#Bill 95

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.

The US Supreme Court ruled today in a case with sweeping national impact involving homelessness, by deciding 6-3 in favor of the City of Grants Pass, Oregon, which enacted anti-camping regulations that imposed civil punishment for homeless people sleeping in public places.

Maui County Council members set aside concerns about displacing two dozen homeless people from Holomua Road and the possibility of a legal challenge, and they decided Friday to restrict public access to a lower portion of the road and close its upper section.

After voting unanimously last month to restrict public access to Holomua Road because of concerns about the threat of brush fires and public safety in Pāʻia, Maui County Council members heard opposition earlier this week from homeless advocates arguing that closing the road would displace people who have nowhere else to live.

Maui County members voted 9-0 on Tuesday to approve a bill on first reading to close the mauka portion Holomua Road above the entrance to old Maui High School to address concerns about brush fires and other public safety issues.

Under Bill 95, which was enacted last year, real property that was completely destroyed, as determined by the Director of Finance, or that is located in a Lahaina red or yellow re-entry zone, is exempt from real property taxes including the minimum tax for the period of July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025.

Council member Tamara Paltin introduced Bill 95 (2023), which she said would exempt properties destroyed or rendered uninhabitable by the August wildfires from property taxes and create an incentive for hotels and short-term rentals to house residents displaced by the fires.