#Department of the Corporation Counsel

‘Wasted opportunity?’ Maui Council questions post-wildfire pivot on homeless plan

Maui County taxpayers spent $240,000 for a “homeless strategic plan,” but that’s not what they got. On Monday, officials told Maui County Council members that the county’s all-hands-on-deck response to the devastating August 2023 wildfires made creating that plan “infeasible,” leading instead to a “community-informed report” titled “Recommendations to Address Homelessness in Maui County.” Now, […]

Maui Council advances voluntary deed restriction program, targeting Molokaʻi as pilot

Molokaʻi residents could be the first to benefit from a county-funded, voluntary deed restriction program, a measure that cleared its first hurdle before the Maui County Council on Friday.

County Council adopts resolution authorizing ‘global settlement’ of wildfire lawsuits

Maui County Council members unanimously approved today a resolution authorizing a global settlement of all wildfire litigation filed against the county for wrongful deaths, injuries and property damage stemming from the Aug. 8-9 wildfires in Lahaina and Upcountry.

US Supreme Court: Anti-camping rules not prohibited as ‘cruel and unusual punishment’

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.

New Maui UIPA portal launches following the August 2023 wildfires

To address the unprecedented volume of public records requests following the August 2023 Maui wildfires, the County of Maui launched a new online records management portal.

Attorney General Declines to Prosecute Wong

AG’s Office: “This review failed to demonstrate that Wong was engaged in an act of domestic violence pursuant to the laws of the State of Hawaiʻi.”