 120, which changes a state land classification for about 9 acres in Hāna from agricultural to rural district for Hāna Health.

Approved on second-and-final reading Bill 123, which amends the Maui County Code’s provisions on restrictions and standards for bed-and-breakfast operations. (The amendment allows a bed-and-breakfast operator to live off-site while his or her residence is being reconstructed or repaired after a disaster.)

Passed on second-and-final reading Bill 124, which amends the County Code with respect to names of public facilities.

Approved on second-and-final reading Bill 125, which amends the fiscal 2026 budget for the Department of Management’s Office of Recovery to update language for the Lahaina Restoration Foundation.

Passed on second-and-final reading Bill 126, which amends the fiscal 2026 budget for the Office of the Mayor, Economic Development Program, to decrease an appropriation for the Molokaʻi and Lānaʻi youth and student travel by $100,000 and add language allowing up to the same amount for youth and student travel for the Lānaʻi Community Association.

Adopted Resolution 25-176 urging the Maui Police Department to increase enforcement and public awareness of Hawaiʻi’s helmet laws.

Approved Resolution 25-180 to refer to the Maui Planning Commission a bill for a conditional change in zoning from R2 residential district to P1 public-quasi-public district (conditional zoning) for 3.26 acres for the Lahaina United Methodist Church.

Adopted Resolutions 25-182 and 25-183 appointing Jeeyun Lee and Sarah Freistat Pajimola, respectively, to the Civil Service Commission.

The next regularly scheduled full Council meeting is set for Oct. 11.