Government Relations, Ethics, and Transparency Committee - Regular Meeting

The government relations, ethics and transparency committee meeting of 03/10/2026, come to order. It is 01:31PM. I am your chair, Kawanai Botangen. Members, in accordance with the Sunshine Law, please identify by name who, if anyone, is in the room, vehicle, or workspace with you today. Minors do not need to be identified. Committee vice chair, Nohilani U'uhajans.

Good morning. Good afternoon, chair. Good afternoon, everyone.

Councilmember Tom Cook. Good afternoon, chair. Councilmember Gabe Johnson.

Aloha, council Members, Committee Members, there's no testifiers at the Lanai District Office and I'm here and ready to work. Thank you. Thank you. Council Chair Alice Lee.

Good afternoon Chair Shalom. I'm here in my workspace, alone. Thank you.

Councilmember Tamaro Palton.

Aloha, Winona, Kaku, streaming live and direct from the council chambers. And I'll turn on my camera once it gets enabled.

Thank you. Councilmember Keani Rollins Fernandez is excused. Councilmember Shane Senensi.

I just see her popping on, chair, but aloha, Awinah Law.

Thank you, councilmember. Councilmember Yuki Lei Sugimura.

Good afternoon and looking forward to a productive meeting.

Thank you.

Thank you. I guess we'll circle back to councilmember Keani Rollins Fernandez.

Aloha chair. Aloha kakou. I'm at my private residence here with my daughter. There are currently no testifiers. I belong to the district office. Mahalo, chair.

Thank you. From the corporation counsel, we have with us Kayla Bro. Good afternoon, chair. Thank you. We also have with us the mayor, managing director, and the mayor's appointees for planning director and director of human concerns.

As well as our great committee staff. Good afternoon, everyone. Everybody, please see the last call over over call Kunzan. I'm planning. Resolution 2,630 purpose is to approve the appointment of Jacqueline M. C. Takakura as director of planning effective 02/01/2026 in accordance with section eight-8.2 of the revised charter of the County Of Maui 1983 as amended. May I please have opening remarks from the mayor or managing director?

Aloha Chair, Vice Chair, members of the committee. Mahalo for the opportunity to appear before you today to present my nomination of Jackie Takakura to serve as the director of the County of Maui Department of Planning. Jackie has dedicated more than two decades of service to Maui County government, beginning her career with the county in 1998. Over the years, she has served in both the Department of Water Supply and the Department of Planning, gaining a deep understanding of how our land use decisions intersect with infrastructure, environmental stewardship and community development. Within the planning department, Jackie has worked in the zoning and division, served as deputy planning director and most recently as the long range division planning program administrator.

Through these roles, she's demonstrated strong leadership, sound judgment and the ability to navigate complex issues while keeping the needs of our community at the forefront. One of Jackie's greatest strengths is her ability to see the big picture while remaining focused on the steps needed to move important work forward. She approaches the complex challenges methodically, continually refining and improving processes to better serve both the department and the public. She brings a steady, thoughtful and well respected leadership style that is calm, attentive to the needs of staff and the community, and grounded in a strong commitment to customer service and timely responsiveness. At this moment in our county's history,

the planning department plays a critical role in helping us move these priorities forward. We must expand housing opportunities for local families, ensure critical public safety infrastructure can proceed in a timely manner, and support recovery efforts, particularly the rebuilding of Lahaina's commercial core. Jackie came into this work with specific priorities for first ninety days aimed at strengthening permitting processes, supporting housing supply, advancing recovery efforts and improving the department's responsiveness and transparency. Although she's only thirty eight days into the role, Jack has already begun making progress on several priorities focused on permitting capacity, housing supply and recovery. Expedited permitting capacity has been increased through the contractor, Forleaf, to assist with special management area applications outside of Lahaina, while staff continue processing permits for key infrastructure projects such as Pilani Highway improvements, the North South Collector Road in Kihei, and historic bridge repairs in Hana.

Housing related reforms are also moving forward, including proposals to allow two accessory dwelling units in residential and rural districts and the continued review of hotel districts H3 and H4 through the planning commissions. The department is also advancing land use entitlements for the Haiku and Oluwala fire stations and updated Lahaina National Historic Landmark District guidelines to support the rebuilding of front street apartments. In addition, a bill updating chapter 2.8 b passed first reading on 03/06/2026. The South Maui community plan is expected to be transmitted to the council within the next three months. The county will soon appear before the land use commission regarding Hawaiian cement to help ensure continued local concrete supply for Maui's construction economy.

Just as important, Jackie brings a strong connection to our community. She grew up in Kahului. She's a graduate of Baldwin High School and today resides in Waikapu. She understands the importance of thoughtful planning and protecting the character of our communities while ensuring we meet the needs of future generations. I'm confident in Jackie's ability to lead the Department of Planning during this important time and I respectfully ask for the committee's favorable recommendation and the council's confirmation of her appointment. Mahalo for your consideration. My team and I are happy to answer any questions. Thank you, chair.

Thank you, mayor. Managing Director, do you have opening remarks to Paul?

Thank you, Chair. Just was going to provide some comments as it relates to Jackie meeting the other a

I

think think that's that's And think, think, think, I think many of you are already aware of her extensive amount of years of experience working with the planning department, also serving as the deputy director. She served in a division head role as well for a few years and has been involved with the budget process of the Department of Planning since 2014. Chair, I think for the any areas that the members have questions on, I'd be happy to address that when deliberations occur. But I think in essence that covers the essence of their qualification provisions. Thank you.

Thank you, Managing Director.

Jackie, would you like to provide opening remarks?

Thank you, Chair Batanggan. Aloha Committee Chair Batanggan, Council Chair Lee, and council members. As you know, my name is Jackie Takakura, and since February 1, I've been serving as the acting planning director. I'd like to take this opportunity to share a little bit about my background and why I would appreciate your support for this confirmation. So first off about me.

I was born and raised in Central Maui and currently live in Waikapu, Ahupua'a, Wailukomoku. I attended Christ the King School, Lihi Kai School, and Baldwin High School. My mother's second generation or nisei from Kahului Camp. My father was in the army during World War II, missing and presumed dead in The Philippines. He survived and when the war ended, he returned and eventually attended Manoa on the GI Bill where he met my mom.

They were both school teachers here in the DOE system. My father was one of the founders of Valley All Roadrunners and the Run to the Sun. My mother volunteered at the hospital auxiliary after she retired. And I mentioned them because, they provided good guidance and a strong work ethic which I think is why I'm here today. After high school, I attended University of Washington in Seattle for five years.

And I earned two Bachelor's of Arts, one in Business Administration and one in Japanese Language and Literature. And then I returned to Maui in 1996 and began my career with the county in 1998 as an Administrative Assistant to the Director of Water Supply. I moved up to departmental information specialist and then administrative officer, and I held that position at water supply and at planning. In 2019, I joined the zoning administration and enforcement Division as Administrative Planning Officer. And then as the mayor mentioned and Josiah mentioned, for six months in 2022, was a Deputy Director of Planning.

Since 2023, I've been the Planning Program Administrator for the Long Range Division. Through those team. And think with managing the entire department. Question. And then for that's long range division, managing that team.

And then throughout the various positions, I've also worked on the budget every year in different capacities, including on the personnel and the positions and then funding the various operations and then the A, B and C accounts and even doing budget amendments for planning department. I'm very familiar with the budget process. I mean, provided it hasn't changed too much. While working as Zayed Administrative Planning Officer, I also attended the University of Hawaii Department Urban and Regional Planning and earned my professional certificate in December 2021. So, why am I willing to take on the huge responsibility of the director position?

So, as you may know, the department is responsible for zoning, zoning enforcement, building permit review, discretionary permits such as changes of zoning, community plan amendments, and short term rental permits. And we manage the SMA in the shoreline area, We review subdivisions. We manage the general plan updates. We track implementation. We update legislation. And we're responsible for seven boards and commissions. We implement Maui County Code Titles 280B, 19B, and 16.13B. We have the cultural resources program, and we do variances and appeals. And for me, with my experience, I'm familiar with all these terms. I'm not a subject matter expert in all of them by any means, but I do know the people who are.

And this brings me to why I'm willing to do the job. It's for the people who are doing this work. These are my coworkers who I go to for help and who ask me for assistance. We have a huge responsibility. Responsibility and if I can help them to do their job, I'm willing to sit in the director's chair. Likewise, I will be relying on them to help me do my job. I want to acknowledge the previous directors, most recently Aoki and Blystone, who have laid the foundation for a good place to work and for me to be able to take this on. Also Deputy Director Lillis. Thanks to their efforts, this difficult job is a little bit less difficult. The Planning Director has a lot going on within the department but also with the other departments.

We work closely with Public Works, Office of Recovery, OAV Resources, Corporation Council, Water Supply, and other departments so that we can all get our work done and I hope to continue considered for this important job. I'm here to help others. And, with the department having so much to do, if I can keep things moving, then I'll have done my job. Chair Batanggan, I can talk about goals and projects if you want. Or if you've had enough of me, that's fine. It's up to you. Thanks. Thank you very much for your consideration.

Thank you, Ms. Takakura. Members, before moving on to discussion, I'll receive testimony for grade one-one. For members of the public, that is only the resolution for the planning director, Ms. Takakura. Staff, can do we have anybody to

Yes, we do, chair.

Okay. Before we start in the phone number noted on today's agenda. Written testimony is encouraged and can be submitted via the e comment link at mauecounty.us/addendas as well. Under the Sunshine Law, the chair will receive oral testimony for agenda items at the beginning of the meeting and sorry, no, just as the items are being called up. For individuals wishing to testify via Teams, please raise your hands by clicking on the raise your hand button.

If calling in, please follow the prompts via phone, star five to raise and lower your hand, and star six to mute and unmute. Staff will add names to the testifier list in the order testifiers sign up or raise their hands. For those on Teams, staff will lower your hands once your name is added. Staff will then call the name you're logged in under or the last digits of your phone number when it is your time to testify. At that time, staff will also enable your microphone and video.

Please ensure your name appears in Microsoft Teams as the name you prefer to be referred to or as anonymous if you wish to testify anonymously. If you're in person, please notify staff that you would like to testify anonymously. Otherwise, please state your name for the record at the beginning of your testimony. Oral testimony is limited to three minutes per item. If you're still

team.

Team. Person up in an orderly fashion. Very We'll now call on the testifiers wishing to testify on grade one one. Staff, please call the first testifier.

Chair, the first individual signed up to testify is Nicole Huginan to be followed by Sam Small.

Aloha. I'm actually calling to testify for a 20 six-thirty nine.

No problem. We'll add your name for that item. Mahalo. Then, Chair, the next individual signed up to testify is Sam Small. Sorry, we're just promoting you right now.

Open microphone. And camera can't be. That's all right. You know, no available camera found. My apologies. Don't know why. Can you hear me though?

Yes. You may proceed with your testimony.

Okay. Look, as always, it's an honor to participate in the democratic process. The appointment of a new planning director would normally be routine, except that the planning department is currently responsible for one of the most controversial permitting failures in Maui County history. Greg Brown's 45 foot structure in Napili, which was permitted as an eight bedroom single family home. Today, we know several things.

The county tax department lists it as 12 bedrooms. Real estate brokers marketing the property list it as 12 bedrooms. And anybody looking at the building plans can see that it was really designed as two six bedroom homes side by side, complete with two kitchens, two entrances, two electrical systems, and even originally two pools and hot tubs. So how did a 12 bedroom du duplex get an SMA permit exemption as an eight bedroom single family home? Mr.

Brown's lawyer, Jeff Yukawa, spent twelve years as deputy corporation counsel. Do believe I that got Brown preferential treatment? Yes, I do. Mr. Kikawa testified that Brown followed the rules and got everything permitted.

But after Palama Drive debacle, the council passed legislation to make it very clear that receiving a permit does not make an illegal structure legal if that permit was obtained using false information. There were very real benefits to Brown misrepresenting this structure as an eight bedroom single family home. He avoided higher sewer capacity and connection fees, additional parking infrastructure requirements, greater zoning scrutiny over 45 foot tall hotels hotel scale height standards, and its conflicting residential use. Larger utility infrastructure requirements, the risk of a multi family classification which would disqualify the SMA exemption, and the need to secure an actual certificate of occupancy, which is revoke revocable. There are also unresolved issues around parking.

