GREAT-14 Reso 23-194 RESOLUTION 23-194, RELATING TO DEVELOPING A COMPREHENSIVE RECOVERY AND RESILIENCY PLAN IN RESPONSE TO THE ISLAND OF MAUI'S TRAGIC WILDFIRES OF AUGUST 2023 (GREAT-14)
Please see my testimony below regarding recovery and resilience following the Lahaina wildfire event by category of issue:
PROPERTY / LAND OWNERSHIP
- Prioritize the needs of our displaced community by advancing legal and legislative action to halt mortgage payments and accrual of interest until rebuilding can begin.
- Provide safe and suitable temporary housing for our displaced 'ohana. Families need stability and children need continuity in schooling. Do NOT force families off the island by failing to address this major need.
FOOD / MENTAL HEALTH / OTHER RESOURCES
- Provide a centralized, easy-to-find online link hub directing residents to critical resources WIDELY promote this information and use it every time there is a need from here forward.
- Staff up Maui County's 211 information call line to quickly and efficiently answer questions about resources available. Not all residents have access to mobile data or the internet, nor feel comfortable navigating the county's cumbersome website for information.
- Provide transparency about all monies received and how they will be or are intended to be used in the coming months to directly support survivors.
REBUILDING LAHAINA
- Stop promoting traffic and driving. Envision county-funded shuttles that run every 10 minutes along the new Front Street, giving access to Lahaina town and relieving congestion. This applies no matter how set back from the ocean it may be.
- Encourage alternative transport with bike and walking lanes suitable for small electric scooters and other wheeled equipment.
- Create affordable housing opportunities for Lahaina residents who were previously stuck in the overpriced rental market.
- Build a new, beautiful boat harbor that is adequately maintained and staffed and funded by DLNR fees collected. There was so much corruption and mismanagement in the old one.
- Bury electrical lines in and nearby population centers and upgrade the grid to be smart-controlled when power needs to be shut off.
SAFETY / EARLY WARNING / EVACUATION
- Create statewide standards and legislative mandates detailing the minimum requirements for disaster early warning and response plans and training that every County must adhere to. Fund these functions and institute checks and balances to ensure each County adheres to the standards.
- Create a policy for new appointees and elected officials to receive immersive training in the escalation of emergencies and how to make official requests to the National Guard, military, and federal government for additional responders and disaster relief.
- Hire emergency management leadership with on-the-ground, life-saving experience, and active-duty training only. No political loopholes for bypassing this requirement. People who have seen action understand the urgency and take seriously their responsibility for saving lives and will use every tool in their arsenal to do so.
- Employ and exercise annually the use of multiple modalities of early warning. This includes grassroots, community-based designees who can go door-to-door when other systems fail, to use of the sirens for all major events, and cellular system redundancy to ensure cellphone alerts are received.
-If possible, pipe ocean water to the fire hydrants so they are not using our precious fresh water.
- Finish the Lahaina bypass to ensure adequate evacuation of residents and visitors. This part of the island can easily be cut off from resources by tsunami, fire, tropical cyclones, and other hazards.
- Maintain equipment, health supplies, food and water in warehouses located strategically across Lahaina and other parts of Maui (South side and Hana), and routinely inspect the equipment and goods.
TOURISM / SUSTAINABILITY
- Return the control of water to the people. Currently, a few private corporations extract from the watersheds and aquifers, never allowing replenishment, and return nothing to the community (Mahi Pono). Do any of our planning department or policymakers have any idea how much water we have left in the aquifer? Recent decisions about water use are dangerous and unsustainable for all life on this island.
- Immediately reprioritize the use of Maui County's precious freshwater resources to ensure the sustainment of life on the island now and into the future. Extracting all the water from watersheds and aquifers for the entertainment of tourists and lavish landscaping is not sustainable or pono.
- Stimulate a job economy through eco-tourism and conservation of resources. Create a county-sponsored ride-share app/business where residents who participate in giving rides to tourists (reducing congestion on the roads and carbon monoxide emissions) get tax breaks and revenue.
- Create community farming/education programs funded by grants and tourism.
- Heavily invest in water quality and coral restoration jobs along the coastline where injection-pumping of wastewater has destroyed the Kaanapali ocean ecosystem. Many tourists would like to give back, participate in educational programs, and pay for eco-experiences.
- Favor local sustenance farming over commodity crops (Mahi Pono, A&B). According to the 30-year State plan, the Hawaiian islands were supposed to be food-sustainable and independent of outside suppliers. We have the capacity in Maui to feed all the islands but still, our leadership chooses to import 97% of our food supply. Provide tax breaks and incentives to local farmers and give them water to be successful.
- Ensure sustenance farming is first in line for water use over wasteful hotel and millionaire landscaping uses. This includes the multi-million dollar Montage housing complexes that run water all day to irrigate tropical rainforests in drought-stricken areas. Waterfalls, lazy rivers, and entertainment pools should not be permitted use if our own people are punished for watering their food gardens in their own backyards! Life over luxuries!
My name is Lara Taamu and on 8/8/2023 my two adult sons and myself fled our 1321 Kenui Front St Aps home that had been our home for 20 yrs.
I have many questions, but will focus these questions about the failure of being notified of life threatening danger by radio and text. These basic tools were not effectively executed by the emergency response network. I need to know the answers for my mental health. Our Community deserves to know the degree of negligence thru transparency of their actions. The WORLD is watching how State of Hawaii and County of Maui are treating the PEOPLE, many many comments being made worldwide about how they can not consciously vacation to a place that is dangerous and reckless with the lives of its residents and visitors.
On Sept 19, I asked the Mayor Bissen office and the Gov office the questions. Both offices transferred me to voicemail and I have had no response as of today's date.
My first question is WHY WAS THERE NO EMERGENCY INFORMATION ON THE RADIOS AS WE WATCHED FIRE ON WAINEE AND LAHAINALUNA FROM 2 PM. MANY NEIGHBOURS CALLED 911. I WATCHED THEM FROM MY WINDOW AS I OBSERVED THE FIRE FROM MY BACK LANAI - LOOKING MAUKA TO LAHAINALUNA. I HAVE A SOLAR BATTERY RADIO AND WENT STRAIGHT TO RADIO FOR INFORMATION. NOTHING BUT MUSIC.
4:25 PM WE FLED THE APT WHEN SMOKE WAS COMING INTO THE AIRCON AND SETTING OFF SMOKE DETECTORS IN THE APT. WE SAT IN BUMPER TO BUMPER GRIDLOCK FROM KENUI ST TO MY FINAL DESTINATION, WHALER'S VILLAGE FOR 2 HOURS. THATS A MILE AND HALF AND SHOULD NOT HAVE TAKEN 2 HRS. DURING THIS TIME WE WATCHED LAHAINA BURN IN OUR REAR VIEW MIRRORS AND CONTINUED TO SEARCH THE RADIO FOR INFORMATION.
THE RADIO ONLY PLAYED MUSIC FOR THIS ENTIRE AFTERNOON. THE RADIO SHOULD HAVE BEEN GIVING THE COMMUNITY THE INFORMATION GATHERED FROM 911 CALLS AND POLICE DISPATCH. TO WATCH THE TOWN BURN AND LISTEN TO ONLY MUSIC IS LIKE A TWLIGHT ZONE HORROR SHOW GONE REAL. THIS IS CAUSING ME DISTRESS BECAUSE OF TOTAL LACK OF NEGLIENCE AND ADDED TO THE FACT SIRENS WERE NOT ALLOWED MAKES FOR VERY DARK AND GRIM CONCLUSIONS.
