Aloha council members,

Mahalo for allowing our community to request funding for the different operations that we have in Pa’ia.

My name is Francine Aarona (Aunty Mopsy). I would like to share with you my concerns regarding the Budgeted Amount for the Clean and Safe Program for Pa’ia.

On Behalf of myself and the neighborhood board, Hui Malama Pa’ia, would like to again request $350k as a budgeted item for the Clean and Safe Program in Pa’ia for fiscal year 2023-2024.

We would like to request that a task force be initiated within the clean and safe program to take care of safety issues. This task force would work with merchants, oversee public parking areas and help contain and provide direction for people who are in need. We are overrun with crime, drugs and transient traffic.

In addition to the budget item, request for additional funds to be appropriated to add a crosswalk at the stoplight on Hana Hwy and to change angle parking to parallel parking on Baldwin Ave.

This additional budget request is to take care of safety issues, to safeguard pedestrians crossing and walking on sidewalks.

The Hui would like to have an itemize print out of the budgeted items spent for security, clean up vendors and other needs to benefit a safe environment. To this date we have not gotten any information on how much was paid out for security and just recently for clean up being contracted out.

Mahalo for your kind attention❤️
Aunty Mopsy
Hui Malama Pa’ia

My name is William Spence, I am a board member at the Hui Noeau. I would like to offer my strong support for their FY24 budget requests for the Art with Aloha Program, as well as the Youth and Family Visual Arts Education and Outreach Program as they make a tremendous difference in our communities and touch the lives of many of our residents. The Art with Aloha program is pursuing more relationships with Hawaiian practitioners, giving another avenue of expression and exposure of the culture to many.

The Youth and Family Arts program amazes me as reaches out to our very young to 18, to homeless children, and provides opportunity and an open door where I believe the public school system is sorely lacking. The results of this program are truly remarkable when you see the expressions on paper and on the kids faces. Creativity is as important as reading and writing, and some kids are gifted in this area, those gifts should be given every opportunity to flourish. I support the request for and increase in this grant to $50,000, it means more children can be reached.

Mahalo for your time,

Will Spence

Aloha,
Mahalo nui loa for including Hui No`eau’s Art with Aloha programs along with Hui Youth & Family Arts Education Outreach Programs in the Mayors proposed FY24 budget. Thank you for your past support for both of these vital programs for Maui County.

Art with Aloha programs connect Maui County community members & Visitors along with Hawaiian cultural practitioners to learn Hawaiian arts and crafts and to perpetuate the learning, appreciation and understanding of the Hawaiian culture through the arts. Hui No`eau’s Art with Aloha programs are also included in our outreach programs into a number of Maui’s Public Elementary Schools and Homeless shelters at no cost to the school or organization.

Hui Youth & Family Arts Education Outreach Programs, as mentioned above, are at no cost to the school, organizations and non-profits that the Hui partner with. Hui Outreach Programs provide a safe place for students to learn and express themselves. With many art programs being cut within schools, few children have the opportunity to experience a hands-on art experience. Today more than ever, the arts have shown to be a huge improvement to one’s self-esteem, creative and critical thinking, mental health and sense of community.

Due to the increase in demand for Hui outreach programs from Maui County public schools, partner organizations and non-profits, I respectfully ask for your consideration in increasing funding for Hui Youth & Family Arts Outreach Programs from $25,000 to $50,000. This increase will allow Hui No`eau to further expand our arts education reach to additional public schools and offer more free community art events for youth and for Maui County.

Mahalo nui loa,
Anne-Marie Forsythe
Executive Director, Hui No`eau Visual Arts Center

I support the funding for Hui No'eau Arts Center
-$25,000 for Youth & Family Visual Arts Educational and Outreach Programs
- $50,000 for Art with Aloha Programs
I humbly ask the you consider raising the funding for the Youth and Family programs to $50,000 for FY 2024. We have not seen an increase in sometime, and we we have seen increased demand for the programs and our operational cost have risen considerably.
Thank you for your consideration.
Rob Stoner
Co President
Hui No'eau Visual Arts Center