Brown dedicated four parking spaces to the county along Hooey Road, which the county does not control. That road falls under the jurisdiction of the second circuit court. So what happens when the community goes to the court and because we have standing that that it asks the court to examine the legality of the permits that produced those dedications. The evidence of false information is now overwhelming. The tax department confirms 12 bedrooms.

The real estate brokers selling the property confirms 12 bedrooms. And the building plans show that it was that it's really duplex. Had an official investigation into the House Of 9 To 0 not been canceled, these misdealing would have been exposed long ago, and the county would not be paying millions of dollars to an outside law firm, KSG, to defend at all costs the suit brought by Chris Salem because he was wrongfully terminated when he blew the whistle on

Mister Small, you have thirty seconds to conclude.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Planning director Michelle McLean failed to issue an official notice of violations after inspectors issued a stop work order. Brown instead, she sent Brown a private letter and negotiated compliance behind closed doors. The nominee before you served as deputy planning director during that period, so the public deserves a direct answer to a simple question. If confirmed, will the new planning director enforce the law publicly and transparently, or will we continue to see violations quietly negotiated with developers

behind closed doors. Thank you, Mr. Small. Members, any clarifying questions for the testifier? No. Seeing none, staff, can you please call the next testifier?

Yes, chair. The next little bit be. To I'm a may just need to unmute your camera and mic on your end. If you see a line, across the camera and mic icon in the top right hand corner, you'll have to click there to remove the line and unmute yourself.

Okay. I think I managed to, outwit it, as they say.

Yes, we can hear you. Please begin. Thank you so much.

Many of the areas that I was going to cover, are were covered by Mr. Testimony. It's interesting, is shifting my written testimony already covers a lot of that as well. I think the council needs to know that during this process in the last week or so of talking to the real property tax individuals. And by the way, I want to make a comment about planning department in all departments.

The county is filled with wonderful county employees in all those departments. And true to form as in the real property tax, these are mothers, fathers, soccer coaches, etcetera. I'm not sure I can say the same all the time for our political individuals or appointees. We have the mayor in attendance today who's a former judge. He's well aware of what mister Small just said.

Hooey Roads are under the jurisdiction of the second circuit court. You cannot vest parking in an SMA permit along a Huey Road. And I would hope the mayor would step forward with his knowledge, the fact that those Huey Roads are actually on his desk to be transferred like Huey Road F from the state of Hawaii. And so staying on point to the planning the newly appointed planning director. It's disturbing to find out that she entered the office of the planning department in 2019, which is the same time that I entered the mayor's office as a legislative liaison.

During my appointment, along with council member Shane Sinansi, we adopted a committee item called SMA Enforcement. During my appointment, I was responsible for the efforts to repeal the upcountry water bill that was being abused by A and B, by a former parks director in Neale Valley, etcetera. I also provided red lines of the SMA permit that were the proposed changes. I also provided red lines to the proposed changes and the audit of Title 19. Unfortunately, right after the SMA enforcement committee items came into play, up out of my town, my community, probably 10 houses for me, comes Greg Brown.

I'm getting bombarded by citizens at the Peelie Market, at schools, at everybody. What in the world is going on with that project? I'm personally responsible for the stop work orders along with a couple of fellow like Junior Nicola, Kanakanama Blenden. Ultimately, as mister Small stated, which is a complete violation, the director threw a letter instead of notice, which would have sent this to the planning commission and we could have shown all citizens were once again denied of our rights to public hearings. So wrapping this up on the ground situation, the newly discovered evidence proves those applications showing eight bedrooms were falsified.

There's no discretionary authority for this new director to not make a determination as to whether that's grounds for revocation. It's not my concern whether she comes up with some convoluted way of why that 45 foot hotel structure

Thank you, mister Salem. Can you please conclude? I will.

The point is you will be receiving to as soon as you're appointed a letter letter demanding demanding a a determination that we're allowed to appeal to the planning commission and then ultimately the second circuit court. This matter is not going away, and my family has suffered immense consequences. My last point. In the review with the tax office, I discovered mister Brown didn't pay his full valuations in 02/2024. The county of Maui, as result of my efforts, once again, will receive a $169,000. I hope you can use that to pay the attorneys to slaughter my family.

Thank you, mister Salem. Members, any clarifying questions for the testifier? Going bit a little be

Aloha. I'm the first time I get to say Luna O'Molu Batangan. JC Long from Kulaoka. And oh, first of all, I'd just like to pull a cockle for the when I first got here, the the plane crashed in Lanai, and we lost a couple of our employees in the planning department. So you guys remember them, please.

The word plan I looked up the word planner in the Pucui Albert dictionary. It says, mea hoo la la. And so that's my word of Hawaiian for the day. And I had some other stuff I wanted to say, but, yeah, I'm here. And I'll I'll I'll do oh, hi, mister governor over there, mister governor Bisson, and chief Neshita. I I saw her in action at one of the planning meetings, and I thought she did a pretty good job. The the the one that's being nominated for Jacqueline Tuckam Tuckacora.

Thank you. Members, any clarifying questions for the testifier? Staff?

Chair, there's currently no one else who has signed up to testify. Would you like me to do a last call?

Yes, please.

If somebody would like to testify in the chamber, please let staff know. Or on Microsoft Teams, please raise your hand. This is final call. Three, two, one. Chair, it appears that nobody wishes to testify.

Members,

seeing there are no more individuals wishing to testify, without objection, I will now close oral testimony for this item. As a reminder to the public, written testimony will continue to be accepted. Members, Cheryl will be implementing a three minute questioning period per member with a three minute follow-up round. If there's need to go into executive session, we can do so after the first round of questions. I'll start with this side and work my way down the row. Member Senetti.

Hello, chair, and, hello to miss Takakura for your willingness to to step up to the directorship. I am supportive. I did wanna, pose a question for you. In in a couple instances, the director has the ability to approve some projects on her own in certain cases. So how how do you how would you balance that that ability with bringing it to the community for input?

Thank you for the question. Chair Bandunga is okay.

Yes. Ms. Takakura.

So regarding approving projects or permits that the director has the ability to approve, of course I'm to first look at what the staff have researched and put together for me to review because they're the subject matter experts. And then also looking at similar projects and how they've been approved and always the consequences are like what are the impacts are there gonna be from this project? And are there gonna be any unintended consequences? And I guess this makes me sound kinda old but having worked at the county for twenty seven years, I'm like one of the ones who can say, well, I remember back in whatever year we did this and we had to do that. And there's a few of us old timers that we we kind of talk about how we've done things in the past and what were the consequences.

And if something is going to be impactful, then, we can we do have usually have that, discretion to bump it up. And I might be checking with, you know, the mayor's office or corporation counsel for guidance, too. So kind of a group decision, but making sure I have all the bases covered.

Okay. And as far as community input are there, would you look at other venues for the community to possibly respond?

So regarding community input, of course we have to follow the rules. Like if a public hearing is required, then we're going to do that. If it's going to be something that we think could be more contentious, we might work with the applicant to do more outreach. I do want to add, like for HANA advisory committee, they're super helpful in getting feedback from the HANA community just because they're there and they know. So that's been always helpful for projects out in your district.

I know sometimes the time doesn't allow for the HANA advisory board to opine on some of these projects. Would you support sending projects to the HANA advisory Committee?

Yes. They've been super helpful in the times that we have sent projects to them. Yes.

Okay. Thank you for your responses. Thank you, Chair.

Thank you, Member Senetti. Member U'u Hajens.

Thank you, Chair. Thank you, Interim director. I'm so happy you're in front of us today and willing to take on that role. I have two questions here, and one of them you were ready to answer in your opening statement. So if you could please continue on on your thoughts for the goals for your department.

Ms. Doctor. Kurov. Okay.

So, of these things we've been working on and some of them are coming up. As a lot of you know from the commercial workshop we had on March 18, expediting Lahaina permitting for going

to

And

we're

that. ADUs in more areas and then And more of them and then also a little bit bigger so that they're not so tiny, especially if it's like a family in there. Allowing housing in commercial areas but always advocating for good planning. And that would include things like infrastructure, bicycle, pedestrian and transit, and then keeping them affordable. Regarding the general plans, you folks were very helpful last Friday in approving, at first reading, the fixes to 280B so we can have electronic and digital maps and use news media instead of newspapers and things We like do want to finish the South Maui community plan review with the council.

And then, you know, we are working with the Central Maui community plan. I've seen some of you at our workshops. We plan to have the draft ready before the end of this calendar year. And then starting on upcountry community plan. Also working on the land use inventory update, which hasn't been done since 2014. And then socioeconomic forecast update. And then things as has already been mentioned, for infrastructure, you know the permitting for Oluwala and the Haiku Fire Stations, the Hana Historic Bridges, the North South Collector Road and Pi'ilani Highway. And then also working on procedures and public engagement for the vacation rental transitions. That's the H3 and H4. And then the Title XIX update.

We plan to present a general overview to the HLU in the summer and then start on Article I, which will be the general provisions and processing in the fall. We'll talk to you more about that when the time comes, when we have more funds. We've been making the calendar with the consultant and bite sized pieces that are manageable. You. Lest we choke. You mentioned a couple

other departments.

And

when we talk about housing, every department can only move so far without getting tripped over another department, whether it's water or wastewater or infrastructure. Do you foresee you folks having interdepartmental meetings to kinda discuss how we can all collectively move forward as it relates to affordable housing? But I did hear my bell if you wanna answer that on the next round or up to chair, but whatever works for you folks.

We'll hold it for the next round, to be fair to all the members. Thank you, Member Oo Hodgins. Member Cook.

Well, I also am happy with this. You have a lot of experience. I've worked with you in the past on different boards and, the institutional knowledge, especially in the planning department, I think is very important. If confirmed, how would you measure success for the department?

Ms. Takakura.

Thank you, Councilmember Cook. In terms of measuring success, well, to me it's just getting these projects done. It could be the resolutions, taking them to commissions, and then preparing the transmittal back to the county council and then the county council approving updates to or title 19 or wherever it is in the code. I update the adopted legislation page. Like, yeah, it's finally done.

I can put it undone. Other things like the South Maui community plan, we've had these milestones where we finished the advisory committee, we finished the planning commission, and now working on bringing it back to you folks once we get to ADB totally fixed. So that just these accomplishments that we can kind of get them out of the way and then get on to the next thing. And like with the community plans, if we can be methodical, like as soon as we're done with South, we got to get going on upcountry so that we always have two going on a time. And that's kind of like painting the Golden Gate Bridge, but we've just got to keep moving. It's a lot of different things. Other permits too, permit approvals, conditions and the engagement and just finishing up just the millions of things we have going on.

Thank you. What I hear you saying is you'd like to have closure on each item that you're working on.

Absolutely. Yes.

Yes.

Great answer. Thank you. Thank you, chair.

Thank you, Member Cook. Councilmember Rollins Fernandez.

Mahalo, Chair. Mahalo, Mayor. Mahalo, Managing Director, acting director Takakura. And Mahalo acting director Takakura for your willingness to take on this position in the last year of the term. K. So I see I have a few questions. First, huge cause for celebration at the state of the county. Mayor announced the office of recovery has gotten permit review down forty four days. I think you spoke a little bit to that in, member U'uhajan's question. If you'd like to add anything more to, overall permit review time.

Ms. Takakura.

Okay. Thank you, Councilmember Rollins Fernandez. For the permit reviews, specifically for Lahaina, one of the things that, has been super helpful with Office of Recovery is RCD six and that is the administrative review of the historic district permits. And so that historic district permits typically would have gone before the Cultural Resources Commission. But now they're approved administratively by staff to make sure that they still meet the code and that they are still within the framework of the historic district.

So it's not a free for all. Things that are out of the realm of what they had before will definitely go back to the CRC. But at least the simple stuff, the rebuilds can be done administratively. That's a big one for a historic district. The other thing is with the special management area and having the exemption process that's That's been super helpful, especially for rebuilds when they're putting back what they had before.

The other thing about the special management area is 4Leaf is helping with the simpler ones. And that's not just for Lahaina, but that's for the larger area. But we are kind of watching them, shadowing them as they figure it out to make sure that they're doing it the way we would do it. And I got to mention the last thing that is nobody notices but our plans review team. We have such a fantastic team and all cubicles in that area are filled.