AGAIN, WHY WAS THERE NO INFORMATION ON THE RADIO 8/8/2023 ABOUT THE LEVEL OF DANGER AND ESCALLATING EMERGENCY FOR LIFE AND DEATH. ITS THE RADIO!! IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN NOTIFYING PEOPLE OF SEVERE DANGER. THIS IS CRIMINAL.
MY SECOND QUESTIONS IS ABOUT THE 4:18 EMERGENCY TEXT I RECEIVED. THE TEXT WAS THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF THE FACE OF THE PHONE DESCRIBING THE HAWAIIAN NAMES OF THE AHUPUAA AND THE LAST SENTENCE WAS EVACUATE NOW. I HAD TO READ THRU VERY LONG UNFAMILIAR HAWAIIAN WORDS TO GET TO THE SIMPLE ALERT EVACUATE NOW. IT CAUSED ADDITIONAL STRESS TO FIGURE OUT WHAT HAWAIIAN AHUPUAA WAS BEING DESCRIBED.
ON OAHU I HAVE NOTICED THAT THERE ARE SIGNS THAT SIGNIFY THE HAWAIIAN NAME FOR THAT AHUPUAA. NOT IN LAHAINA. THERE IS NO WAY THAT THE PUBLIC WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE WORDING OF THE AHUPUAA DESCRIPTION AS SHOWN IN THE EVACUATION TEXT. NOT EFFECTIVE AT ALL AND LIMITS THE ABILITY FOR PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT TEXT WAS TRYING TO SAY .... EVACUATE NOW WERE THE LAST TWO WORDS. THOSE SHOULD HAVE BEEN THE FIRST TWO WORDS.
I DO NOT HAVE THAT TEXT AS OF 9/27/2023 BECAUSE ALL MY TEXTS HAVE BEEN REMOVED FROM MY PHONE. MY ASSOCIATES WHO RECIEVED TEXTS FROM ME THAT DAY ALL HAVE THE CONVERSATIONS WE HAD 8/8/23. HOWEVER, IF SOMEONE WAS GIVEN THAT ALERT AT 4:18PM - IT HAS BEEN SCRUBBED FROM ALL OUR PHONES AND I AM DISAPPOINTED I DID NOT TAKE A SCREEN SHOT OF THE ALERT TEXT. I DID NOT THINK ALL TEXTS PERFORMED 8/8/23 WOULD BE REMOVED FROM MY PHONE. WHY IS THIS?
SIMPLE QUESTIONS WHY DURING LIFE AND DEATH SITUATION NO INTEL ON RADIO? WHY EVACUATION TEXT ALERT IN HAWAIIAN NOT EASY TO READ AND 'EVACUATE NOW' LAST TWO WORDS OF A TEXT THAT TOOK UP ENTIRE SCREEN SPACE ON PHONE AND STILL COULD NOT UNDER STAND WHAT IT WAS SAYING UNITL LAST TWO WORDS....EVACUATE NOW.
I am submitting testimony.
-Restore water flow to west Maui and other residential fire prone areas now.
-Put tourism hubs such as the airport and resort areas on (at the very least) cosmetic water restriction.
- Prioritize the needs and living conditions of the residents over the visitors.
- create emergency economic aid/relief for every household and business on Maui
- provide snap benefits for every primary residential household on Maui.
- remove bureaucratic and arduous process to provide access to aid.
Subject: Proposal for the Integration of MECO and Appropriate Departments in Rebuilding Lahaina's Power Grid and Advancing the West Maui Greenway Project
Dear Governor Greene,
I hope this message finds you well. I am writing to bring to your attention an important opportunity that could greatly benefit Lahaina and the broader community in the wake of the recent emergency proclamation following the August 8 fires. This opportunity involves the integration of the Maui Electric Company (MECO) and relevant state departments in the reconstruction of Lahaina's power grid, alongside the advancement of the West Maui Greenway project.
The West Maui Greenway project has made significant progress, including the completion of the Final Plan, its inclusion in the County of Maui Public Works Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP), and secured funding under the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) MC28. It is poised to serve multiple critical functions, including accommodating underground utilities, which can greatly enhance its value to the community.
Here are key points supporting the case for advancing this project, especially in the context of Lahaina's recovery efforts:
1. Resilience and Sustainability: The West Maui Greenway's incorporation of green infrastructure, underground utilities, and resilience features aligns perfectly with the goal of creating a more resilient and sustainable community, crucial in the aftermath of the August 8 fires.
2. Multi-Use Benefits: This project offers multiple benefits, including recreation, transportation, and utility accommodation. It embraces the principle of providing alternative transportation solutions and modernizing ground transportation infrastructure, as outlined in Act 131.
3. Alignment with Legislation and Policies: Hawaii's legislative efforts and policies that emphasize clean transportation, safety, and sustainable transportation infrastructure dovetail seamlessly with this project's objectives.
4. Integration with State Goals: The project aligns with the State Climate Commission's focus on clean transportation choices and Act 131's mission to create a sustainable multimodal transportation system for Hawaii.
5. Economic Vitality: It has the potential to boost economic vitality, public health, livability, and overall quality of life, which is particularly important during the post-emergency recovery phase.
6. Infrastructure Upgrades: Investment in infrastructure upgrades that accommodate the community's evolving needs, such as high-capacity broadband infrastructure, can drive economic and community development while embracing technological advancements.
7. Proven Resilience: Underground utilities are known for their resilience and reliability during natural disasters, aligning perfectly with the need for a robust infrastructure system in Lahaina after the fires.
8. Regular Maintenance: The inclusion of underground utilities beneath the Greenway offers a practical solution for ongoing maintenance, ensuring the long-term value and sustainability of both the Greenway and the utilities.
Considering these factors, I believe there is a compelling case for advancing the West Maui Greenway project in conjunction with rebuilding Lahaina's power grid. This integrated approach not only enhances the resilience of Lahaina's infrastructure but also contributes to a sustainable, modern, and economically vibrant community.
I kindly request that you consider exploring this proposal with the relevant departments, including the Maui Electric Company, to assess the feasibility and potential benefits of this integration. Your support for such a initiative could have a lasting positive impact on Lahaina and the entire state of Hawaii.
Thank you for your attention to this matter. I look forward to hearing your thoughts and insights on this proposal.
Sincerely,
Lee Chamberlain
Thank you for opportunity to offer testimony about our concerns as we all works towards the recovery of our beloved Lahaina.
Near-term recovery:
1. There are hundreds of residences in the burn zone at Opukea, Ho’onanea, and Kahoma Village that are still standing and can be a piece of the housing solution if all agencies work together to prioritize returning these areas to safe inhabitability! But that has to be a coordinated effort to make it happen. This includes restoring utilities (sewer, water, power, telecom). This includes prioritizing the work on the water system to re-establish safe water and remediate and remove the safety advisories. But also must include prioritizing the properties needing debris removal in and adjacent to the parcels. Until the debris removal is completed on the adjacent properties, owners can’t move forward with necessary remediation of ash, soot, and smoke in the homes because insurance companies will only provide coverage for all the treatments once. Only after this happens can these hundreds of residences become a part of the housing solution moving recovery forward for displaced residents and freeing up additional rental inventory for those who lost homes.
Long-term recovery:
2. Critical evacuation planning and infrastructure is our greatest concern for long term planning the County does because it’s a _safety_ issue for the most important stakeholders in all of this - the people. We’ve known for all of our two decades in west Maui that if an emergency ever arose down where we are off of Front Street, that the evacuation would be complicated. We always imagined that the threat would come makai from the ocean. But on that tragic night of Aug. 8th, it came from mauka at us like a freight train. Please ensure all of your committees put a comprehensive and defensible evacuation plan into place for all of the west side, mauka to makai. From our homes, from our schools, from our community gathering places and parks, from the businesses.
