Dear County Council:
Please fund the entire amount request by KHAKO for the FY 23, FY 24 grant period.
KHAKO requested $815,000 to operate both of our homeless shelters, Wailuku and Lahaina.
To be able to do the work we do at the shelter and to cover the costs/expenses we requested $815,000, however, the mayor proposed to fund only $671,000 annually. This is a drastic $144,000 difference in much needed funding. This is a significant reduction in the request which will have a very deep cut in services the agency provides. As the need for utilities to be paid is ever present, we would be forced to consider to eliminate 4 key employee positions to include the Food Services Manager, Disability Case Manager, and two operation/security workers.
The Disability Case Manager (DCM) is responsible to assess, coordinate and advocate for appropriate care for participants with disabilities in shelter. The DCM ensures proper documentation of disability and length of homelessness for chronically homeless participants to assure Permanent Supportive Housing placements. The DCM splits their time between the Central and Westside Shelter and the Ka La Hiki Ola Mobile Hygiene Unit to ensure maximum services are offered.
The Operations Team is familiar with KHAKO’s programs, maintains close contact with participants and conducts unit inspections to gauge progress and implementation of Step-Up principles. These workers also work 24/7 to provide safety and security at the facilities.
The Food Services Manager (FSM) is responsible for the daily operation of the shelter’s cafeterias, ensuring that proper food handling procedures are followed and maintaining the food services’ budgetary specifications. The FSM also ensures that participants and unsheltered individuals and families seeking KHAKO services have access to food, and three (3) quality and nutritious meals a day, 365 days a year, with efforts to be respectful of dietary needs for a diverse population in a mass feeding environment and to assure satisfaction with dining experiences.
The agency has only had nominal increases in funding but it is not enough to keep up with the rising costs of utilities and maintenance for the aging buildings. The participants in the shelters are asked to pay program fee’s that help to offset the expenses, however, their ability to pay is limited. This means the agency must cover the bulk of the
It is crucial that the county’s largest homeless provider, who has been assisting the homeless in Maui for over 30 years get the funding it needs to fully operate and offer vital services.
Mahalo piha for the work that you do in our beloved community.
Sincerely,
Monique R. Ibarra
Executive Director

Monique R. Ibarra, MSW | Executive Director
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers (what’s this?)
Ka Hale A Ke Ola Homeless Resource Centers, Inc.
670 Waiale Road
Wailuku, HI 96793
Ph: (808) 446-8133
www.khako.org

"Breaking the Cycle of Homelessness"

Aloha County Council,

It is vital that we take care of our oceans and get rid of injection wells!
Please approve the Regional Wastewater Plant in Maalaea. The wells in that area are some of the worst offenders on the island. I am a condo owner in Maalaea, Maui resident and long time Hawaii resident. We desperately need to shut down these aging systems and see Maalaea Bay restored to a clean and healthy environment for corals, fish, and humans alike. It is the right thing to do! Why would we wait?? The right time to do the right thing is NOW.
Please vote to approve the $9.5m project.

Mahalo,
Tracey Cannon
280 Hauoli St A17

Support of Lana`i Kina`ole's request for support of the expansion of long term care services for Lanai kupuna through the adult day care proposed project

Aloha, I am supporting Lana`i Kina`ole's (LK) request to continue to provide long-term care services to the kupuna on Lana'i through the expansion of their services to include an adult day care (ADC) and/or an adult day health (ADH) program, especially since Lanai's population is about 30% over the age of 60 years. Support through funding would assist LK initiate building consultation, securing field expertise, and going through the required permitting, land assessments, and design. The current LK office is located on land owned by the Pulama Lanai company, and it will partner with entities to ensure that this expansion will move forward if Maui County and other funding are secured. Currently, LK is seeking additional funds from different entities, such as private foundations, state government, and individual donors, as well as internally through reimbursement for existing service delivery through its licensed home health program. Support through the County of Maui would greatly enhance LK's efforts to develop a much-needed adult day care/health program for the community of Lanai. Mahalo, Judith Mikami

--
Judy Mikami
(808) 658-0710 (c)
(808) 553-5603 (h)

Testimony on BFED-1 in support of Maui Economic Development Boardʻs Economic Development Grant under the Maui County Office of Economic Development.

To Whom it may concern,

My name is Shannon Rowe and I am an Automotive Technology teacher at Maui High School. I am writing to you today to ask that you please continue to support Automotive High school programs in Maui County through Maui Economic Development Board. This grant has been a catalyst for maintaining strong high school Auto programs at not only Maui High School, but also Baldwin High, King Kekaulike and Lahainaluna High Schools. Most recently this grant has helped to obtain a new teacher at Baldwin High School. (Baldwin was in danger of losing their program due to not having a qualified Auto Teacher). As high schools across the state continue to see declines in their Industrial Arts classes, with the help of this grant and MEDB Maui schools have been able to not only maintain, but also improve our Auto programs.