And so they have been just phenomenal in cranking out their building permit reviews and responding to people. The more complex ones do take more time but with having the staff there, it just makes a big difference in getting the permits in and out. I think those are the big things with getting the permits done more quickly.

I hope

that answers your question.

It does. And then for working with the Department of OEV Resources, how do you plan to ensure compliance with the charter? I know that there's still a new department, of ensuring that their consultation, and involvement is included in the planning commissions, and, you know, other land use related, legislation.

Thank you for the question. With OuiV Resources, it's been lots and lots of meetings from when they were first staffed with Director Molitao and Deputy Director Robinson. So we've been meeting with them since with the South Maui Community Plan. And we're now going over chapter by chapter with them for that. And then we've also met with them for the capital improvement budget preparation.

So I think you'll see that also. As they get more staff, they're going to be dedicating, I believe, somebody to kind of more the planning side. And so that'll be super helpful. But they just have so much on their plate that I think it's going to be kind of incremental as they take on more, but we will continue to meet with them and work with them to make sure that their voice is heard in a lot of these things. And like I said, lots and lots of meetings. But it's been very good so far, yeah. A great group over there.

Okay. Great. So they're included in planning commission. They're notified when the meetings are going to be and Yes.

They actually have a I'm sorry to interrupt.

Go ahead. They have a

heads up because they have to translate the the agenda so they know what's on there before, you know, it goes out. So but they're ex officio, believe. Yeah.

And they have time to, meet with the planning department before the planning commission meets so that you two

Yes, quickly.

Okay. Regarding commission, it depends on the item if they are going to talk about some things are more we need their input more than others, so it really depends. But yeah, we would reach out to them if there's something that's sensitive coming up for sure. Thank you.

Okay. Great. Then Sorry.

Member Rollins

the mayor.

Have to cut you off because the timer went off. I have to be fair to the

other Oh, I didn't hear the time.

Yeah. I figured that out when you kept going, but I didn't know how to interject subtly. Okay. Can I ask, would you save that for the next round, please?

Johnson. Thank you, chair. Thank you, the administration, for bringing a great candidate such as Jackie, acting director Takakura. I mean, we all know her for many times. You've been in this body, and I will say this right off the bat. I can see your passion for your staff, for your family, for your community. It shows and I and I appreciate that. You know, this is a tough job like you say. I'm hearing I mean, you said it first and I agree with you. But I'll I besides the fact that I love your passion and everything, I I'm really curious about the policies.

Right? Like, what do you plan going forward? And the big thing for me, you know, as chair of Adept and as a farmer and all of the issues that we're dealing with, there is so much to talk about, but specifically the food security and nutrition plan that we worked on. I really would support moving that in to the countywide policy plan. And of course, we had a discussion about this acting director, Takakura. And I would like to first hear your opinion on it right now so you can share with the members and we'll start with that.

Ms. Takakura.

Okay. So regarding the, food security, adding that to the county wide policy plan. When we receive the resolution, we would take it through the process and do agency comment and so forth. I did take a look at the county wide policy plan because I'm like, Well, where does that belong? Because actually, we kind of just refer to section four but there's this big document that actually comprises the county wide policy plan.

And it does provide broad goals, objectives, policies, implementing actions that portray the desired direction of the county's future. If that's something that the administration and the legislative body wants and it's consistent with the community plans, it may end up being in addition to the county wide policy plan. It was just a couple years ago that we added, climate change, working towards climate change and resiliency, so this could be another part. It may mean that, Department of Ag becomes another reviewing agency to the permit process just like, you know, MDOT and DPW and so But in terms of how it's implemented, I think we can cross that bridge when we get to it.

Okay. Well, I'm very happy to hear that open mindedness and it's right here on my desk to it's a resolution to send to the planning commissions. But again, I always wanna hear from the department before when we talk about policies. I don't wanna implement policies that we're gonna be that's administratable. So that brings me to my follow-up question is, if this goes forward, do you think you're going to need like a planner that specializes in agriculture? Do you think your team I understand you're saying that maybe the Department of Ag could jump in on the review. I know when we wrote that well either way, how about staffing? Do you think you would need more for staffing if that were to happen?

Thank you, Chair. I think we always need more staffing. So regardless of what comes our way, we do need more staffing. So I don't know if that answers your question, but yes.

Are you struggling to fill those positions?

Knock on wood, we've been doing better. Like I mentioned, all our plans reviewer positions are filled. And in long range division, only have one vacancy. In current division, which handles the discretionary permits, the big stuff, there's vacancies, yes.

Well, that was my time and thank you

for your responses. Thank you, Chair. Thank you, Member Johnson. Member Palton.

Thank you, Chair, for my opportunity. Thank you, for your willingness to serve. My first question will be, around, recovery coordination directive number six. I see that it was dated February 11. Do you mind sharing with us when you informed the Cultural Resources Commission about this directive?

Ms. Takakura.

Thank you. Regarding the RCD number six, which is the one that provides the administrative review instead of cultural resources review of historic district permits, it was on the agenda for the March 4 meeting. I think it was March 4. March 5. March 5. But they did not meet due to quorum issues. So you didn't inform them of this directive yet? Like not through polling Correct.

Email or anything like that? Okay. Can you elaborate on what a simple commercial review looks like? I know the CRC had been agonizing over some of the plans and the lack of complete, applications that are meant to, protect the, cultural resources in the National Historic Landmark District and historic districts in Lahaina, the two of them.

Councilmember Pontaine, you want an example of a simple commercial review?

Yeah. If it were simple, then why is the CRC agonizing over them and the lack of complete applications.

Herrmet, MD. Thank you, Chair. I just wanted to note for the committee recovery coordination directive six came out of the office of recovery. And so although they do consult with the different agencies such as planning and whatnot, that might be a separate discussion we should have as it, isn't like directly under the purview of, the Planning Director.

She not going to be the one to do the review? Is the Director. Since it's been taken away from the CRC? Thank

you, Chair. I'd be happy to get the specifics to the committee as to the process that will be followed. If I

could follow-up in writing. Thank you. Staff, did we get that? Okay. Thank you. Member Palton, did you have any other questions for the administration?

Well, yeah. I mean, I have the r c d six over here right now. And, so who is it that's going to be doing the Historic District 1 And 2 and National Historic Landmark district simple reviews? Administration.

Thank you, Chair Padanggan. For the historic districts, it's going to be reviewed by staff to make sure that the permit application meets the requirements of 19.52 of the code.

And it says the director shall interpret like for like. So that's the question I'm asking you as the Okay. Gonna be the director. Yeah. What is your interpretation of like for like?

Because my understanding is the CRC has been kind of struggling with approving permits and meeting quorum, which is another issue. Like, you know, if one of your boards continues to struggle with quorum, what what is your recourse as the director of of the department that oversees that board? Mr. Nishita took some of my time. That guy.

A simple commercial review would be a commercial property that's not on the shoreline, is rebuilding what they had previously or very similar and does their homework with getting the SHPD review completed. They might be able to qualify for some exemptions, like from the special management area and if they're not on the shoreline. If they already had infrastructure, think they should be able to get their infrastructure back. But those are other departments, so I shouldn't speak for them. But a lot of the rebuilds are going to be pretty simple.

In response to your other question about what like for like means, we look at the use. We look at if it's been changed, say within 10% is probably okay. Also, it might have to be changed the flood development permit requirements and that would be all right, too. So those are generally going to be the kind of things, that we look at to determine is it going to be a like for

then you just send it back until they complete it?

So regarding if the application is complete, you're correct. We can't begin processing if we don't have all the information. And so we would ask the applicant to fill in whatever is missing. Correct.

Okay. I think my time was up even with what Mr. Nishita took from my seconds.

Thank you, Member Palton. Member Sugimura.

Thank you very much. I have to say that I also am very pleased to see you, Jackie Takakura, applying for this. I know you come from a very good family, first of all. All those things matter. And I love that you graduated from Baldwin High School also, I have to say that.

But if you remember last year when we were going through budget, you were the only one that came through testifying and spoke about the fairness of the raises that we were trying to give ourselves in comparison to the rest of the employees. And I will say that that was huge courage. And I think to me that exemplifies how I feel and think about you when I heard your name was coming up to be in this position. I'm pleased, totally pleased with your work. But in general, I love your I appreciate your courage.

I appreciate your standing up for what you think is right. And even when I heard I had a brief meeting with you, I guess, in passing and I said, I don't think I need to meet with you and Josiah but I just want to know why you're taking this position. I think you exemplified that today when you said you want to do the right thing for the employees and I really believe that as you stood there when we were having a Wailuku Kahului budget meeting and you spoke up for the 2,900 employees that we have in the county Of Maui. Maybe some of those are retirees but that's you and that's how I strongly feel about you. So thank you very much Bear and thank you very much our managing director for selecting her and for your years that you've been living here on Maui and loving our island and appreciating your employees and doing good work for Maui County.

Thank you.

Thank you, members of

If your

you want to say anything, I said all the I spoke only.

Ms. Takakura, would you like to respond?

I'm going to cry. No, Thank you very much. I really appreciate that. The

rest of us will try not to hold your alma mater against you. Chair Lee.

I was just about to say that those exact words.

Saint Anthony, you mean?

You won't. At least those of us went to Saint Anthony won't hold it against you for graduating from Baldwin. But I too, will support your nomination. I have a high regard for your ability to be fair and reasonable. Mhmm. I know we have disagreed on some items in the past, but in general, I think, you know, you've done a great job. And I I respect the way you handled yourself in a professional manner, and I wish you all the success in the world. Good luck.

Thank you, chair. Ms. Lakakura, my turn. Can you please describe a past planning project you led that demonstrates your ability to manage complex multi stakeholder processes?

Thank you, Chair, for that challenging question.

Going

next I'm the others were even completed.

The Those were both over contentious subjects that really needed a lot of looking at a lot of different angles. And then also when we did have changes, educating the staff on how those are going to work. It could be other things from my past, like when working at Water Department, redoing the standby process for the field operations division and having to work with the unions staff and making sure we have coverage on holidays and nights and weekends in a way that the staff want to do standby, that was very complicated. So I mean there's just been a myriad of projects. And then of course with Lahaina, after the wildfire, having those neighborhood workshops and listening to the people and what they went through and what they envisioned for their community and then just continuing with the different meetings and the processes and hearing the frustrations when they want to apply for something and their insurance money is running out, but we have to think about all these other things.

It's been very, very complicated. And we're learning too as we figure things out. I feel like we've got, say, the residential process, we've got that pretty well down. And we're figuring out the commercial process, and I think we've got a good grip on that. Of course, there's gonna be anomalies. There's always some unusual thing that we couldn't anticipate. But, you know, I I think we've got this great team that we kind of figure things out together. There's just been a lot of different past projects that have been very complex for me. Thanks. And I'm still here.

And we're very grateful for that. Thank you. What

Thank you. You, Chair. So in terms of changes, one thing for me is pulling the different divisions together. For example, recently we've been having meetings with applicants or would be applicants and I'm including the zoning staff and the current division staff and myself and long range division staff. And so that we're all providing information to these applicants from the different angles so that they can submit something that is hopefully as close to being right the first time around instead of just submitting something, Oh, but the zoning doesn't match up, or we have to look at, but what about the special management area?

So it's a lot of communications so that we're all hearing the same message and sharing that information with the applicants. I think that kind of makes will make things go faster. And I also think I'm going to be reaching out to you folks more when we have resolutions and just to get a better understanding of what your goals are so that we can achieve those goals to before we do research and take them to the commissions so that we're all on the same page. If my boss here lets me, I can do that. Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Takakura. Okay, members. So that's the end of the first round of questions. I did say earlier that if we needed to go into executive session, we would do so at this point. Does anybody have any desire to go into executive session?

I don't think my second round is executive session material.

Okay. All right. That being the case, we'll, start the second round of questions. Again, three minutes each. Member Senetti.

Hello, Chair. And just continuing on your line of questions, Ms. Takakura, you mentioned your experience in the water department. How do you see yourself as the director working with some of the other departments using your experience past experience with working in other departments, whether it be with public works and permitting, those types of things.

Thank you, Chair. So regarding working with the other

we're that. Do

ir

do own.

I went to their water conservation open house the other a couple weeks ago. So a lot of that's already in the works. And, you know, one nice thing was in last summer we had an open house for a Central Maui community plan at UHMC and I think some of you came. It just really made my heart grow when I looked at there was MIMA staff and us and MDOT staff and public works engineering and police and fire. They all came out.