3. Harden the utilities infrastructure, bury the power lines (ESPECIALLY through the lens of keeping the evacuation routes clear in any future emergency) and mandate fire-fuel/brush remediation annually across all of the West Maui hillsides mauka.
4. Medical infrastructure - fast tracking the West Side medical center is beyond overdue for the benefit of all. Our kapuna, keiki, and community all deserve access to high quality healthcare and emergency care that isn't a 45 minute ambulance ride away over in Wailuku.
5. If the 3.2 sea level rise modeling in the SLR-XA is going to prevent rebuilding along the shoreline, then please prioritize securing these lands in perpetuity as shoreline parklands available to all, returning the aina to the people to use.
6. We imagine a Front St. where it’s safe to walk without the burden of car traffic end to end, with uninterrupted views makai, with the Moku’ula restored for all of us to learn from.
7. Fast track the Bypass extension and address the urgent need for safer access out to the north around Kahakuloa. We've all known for decades that a narrow one lane road is not adequate emergency infrastructure - please do something about it already!
8. Help the rebuild efforts in Lahaina to become resilient by granting funding, offsets, incentivization, etc. for green infrastructure such as PV power on residential and business structures, green/climate-resilient building materials and methods, etc.
Additional recovery concerns: We’d like to see all-agency coordination to restore access to Mala Ramp for the benefit of the community as soon as possible. As Lahaina community members, we care about getting Mala Ramp open to all again (residents, long time permit holders, those with necessary needs for west side access because of fire losses at the harbor alike). It’s frustrating when elected officials refer in public meetings to the “community” as if we all feel the same way about access at Mala Ramp. I respect there are community members with diverse needs, desires, hopes, and opinions about access at Mala Ramp who may feel differently than we do, I hope all are given consideration for diverse views when the County and State are charting paths forward. We care about restoring access for residents. We care about the safety of the nearshore reef from stranded vessels on the moorings, and therefore care about getting them access to launching their support tenders for maintenance. We care about the resiliency of the maritime fleet as employers supporting ~1000 jobs on the west side (between Lahaina Harbor, Mala Ramp, and Kaanapali). There’s a need for balance there—of course, but access needs to be restored and allow for recovery and resiliency of all stakeholders needing west side ocean access.
Mahalo and Aloha as you work through these immense challenges. We appreciate your service to the community.
Lori Cunningham,
Lahaina community member
I have lived in Lahaina for 17 years and I’m very upset with the current protocol to help save surviving pets and animals in the burn zones.
Please allow professionals to help save the surviving animals and pets in the burn zone. They have been denied entry and sent home multiple times while pets suffer and starve for no valid reasons.
Please delay spraying the Soiltac and bulldozing until most animals are removed from the areas. Many citizens are upset at how this has been handled thus far and want to get their pets home. This is outrageous but it is also your chance to do right by the community which has been let down so much since the fire.
Contact me anytime at 808-344-6999 or SaveMauiCats@gmail.com
My name is Elise Travis and I am a 44YR. resident of Maui. I am appalled how the animal rescue was handled by MHS. Top animal rescuers came on their own donations, brought all the top equipment for rescue and wanted to offer their services free of charge and work with anyone to help in the fire zone. They were told explicitly by MHS they were not invited and told if they are anywhere near the fire zone they will be arrested. No Aloha, No thanks for wanting to help.Very cold. MHS was adamant about this and these were the top rescuers who were deployed in Ukraine twice last year saving animals. They were treated horribly. We have all the documents to show this. I would like transparency and would like to know how much the rescuers who were allowed to be in charge were pd. From what I heard they have been pd. a lot of money ($200,000+) Also, they were not allowed to be in contact with the group hired and not allowed to be connected to work with anyone else. So, many lies were spread to keep them out. We need an investigation into this. This group that was denied clearance also had hazmat training and the drones to go in at night and get the job done fast. I am outraged that this was allowed to happen and the way they were treated when all they wanted to do was to help save the cats in the fire zone.No money needed to pay for their services. Also, the group that was contracted by MHS had no fire experience with fire cats along with the people held in charge. They are only trappers and no training to how to deal and trap the fire cats. They had one photo op and left. They did nothing and got pd. a fortune. I would like transparency as to what they were pd. Also, why they spread the lies to turn people against this group. All documented. Also, would like transparency on the donations collected for the Fire Cats and Animals. This money needs to go for them alone. They cannot be put back into the fire zone like MHS is doing. MHS needs to open sanctuary's with the 3+ mil $ they collected.l This money needs to be earmarked for the well being of the firecats. Thats what the donations were for. They can't just release them back into the fire zone. Right now , they will be spraying bad chemicals that will kill any cats left in the zone that are suffering and not being saved. We need the top professional rescuers to come in before they do any spraying.The ones that are hired do not know what they are doing. They are not trained to rescue Fire cats.This is a very specific type of training and it needs to be done now! there is no more time to waste.The Colony Cats were all affected by the fires and by law they are required to take care of them also. No food was allowed to be given to The Colony cats when MHS was giving out food. I was told explicitly by one of the volunteers that food was only given out to Pet Owners. By law they were required to also give food for the Colony cats that were in the Fire Zone and affected by the Fires. This was not done also . We need to get to the bottom of everything that was done and show transparency. Too many people are upset over the debockling of the rescueing. Mahalo
Thank you for the opportunity to give testimony. I am sure you have heard all of these items before so I will be concise as I just want to add my concurrence to all of these items:
Short Term:
- Staff up and locate a building permitting office in Lahaina staffed by Lahaina people ASAP.
- Expedite utility restoration to neighborhoods that are partially standing: Opukea, Hoonanea, Waihikuli, Kahoma Village and also debris removal in those areas and the surrounding perimeters. These neighborhoods will provide urgently needed housing for displaced families, both owners of those homes and rentals.
- Fast track Pulelehua and the neighborhood next to the bypass that has already begun construction to expedite housing for displaced families and make rules conducive to displaced people using those homes for short term housing (2-5 years) or long term if they decide to stay there.
Long Term:
- Put utilities underground!!!!!!
- New construction should be incentivized to be as "green" as possible, such as PV on rooftops, improved insulation, cool roofs, low emittance windows, etc.
- Restore Moku'ula in Lahaina
- Make Front Street a walking street and create a parking structure so so people can park and walk along Front Street in an organized fashion
Aloha my name is Brandi Corpuz and I am a resident and community advocate from Kula Kai. I have testified for this county council in the past as a resource and I am here to testify about the importance of the wetlands in Lahaina.
1st you must listen to the residents of Lahaina who need their community rebuilt 1st. I have testified to this council before about the wetlands of Kula Kai as a natural infrastructure and I would like to say it once again in reference to Lahaina.
Our wetlands in Hawaii are vital to our ecosystem on every side of every island. The diversion and destruction of wetlands has caused the death of our natural resources. From the top of the mountain to the ocean we need our fresh waters restored and protected so that the abundance of life that is a wetland can thrive once again. Many others and I believe that if our wetlands would have been in place on August 8th then the destruction of Lahaina would not have been as devastating.
As we move forward, we are under water restrictions while million-dollar homes enjoy their private pools and resorts and visitors enjoy green lawns and no restrictions. This is so wrong and backwards.
I have often wondered why anyone would look at something so beautiful as a wetland ecosystem such as Moku'ula and decide to backfill and build on top of it. I will never understand this mindset so I ask you to be mindful of these valued cultural and historical wetlands as you move forward with the restoration of Lahaina town.
