Aloha Council,

For testimony this Tuesday, we would like to have this video played to illustrate our project:

https://vimeo.com/785456220

Kainoa Horcajio will be present at the meeting, and will be able to address the question raised by Councilwomen Kama.

Mahalo nui,

Rudy Castorina
Epic Swim Maui

Aloha BFED Committee,

I hope you're familiar with Upcountry Strong, Inc. but in case you're not, I'd like to give you a quick update on our non-profit.

What started as a grass-roots effort between neighbors in Makawao to support our community during the pandemic, quickly turned into a movement. Established in 2020, Upcountry Strong, Inc. set out to address the issue of food insecurity faced by residents of Upcountry Maui during the Covid-19 pandemic. The areas served include Makawao, Pukalani, Haliimaile, Kula, Ulupalakua, Haiku, Paia, and all the way to Hana. 


While our initial efforts were a direct response to the pandemic, we quickly became aware that the issue of food insecurity was not new to our community. The need is on-going and we are committed to try and continue our food support efforts but we face the challenge of sustaining these efforts due to the lack of financial resources.

To date, we've had 17 food distributions at Oskie Rice Arena and have fed over 3,400 families with approximately 85,000 pounds of food including fresh meat, fresh produce, and non-perishable items.

During the pandemic, much of the supplies were donated from The Maui Food Bank, Haleakala Ranch, and various other businesses. Unfortunately, this is no longer the case and we are left to purchase most of the items that we provide in our food boxes. Thankfully we are able to purchase the items at cost but each event is roughly costing us a minimum of $5,200. With our current budget, we've had to adjust from our usual (8-9) events to now only (6). Our current finances just barely be able to fulfill these (6) events planned for 2023.

I wanted to share the information below to give you an idea of the typical beneficiaries of the program:

Here's a breakdown of recipients by area/age from our February 2023 distribution:

• 96768 & 96788-over 65%
• 96790-14.9%
• 96708-13.2%
• 96779 & 96713-small portion
• adults served (18+)-469
• children served (under 18)-285

Just a couple notes to point out:

• We had 76 new registrations at the last distribution in February.
• We are seeing an increase in our Kupuna at these distributions.

Due to our current financial situation and our hopes to continue on our mission, we are humbly asking for you to consider sponsoring our efforts in the 2024 budget. I am available to answer any question you may have. Please feel free to reach out at your convenience.

With gratitude,
Kristine Mutso

Written testimony received 04-17-2023

My name is Ann Pitcaithley providing written testimony opposing the $ 6 million dollars allocated in the budget for MEO Hale Mahaolu Ke Kahua affordable rental community in Waiehu.
This project has not even been approved yet. I am not critical of the project itself and recognize the dire need for affordable rentals for low wage earners. It is just the wrong location. There are so many issues of concern; such as the lack of clear title , infrastructure, and local access to goods and services. There is known flooding there, wetlands and known iwi kupuna. Also it is zoned as agricultural land, of which there is a shortage of in Wailuku. It is in contradiction to the Maui Island Plan to preserve agricultural land. Maui attorney, Lance Collins, who has represented Native Hawaiian clients in land disputes, reviewed the court documents and proceedings, stating that MEO's action did not legally affirm their title to the land and did not include the potentially dozens of family members who could challenge their claim. Collins said each side would need to seek a quiet title action to determine ultimate enforceable legal title to a property. MEO declined this. Hawaii has a long history of native Hawaiian land dispossession. Approving this project would make Maui County vulnerable to a potential for lawsuits which could impose a burden to taxpayers. After 4 long meetings with MEO, developers and other stakeholders and the Maui County Housing and Land Use Committee, the committee failed to get the 5 votes needed to approve. I also don't think there were any modifications decided on for this project. In consideration of all the controversies surrounding this project, I oppose this additional county funding for MEO for Hale Mahaolu Ke Kahua project. I am in full support of Keani Rawlins Fernandez's resolution 23-42 introduced at the February 17, 2023 Council meeting regarding a land swap for Puunene, but it was never permitted to be heard at the Housing and Land Use Committee. This would have accommodated this project in a more appropriate location .

Thank you, Ann Pitcaithley, Wailuku

Aloha!

When will North Kihei Road homeless encampments be cleaned up? Trucks, vans, tents, furniture, toilet paper and feces liter this area uncontrollably.

I’m sure this item has been brought up numerous times, however I’m concerned not only on how this is looking from the outside near the road, but what it’s doing to the beaches. This is now going to have a profound effect on the turtle nesting that takes place on Sugar beach between May and October. I believe these turtles are protected by law as endangered species. The feces that are being left behind from the homeless encampments is sure to have an enormous effect on whether the turtles migrate there. It certainly has an effect on tourists and residents. Has anyone from your offices driven by or better yet tried to walk Sugar beach. You would and should be disgusted with what is being allowed to happen. Feces floating in the water, on the beach and toilet paper in the brush is unbelievable. Surely our beaches, sea life and residents deserve better then this sight.
I’m sorry I don’t have a solution I’m just a concerned Maui resident paying taxes and living by the law.

Thank you for your public service work.

Donna Powers
South Kihei Resident

Aloha Honorable Council Members,

I am writing on behalf of my family in support of our Maui racket sports. However, I am writing in particular to voice opposition to a proposal to repurpose War Memorial tennis courts 3 & 4 as permanent pickle ball courts. These courts are currently a community shared resource for tennis and pickle ball players. The thought that this shared resource would be taken from one group for the strict benefit of another is concerning.

Currently a county supported youth tennis program takes place on these courts 2 days a week. My sons, 9 & 11, have been involved in this program going on 2 years and I have seen it grow in size becoming an invaluable resource for Central Maui youth and families. In addition to this my family and our fellow tennis families utilize these courts 5-6 times a week. Having a dedicated community resource is imperative for cultivating and retaining interest for recreational and competitive tennis. We recently completed a second season of Junior Tennis league of which games were played on courts 3 & 4 on weekends with practices during the week. This Junior Tennis league provided an amazing opportunity for 4 youth tennis organizations on island to gather, compete, and commune. Losing a shared resource would be a detriment to recreational and competitive play in Central Maui. Sharing these courts already comes at a cost to our youth who struggle in their learning and instruction to differentiate between tennis and pickle ball lines.

Although pickle ball is a fast and growing sport with an estimated 8 million players in the US, tennis still enjoys 22+ million participants having itself grown by over 5 million players in the last 5 years. The need for continued support of tennis and attention to its growth is as imperative as that of pickle ball.

I do support our pickle ball community. I hope the already scheduled Central Maui Sports Complex pickle ball courts can be completed quickly and timely. Until then we are happy sharing our racket ours with all (pickle ball players, handball players, and more). I strongly oppose the taking away of a shared resource for use by a single group for what may be a temporary solution.

Mahalo for your time and efforts in providing for our Maui community and especially for your consideration of its youth. We appreciate all the work you do.

Kawika & Stina Kiili
Wailuku, Maui