I think it's because we have good relations with them and we try not to burden them. I think that's going to continue. I you know, like, there's some of us water alumni like Jordan Molina worked for water, and I worked for water, and I know there's one more person that worked for water. And, you know, Kali, RC's husband worked for water, so we kinda all have this foundation that, you know, we came from that place. So yeah.

Oh, great. Thank you for that. And then my last question is both Kauai Counties and Hawaii counties have really addressed their homeless issue by creating these mini plantation villages for their homeless. Would you be supportive any zoning that would increase density for county maybe properties or private properties to address some of these housing for homeless population.

Yes.

Okay. Great.

Provided the infrastructure's there, so, you know, we make sure we're

going As long as work. It's near infrastructure. Yeah. Okay. Got it.

That will be on my boss here, so you. For sure.

Thank you, Chair.

With you.

Thank you, Member Senensi. Member O'Hagins.

Thank chair. You, Member Senensi kinda stole my question that I had asked in the first round. So no, I'm glad because then I have more questions I can ask her too. So considering you guys are meeting, which I'm so happy to hear about, you know, all the departments that have a hand in creating affordable housing and affordable housing policy. What kind of changes or thoughts do you have about how we can implement policy changes so that we can better create affordable housing from your meetings?

Thank you for the question. I have to think about this one a little bit. A lot of this is gonna be the foundational things like getting infrastructure going in terms of water and streets and wastewater. Then updating the zoning so that it's you you don't have to get a discretionary permit. You can just get the building permit and it'd be outright allowed. Be ministerial? Yes.

Like, I'm so happy that we're going to allow further density in our residential areas. And if you take Kahului, for example, if we allow more density for the ADUs, super supportive. However, we don't have the infrastructure to support for wastewater. We have a shortage of water. So in theory, it's nice, but in application, I'm not too sure where it's gonna go. And then we have a country that has a shortage of water for, you know, nearly my entire life. And so that would be great for upcountry too, except we can't really build because we don't have water. Lahaina is going through similar things. And so it's like we can make one small change here, but then it's two steps back in another place. And I do appreciate and this is, of course, not your issue to solve alone.

So I do appreciate, your folks meeting so that we can tackle all of the issues at once. If you have anything to say to that, I'd appreciate it. But other than that, that's all the questions I have, and I'm happy to support you. Thank you.

So, Chair, I can just add that we've been working with, Department of Environmental Management on their permitting and the changes they need to do for the Wai Waikapu wastewater treatment plant. So that's going to be a big one coming along. So we've been helping them with that. And then a little bit out of my swim lane, water does have plans for a source in upcountry. But I think you can ask them about that when the budget meetings come along. But even within like say, on what size meter you have, you might be able to add some fixtures. It really is going to depend on the situation for each property owner.

For sure. For sure. So there's a little bit of give and there's a little bit of take in certain areas. And I'm excited for all the changes that we have made for Upcountry. I know the filters were a huge change, so I'm looking forward to seeing that. I think the wastewater thing, we did have a presentation yesterday. We're looking at them coming online in the next few years. So I definitely know changes are coming, but for right now, it feels like we're in this weird round robin of, know, gotta hold hands do

But that's You commented about how big the department is. Could you tell me like how many divisions and how many employees there currently are?

Thank you, Chair. So regarding the Planning Department, we have five divisions administration, plan implementation division, zoning administration and enforcement, long range division, and current division. We have about 80 or 87 positions, And I think we have about 60 vacancies. I don't know exactly. It might be a little less now because we have been hiring. We have 87 positions that I know of and maybe I'm sorry, 70 of them are probably filled. Sorry, I had that mixed up. The number's either six or 11 vacant planner positions. I don't remember which, but and then some clerical vacancies.

Okay. Not to interrupt you, to get my three minutes. I'm not okay, I'm going to ask this question. I'm not advocating to make more departments. Do you think that there's a way that the depart planning department could be restructured so that it could, run more efficiently.

It strikes me as extremely it's grown. It's a really big department with a lot of various, moving parts. It's also one of the fundamental departments to actually move projects forward, whether it's a sidewalk in an SMA area that the county's doing, whether it's wastewater, public, private, everybody, the planning department touches the permit on it to some degree. So, I'm not asking for a detailed I guess I'm putting that out there for just whether you feel that there's room to rearrange the department for more efficiency.

Okay. Thank you, Councilmember Cook, for that challenging question. So in terms of more efficiency, I'm sure there could be. One thing that has actually helped is the new, maps permitting process. I know a lot of people complain about it, but maps routes the permit reviews to the different departments and divisions and so forth. So they're all reviewing permits at the same time. So that makes things a lot quicker. One of our fundamental challenges, because, we deal with such, big subject matter issues, is that public input is vital and therefore things do take time. And we can't process, you know, a lot of our things without that community input.

Thank you. I'll just touch upon that briefly. I think one of the when I look at permitting and planning, one of the differences between public works and the planning department is public works is very prescriptive. Look up the code. This is what it says.

Might have a minor interpretation. Whereas planning is cross referencing island plan, community plans, historic districts, SMA, and everything and getting public public input. I think the public input is very important. And also, I think we're getting in our own personal opinion. We're getting in our own way of actually being able to install infrastructure and create the communities that we need and desire because getting everybody to agree sometimes just takes leadership to do it. You, Chair, for my extra thirty seconds.

Thank you, Member Cook. Member Rollins Fernandez.

Mahalo, chair, for my second round. I will be supporting your nomination. My last question is, why was this appointee chosen over long term departmental employees or appointees who may have applied for this position? And this is a question that I had asked privately, and so I feel like my Kuliana had to ask this question, publicly as well.

Mayor, MD. Thank you. Thank you, chair. Thank you, councilmember, Rollins Fernandez for the question. You know, obviously, you can't argue with the depth and breadth of experience that Jackie brings to the position.

We're obviously so blessed to have departmental leadership with our division heads as well as on who just been absolutely incredible in there and for all of her hard work and support as well. When we're looking to fill these positions we are looking for complementary skill sets and expertise that really together gives us the most well rounded team and then the most impact to our residents, especially considering what our community is facing at this time. I appreciate that question. I hope that answers it. Thank you.

It does. Mahalo, managing director. And then just the last statement to correct the record for the public. We don't have control over our own salaries to give ourselves raises like was stated earlier. That's the authority of the salary commission. And, personally, I support paying all employees competitive wages to retain and value them unlike the austerity wages champions. Mahalo, chair.

Thank you, member Rollins Fernandez. Member Johnson.

Do you

like us to circle back?

No. I'm ready.

Okay.

Okay. I'm gonna quote a little plan that we had, the affordable housing plan that was created by the the by the council years a few years ago. And in it, they had tiers of actions that we should do to really open up the door for more affordable housing. And one of them was really important in your department. And that was basically the idea of having buy right.

Right? So that's the topic of the of the conversation here. So in one of the actions, it says county initiated state land use boundary changes and county zoning changes for all county and state owned property and community plan areas deemed suitable for resident development, and then update the county zoning code to lower housing costs and promote affordability by design. You know, all of this in my mind goes to the idea of, you know, having buy rate building residential homes on your parcel. What's your opinion on that, acting director, Doctor. Kurra?

By

In terms

right, to us that would mean that it's outright permitted in the zoning district. Yes. So say for residential, depending on the size of your lot, you can have one main dwelling or maybe some of the bigger ones can have two or three and then also allowing for accessory dwelling units. One of the proposals we had, but I don't think it's out of council yet, is allowing duplexes and then some multifamily in the larger residential So that would be something that's by right. And I do think that that would help.

One thing I've learned is that a couple years ago, some of you were with me when we updated the residential zoning district and we added duplexes, but they were a special use. No one has applied for that, so that's telling me that, hey, let's let's get away get away from requiring that special use permit. So, you know, make it by right, and let's see if we can get some duplexes because there are larger lots

that

could have two homes. And so that would be something we'd definitely advocate for. We did that with the kitchenettes to have a little bit more in there and then allowing the nonconformities to come back to that. That allows that for if they were legally allowed before.

I love to hear that it sounds like you're supportive of it. You said that you could get it with a special use permit. Do you know the cost of that special use permit to the, resident?

So the cost is I don't know how much that is. It's a public hearing. I suppose an applicant could do the work themselves, you know, put a little notice in the paper and send out letters, but, I'm not sure.

Sometimes well, I don't know either. That's what I'm asking. Sometimes these costs are very high for a special use permit. I'm on limited time, so post fire, I think the wetlands are very important. I've been advocating for wetlands overlay map. I know we this has been an ongoing discussion and I'd like to hear your opinion on a wetland overlay map.

Regarding the wetlands, we do have the informational map posted online. We can talk with the managing director and staff if we want to change 19.47. I'm not sure. Can figure out what it is that you want and see how Again, it can

I like partnerships and I didn't hear the time, so I'm gonna keep going? But I like partnerships, and when I look at a landowner who has potential wetland, if their land's flooding, things like that, the county could come in and help them with a wetland plan or helping with fencing or helping with any type of thing that that we're good at. So that way they can protect their land. I think it got kind of a bad rap. It looked more like a stick instead of a carrot. And I think if we frame it correctly, it would really help some of these landowners. My time's up. Ms. Takakura, would

you like to quickly respond? Thank you.

I think we should probably sit down with the managing director and staff and see where we can go from here. There's a lot of different things we can do with that.

Picking up where I left off, if the original structure was noncompliant in the historic districts or the National Historic Landmark District, is it still eligible for the like for like, CRC pass?

Thank you, Chair. It depends on what you mean by noncompliant. If it was allowed by zoning at the time it was built and, is still there, then it would be okay to be, nonconforming. But if it was illegal, like it never got a permit or it was never legally allowed, then that would be a problem. And, I'm not sure if they would have to do some sort of after the fact or maybe reconfigure to come into compliance. So legally, nonconform well, to be nonconforming, have to have been legally allowed at the time it was built. I guess that's going to be the question, if it was nonconforming or not.

So if the rebuild is if it wasn't during the National Historic Landmark District or if it was if it didn't fit the com the design guidelines of the Historic District 1 And 2 or but it was legally built, it's gonna be allowed like for like?

I I think so. It's gonna depend you know, there are structures that were, like, before even statehood. So if there was no code back then, then, you know, we're gonna have to assume that they're allowed. But they should call our long range division and just talk to the our cultural resources team. And we've been having meetings with people about, you know, what they can do. So they should, yeah, they

should reach out to us. And then, so for a while, the cultural resources commission was having a hard time meeting quorum because we didn't have it filled. And then, we did hear that we filled it, and then now it's still not meeting not meeting March 5, not meeting April 2. So as the director of the department that oversees, what what what is your next steps here? Because even with R C D six, it's critical to the rebuild of Lahaina. And if they're not meeting, then those items are not being addressed. And so what is your recourse?

So regarding staffing or getting members on the CRC, we will work with the mayor's office to recruit new members. We've been trying to find members also, our staff who know because CRC is unique in well, think a lot of them have requirements, but they have to have some certain kind of background. And so finding people who are eligible to be on that is sometimes a challenge.

My understanding was it was fully staffed, but they're not still not meeting.

Chair, so another wrench that arose was the financial disclosure statements. That deadline came around and some of them didn't meet the deadline. And so that that's why, this last one was, we couldn't hold the meeting. Okay.

And, so after that, you expect them to be meeting?

Yes. We have, a meeting scheduled for August I mean, April. A special meeting, I believe, in April. So we'll see if we can get, at least five members for that one. Not the first Thursday, but a special meeting. I think we were looking at maybe April 16. So we're trying to do that. If not, then it would be in May. And

you're familiar with our attendance policy and what to do? Yes. Okay.

So these we do track. A lot of them are excused, so we don't count those. It's only the unexcused absences that get counted towards that attendance policy.

I guess my final comment, if the chair would allow, just that if the architectural style or the design guidelines predated what the historic district was, I'd ask that you ask the landowner to consider conforming to the historic district because we've lost nearly all the structures in our historic districts. Our national historic landmark district is a little bit in jeopardy and that is something that the community does take pride in. If there's any way that people rebuilding could adhere to the architectural style and design guidelines, that would be wonderful. Thank you.

Yes, I agree.

Thank you. Member Palatin, if you still have questions, I can cede my time to you when it comes to me. Member Sugimura.