Thank you very much for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Shannon Rowe
Maui High School

Testimony for Lana’i Kinaole’s County Grant

Aloha County Council members and staff. My name is Robin Kaye,
and I’m a long-time Lana’i resident.

Thirty-one percent of Lana’i’s population is over 60 years of age —
almost one third of our total population. [REPEAT]
That is a higher percentage than that of Maui County (24%), the
entire state of Hawai’i (24%) and the national population (21.8%).
Twenty-seven percent of Lana’i residents are over 75 years of
age — again, higher than Maui County, State of Hawaii or the entire
United States.
Yet despite those staggering numbers, there is no adult day or
adult day health care or a long term care facility of any kind on the
island of Lana’i.
I love this island. My family and I have lived on and off Lana’i
since purchasing our 1935 plantation house in 1978. I’ve worked in
the pineapple fields. I’ve helped neighbors and friends build their
homes. I’ve volunteered for many of our community’s nonprofit
organizations, and helped to create two of those. And I want to
Page 2 of 4
share with you one-little-known-yet-incontrovertible fact about this
island. You cannot be born here — and you cannot die here.
The birth part is largely due to the unavailability of equipment and
specialists for premature births. I know this for a fact, given how
we had to fly out to Honolulu when my son was about to be born.
The dying part we know well, as we’ve seen many of our friends
shipped out to other islands so they could end their lives in care
facilities. On Lana’i, WE HAVE NO CARE HOMES
WHATSOEVER. NONE. We have apartments for seniors but
without any healthcare provisions. If you have to spend the
remaining years of your life in a place with medical assistance
— you must move away.
To change that dynamic, we now have on island an incredible
collection of passionate, educated and well-trained individuals, who
not too long ago began providing home care for our kupuna —
while simultaneously developing a much-needed non-tourismbased
workforce. Without Lana’i Kinaole, those who’ve wanted to
stay in their homes as they’ve aged would be severely challenged to
do so; they would have to leave Lana’i.
Page 3 of 4
Less than a year ago, our community raised thirty thousand dollars
and hired the University of Hawaii to undertake a needs assessment
for kupuna care. The study, by a team from UH’s Department of
Urban and Regional Planning and the School of Architecture,
provides insight into the status of long-term kūpuna care on the
island based on in-depth interviews with over 50 kūpuna, family
members who are caregivers, service providers, a focus group of
elderly residents, and a survey of existing health care facilities
conducted between November and December 2021. Here are some
highlights:
Quote:
• The results indicate that the majority of the kūpuna interviewed
preferred to remain independent in their homes as they age, but
are all too aware that it might not be possible, without day care
and ultimately long-term care;
• All the groups of study participants mentioned the lack of longterm
care alternatives on the island and stressed the need for
adult day care or adult day health care, for expanding home
care, and for having a facility on Lāna!i that offers long-term
care for kūpuna who can no longer live independently.
Page 4 of 4
• They preferred any new facility to be located centrally for a sense
of connectedness to the community
What do we need to do? We need to enhance existing services,
and we need to provide a new facility to meet the growing need
for short- and long-term care for seniors on the island. And,
equally important, to provide a respite for our kupuna’s caregivers.
Since the mid-1800’s Lana’i has been almost completely owned by
one landowner. There is little we can do about that; it is a fact of
life here on Lana’i. Given that, I would argue that the commitment
of a long term lease is the best possible solution for moving forward
towards a much needed kupuna care facility.
Please approve the requested allocation so we can care for our
kupuna here. Not someplace else.

In response to the Council's request for more detailed information regarding the County's ARPA expenditures, Director Teruya responded that the Mayor has created several private Task Forces on various issues to provide suggestions on the County's ARPA expenditures.

I do not see anything in the Charter language that gives the Mayor the power to create private Task Forces to advise on the expenditure of County funds. The Council has exclusive authority to pass the FY Budget including all estimated appropriations and expenditures.

Why, in April 2021, did CM Rawlins-Fernandez propose adding Section 27 to the General Budget Provisions to give the Mayor the authority to expend all appropriations in his "best judgement"? Please do not add any similar language to the FY 23 General Budget Provisions. This only encourages secrecy, unaccountability and the exclusion of the public from the discussion over how the County's federal covid relief funds should be spent.

Budget request for Maalaea Wastwater Facility

This is letter in support of the request to include $9.5 million of funding for a new Ma'alaea Regional Wastewater Reclamation Facility in the 2023 budget, and support for Kelly King's proposed amendment.

============================================
Mark Juergensmeyer
30 Hauoli St, #106, Ma'alaea, Wailuku 96793
juergensmeyer@gmail.com

Testimony received from BFED Committee.