No private dwellings or person should be allowed to use and abuse our most valuable resources such as water. The county should own all water rights even if the land around it is owned by someone else. If any owner diverts or damages our water they should be put in jail and fined heavily for their crimes. There was just a major purchase of 200 plus acres of land above Wailuku Heights. It is a very steep mountain area so why do they want this land? Its so they can divert and abuse the water from the top of the mountain which is the source! If we allow people to divert our waters from the very top, every piece of land below them is in jeopardy! You must make laws to protect us against this type of water theft on every part of Maui but especially in Lahaina.
I support restoration of all the wetlands of Lahaina and all of Maui. We have a wetland overlay bill that needs to be completed asap and it should include every stream, springs, and gulch. We are no longer protected by the EPA or Federal guidelines so we must utilize our County Councils Bill 91 to protect our most valuable resource.
I support the Lahaina community in rebuilding however they see fit. I echo the voices we have heard today in restoring front street to its historical glory instead of focusing on the rich and tourism. No shoreline development should be allowed in the area. Instead, it should become a walking path of historical and cultural sites as an attraction for all to enjoy now and in the future.
This council and state should use the money that has been received to help the community rebuild their homes so that no one has to sell or leave because of the cost to rebuild.
It is time to support the community of Lahaina and all of Maui and take the focus away from more building, hardscaping, water theft and tourism. You each have the power to make historical and lasting decisions. Please do what is right for our people and the aina we all call home.
Sincerely, Brandi Corpuz
Rooted Kekahi Me Ka Aina
808-357-9170
I support whatever thr people of Lahaina need for their recovery, but please allow Hawaii-based animal rescue groups to assist in the safe trapping of cats before the soil is sprayed. HAKA rescue workers from Hawai'i Island are there and ready to assist the too-small team from New York. Please let them help the estimated 500 cats awaiting rescue and their owners who must be anxious for their reunion. Mahalo.
Subject: Public Testimony Regarding A Comprehensive Recovery and Resiliency Plan for West Maui
My name is John Helly, I am a resident of West Maui for about 22 years. I am a scientist at Scripps Institution of Oceanography and the retired Laboratory Director for Earth and Environmental Science at the Supercomputer Center at the University of California, San Diego. I am also a Board Member on the Maui County Board of Water Supply but offer this testimony as a private citizen.
I would like to make the following six points for the consideration of the Committee.
1. Watershed Management: West Maui needs a watershed management program that implements defensible fire boundaries around the fallowed, privately owned, agricul- tural lands. The existing programs, that I am aware of, focus on ecological health of watersheds but not on wildfire control per se.
2. Meteorological Data: Wind data is important in predicting fire risk, fire-fighting and post-fire forensic analysis. In the aftermath of the Lahaina fire, I’ve attempted to organize wind data to support the fire investigation and, so far, find that there isn’t any. Meteorological stations are low-cost items that provide invaluable data for fire control and risk mitigation.
3. Emergency Communication Centers: Outside of Lahaina, we were largely un- aware of the extent of the disaster for days. People on the mainland and the other side of the island knew more than we did as we learned through occasional cell-service from a few high spots. Emergency communications centers should be developed within the west-side communities and provisioned with Starlink stations, HF/VHF/UHF ra- dios and antennas, and emergency services scanners with emergency power sources. Starlink stations popped up spontaneously in a variety of locations so it is already
1proven important. The County should institutionalize this capability and pre-position the equipment and operational and maintenance responsibility and publicize it.
4. Evacuation Routes and Staging Sites: Already an obvious topic due to what happened on Front Street and others. Highway 30 and Lower Honoapiilani are the only routes. During the Kaanapali fire, we had to evacuate from the Hillside and the stretch on 30 between the Lower Honoapiilani Road and Kapalua Airport are perfect setups for the evacuation gridlock that trapped people in Lahaina. There should be firebreaks along the highway and escape routes to fire-safe staging areas mauka of the highway to avoid gridlock to allow for controlled traffic flow.
5. Utility Infrastructure Hardening: The utility infrastructure on Kaanapali Hillside is dangerous. The dried and fragile telephone poles used to support the cables going up Puukolii Road, for example, appear ready to collapse and fall on the passing traffic without any disaster as a cause. This obviously all needs to be hardened and made fire resistant.
6. West-side Medical Center: The West Side medical center should be speedily developed for the obvious reasons. It could also provide a staging area for evacuation with a fire-safe boundary.
I’m available to elaborate further on any of these topics and to provide whatever assistance I can.
Aloha Council Members, Sorry for some reason accessing today’s meeting and testimony has been more than difficult- but hopefully the meeting went well with overwhelming testimony charting a path forward the State Legislature can be guided by. Rep. Diamond Garcia is in your audience and will brief me in place of the live-streamingy that didn’t work out.. Bottom line this has got to be of, by, and for the people of Maui as the State listens closely to your voices and heartbeat for the future.
Aloha and Mahalo,
Rep. Gene Ward
Thank you for the opportunity to give testimony. I am sure you have heard all of these items before so I will be concise as I just want to add my concurrence to all of these items:
Short Term:
- Staff up and locate a building permitting office in Lahaina staffed by Lahaina people ASAP.
- Expedite utility restoration to neighborhoods that are partially standing: Opukea, Hoonanea, Waihikuli, Kahoma Village and also debris removal in those areas and the surrounding perimeters. These neighborhoods will provide urgently needed housing for displaced families, both owners of those homes and rentals.
- Fast track Pulelehua and the neighborhood next to the bypass that has already begun construction to expedite housing for displaced families and make rules conducive to displaced people using those homes for short term housing (2-5 years) or long term if they decide to stay there.
Long Term:
- Put utilities underground!!!!!!
- New construction should be incentivized to be as "green" as possible, such as PV on rooftops, improved insulation, cool roofs, low emittance windows, etc.
- Restore Moku'ula in Lahaina
- Make Front Street a walking street and create a parking structure so so people can park and walk along Front Street in an organized fashion
I am Hawai'i Island born and raised. I have Ohana that reside on Maui. I come with complete Aloha in my testimony here. The residents of Maui are my first priority. Rebuilding our historical buildings/sites are second.
I am writing to offer my assistance and ideas in rebuilding. I'm aware that 86% of the destructed structures, are residential. I'm aware that the average home was 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, 1,420 sqft. plantation/ranch style home built between 1970 and 1999.
My company and I can provide cold form steel panelization that is cost efficient, fire, hurricane, water, and mold resistant. We are willing to work together with residents, council, government officials, and federal and state programs, to assist the residents in rebuilding. Please see the attached floor plan and rendering of a 3/2 bath ranch style home. Also attached is an estimated budget sheet that we can discuss in further detail and work together in solidifying a bottom line.
We need to build back stronger and have more solidified preventative measures in place. Let's laulima and rise up from this tragedy.
Please feel free to reach out for further discussion or inquiries.
How come no one is doing more for our pets? People are being turned away from getting the help they need by the Humane Society in Pu'unene, saying that they’re overcrowded and overwhelmed. Someone saw my cat but I wasn’t even allowed in to look. Plus what about the animals still trapped in the burnt areas? I’m so sad.