So I just have a this I don't know if this is finance, but BVAs. The fine that you need to pay in order to have the services is $4,000 and some change. Other counties, it's like $300 or $400 And is that something that you have any input for control or is that finance? I know a study needs to get done. I don't know what originates from you planning.

Thank you, Councilmember Sugimura. Do you mean the application fee to file a variance or an application? Yes, those fees, just like the other permit fees, were based on a study that a consultant did a couple years ago. That's looking at the all the time it takes for the employees hearing and all of those other requirements that go into processing that fee. And so that would be based it's simply based on the amount of time and the volume of work for those permit fees.

And so I do have in proposed FY 'twenty seven budget to do that study again because it was a five year study. This year is the last year. So we're proposing just a little bit of an increase to tide us over until we can get a new study done to look at the actual cost of these permit applications. So I'm not sure. It's going to be up to the administration and the legislative body what the fees are going to be, but we'll propose it based on this study that's going to look at the actual cost of performing these projects.

And we do have that I think Chapter 3.01 that says we're supposed to not be so reliant on the general fund. I guess that's going to be a policy decision for you folks. So are you saying that you need a little more money? What does that phrase mean? You need a little bit more money to tide you over to Thank you.

Counsel, the study that we have been following up until this year looked at the percentage of the actual cost and it was a gradual increase by year. We started with I think like 30% and then worked our way up to 70%, which is what we're at this year. So we're just asking for 80%. So it's just a very small increase, not as big as some of the other ones just to tide us over. So going to 80% of the actual cost. But keep in mind, is based on like 2017 numbers, so it's still not even actual cost because it was so long ago that we did the study. So you're actually asking for an increase of the For rates, yes. For rates. Yes. I've been receiving I don't know

if the other members have but concerns that the amount is so high that farmers were not able to file a BVA complaint. I don't know I guess we need to read and figure out why it's so high in comparison to other counties that have like $300 versus so whatever the justification is, we'll

look further into it. I'll wait for budget. So with Board of Variances and Appeals, those are high because of the staff time and corporation counsel time. And it's a multi step process in terms of scheduling and then having the hearing and then writing the decision in order and sometimes it gets appealed. I believe the study took all of that into account and that's the it's based on the actual cost. Likely those other departments that are charging in the smaller amounts are probably not recognizing the actual cost of the appeal or the variance. Thank you.

Thank you, Member Sugimura. Chair Lee.

Chair, I'm ready to vote. I have no questions. Thank you.

Thank you, chair. Member Palton, did you have any additional questions?

Just one, also in my district. Do you consider the Greg Brown House issue finished? I mean, that didn't occur during your tenure. I didn't issue the permits. Is the issue finished as far as you're concerned?

You for the question, Regarding this house. So if there, is a complaint of parking issues or a second kitchen, I would recommend the, person who made that observation to file, with the COM Connect, see click fix so it can be researched. As far as we know, because I did check this recently, we don't have any open, violations or anything, reported to us for us to investigate. I'm not really sure. We need to have something to act upon, you know, or something that needs to be investigated. But at this time, just based on what we could see in the permitting system, I didn't have anything. But if something is filed, of course, we'll follow-up.

Thank you. Thank you, Chair.

Thank you. I have a question. So how do you view the role of planning policy in addressing our housing affordability? And are there any recommendations that you have for how the department can improve its role in reducing our lack of housing on the island.

Thank you, Chair, for again asking a very difficult question. In terms of adding more housing, it's going to be just so many different things and that's why I have a hard time answering because we are one of many agencies. Know, freeing up the different zoning districts to allow housing, say, in rural and residential, even in some of the more commercial areas that don't currently allow it, expediting permits for, you know, the infrastructure that supports housing. It's just a lot of different things. Even within we have the Maui Island plan boundaries and looking within the urban growth boundaries, where can we develop housing where there's infrastructure.

And then supporting Department of Hawaiian Homelands also. Those are kind of the big things. We've been talking to Hawaiian Homelands about the Central Maui Community Plan letting that so that they can move forward and have consistency in zoning I mean, the community plan designations. But that's a big one. We are one of many departments that are involved in in providing housing. So I don't know if yeah, we're one of many. Thank you, Ms. Akufov. Don't if that's a good answer, there's a lot of us involved in that.

That's all I have. Members, at this time, that concludes our two rounds of questions for the nominee. Can I ask staff to give an overview of the process for which we have to take action?

Yes, Chair. So if you would like to recommend approval of board. Board. The to

the resolution and replace it with disapproves. Thank you, to staff. Just so members are clear and the public is clear, this is slightly different from our process for approving or disapproving nominees for boards and commissions. In either case, to approve or disapprove the nominee, we have to recommend adoption of the resolution. And then if we want to disapprove it, then we have to amend it further. Okay. That being the case, I would like to entertain a motion to recommend adoption of Resolution 20 six-thirty eight, including any non substantive revisions.

So moved. Second. So moved. Second.

Okay. So I'll move by Vice Chair Ou Hodgins and second by Member Cook. Any discussion? Member Ou Hodgins.

Thank you, Chair. I'm just really happy she's here. She has so much experience that we get to benefit from. I'm glad you keep asking her tough questions because one of the tough questions allowed her to highlight her work experience and why she's probably overqualified for this job. But I do appreciate her, and all of your staff's continued hard work and the betterment of this county. Thank you.

Thank you. Amber Cook. Thank you, Chair. I'm very happy to support her, and I encourage the administration to give her a tremendous amount of support. It's probably the most challenging

point.

And that's

Cook. Any I further discussion? Member Sugimura. Thank you. I think too will support her. And as I said in my first round that I do respect her courage and her ability to stand up for what what she believes because I think that speaks volumes for the job that she's taking over and doing and will then work really hard for the community. Thank you.

Thank you, Member Sugimura. Any further discussion? Seeing none, I would also just like to state that I will be supporting the motion as well. Ms. Takakura was very helpful to me as I began my planning journey with the county.

She was on the technical advisory committee for the Maui Metropolitan Planning Organization when I stepped into the ED role there and was very helpful in helping me to understand the role that her department played in our county processes and how I could navigate working with all of the other departments, that the MPO had to partner with. So I've always been very grateful, for her guidance and for the insights that she shared as I was stepping onto my own as well. So I will be supporting the motion and wish you the best. Seeing no further discussion, I will call for the question. All those in favor of the motion, please raise your hand and say aye. Those opposed? Aye.

Chair lifts nine, aye, zero, no. Motion carries.

Thank you. And congratulations, Ms. Takakura. This item will move forward to the full council for consideration.

Thank you very much. Thank you.

Members, before we move on to the next resolution, I'd like to ask for a ten minute break. Does that work for you guys? Okay. So the time is 02:59. We shall reconvene at 03:10.

This meeting is in recess. Alright, members. We'd like to reconvene today's meeting. The And T. Willis as director of human concerns effective 03/01/2026 in accordance with section eight dash 10.2 of the revised charter of the county of Maui 1983 as amended. May I please have opening remarks from the mayor.

Thank you. Aloha chair, vice chair, members of the committee. Mahalo for the opportunity to appear again before you today in support of my appointment of Margaret Maggie Willis as director of the department of human concerns. I want to begin by addressing a concern I know some of you may have. Maggie is not from here.

My responsibility as mayor is to ensure the person leading this department is individual best equipped to meet the needs of our community, both now in this moment and into the future. Homelessness is one of the most pressing challenges facing our community and one that falls directly within the work of the department of human concerns. Meeting this challenge requires leadership with specialized knowledge and expertise to support our hardworking team and strengthen systems that serve our most vulnerable residents. It would be easy for this conversation to focus on whether someone is from here or not. But my approach to helping our community stay and thrive here has never been about simply filling one position with one local person.

It is about selecting the leader best equipped to guide this work and help the many local families who rely on these services, someone with the expertise, the collaborative mindset, and most importantly, the proven track record to do the job well while ensuring the dignity dignity of our most vulnerable residents remains paramount. After conducting a thorough search, Maggie stands out because she brings a rare combination of broad expertise across many areas served by the department of human concerns. Concerns. Along with deep specialization in addressing homelessness, one of our community's most urgent needs. She also brings the capability, collaboration, and the compassion needed to help guide this work forward.

Quite frankly, we were fortunate to find someone with her background and turning away that level of expertise simply because she is not from here would in my view be a tremendous loss for our community. Before speaking more about Maggie, wanna acknowledge the important work already happening within the department of human concerns. The staff under the steady leadership of acting director Krausz, continues to provide critical services every day through senior and homeless services, early childhood and immigration assistance, and grant programs that support many of our non profit partners and help to keep the fabric of our communities strong. Their dedication and care for our residents are something I deeply respect and that work will remain the foundation of this department. At the same time, our community is facing challenges that are growing at an unprecedented pace.

Homelessness has increased in recent years, particularly following the pandemic and wildfires and the scale and complexity of the issue continues to grow. The reality is that the county systems we have in place today were not designed for the scope of the challenge we are now facing. This is not a reflection on the dedication of the people doing this work. Rather, it is my responsibility as mayor to ensure that our departments have the leadership, the support and the capacity needed to meet the moment. As the challenge evolves, our approach and our resources must evolve as well.

My goal is to make sure acting director Krausz and her team have the resources and support needed to strengthen our response and better serve our vulnerable population. The report, recommendations to address homelessness in Maui County, commissioned at the recommendation of this body in 2022, helped bring greater clarity to the scope of the challenge. Through engagement with people with lived experience, service providers and organizations across Maui, Lanai and Molokai, the report identified gaps in coordination, siloed systems, and the need for stronger collaboration across agencies and partners. The report makes it clear that addressing homelessness requires stronger coordination, increased capacity, and leadership that can bring partners together and strengthen the system cohesively. Mayors across the country consistently identify homelessness as one of the most pressing challenges facing their communities.

In the top five, if not the top three of their concerns. Maui is no different. And we owe it to our houseless residents and to the broader community to confront this issue with the seriousness it deserves. This is what I believe Maggie brings. She has more than two decades of experience designing and implementing homelessness and housing stabilization programs, coordinating across agencies, and helping communities strengthen the systems that serve vulnerable populations.

What stood out most during the selection process was not only Maggie's background, it was her temperament. Maggie brings leadership style and a deep respect for the dignity of the people we serve. She understands that this work requires listening, collaboration, and trust. She respects the strong foundation already built within the department of human concerns. Her goal is not to replace that work, but to support our team and build on that success as the department evolves to meet the growing needs of our community.

Taking care of our most vulnerable residents is one of the most important responsibilities we have as a community. Addressing homelessness requires compassion, coordination, and a willingness to strengthen the systems meant to serve our people. I believe Maggie brings the experience, perspective, and heart that is needed to lead this work while also supporting the many other services provided by the Department of Human Concerns. At the end of the day, our kuleana is to care for those who need us most and to ensure the systems meant to serve them are strong, effective, and grounded in collaboration. Mahalo for your time, your consideration, and I respectfully ask for your support in confirming Maggie Willis as director of the department of human concerns.

Mahalo, chair. Thank you, mayor. Managing director, did you have opening comments?

Thank you, first half twenty we're

to

that is before us here today. Also to acting director Krausz and all of the teams, the division heads, all the staff there, for all the tremendous amount of work, that they do to help serve our

be

to do do

do that.

And

able

of Maggie, who's here before us today. The selection committee also recommended to Mayor to the Directors of so, to do We're excited about that. And In so, regards to the HRS 76, I'm sorry, 70 eight-one provision, I believe that there's also some additional pieces that if the committee should so choose, the corporation counsel can address in executive session. And then finally, would just identify that we haven't started Maggie officially yet. We wanted to get the recommendation from the committee.

And thus, we have not officially started her yet and haven't given her access to privilege information within the department until the recommendation the committee is received. And so I'd be happy to answer any questions when the time comes, if needed. But we thank you very much for your consideration of the selection of Maggie for this important role and for, of course, all your guys' support for our Department of Human Concerns. Thank you. Thank you, Managing Director. Ms. Willis, would you like to offer opening comments?

Thank you, Mayor Vinson and Managing Director Nishida. I'm honored and grateful for this opportunity. Thank you, Chair Batonga and council members for your careful consideration of my qualifications. The Department of Human Concerns plays a vital role in supporting the wellness and resilience of Maui County residents. It is a department founded in a commitment to support the county's most vulnerable neighbors with the strength of collective impact.