Maalaea Water Treatment System budget proposal

Aloha Kelly,

Thank you very much for supporting Maalaea. I am a homeowner at Kanai A Nalu since 2001 and appreciate all the time and energy you’ve put into this budget proposal for wastewater treatment in Maalaea.

I tried to write the county clerk in support of adding the Maalaea treatment system to the proposed 2023 budget and the email address wasn’t accepted. So I decided to write you in support of your proposal. I firmly believe is is justified for our area to protect the livability for years to come. Please include this email with any other documentation you need for support of your proposed amendment.

Thank you,
Pam Thompson
Kanai A Nalu
250 Hauoli Street #301
Wailuku, HI 96753

Butch Gima
POB 630400
Lanai City, HI 96763-0400
bg325@hotmail.com
559-9566

Testimony before the Maui County Council BFED committee, April 14, 2022

Good morning,

I am unable to provide testimony as I am Oahu for a medical appointment. I am in support of Lāna‘i Kinaole’s (LK) Phase I, FY 2022-2023 budget request of $250,000.00 for planning and design of a Adult Home Health (ADH) and Adult Day Care (ADC) facility on the island of Lana’i.

When appropriate, I will provide further testimony for LK’s Phase II budget request of $750,000.00 for construction costs.

The foundation for my testimony is rooted in the following:

a. My 31+ years working in Adult Mental Health

b. My multi-year participation in the Lana’i Aging Network Council, Eldercare Infrastructure Committee and current Long-Term Care project

c. My assistance with off-island friends whose Lana’i parent(s) needed assistance with coordination of health, medical and long-term care needs

d. My ongoing advocacy for the Office on Aging’s on-island presence, staffing and policy development and

e. Caring for my elderly Mom who eventually had to go to Oahu for long-term care and later died.

The need for LK’s budget request has been well documented. There have been numerous studies over the last 5 years that have established a need for ADH and ADC. Most recently, the University of HI’s Architecture and Urban Planning Departments completed their Needs Assessment. Here are excerpts from their Conclusions:

The growing aging population of Lana’i will increase pressure on health care and social services……The results indicate that the majority of the Kupuna interviewed preferred to remain independent in their homes as they age……..study participants mentioned the lack of long-term care alternatives on the island…..They stressed the need for ADC or ADH care, expanding home care and a facility that offers long-term care for kupuna…..

The study provided both empirical and anecdotal data that recommended building a new facility, expanding home health care, developing affordable housing to support the health care workforce to name a few.

There is an urgency to fund LK’s request; especially after the County kicked the proverbial can down the road when a similar endeavor was scuttled by the County Administration, Office of Aging and the Office of Economic Development.

LK is doing its due diligence by seeking multiple sources of funding which include federal, state, in-kind and donations. The County share would be just one piece of the pie, not the entire pie. As with other funding methods, County funding will help LK to leverage other types of funding and support. In addition, an ADH program will enable LK to be reimbursed for services; another funding stream.

Leveraging could also mean land acquisition or long-term leasing. Many of you may be unaware that Pulama Lana’i leases ~95% of the commercial property. Only a few churches and a coffee shop own their property. Consequently, business infrastructure development are rare on Lana’i due to the very, short term leases.

Funding LK’s budget request(s) will significantly impact LK’s ability to negotiate either a long-term lease (30 years+) or a land purchase with Pulama Lana’i. Based on my experience with Pulama Lana’i and its predecessor, it would be short sighted for the Council, the County to wait on the landowner before making a funding commitment to Lanai’s Kupuna and community.

To summarize, LK has established itself in its few years of existence in serving our community’s kupuna, working collaboratively with our community’s health care providers all the while being creative in establishing its budget. The funding of LK’s request will fill a gap now, while the rest of the Eldercare Infrastructure is developed. Most importantly, this is what Lanai’s Kupuna want and need.

Thank you considering my testimony and the needs of our community.

Sincerely,

/s/

Butch

Megan Nakashima, President
Testifying on behalf of the Kekaulike High School Foundation
Written Summary of Verbal Testimony

We support the additional proposed budget earmarked for the Kekaulike High School Foundation.

Kekaulike High School Foundation
• New nonprofit and was created because there was an initial need for a non profit organization to accept large donations slated for the Kekaulike complex public school programs
• A separate entity from the King Kekaulike Foundation for the Performing Arts which is intended to support and maintain the Performing Arts Center
• Encompasses the entire Kekaulike Complex and is meant to provide support for all aspects of school, including athletics, the arts, STEM, and everything else.

“Upcountry Eats for Education” (first fundraiser)
• March 2022
• Participating eateries were asked to donate 10% of their sales that day to the foundation
• Advertising: Radio time was donated and we relied on social media (FREE)
• Expenses: mostly for printing and postage
• Outcome: We made about $1200 and the eateries received extra publicity and patronage that day. We hope that they made a few new customers as well!