Mahalo, please help
As I’m concerned, Citizen long term resident of Maui, I urge you to make the Maui Humane Society accountable for the lives of the animals still in the burn zone! Everyone who supports them and donated to them in hopes that they will do the right thing and rescue all the animals still in the burn zone needs to be addressed! They need a second recovery center for all the animals that have survived the fire and are now trying to survive daily before the poisons and the bulldozers get them in a few weeks! I urge everybody who is searching for their beloved pets, still trapped in the burn zone to put more pressure on MHS to do the right thing! They have rejected many professionals in animal, rescue and welfare from around the globe, and even the local animal rescue groups have been denied access to help these poor animals that are still trapped inside the burn zone! They only have 2 to 4 trappers nightly, and they only bring out max five animals nightly and they estimated there are still over 500 cats trapped in the burn zone! Please allow at least the local animal rescue groups to come in and secure a second Recovery Center, ASAP! Maui Humane Society needs to do the right thing with the millions of dollars in donations that they have received for these efforts! Mahalo for your time, aloha
As someone who has worked animal welfare on Maui for the past decade my vision for rebuilding is bringing the local animal rescue community together during this unprecedented time. Maui Humane Society (MHS) stated in a press article 2 days ago that they are estimating still 500 live animals inside the burn zone waiting for rescue, but yet they are only allowing a couple trappers from the mainland in to help. This is despite having credentialed professional animal search and rescue groups like Hawai’i Animal Kuleana Alliance (HAKA) on island sitting standby ready to assist.
Instead, at the beginning of September a New York based group called Neighborhood Cats (NC) was tasked by MHS to run the trapping/rescuing in Lahaina Town. NC is a Trap Neuter Release (TNR) group consisting of just a couple people that have no experience in disaster rescue like HAKA does. It's become clear very quickly that NC is not equipped to run the rescue side of things. For example, they only had one third the amount of feeding stations established that the professionals (AIM that MHS had brought in last month) told them they needed based on live animal sightings. It’s completely unacceptable that AIM gave their assessment/recommendations and then NC didn’t follow up until the next fire expert got into the field almost 2 weeks later and realized there was not even close to enough food/water to meet the huge need. That fire rescue expert also gave recommendations that have since been ignored. NC has proven to not be transparent with the community or even a team player as in the 5 years since the husband/wife two-person-team moved here they denied assisting the two main TNR groups on island.
It has been stated that after the county is done escorting Lahaina homeowners back to their properties that Soiltac will be sprayed and demolition will begin in these areas. There is a timeline of 3 weeks before FEMA starts spraying the Soiltac and begins demolition. This is an urgent situation and the local animal rescue community is reaching out again to offer our help because we don’t feel it will be a safe environment for any cats once this process begins. The cats that survived the fire need to be removed from the burn zone immediately and their ohanas given a chance to find them/reunite.
What it comes down to is that locals with disaster rescue credentials are willing and wanting to help with the fire animal rescue operations, but are being denied when they should be the ones leading these recovery efforts! We are begging the county to allow HAKA in who will continue working with the local rescue community where transparency and true team work can begin as we move forward together with these long term rescue efforts.
Independence Energy Company (IEC) submits the following proposal for the conversion of the Town of Lahaina. The first principle essential to the conversion process is the preservation of the dignity; first and foremost, of the remains of the victims of the fire who could not be recovered and then the preservation of the physical remains of the Town of Lahaina. IEC’s technology will convert the remains in a final step akin to a full cremation. Our process will completely deconstruct the remains that were partially and crudely cremated by the fire. Our process yields a combustible gas and inert ash. IEC will temporarily store the inert ash awaiting interment. The decisions regarding interment will rest in the hands of those most connected to the Town of Lahaina. The IEC process is essentially modular and portable. IEC will locate its hardware at a site suitable for a temporary project. The total area needed is 2-3 acres. IEC will place at the site material preparation equipment, thermal reaction hardware and combustible gas (the gas produced by the IEC thermal reaction) processing equipment. IEC has targeted a timeline for completion of the conversion process of less than 12 months. The operation of the conversion process will be conducted by a local company already identified by IEC. The local company will train and employ Lahaina and Maui persons to complete the conversion process. The IEC conversion process is demonstrably carbon neutral if not carbon negative. The process is fully compliant with prevailing Federal and State environmental statutes and regulations. For instance, no particulate matter escapes IEC’s controlled process. Additionally, all organic compounds are converted to an environmentally safe and benign state. As noted above, throughout the entire conversion process IEC will seek the guidance of persons connected to the Town of Lahaina to ensure the preservation of the dignity of the remains. IEC fully recognizes that the conversion of the remains is not an industrial project. The conversion of Lahaina and most importantly the unrecoverable victims is the final process of interment. The preservation of dignity is the first and continual principle. Please direct any questions or inquiries to Adrian Lanser, CEO/President of Independence Energy Corporation, 770-606-4403 or adrianlanser@gmail.com.
Please see my testimony below regarding recovery and resilience following the Lahaina wildfire event by category of issue:
PROPERTY / LAND OWNERSHIP
- Prioritize the needs of our displaced community by advancing legal and legislative action to halt mortgage payments and accrual of interest until rebuilding can begin.
- Provide safe and suitable temporary housing for our displaced 'ohana. Families need stability and children need continuity in schooling. Do NOT force families off the island by failing to address this major need.
FOOD / MENTAL HEALTH / OTHER RESOURCES
- Provide a centralized, easy-to-find online link hub directing residents to critical resources WIDELY promote this information and use it every time there is a need from here forward.
- Staff up Maui County's 211 information call line to quickly and efficiently answer questions about resources available. Not all residents have access to mobile data or the internet, nor feel comfortable navigating the county's cumbersome website for information.
- Provide transparency about all monies received and how they will be or are intended to be used in the coming months to directly support survivors.
REBUILDING LAHAINA
- Stop promoting traffic and driving. Envision county-funded shuttles that run every 10 minutes along the new Front Street, giving access to Lahaina town and relieving congestion. This applies no matter how set back from the ocean it may be.
- Encourage alternative transport with bike and walking lanes suitable for small electric scooters and other wheeled equipment.
- Create affordable housing opportunities for Lahaina residents who were previously stuck in the overpriced rental market.
- Build a new, beautiful boat harbor that is adequately maintained and staffed and funded by DLNR fees collected. There was so much corruption and mismanagement in the old one.
- Bury electrical lines in and nearby population centers and upgrade the grid to be smart-controlled when power needs to be shut off.
SAFETY / EARLY WARNING / EVACUATION
- Create statewide standards and legislative mandates detailing the minimum requirements for disaster early warning and response plans and training that every County must adhere to. Fund these functions and institute checks and balances to ensure each County adheres to the standards.
- Create a policy for new appointees and elected officials to receive immersive training in the escalation of emergencies and how to make official requests to the National Guard, military, and federal government for additional responders and disaster relief.
- Hire emergency management leadership with on-the-ground, life-saving experience, and active-duty training only. No political loopholes for bypassing this requirement. People who have seen action understand the urgency and take seriously their responsibility for saving lives and will use every tool in their arsenal to do so.
- Employ and exercise annually the use of multiple modalities of early warning. This includes grassroots, community-based designees who can go door-to-door when other systems fail, to use of the sirens for all major events, and cellular system redundancy to ensure cellphone alerts are received.
-If possible, pipe ocean water to the fire hydrants so they are not using our precious fresh water.
- Finish the Lahaina bypass to ensure adequate evacuation of residents and visitors. This part of the island can easily be cut off from resources by tsunami, fire, tropical cyclones, and other hazards.
- Maintain equipment, health supplies, food and water in warehouses located strategically across Lahaina and other parts of Maui (South side and Hana), and routinely inspect the equipment and goods.