It is this commitment to service that makes this such an interesting opportunity for me. It's what draws me here. It's a value that continues to guide me after over twenty years in service, in public service. Every conversation that I've had so far with community members, with staff, with providers, with advocates has really reinforced this incredibly embedded value of caring for people that this county holds and this community holds. That is a unique thing in the places that I've done this work.

That's not always the case. A lot of times, even places that have invested heavily in human services and social services do so because they are dealing with a problem. And they focus on problem and not the people. And I feel like, again, all the conversations I've had here, this community honestly cares about the people in the impacts of these issues on on their community. And so doing this work that I love in this community would just be the greatest honor.

If I'm confirmed as director of human concerns, I will approach my duties with humility and respect for the incredible staff and the partners and the communities that have been doing this work for many, many years. I acknowledge that my appointment comes with an expectation for change. And I will strive to ensure that that change benefits the staff of department, the organization here, and the community partners that I'll be working with. We all agree that addressing homelessness is a priority, but we diverge when we talk about how to do that. And I think that is where I will bring forward really a depth of collaboration and a willingness to hear from a variety of opinions and voices and really work to co design solutions that create diversity within the service system because we know one size does not fit all.

So we need to widen the way that we approach this issue and really listen to what people need, especially the people that are not service connected. The people that are not accessing the services we have. So the way that I approach this work is really that we don't have to agree a 100% on everything. Right? It's like when you open a puzzle box of 10,000 pieces, you go for the corners.

Right? You go through and you look for those corner pit bits to anchor your work. You build out the framework because then you kind of know where you're headed and you know where some of the pieces might lie. That's all we need to do. We need to find those the little 10% of agreements, the little places, those corner bits, the frame. Right? And then we can work together on some of the key pieces within that puzzle. We can build out, you know, maybe there's a tree in that image. We'll find all the tree pieces and we put that together. And then we find, right, it helps us find the gaps.

It helps us identify what the shape of that problem that we can't see yet is. And then when those pieces come together we can share in that joy together of having completed this incredible vision through these tiny individual steps. So I look forward to adding my really broad expertise in grants management, accountability and compliance and the use of public funds, program design and implementation, and community collaboration to the powerful work that is already being done here in Maui County. I look forward to strengthening collaboration with existing and emerging new partners. I look forward to working with this community to bring forward a strategic plan for addressing houselessness that can be the north star, that can remain flexible to the changing needs of the community.

Over the past twenty years, I've successfully created and implemented innovative programs from the ground up, including things like diversion programs that connect people to services instead of jail. I've designed and operated housing programs and permanent housing facilities, including multi use projects where we've put services, health care, and interim housing and permanent housing together in one building. I've worked with a variety of partners to co create community grants programs that align public funds towards a shared vision, create unified outcomes, to increase accountability, and to help make sure that public funds are being used in the most effective way possible. And I've partnered with first responders to identify high users of police, fire, and emergency room services and really work to direct intensive services to those individuals with the highest needs. As the director, addressing homelessness will be a high priority.

But that is not to ignore the rest of the work of the human concerns department. Preventing people from ever becoming homeless is a key piece of this work. And so the support services that the department offers is what keeps our youth thriving into adulthood. It's what keeps our families healthy. It's what keeps our seniors from losing their homes.

And so the volunteer component builds capacity for our really overstretched service providers and it builds connectivity and value to the community. It helps them feel like they own this work, too. And so all of these different divisions within human concerns, supporting immigrant families, all of these things contribute to addressing and preventing homelessness. So my experience includes working with older adults, working with programs like Meals on Wheels, working with senior centers, and making sure that anytime there's a senior or person with disability in crisis or about to lose their home, we can move in quickly, identify those folks, quickly provide crisis intervention. My most recent role with LA County has included working with people 65 and people with disabilities to get them on their federal SSI, SSDI benefits and provide them with in home caregiving so that they can age in place, they can live in the community and avoid institutionalization.

I will approach this work by seeking input from lots of folks in the community because as the mayor noted, I am not from here. I will rely on all of you. I will rely on the community to provide me guidance and insight to tell me when I'm working outside of values that this community holds dear. I will seek that kind of input. I had the benefit of meeting with OAV resources team and I will lean heavily on them for learning not just cultural values, not just language, but really about how to approach this work in a way that is respectful and aligned with and founded in Hawaiian cultural values.

As someone who has worked on both the program side of the house, implementing programs, and on the policy side of the house working for government, I understand the importance of how policy needs to be shaped by practice. Because good policy has to be implemented well on the ground. So I have this unique ability to sort of connect those dots. So I look forward to working with all of you around policy work and how we can make sure that that policy helps our service providers do more and do better rather than hindering the work that we're all trying to do. No one person can end the tragedy of houselessness.

My commitment is to bring the community together to co design solutions in service of a shared vision with the goal of reducing the number of people experiencing houselessness, preventing Maui County residents from experiencing houselessness, from losing their homes, and ensuring that if they do, we have a system in place that will quickly support them and that there are options to help them return to housing stability. So I thank you, Chair Batonga and council members. I hope you will grant me the great privilege of working alongside the amazing staff of Human Concerns in service to Maui County. Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Wallace. Okay, members, before moving into discussion, I'll receive testimony for grade one-two.

I may I thought Deputy Director might have had one more I'm sorry, managing directors. She did apologize. I didn't see that.

No, no, no problem. Chair, if I if I may, I forgot to note earlier. I did note to the committee staff earlier, but I apologize when I sent on the resolution. I had a typographical error. It's Margaret Y. Willis, not Margaret T. Willis. Depending on the action of the committee today, if you guys wouldn't mind doing non substantive revisions on that. So I apologize for that. Thank you, Chair.

Thank you, MD. Staff, are there any people signed up to testify?

Yes, chair. The first individual signed up to testify is Nicole Huginan to be followed by Lisa Darcy.

Alright. Miss Huginan, you have three minutes.

Aloha, maika I am the executive director of Maui Rapid Response, part of Maui Grassroots Collective, and I have been on the streets of Maui since 2017 working alongside our unhoused. Auntie Jolene tends to a garden at the encampment at Kapuwali. She taught me something simple and true. What we give our attention to grows. She even grew strawberries in Lahaina.

As a side note, this county has spent millions on contracts with clear conflicts of interest and problematic processes, commission reports that sit on shelves, and swept communities with nowhere to go. The system we have built around poverty does not move people towards housing. It kills people. And more often than not, it kills Hawaiians. And when it does not kill them, it criminalizes them. We saw that at Rukumohame where five of us were arrested despite all attempts at working together. We can manage arrests. The people we serve cannot. A traffic stop with no insurance becomes a bench warrant. A bench warrant becomes jail.

Jail becomes the end of whatever fragile stability they had built. That is what the system does to people every single day, and that is what happens when we tend to the wrong things. But that is not why I'm here. I'm here because I've seen the alternative. Just last week, I watched a Kanaka Wahine in her fifties who has been homeless since she was 16 asked specifically for what she needed to find steady work.

Not because the system required it of her, but because we showed up long enough and consistently enough through multiple organizations that trust became possible. In the past two years, I've watched entire communities and organize organize around their own needs and fight for their own dignity. That is what healing looks like when people are finally given the conditions and time for it. Based off of what's been working, we have built a 10 housing justice plan rooted in Pu'o Hunua, in A'hu Kua'a, and in collective Kuleana. It is not theoretical.

It is already planted and already growing. And we are ready to share it with anyone in this room who wants to know what it actually looks like on the ground. We see that vision in Maggie, and we are prepared to support her. But I want to be very honest, and I want this on record. My concern is with everyone in power in this room, with this council, with the mayor and his leadership team.

My concern is that when the hard decisions come, when the establishment pushes back, when contracts get questioned, when untrained staff revert to harmful ways, that everyone retreats to our old status quo ways. Everyone has said they want change. Today is the day to mean it because what we give our attention to grows. We are not here to fight, which some of us have been labeled as. We are here to invite you into what is already working, into the garden already growing at Kapu'ali and across the island.

The only question left is whether this council and the mayor's team are ready to stop investing in a system that harms and start investing in one that heals. If you are ready, confirm Maggie and then roll up your sleeves because there is Ina that needs tending.

Mahalo. Thank you, Ms. Unigan. Embers, any clarifying questions for the testifier? Seeing none, thank you. Steph, can you call the next testifier, please?

Yes, Chair. The next testifier is Lisa Darcy to be followed by Kahala Johnson.

Good afternoon, Chair. I get to say officially aloha to you. It's the first time I'm seeing you in that chair. So, my name is Lisa Darcy. I am the founder of Share Your Mana. And, I come here today to testify on resolution 26 dash 39. This is all new to me. I'm literally just getting information today when it sounds like this is kind of a done deal. So I apologize if some of my testimony is out of turn because I I really could find nothing in Google and nothing. Didn't I just got a resume.

So I'm really behind on this, and it sounds like there's been a lot of discussion around it. The the points that have come of come come across the work that I do, I founded Share Your Mana, and I've been in this field for forty years, four decades. The last twenty years on Maui, if you've been in this room, you've you've heard a lot of information. I hope you've learned quite a bit. I've always been side by side with individuals and in policy making.

So the first kind of ideas that came to me, and you'll know I don't use AI, so everything that you will hear that comes from me is from our advisory committee and our our our actual learned experience. So I'm never gonna regurgitate a whole bunch of stuff to you that you can get off just off of the web. It's it's actual living, breathing work. So one in is that nominee, you are in for a ride. Oh, we human concerns is, I think, the most important department in this county, and it often gets relegated.

I'm from the mainland to the basement, but here, I guess, it would be like the trunk. And it's not just about people living on house, it's about everybody's quality of life. So it's a really huge task. It does make a difference that you're not from here. And I'm I'm sorry, but I was recruited as an expert twenty years ago, and it didn't end well. Okay? You need those relationships. And why I while I can sit here and I can value the amount of work that you've done somewhere else, it's not the same here on Maui. And I've worked many different places and very large, you know, in New York City and internationally, and then I've worked in in rural places. Maui is it's built on relationships.

There's no way around that. So while I respect the work you bring, just buckle up. Girl, you're have to buckle up. That's all I can tell you because it's gonna be rough. And, you know, if you can get past the first year and a half without just, like, losing all of your hair, good luck because I have no peers. Everybody that I know is gone. Like so anyway, that said, I also wanna acknowledge, that I I guess there's some procedural issue about you not living here and moving here. So that's for the county to sort out. I actually can't endorse you again because I I couldn't find much on you. And I like I said, I didn't get this.

And and I think the work that Share Your Mana brings is very tactile. You get to know everybody I talk about. You get to know every circumstance that's around them. And it looks like you have a lot of policy experience, which I think is wonderful. You're gonna have to definitely, forge a path with the relationships because that that could be a a a big hurdle.

The last thing I wanna say is that Shiri Yamuna has worked tirelessly to be in partnership with everyone. And as the previous, testifier acknowledged, the county has constitutional rights. There has not been any change in that direction. And I just want you to know that as a human being, the amount of harm that it has done is actually at this point irreparable. So your job is going to have to be digging out of that that's still happening and the hurt that is still very much alive.

I take it very seriously. It's never the position I want to be in to ever get into a place where you actually have to go to court with someone

So, is

I'd really like to know how you're gonna address being in a county position and still being in a position where the county is literally, constitutionally harming people. So, thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Darcy. Members, any questions for the testifier? Seeing none. Mahalo. Thank you. Staff, can you please call up the next testifier?

Yes, Chair. The next testifier is Kahala Johnson, to be followed by Richard Bloom.

Ms. Johnson. Staff, can please call the next testifier? We can circle back to Ms. Johnson.

Yes. The next testifier is Richard Bloom, to be followed by and I do apologize if I mispronounce your name Liipi Shimkata.

Bloom, this is your be I'm be I'm going

Mr. Bloom, you have been here. Promoted, you just may have to go on the top oh, I see you there.

I got

it. Thank you, Mr. Bloom. You have three You would think I

know how to do this as a twenty five year public servant of the former mayor thank you. Thank you. I'm the former mayor of the city of Santa Monica, a former California state legislator, and a former California or Los Angeles County Superior Court judge. I've known Maggie Willis for over fifteen years. And I can tell you that everything you heard in the very well reasoned and thought out staff report and from Maggie herself is true based on my own experience.