Other donations already received:
• $8000 in donations earmarked for scholarships for the current graduating class. The scholarship committee is currently reviewing applications, the deadline was this past Monday.
• Donations earmarked for public school libraries and for various other programs. We are slated to complete our grant application process very shortly for educators to access those funds.
What the proposed $25,000 will be used for:
• Continue our fundraising efforts
• Hold events that are family friendly and affordable
• During these events, we want to be able to fundraise and bring awareness to the areas of our public school complex that need a little help and to raise funds for our general fund, which can also provide grants on a case by case basis.
• Example: Color Run Upcountry
o Need funds for a registration and timing program, event insurance, supplies, refreshments, support personnel, music, etc.
o We would hope that a portion of this would be donated or discounted, but we can’t expect that.

Why does Kekaulike High School Foundation deserve this:
• We’re a brand-new foundation, therefore no surplus of funds.
• We’re not well established with generations of community members supporting it.
• Not only does it support the current students, but it also gives alumni a way to give back and reconnect with the community we grew up in.
• We have already proved that we can hold a fundraiser, that we are frugal when it comes to expenditures, and that we have a process to provide funds raised to those who need it.
• We want to be able to do more and strengthen that bridge between the community and Upcountry public schools. This proposed funding would help us do just that.

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION – KEKAULIKE HIGH SCHOOL FOUNDATION

Two of the biggest statements that have been posed to us regarding this funding:

1. The County does not give to Public Schools.
a. Is this a law? Has this been historically true?
b. We understand that it may be best practice to let the State handle public education, we would like to confirm this.
c. If so, we apologize for taking up your time.
d. Does the County support the public school system in other ways?

2. The County does not give to School Foundations. If you give to one, you have to give to all.
a. As a product of the Upcountry public school system, I was taught to share what I have and to think out of the box when problems arise.
b. We suggest that the amount of money proposed for the Kekaulike High School Foundation be split amongst all of the Maui complexes: Baldwin, Maui, King Kekaulike, Lahaina, Hana, Lanai and Molokai.
c. What would be a great gift for us to uplift the public schools in our complex, we know will also be a wonderful gift for our counterparts in the other complexes.

Testimony of
Mufi Hannemann
President & CEO
Hawai‘i Lodging & Tourism Association

Maui County Council
Budget, Finance, & Economic Development Committee
Bill 71 (2022)
April 13, 2022

Chair Rawlins-Fernandez and members of the Committee, mahalo for the opportunity to submit testimony on behalf of the Hawai‘i Lodging & Tourism Association, the state’s oldest and largest private sector visitor industry organization.

The Hawai‘i Lodging & Tourism Association—nearly 700 members strong, representing more than 50,000 hotel rooms and nearly 40,000 lodging workers—has long supported programs and initiatives that would protect Native Hawaiian culture and the arts and practices that comprise it.

In the Maui County budget currently proposed by Mayor Michael Victorino, there exists plans to fund the construction of Hālau of ʻŌiwi Art which will be dedicated to the study, practice, celebration, and perpetuation of hula and other cultural arts and practices connected to hula. It stands to be the first center of its kind and the largest investment by any county in the study of hula.

To finance the center and other budget priorities, Mayor Victorino has proposed the issuance of general obligation bonds via this bill. As HLTA recognizes the importance of the local culture, its people, and its practices, we feel strongly that the Committee should support this measure and the construction of the Hālau of ʻŌiwi Art.

Personally speaking, throughout my career in public service and the private sector, the perpetuation of the Hawaiian culture has always been a priority of mine, and I feel strongly that it must be done, and it must be done correctly. The establishment of a center like Hālau of ʻŌiwi Art ensures that this will be so.

For these reasons, HLTA supports Bill 71 (2022).

Mahalo for the opportunity to provide this testimony.

I am Alexis Kahue and I am the new Automotive Technology Teacher at Baldwin High School and I am testifying on BFED-1 in support of Maui Economic Development Boardʻs Economic Development Grant under the Maui County Office of Economic Development. Through MEDB I was able to start reviving the Automotive program at Baldwin High. From what I understand there was no qualified teacher for the position for over 4 years. I was originally recruited by another teacher, but when I decided to jump on board the school did not have the budget yet to hire me as one of their teachers. As a "consultant" under MEDB I was able to start and receive a small amount of funds to start teaching students online. I was able to buy small equipment and tools needed for the students to start MLR 1 (maintenance and light repair) lessons. Baldwin High now has 120 students in the automotive program ranging from grades 9-12. With the continued support from MEDB we can continue to build the program, purchase much needed tools and equipment, and revive the drive from our students to succeed especially in a CTE course and continue on to higher education.