TOURISM / SUSTAINABILITY
- Return the control of water to the people. Currently, a few private corporations extract from the watersheds and aquifers, never allowing replenishment, and return nothing to the community (Mahi Pono). Do any of our planning department or policymakers have any idea how much water we have left in the aquifer? Recent decisions about water use are dangerous and unsustainable for all life on this island.
- Immediately reprioritize the use of Maui County's precious freshwater resources to ensure the sustainment of life on the island now and into the future. Extracting all the water from watersheds and aquifers for the entertainment of tourists and lavish landscaping is not sustainable or pono.
- Stimulate a job economy through eco-tourism and conservation of resources. Create a county-sponsored ride-share app/business where residents who participate in giving rides to tourists (reducing congestion on the roads and carbon monoxide emissions) get tax breaks and revenue.
- Create community farming/education programs funded by grants and tourism.
- Heavily invest in water quality and coral restoration jobs along the coastline where injection-pumping of wastewater has destroyed the Kaanapali ocean ecosystem. Many tourists would like to give back, participate in educational programs, and pay for eco-experiences.
- Favor local sustenance farming over commodity crops (Mahi Pono, A&B). According to the 30-year State plan, the Hawaiian islands were supposed to be food-sustainable and independent of outside suppliers. We have the capacity in Maui to feed all the islands but still, our leadership chooses to import 97% of our food supply. Provide tax breaks and incentives to local farmers and give them water to be successful.
- Ensure sustenance farming is first in line for water use over wasteful hotel and millionaire landscaping uses. This includes the multi-million dollar Montage housing complexes that run water all day to irrigate tropical rainforests in drought-stricken areas. Waterfalls, lazy rivers, and entertainment pools should not be permitted use if our own people are punished for watering their food gardens in their own backyards! Life over luxuries!
My name is Lara Taamu and on 8/8/2023 my two adult sons and myself fled our 1321 Kenui Front St Aps home that had been our home for 20 yrs.
I have many questions, but will focus these questions about the failure of being notified of life threatening danger by radio and text. These basic tools were not effectively executed by the emergency response network. I need to know the answers for my mental health. Our Community deserves to know the degree of negligence thru transparency of their actions. The WORLD is watching how State of Hawaii and County of Maui are treating the PEOPLE, many many comments being made worldwide about how they can not consciously vacation to a place that is dangerous and reckless with the lives of its residents and visitors.
On Sept 19, I asked the Mayor Bissen office and the Gov office the questions. Both offices transferred me to voicemail and I have had no response as of today's date.
My first question is WHY WAS THERE NO EMERGENCY INFORMATION ON THE RADIOS AS WE WATCHED FIRE ON WAINEE AND LAHAINALUNA FROM 2 PM. MANY NEIGHBOURS CALLED 911. I WATCHED THEM FROM MY WINDOW AS I OBSERVED THE FIRE FROM MY BACK LANAI - LOOKING MAUKA TO LAHAINALUNA. I HAVE A SOLAR BATTERY RADIO AND WENT STRAIGHT TO RADIO FOR INFORMATION. NOTHING BUT MUSIC.
4:25 PM WE FLED THE APT WHEN SMOKE WAS COMING INTO THE AIRCON AND SETTING OFF SMOKE DETECTORS IN THE APT. WE SAT IN BUMPER TO BUMPER GRIDLOCK FROM KENUI ST TO MY FINAL DESTINATION, WHALER'S VILLAGE FOR 2 HOURS. THATS A MILE AND HALF AND SHOULD NOT HAVE TAKEN 2 HRS. DURING THIS TIME WE WATCHED LAHAINA BURN IN OUR REAR VIEW MIRRORS AND CONTINUED TO SEARCH THE RADIO FOR INFORMATION.
THE RADIO ONLY PLAYED MUSIC FOR THIS ENTIRE AFTERNOON. THE RADIO SHOULD HAVE BEEN GIVING THE COMMUNITY THE INFORMATION GATHERED FROM 911 CALLS AND POLICE DISPATCH. TO WATCH THE TOWN BURN AND LISTEN TO ONLY MUSIC IS LIKE A TWLIGHT ZONE HORROR SHOW GONE REAL. THIS IS CAUSING ME DISTRESS BECAUSE OF TOTAL LACK OF NEGLIENCE AND ADDED TO THE FACT SIRENS WERE NOT ALLOWED MAKES FOR VERY DARK AND GRIM CONCLUSIONS.
AGAIN, WHY WAS THERE NO INFORMATION ON THE RADIO 8/8/2023 ABOUT THE LEVEL OF DANGER AND ESCALLATING EMERGENCY FOR LIFE AND DEATH. ITS THE RADIO!! IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN NOTIFYING PEOPLE OF SEVERE DANGER. THIS IS CRIMINAL.
MY SECOND QUESTIONS IS ABOUT THE 4:18 EMERGENCY TEXT I RECEIVED. THE TEXT WAS THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF THE FACE OF THE PHONE DESCRIBING THE HAWAIIAN NAMES OF THE AHUPUAA AND THE LAST SENTENCE WAS EVACUATE NOW. I HAD TO READ THRU VERY LONG UNFAMILIAR HAWAIIAN WORDS TO GET TO THE SIMPLE ALERT EVACUATE NOW. IT CAUSED ADDITIONAL STRESS TO FIGURE OUT WHAT HAWAIIAN AHUPUAA WAS BEING DESCRIBED.
ON OAHU I HAVE NOTICED THAT THERE ARE SIGNS THAT SIGNIFY THE HAWAIIAN NAME FOR THAT AHUPUAA. NOT IN LAHAINA. THERE IS NO WAY THAT THE PUBLIC WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE WORDING OF THE AHUPUAA DESCRIPTION AS SHOWN IN THE EVACUATION TEXT. NOT EFFECTIVE AT ALL AND LIMITS THE ABILITY FOR PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT TEXT WAS TRYING TO SAY .... EVACUATE NOW WERE THE LAST TWO WORDS. THOSE SHOULD HAVE BEEN THE FIRST TWO WORDS.
I DO NOT HAVE THAT TEXT AS OF 9/27/2023 BECAUSE ALL MY TEXTS HAVE BEEN REMOVED FROM MY PHONE. MY ASSOCIATES WHO RECIEVED TEXTS FROM ME THAT DAY ALL HAVE THE CONVERSATIONS WE HAD 8/8/23. HOWEVER, IF SOMEONE WAS GIVEN THAT ALERT AT 4:18PM - IT HAS BEEN SCRUBBED FROM ALL OUR PHONES AND I AM DISAPPOINTED I DID NOT TAKE A SCREEN SHOT OF THE ALERT TEXT. I DID NOT THINK ALL TEXTS PERFORMED 8/8/23 WOULD BE REMOVED FROM MY PHONE. WHY IS THIS?
SIMPLE QUESTIONS WHY DURING LIFE AND DEATH SITUATION NO INTEL ON RADIO? WHY EVACUATION TEXT ALERT IN HAWAIIAN NOT EASY TO READ AND 'EVACUATE NOW' LAST TWO WORDS OF A TEXT THAT TOOK UP ENTIRE SCREEN SPACE ON PHONE AND STILL COULD NOT UNDER STAND WHAT IT WAS SAYING UNITL LAST TWO WORDS....EVACUATE NOW.
I am submitting testimony.
-Restore water flow to west Maui and other residential fire prone areas now.
-Put tourism hubs such as the airport and resort areas on (at the very least) cosmetic water restriction.
- Prioritize the needs and living conditions of the residents over the visitors.
- create emergency economic aid/relief for every household and business on Maui
- provide snap benefits for every primary residential household on Maui.
- remove bureaucratic and arduous process to provide access to aid.