Maggie has the ability to bring people together. She will work with the members of your community, both the residential community, the business community, everyone collaboratively. She'll work with staff, with yourselves as elected officials, and of course with residents of the business community. How do I know this? I've seen her do it over and over and over again in the city of Santa Monica at PATH where I first met her, People Assisting the Homelessness, a homeless nonprofit in Los Angeles County, a very well regarded homeless nonprofit, should add.

We work there together and that fact we're able to work collaboratively and accomplish things. She knows how to get things done. She has successfully implemented and supervised many programs. And one of her strengths is as a strategist. She's eager to adopt innovative ideas and emerging best practices. She doesn't stand on her laurels in what has been. She looks to the future and what can be. I wholeheartedly recommend Maggie Willis to, without reservation, much mahalo, aloha.

Thank you. Members, any questions for the testifier? Seeing none, staff, can you please call up the next testifier?

Chair, the next testifier is Lippi Simkada, to be followed by Moi Kavakoa.

Good afternoon, respected council members. My name is Lippi Sankata. I'm currently the chief program officer at the Los Angeles County Department of Homeless Service and Housing. I'm honored to offer my strong support for the confirmation of Maggie Willis as director of human concerns for Maui County. I have known Maggie for nearly two decades, I've had the privilege of working with Maggie during her time at the LA County Department of Health Services and as we transitioned into the Department of Homeless Services and Housing.

Maggie came to work with me at the County of Los Angeles at a moment when strong leadership, clarity, and compassion were so urgently needed. Maggie brought exactly that to serve people experiencing homelessness and those at risk of homelessness as the director of our countywide benefits advocacy program within the division of Housing for Health. She has the experience in LA County working on housing solutions and supportive services to create dignified and trauma informed solutions for people experiencing homelessness. As you know, in LA, we have our own challenges in addressing and ending homelessness, and I've seen Maggie create and run programs at scale that have positively impacted thousands of people and also be in community with people to learn how to do better. Her emotional intelligence, her organizational skills, and steady leadership help guide teams through complex challenges while always centering the needs of communities we serve and having her staff's back.

Maggie has a rare ability to connect people and systems and ideas in a way that moves important work forward. She combines strategic thinking with genuine empathy, creating environments where staff feel supported and community feels heard. Her leadership is thoughtful, it's collaborative and grounded in deep commitment to public service. And what really makes Maggie especially effective is the breadth and depth of her experience. She understands work from multiple perspectives.

After having served across nonprofit organizations, city government, and county systems, that depth of experience allows her to navigate public systems while keeping in focus real outcomes and people who rely on those services. Maggie is truly an asset to any organization, fortunate enough to have her. In fact, her departure from LA County is already felt deeply by me, her colleagues, and her staff who valued her leadership, her friendship, and her partnership. We would gladly welcome back Maggie anytime. Maui County would be gaining a leader of integrity, vision, and compassion. I strongly encourage the committee to confirm Maggie Willis as the Director of Department of Human Concerns. Mahalo and thank you for your time and consideration.

Thank you. Members, any questions for the testifier? Seeing none, staff, can you please call up the next testifier?

Yes, Chair. The next testifier is Mo'i Kavakoa, to be followed by Julie DeRose.

Aloha. Mahalo for having me here today. My Cherry, is it okay if I do testimony on two of the resolutions today? No.

We are only accepting testimony on, the second item, at the moment. And can I ask that Okay? As you provide your testimony, you speak a little bit louder or more directly into the microphone. Sure. Thank you.

Let me just do this.

Alright. Can everybody hear me?

Yes. Thank you.

Alright. Aloha chair, council members, and community. I come here as a lineal descendant and the of Holomo outreach, which is, I believe, the only dedicated healthless outreach grassroots organization here on Maui. I have stepped foot in most of the houses communities here and built pilina with them. Through our work, I spent a lot of time in our community, and people are experiencing homelessness.

I see firsthand the challenges they face every day. These are not just statistics. These are our neighbors, families, and community members trying to navigate difficult circumstances. Through outreach, we have worked to break through some of the barriers people face by meeting them where they are and building trust within communities that often feel disconnected from existing systems. Our programs are having a positive impact on the people who are living through this, and it has shown me that change is possible when we approach this work with compassion and collaboration.

Because of these experiences, I believe we do need change in how we address homelessness on Maui. Stronger coordination between government, service providers, and grassroots organizations is essential if we want to truly support our most vulnerable and chronically houseless community members. For that reason, I want to express my support for the nomination of Maggie Willis as director of human concerns and my hope that her leadership will help move us toward a more collaborative approach. I want to share that we are open to working with government. My question is whether government is willing to work with community organizations like ours in the same spirit.

When we work together, we can break through barriers and create solutions that truly care for our entire community. For the opportunity to share my.

Members, do you have any questions for the testifier? Seeing none, staff, can I ask that you call up the next testifier?

Yes, chair. The next testifier is Julie DeRose to be followed by Jan.

Good evening. Thank you for the opportunity to be able to talk to you about Maggie Willis. My name is Julie DeRose, and I am the Chief Programs Officer at a nonprofit in LA County. I have worked with Maggie for over ten, fifteen years. I was a nonprofit provider, and she was our homeless services funder and grant manager from the city of Santa Monica.

Maggie, from the very beginning, came to us to help integrate the services that we were going to be providing in the city. And she was a person with excellent interpersonal and communication skills. She was so kind and thoughtful to staff and very collaborative in her approach. And she is a great relationship builder hands down. She is viewed as a catalyst by other service providers and a leader or expert in this work.

She is innovative and a real systems implementer. She has helped us problem solve difficult issues with the community, with homeless individuals living on the streets, and within the system itself. Maggie is effective and efficient and will find ways to be creative within a grants management system and fund work that moves the system forward. She is well connected in this work and understands what is going on in HUD and how to create integrated models that are innovative and steeped in evidence based practices.

She

would be a wonderful asset. And once you have her, you will wonder how you ever did this work without her. I hope you will move forward with Maggie. I could not support a better person to do this work alongside. Thank you for this time.

Thank you, Mr. Rose. Members, any questions for the testifier? Seeing none, staff can ask that you call up the next testifier.

Yes, chair. The next testifier is Jan to be followed by the Royal House of Hawaii.

Hello, Jan. You're muted.

Aloha, council members and I council miss you all. I'm so grateful for all the hard work you guys continue to do. I wanted to jump on and just stand in full support of Maggie's nomination and confirmation to this position. I don't know her very well. I had the privilege of having some time with she and Josiah yesterday.

And what I can tell you is that she has a desire to be collaborative. I like I said, I don't know Maggie very well, but I do know the Department of Human Concerns very well. And working working with the homeless solution and house homelessness in our community and on other projects, I do know that there is a need for fresh, new perspective. There is a need for innovative new ideas. I think coming from a place like California and being able to see different dynamics, ethnic and cultural, diversity is important to have.

And although I too are in strong support of always looking local and giving our local people good opportunities to have these kinds of positions, I think at this time, seeing none arise to the top, Maggie is our choice and is my choice, and I hope that she will be confirmed today. I look forward to learn our cultural values and our systems here in Maui Nui. So, I look forward to working with Maggie. She has voice that she wants to work with all of us in our respective districts, And I think that's a great start. So thank you for this opportunity, and thank you council members.

I miss you guys. Hi, Charlie.

Thank you for that testimony. Members, any clarifying questions for the testifier? K. Seeing none. Staff, can you call up the next testifier, please?

Yes, chair. The next person and currently the last item to testify is the Royal House of Hawaii.

Aloha. This is the Royal House of Hawaii, an Alorio Land resident descendant of the royal patins, from the Mahele. And I just wanted to say, I hope that you will be, or you would try to help fix, the probably the greatest human concern, which is about, the everywhere of Hawaii and the people of Hawaii, the Kanaka people that are the lowest population of of Hawaii and the highest population to, be vulnerable to all these all the problems that are happening. And, because why like, I hope hope there will be, hope hope you'll be helping fix, the housing crisis, because we get enough houses is the land. Like, it's all alodial titled, royal patented, and that's a great big concern because why are so many why are so many of our people going through these problems when they are the owners of all these lands?

The Kanaka people are the owners, the true owners, the royal patsented, allodial titled owners, descendants, and they're still being, like, treated differently and are, like yeah. And the genocide of our people on our lands and everything around. Like, the like, literally. And it's because it's all royal title and the Kanaka people are descendants of those, original title holders, so they own so please give it back. And yeah.

Yeah. And that's probably the greatest, human concern, which, yeah, please return the, help return the lands to the people that, are going, through all the different problems and return it to the correct community because they would know how to restore that community because, there are specific people and specific lands to specific Ohanas. Yeah. And, yeah, return the royal patented lands, a lot your title land. And it's recognizing that TMK still don't have the land, so return the land.

Mahalo.

Thank you. Members, any questions for the testifier? Seeing none, staff?

Chair staff saw an individual approaching the podium.

Aloha.

Okay. Kalana, Maui. Aloha. Ah, kaku. JC Law again. Kuloka. I know it's, I see the time, and I I know you guys got a lot of questions about this. So you guys this is this is an example of what I'm trying to say is I can't even say the word that I wanna say without saying it because you guys keep on using it. And I wanna use a different word that relates to the people in America used for a black man. And it's like a really derogatory, but it's not the same because it's it's a race racist.

But probably how old they would be called kind of how old they have spiked the same. Want to try. It's hard to say say the word without saying it again, but I could spell it, I guess. H o m e l e s s. I looked that up in the dictionary and it it refers to the Hawaiian word kuewa, c k u e w Vagabond, exile, wanderer, wandering, friendless, homeless, unstable.

Those are all derogatory words. So I'd like the government of Maui, I think got them all here now, to try to use a different word. Would suggest some home old home Hale Ole. That's kind of a little bit easier, which means houseless or domicile. How about that one?

That was kind of fancy in it. So that's I I didn't wanna I know you got other things to the the director of human services works on a lot of other different stuff other than the people who don't even pay any taxes, but the people that do pay taxes probably complain about the people who don't pay taxes a lot. So I'll have a letter for you already about an experience I had today with Cal Noah senior services. I wanna be turning 60 pretty soon. And my problem is if if I gotta wait till I'm 60 to apply, then how long is gonna take for me to get in?

So they're saying you have to be 60 before you apply. So they're already taken away days from my time of being in program. And that was the main thing I wanted to talk with you about. Aloha, save the rest my time for the people of hawaii who don't have a house.

Thank you. Members, any questions for the testifier? Seeing none, staff, can you circle back to Mr. Johnson?

Yes, chair. Kahala Johnson? I believe they were in the chamber earlier.

All right. I don't see anybody approaching the podium. Staff, is there anybody else wishing to testify on this item?

Staff has not received any further request for testimony. Would you like us to do a last call?

Yes, please.

If anyone would like to testify, please raise your hand by clicking on the raise your hand button online or pressing star five via phone. Last call for testimony, three, two, one. Chairs sing no individuals wishing to testify at this time.

Thank you. Members, seeing that there are no more individuals wishing to testify, without objection, I will now close oral testimony for this item. And that's

we

of who the direction. Make make that we're we're going of make able question from results. So, we're So,

to

I I don't have any questions, but I will say that I'm sure you've looked around and tried your best to find a replacement for Laurie. And I'm willing to give anybody a first chance. Thank you.

Thank you, chair. Member Sugimura.

Thank you. Thank you very much for being here. So I have couple of questions and I did speak with Mayor and I did speak with Managing Director after I spoke to you. I'm just curious, Managing Director or the Mayor, how many applicants did you have for this position?

Thank you, Chair. We had 21 applicants for the position.

And how many were from Maui? And how many were human employees of the county? Maybe that's better.

I'm sorry. How many were from From Hawaii or from Maui.

And how many people were from the Department of Human Concerns?

Sure. I'll answer in this way. As part of the screening process, we required each applicant to submit a written response to a set of questions. Anybody that did not respond to the posting requirements as well as the minimum qualifications of the position or responded to the request for written responses to set of questions were essentially disqualified from further consideration. So I guess some rough numbers in terms of about half, only about roughly about half of people responded or met those I'm sorry, just responded to the requirements.

