#Dick Mayer
Council advances Upcountry wells deal with Hawaiian Home Lands
The Maui County Council approved on first reading a bill authorizing an agreement with the state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands to develop three water wells in Waiʻōhuli, a project that could supply water for about 2,880 homes for Native Hawaiian beneficiaries. Bill 97, CD1 (2026), would let Mayor Richard Bissen enter an intergovernmental agreement […]
Corp Counsel: South Maui plan meets legal minimum on costs—but Council can demand more
Maui County Council members spent all Monday and half of Tuesday working through the South Maui Community Plan update, getting a legal opinion on the plan’s fiscal estimates, hearing more public testimony and moving to strengthen the plan’s emergency evacuation provisions.
Maui County Council panel confronts infrastructure deficiencies and costs in South Maui plan update
Maui County Council members are four days into a close, section-by-section review of the South Maui Community Plan update—and they’re running into hard questions about whether the county can deliver on the plan’s goals and designated growth areas.
Hoʻonani Village project advances with Maui Council first reading approval
Maui County Council members approved on first reading Friday two land use bills to make way for the proposed Hoʻonani Village mixed-use development on former sugarcane fields near Kahului Airport.
Maui Council votes 7-2 to raises fines for loud car stereos, drops equipment seizure
The Maui County Council voted 7-2 on Friday to raise fines for loud vehicle sound systems, advancing a measure that drops an earlier proposal to seize stereo equipment from repeat offenders.
Hunting, camping, watershed protection in plan for Maui’s new Kamehamenui State Forest Reserve in Upper Kula
The State of Hawaiʻi continues to work on a 10-year management plan for a 3,434-acre parcel of watershed conservation land in Upper Kula that was acquired five years ago from a private trust.
Maui Council approves staff pay raises after contentious debate on transparency
After a tense 90-minute debate, the Maui County Council voted 6-3 on Friday to give its staff a 15% pay increase, plus an additional 5% for experience and performance-based “step” increases.
Maui Planning Commission holds off decision-making on Honuaʻula; public testimony nearly 9-1 opposed
Maui Planning Commission members heard nearly six hours of public testimony Tuesday in Kīhei, with 58 of 66 testifiers opposed to developer requests for land-use amendments for the Honuaʻula master-planned community, a hotly debated 670-acre development south of Maui Meadows and mauka of Piʻilani Highway in South Maui.
Kula Community Association to host community meeting, Nov. 20
The Kula Community Association invites Kula residents to its General Meeting at the Von Tempsky Community Center on Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024, from 6 to 8:30 p.m. for an evening of honoring outstanding community members, hearing updates from County officials on fire and water update for Upcountry and other 2025 KCA business.
Voters back more ethics oversight and compensation changes, oppose longer terms for boards
Two charter amendments passed with nearly 60% of the vote. The third, which proposed consecutive terms for board members with no waiting period, was narrowly defeated.
Council extends Kula water deal timeline, requests community meeting, compares financial analyses
After a community meeting in Pukalani on March 29, concerns arose about the timeframe for assessing a 30-year water purchase agreement for drilling wells in Kula. The Chicago-based developer, Free Market Ventures, LLC (FMV), has since extended the timeline to allow the council more decision-making time.
Wai Now: Public forum sparks debate on Upcountry water well development
On Wednesday night, members of the Upcountry community gathered to discuss a possible public-private partnership aimed at incrementally building one to four water wells in Kula, Maui.
Applications available for South Maui Community Plan Advisory Committee
Applications are available and are now being accepted for South Maui residents interested in serving on the South Maui Community Plan Advisory Committee.