Thank You,
Pomai Weigert
Keokea, Maui 96790
Subject: Proposal for the Integration of MECO and Appropriate Departments in Rebuilding Lahaina's Power Grid and Advancing the West Maui Greenway Project
Dear Governor Greene,
I hope this message finds you well. I am writing to bring to your attention an important opportunity that could greatly benefit Lahaina and the broader community in the wake of the recent emergency proclamation following the August 8 fires. This opportunity involves the integration of the Maui Electric Company (MECO) and relevant state departments in the reconstruction of Lahaina's power grid, alongside the advancement of the West Maui Greenway project.
The West Maui Greenway project has made significant progress, including the completion of the Final Plan, its inclusion in the County of Maui Public Works Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP), and secured funding under the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) MC28. It is poised to serve multiple critical functions, including accommodating underground utilities, which can greatly enhance its value to the community.
Here are key points supporting the case for advancing this project, especially in the context of Lahaina's recovery efforts:
1. Resilience and Sustainability: The West Maui Greenway's incorporation of green infrastructure, underground utilities, and resilience features aligns perfectly with the goal of creating a more resilient and sustainable community, crucial in the aftermath of the August 8 fires.
2. Multi-Use Benefits: This project offers multiple benefits, including recreation, transportation, and utility accommodation. It embraces the principle of providing alternative transportation solutions and modernizing ground transportation infrastructure, as outlined in Act 131.
3. Alignment with Legislation and Policies: Hawaii's legislative efforts and policies that emphasize clean transportation, safety, and sustainable transportation infrastructure dovetail seamlessly with this project's objectives.
4. Integration with State Goals: The project aligns with the State Climate Commission's focus on clean transportation choices and Act 131's mission to create a sustainable multimodal transportation system for Hawaii.
5. Economic Vitality: It has the potential to boost economic vitality, public health, livability, and overall quality of life, which is particularly important during the post-emergency recovery phase.
6. Infrastructure Upgrades: Investment in infrastructure upgrades that accommodate the community's evolving needs, such as high-capacity broadband infrastructure, can drive economic and community development while embracing technological advancements.
7. Proven Resilience: Underground utilities are known for their resilience and reliability during natural disasters, aligning perfectly with the need for a robust infrastructure system in Lahaina after the fires.
8. Regular Maintenance: The inclusion of underground utilities beneath the Greenway offers a practical solution for ongoing maintenance, ensuring the long-term value and sustainability of both the Greenway and the utilities.
Considering these factors, I believe there is a compelling case for advancing the West Maui Greenway project in conjunction with rebuilding Lahaina's power grid. This integrated approach not only enhances the resilience of Lahaina's infrastructure but also contributes to a sustainable, modern, and economically vibrant community.
I kindly request that you consider exploring this proposal with the relevant departments, including the Maui Electric Company, to assess the feasibility and potential benefits of this integration. Your support for such a initiative could have a lasting positive impact on Lahaina and the entire state of Hawaii.
Thank you for your attention to this matter. I look forward to hearing your thoughts and insights on this proposal.
Sincerely,
Lee Chamberlain
Aloha Hon. Councilmembers,
Thank you for opportunity to offer testimony about our concerns as we all works towards the recovery of our beloved Lahaina.
Near-term recovery:
1. There are hundreds of residences in the burn zone at Opukea, Ho’onanea, and Kahoma Village that are still standing and can be a piece of the housing solution if all agencies work together to prioritize returning these areas to safe inhabitability! But that has to be a coordinated effort to make it happen. This includes restoring utilities (sewer, water, power, telecom). This includes prioritizing the work on the water system to re-establish safe water and remediate and remove the safety advisories. But also must include prioritizing the properties needing debris removal in and adjacent to the parcels. Until the debris removal is completed on the adjacent properties, owners can’t move forward with necessary remediation of ash, soot, and smoke in the homes because insurance companies will only provide coverage for all the treatments once. Only after this happens can these hundreds of residences become a part of the housing solution moving recovery forward for displaced residents and freeing up additional rental inventory for those who lost homes.
Long-term recovery:
2. Critical evacuation planning and infrastructure is our greatest concern for long term planning the County does because it’s a _safety_ issue for the most important stakeholders in all of this - the people. We’ve known for all of our two decades in west Maui that if an emergency ever arose down where we are off of Front Street, that the evacuation would be complicated. We always imagined that the threat would come makai from the ocean. But on that tragic night of Aug. 8th, it came from mauka at us like a freight train. Please ensure all of your committees put a comprehensive and defensible evacuation plan into place for all of the west side, mauka to makai. From our homes, from our schools, from our community gathering places and parks, from the businesses.
3. Harden the utilities infrastructure, bury the power lines (ESPECIALLY through the lens of keeping the evacuation routes clear in any future emergency) and mandate fire-fuel/brush remediation annually across all of the West Maui hillsides mauka.
4. Medical infrastructure - fast tracking the West Side medical center is beyond overdue for the benefit of all. Our kapuna, keiki, and community all deserve access to high quality healthcare and emergency care that isn't a 45 minute ambulance ride away over in Wailuku.
5. If the 3.2 sea level rise modeling in the SLR-XA is going to prevent rebuilding along the shoreline, then please prioritize securing these lands in perpetuity as shoreline parklands available to all, returning the aina to the people to use.
6. We imagine a Front St. where it’s safe to walk without the burden of car traffic end to end, with uninterrupted views makai, with the Moku’ula restored for all of us to learn from.
7. Fast track the Bypass extension and address the urgent need for safer access out to the north around Kahakuloa. We've all known for decades that a narrow one lane road is not adequate emergency infrastructure - please do something about it already!
8. Help the rebuild efforts in Lahaina to become resilient by granting funding, offsets, incentivization, etc. for green infrastructure such as PV power on residential and business structures, green/climate-resilient building materials and methods, etc.
Additional recovery concerns: We’d like to see all-agency coordination to restore access to Mala Ramp for the benefit of the community as soon as possible. As Lahaina community members, we care about getting Mala Ramp open to all again (residents, long time permit holders, those with necessary needs for west side access because of fire losses at the harbor alike). It’s frustrating when elected officials refer in public meetings to the “community” as if we all feel the same way about access at Mala Ramp. I respect there are community members with diverse needs, desires, hopes, and opinions about access at Mala Ramp who may feel differently than we do, I hope all are given consideration for diverse views when the County and State are charting paths forward. We care about restoring access for residents. We care about the safety of the nearshore reef from stranded vessels on the moorings, and therefore care about getting them access to launching their support tenders for maintenance. We care about the resiliency of the maritime fleet as employers supporting ~1000 jobs on the west side (between Lahaina Harbor, Mala Ramp, and Kaanapali). There’s a need for balance there—of course, but access needs to be restored and allow for recovery and resiliency of all stakeholders needing west side ocean access.
Mahalo and Aloha as you work through these immense challenges. We appreciate your service to the community.
Lori Cunningham,
Lahaina community member
I have lived in Lahaina for 17 years and I’m very upset with the current protocol to help save surviving pets and animals in the burn zones.
Please allow professionals to help save the surviving animals and pets in the burn zone. They have been denied entry and sent home multiple times while pets suffer and starve for no valid reasons.
Please delay spraying the Soiltac and bulldozing until most animals are removed from the areas. Many citizens are upset at how this has been handled thus far and want to get their pets home. This is outrageous but it is also your chance to do right by the community which has been let down so much since the fire.