Of the half, almost about half of those were from The Mainland and about half of those roughly were from Hawaii. And then about half of all those who responded were selected. We did go through each application resume, selected the top seven individuals to invite for interview based on the resumes that were received right from the beginning, from the priority that we put on the number one issue facing the community right now under the jurisdiction and purview of the Department of Human Concerns, being assisting and providing help to our unsheltered communities. Maggie already from the start rose to the top. And if we need to get into any specific, I mean, I feel like we might need to maybe get opinion from attorneys about going into specific, about who applied and whatnot and whether that's germane to the Sunshine Law, given that Maggie is the one under consideration.

But to give further details about applicants and without getting their, I guess, consent or approval to talk about that on the floor. I'd hate to jeopardize any consideration of them for their current employment or other considerations that maybe they didn't want to make public. And I'm sorry for using most of your time there, but I'll be available for further

I that's specific mechanism will you use to verify that outreach contractors are physically present with the population they are paid to serve by the county?

Thank you for that, question council member. I will need to dig into the contracts to understand what the requirements currently are. I'll want to talk to people in the community. I want talk to the providers that have those contracts to see what their experiences are. But for me, accountability for what you do is about the outcome, right? It's not are you in the field with a person that's not sufficient, for a service. It's really what change are you making with that individual? And so for me it's very people based. It's I want to look at who are you serving? What is their plan?

What are the barriers? What are you doing to overcome those barriers with that person? Helping them to advance in their own goals. So it's not just about are you in the field? Because anybody could be in the field. Thank you. It's about progress.

Next question. Will you commit to independent verification rather than self reported numbers for these contracted contracts and grants?

Again, I'll need to dig into what system exists for tracking and accountability. I'll need to dig into the homeless management information system to see our outreach contacts being tracked and how does that report out. If And that's not being used, what other tools are being used to track encounters and interactions and services. So I'll have to dig in more to really understand that in terms of accountability and how we can help better track progress.

How important to you is getting the Safe Places to Park program up and running?

So I know that's a priority for this community. So if confirmed, it will be my priority. But it's I'm interested in looking at all the options because what I'm hearing in the community is that there needs to be more diversity in housing options for people. The one size fits all is not a good way to go. A healthy system

I needs appreciate your quickness in answering the questions. Usually, I can't get three questions in with anyone else. And since my boy is waiting, won't hold us up any longer.

Thank you, Councilmember.

Thank you, Member Palton. Member Johnson.

Thank you, Chair. Thank you, Ms. Willis, for joining us today and thank you for doing all the work that you do. I saw your passion in your opening remarks and I had a meeting with you and I could see your passion. I could see your intelligence on the floor and I see your emotional intelligence as well. It's very impressive. My passion in this topic, in this subject, doctor Benner, it comes from me living in Section A Section 8 Housing not before when I was a little kid, but before I took this job, I'd be I was living in Section A Housing. I was one car accident away from being un sheltered. I was one operation or surgical thing that I couldn't afford. And next thing you know, you're you're un sheltered.

Mhmm. That's the my passion. So hopefully, all the passions aside, the policies start to align. Right? And hope that's the gasoline in my engine. That's the gumption in my belly, is trying to help those kind folks. I have here, bill one eleven. I showed it to you. I we talked about it. And I like to hear, that our policies align and hear your opinion on Bill 111.

Thank you for that question, council member. I did have the opportunity to review the bill and again I applaud the great deal of work and thought that you've put into that legislation.

I

think for my perspective, legislation is a very rigid tool for addressing a complex social problem, a human based problem. The needs of people change very quickly over time. The way the courts interpret existing legislation change, right? We've seen that happen a lot in the last ten years, especially when it comes to homelessness and the way we address homelessness. And so legislation can be a little bit of a rock around our ankles.

It may address the need right now, but it may constrain us in the future. And I think it can be a barrier to innovation in the pivoting that needs to happen in a healthy homeless service system. I think there are ways to work through those together. Think I would love to spend time, if confirmed, with you in your office to really dig into some

Do you think this these is stone around her ankle?

I think that there is, a great deal of detail in that legislation, and the specificity of those things could potentially create barriers in the future.

Okay, then let's boil it down to do you think we need to find shelter for folks before we move them?

I think there is intent there.

That is

good intent. And I think there's maybe we should look at other ways to reach that goal. That's not necessarily legislation. What

do you think about the Housing First model?

So I am a am I I am a advocate for housing first, but it is not the only way to approach and address the housing needs of people. Fair enough. Works for a very narrow population. So there should be options.

Thank you, Ms. Willis. Thank you, Chair. Thank you, Member Johnson. Member Rollins Fernandez.

Mahalo, Chair. Aloha, Ms. Willis. Mahalo for considering leaving LA, where they sound like they would love to have you stay there. What what was it that made you motivated to want to move here for this position?

Thank you for that question. It's come up a lot in the conversations that I've had. Why Maui? Why this opportunity? And I have to say it's a combination of things. It is the natural progression of my career, this next step to be a department head. So in that respect it's very attractive. It's also just important for me to do this work in a community that actually cares about people. As I mentioned in my opening remarks, I've been in communities where the focus is really just on the problem. They just want the problem to go away.

But they don't honestly care about the people. They don't care about how you do the work. And the fact that we're sitting here together and having these questions, that's what draws me here. Is that alignment with my values and my heart of caring for people. So it would be a great honor to do this work here.

Mahalo for that response. So in the opening remarks, just want to correct the record that council didn't commission a report. We appropriated funding to establish a plan to

address

house listeners. However, we ended up with a report from Eco Northwest. That report recommended indigenous led approaches as a framework that Maui County needs. How would that translate into actual practice under your leadership?

You know, I had the great pleasure of meeting with OEV Resources and I think they're really going to lead the way on this and I'm going to lean hard into their guidance. I think there's wonderful opportunities for us to look at things. I know one of their priorities is even just the prevalence of the Hawaiian language and making services accessible to people in the Hawaiian language. And so that's a place we can start. How do we build capacity within the service community to meet that need?

There are when we talk about housing solutions, that is where we should be talking about land use and we should be talking about traditions and ways that we can create programs that are founded in cultural values. And I think that might help bring people into the service system who have currently been sort of marginalized.

And then what specific mechanism would the department use to verify the outreach contractors are physically present with the population they are paid to serve by the county?

Thank you for that. As we as I was speaking with Councilmember Palton about, there's a difference between presence and actually doing and serving, right? So my focus will be on looking at the outcomes of those contacts. How are we moving people forward? It's not just about are you there, because anybody could be there and it doesn't mean they're doing it doesn't mean the work is happening.

You. Well,

you almost got me to sign up and volunteer for the department when you're the director.

One

of my four priorities for my district in South Maui when I spoke with the mayor and the administration was a full service homeless service center in South Maui where there's it just makes sense in that community to be able to service and accommodate the people in that community. Recently, we've been supportive of security in one of the large parks. We have one beautiful Kalama Park. And my time over there where it was just sort of like working with the security guards And to we're do do And be I think, going

to to do

director and the mayor to purchase property that. In South Maui and help I think we can get money from the philanthropic community to do this so it's not all county freight. But anyway, guess you guessed I'm supportive.

Thank you. Councilmember, I look forward to more discussions about that. I am a big fan of integrated services. I love integrated services in street based models where you don't have walls and people don't have to come, you go to them with integrated services. And I love models where you create a welcoming place with no wrong door, where people can come in and get the services they need.

I think there's a lot of synergy around the desire to address behavioral health issues in a different way. And I know that we don't manage that. That's not a county service. So I'll be having to make conversations with and friends with the state. But it is, I think, are great opportunities for that kind of integrated care.

Thank you for that. And hopefully temporary and permanent shelter is one of the parts of that equation. So anyway, thank you very much and thank you Chair for this extra little thirty seconds.

Thank you, Member Cook. Member, uh-uh, hodgins.

Thank you, chair. Thank you for being with us today. I appreciate your willingness to serve. Hardly ever do I agree with Lisa Darcy, but she said a couple of things up there that I'm like, she's absolutely correct. This job is definitely hard, and so you're gonna need the passion to get yourself through. So I appreciate that. You definitely have it. We can we can see it. It's pretty palpitating. The other week, I went to Oahu with my staff and Naomi up there, and we toured a couple places on Oahu that I hope maybe we can do something similar here.

So we went to auntie Blanches out in Waimanalo, and we saw how she has her community out there. I don't know if we can replicate auntie Blanche. I'm not too sure if we can do that here. I will say she is the she's definitely that corner piece and something she probably offer corner pieces. But I think the couple of things we could do is, like, maybe a rest stop.

I think maybe that's what member Cook was talking about. There's a rest stop in town that allows people to come and sign up for showers and wash their clothes and use the bathroom and provide basic hygiene, that brings back their dignity and allows everybody to feel clean. You know, that's a, a must. And then across the street, there was a facility that allowed people with severe mental health disorders to be housed permanently, whereas they don't really belong in jail and they don't we don't really have the hospitals to deal with them. And when they have to self medicate is when they they overdo it.

So with all of that said, what is your thoughts about what we can do better here on Maui and what, experience can you bring specifically the the S.

Can't wait to get to Oahu and check the out some of those

programs. And It was interesting. In my experience, I've operated multi service centers. I've designed and run campuses with shelter, interim housing, permanent housing, healthcare, food services, showers, lockers, laundries, even property storage, pet care. So all of those things.

I'm a big fan and so I look forward to digging through the budget and looking at the resources and speaking with the mayor and managing director about where we can pool resources. My goal is to really understand the landscape of what exists now and then make plans, right, short term plans and long term plans. Setting up new facilities are our long term plans. So crisis response is one of the concerns in the report from Eco Northwest. So crisis stabilization requires a great deal of system coordination. I'm going to need to work with the community to build the collaborative infrastructure that they mentioned is sort of not as strong right now. That will be my first priority.

And then we'll get to facilities. All the long term things? Thank you, Chair. Thank you for your answer.

Thank you, Member Uwu Hodgins. Member Sanansi.

Mahalo, and Mahalo, Ms. Willis, for being here today to answer our questions. Should you be confirmed today, have you found a house?

I have a place to stay while know. So, yes, I will be looking. My car is already on its way, though.

You'll find out real quick. Yeah. We

attended conference with prosecuting attorney Andy and we learned that both Miami Dade Counties are shifting away incarceration and prisons. They've actually closed two prisons in Miami Dade and they're moving towards more mental health institutions and those types of things. So what is your take on working with our police force, whether it be harm reduction, training, specifically working with the houseless communities?

Thank you, Councilmember Sinisey. I have a great appreciation for first responders. One of the comments you'll see on the public comments posted is from the current Chief of Police in Santa Monica, who I worked really closely with over the years during my tenure there. I met with Mr. Martin yesterday and I'm excited to hear about the work that he's done so far and I'm looking forward to inserting myself in those conversations and starting to be a part to see how human service how human concerns can be a partner in that work.

And I think working with law enforcement is really key. Diversion programs, alternative that. Going to so, a tool, right, to help move people through a treatment program and get them connected to housing, but avoiding sort of the trauma that comes with jail time for folks who are unhoused. So I look forward to doing the work and I look forward to looking for ways that we could do that together.

What was LA County's approach to incarceration or shying away from incarceration?

Yeah, it's really complicated because in LA County the jail system is operated by the sheriff's department and it's so overwhelmed that literally we've had people who punched a police officer and they were sentenced to one hundred and eighty days, which really meant five minutes booked and released because there is no capacity in

unfortunately, both Maui County and L. A. Have experienced natural disaster in the past few years. So, communities have experienced trauma. And given I the important of

And You know, that's the idea of very trauma informed is really not just about cultural issues. It's about social issues. There's a lot of economic and social trauma issues like domestic violence, issues around youth and families who have justice involved parents who lose their parents and are forced into foster care. All of those things can create systems of trauma and I think it's disproportionately people who are poor are impacted by those systems and people who are poor are disproportionately people of color. And so we know that the work we do in this arena has to be informed by understanding people's background.

And you can only do that if you talk to people and you talk to the people that you're trying to help and you understand their histories. Because one size fits all doesn't work in this arena and it has to be client centered. And really understanding behaviors through a lens of trauma, understanding how to approach clients based on their histories, and being able to pivot and change your approach based on that information is key. And for me, that means helping service providers, helping us evaluate our systems so that process doesn't take precedent over people, right? That our rules don't define who we serve.

And I think that is really the key to being trauma informed and client centered.