Contact me anytime at 808-344-6999 or SaveMauiCats@gmail.com
Aloha, Michael Willinsky
My name is Elise Travis and I am a 44YR. resident of Maui. I am appalled how the animal rescue was handled by MHS. Top animal rescuers came on their own donations, brought all the top equipment for rescue and wanted to offer their services free of charge and work with anyone to help in the fire zone. They were told explicitly by MHS they were not invited and told if they are anywhere near the fire zone they will be arrested. No Aloha, No thanks for wanting to help.Very cold. MHS was adamant about this and these were the top rescuers who were deployed in Ukraine twice last year saving animals. They were treated horribly. We have all the documents to show this. I would like transparency and would like to know how much the rescuers who were allowed to be in charge were pd. From what I heard they have been pd. a lot of money ($200,000+) Also, they were not allowed to be in contact with the group hired and not allowed to be connected to work with anyone else. So, many lies were spread to keep them out. We need an investigation into this. This group that was denied clearance also had hazmat training and the drones to go in at night and get the job done fast. I am outraged that this was allowed to happen and the way they were treated when all they wanted to do was to help save the cats in the fire zone.No money needed to pay for their services. Also, the group that was contracted by MHS had no fire experience with fire cats along with the people held in charge. They are only trappers and no training to how to deal and trap the fire cats. They had one photo op and left. They did nothing and got pd. a fortune. I would like transparency as to what they were pd. Also, why they spread the lies to turn people against this group. All documented. Also, would like transparency on the donations collected for the Fire Cats and Animals. This money needs to go for them alone. They cannot be put back into the fire zone like MHS is doing. MHS needs to open sanctuary's with the 3+ mil $ they collected.l This money needs to be earmarked for the well being of the firecats. Thats what the donations were for. They can't just release them back into the fire zone. Right now , they will be spraying bad chemicals that will kill any cats left in the zone that are suffering and not being saved. We need the top professional rescuers to come in before they do any spraying.The ones that are hired do not know what they are doing. They are not trained to rescue Fire cats.This is a very specific type of training and it needs to be done now! there is no more time to waste.The Colony Cats were all affected by the fires and by law they are required to take care of them also. No food was allowed to be given to The Colony cats when MHS was giving out food. I was told explicitly by one of the volunteers that food was only given out to Pet Owners. By law they were required to also give food for the Colony cats that were in the Fire Zone and affected by the Fires. This was not done also . We need to get to the bottom of everything that was done and show transparency. Too many people are upset over the debockling of the rescueing. Mahalo
Testimony for Meeting 9/27 Westin Kaanapali
Aloha
Thank you for the opportunity to give testimony. I am sure you have heard all of these items before so I will be concise as I just want to add my concurrence to all of these items:
Short Term:
- Staff up and locate a building permitting office in Lahaina staffed by Lahaina people ASAP.
- Expedite utility restoration to neighborhoods that are partially standing: Opukea, Hoonanea, Waihikuli, Kahoma Village and also debris removal in those areas and the surrounding perimeters. These neighborhoods will provide urgently needed housing for displaced families, both owners of those homes and rentals.
- Fast track Pulelehua and the neighborhood next to the bypass that has already begun construction to expedite housing for displaced families and make rules conducive to displaced people using those homes for short term housing (2-5 years) or long term if they decide to stay there.
Long Term:
- Put utilities underground!!!!!!
- New construction should be incentivized to be as "green" as possible, such as PV on rooftops, improved insulation, cool roofs, low emittance windows, etc.
- Restore Moku'ula in Lahaina
- Make Front Street a walking street and create a parking structure so so people can park and walk along Front Street in an organized fashion
Mahalo for your attention. There is much to do.
MaryBeth Chin
808-280-7473
Aloha my name is Brandi Corpuz and I am a resident and community advocate from Kula Kai. I have testified for this county council in the past as a resource and I am here to testify about the importance of the wetlands in Lahaina.
1st you must listen to the residents of Lahaina who need their community rebuilt 1st. I have testified to this council before about the wetlands of Kula Kai as a natural infrastructure and I would like to say it once again in reference to Lahaina.
Our wetlands in Hawaii are vital to our ecosystem on every side of every island. The diversion and destruction of wetlands has caused the death of our natural resources. From the top of the mountain to the ocean we need our fresh waters restored and protected so that the abundance of life that is a wetland can thrive once again. Many others and I believe that if our wetlands would have been in place on August 8th then the destruction of Lahaina would not have been as devastating.
As we move forward, we are under water restrictions while million-dollar homes enjoy their private pools and resorts and visitors enjoy green lawns and no restrictions. This is so wrong and backwards.
I have often wondered why anyone would look at something so beautiful as a wetland ecosystem such as Moku'ula and decide to backfill and build on top of it. I will never understand this mindset so I ask you to be mindful of these valued cultural and historical wetlands as you move forward with the restoration of Lahaina town.
No private dwellings or person should be allowed to use and abuse our most valuable resources such as water. The county should own all water rights even if the land around it is owned by someone else. If any owner diverts or damages our water they should be put in jail and fined heavily for their crimes. There was just a major purchase of 200 plus acres of land above Wailuku Heights. It is a very steep mountain area so why do they want this land? Its so they can divert and abuse the water from the top of the mountain which is the source! If we allow people to divert our waters from the very top, every piece of land below them is in jeopardy! You must make laws to protect us against this type of water theft on every part of Maui but especially in Lahaina.
I support restoration of all the wetlands of Lahaina and all of Maui. We have a wetland overlay bill that needs to be completed asap and it should include every stream, springs, and gulch. We are no longer protected by the EPA or Federal guidelines so we must utilize our County Councils Bill 91 to protect our most valuable resource.
I support the Lahaina community in rebuilding however they see fit. I echo the voices we have heard today in restoring front street to its historical glory instead of focusing on the rich and tourism. No shoreline development should be allowed in the area. Instead, it should become a walking path of historical and cultural sites as an attraction for all to enjoy now and in the future.
This council and state should use the money that has been received to help the community rebuild their homes so that no one has to sell or leave because of the cost to rebuild.
It is time to support the community of Lahaina and all of Maui and take the focus away from more building, hardscaping, water theft and tourism. You each have the power to make historical and lasting decisions. Please do what is right for our people and the aina we all call home.
Sincerely, Brandi Corpuz
Rooted Kekahi Me Ka Aina
808-357-9170
I support whatever thr people of Lahaina need for their recovery, but please allow Hawaii-based animal rescue groups to assist in the safe trapping of cats before the soil is sprayed. HAKA rescue workers from Hawai'i Island are there and ready to assist the too-small team from New York. Please let them help the estimated 500 cats awaiting rescue and their owners who must be anxious for their reunion. Mahalo.
To: Chair and Committee Members
Subject: Public Testimony Regarding A Comprehensive Recovery and Resiliency Plan for West Maui
My name is John Helly, I am a resident of West Maui for about 22 years. I am a scientist at Scripps Institution of Oceanography and the retired Laboratory Director for Earth and Environmental Science at the Supercomputer Center at the University of California, San Diego. I am also a Board Member on the Maui County Board of Water Supply but offer this testimony as a private citizen.
I would like to make the following six points for the consideration of the Committee.
1. Watershed Management: West Maui needs a watershed management program that implements defensible fire boundaries around the fallowed, privately owned, agricul- tural lands. The existing programs, that I am aware of, focus on ecological health of watersheds but not on wildfire control per se.
2. Meteorological Data: Wind data is important in predicting fire risk, fire-fighting and post-fire forensic analysis. In the aftermath of the Lahaina fire, I’ve attempted to organize wind data to support the fire investigation and, so far, find that there isn’t any. Meteorological stations are low-cost items that provide invaluable data for fire control and risk mitigation.
3. Emergency Communication Centers: Outside of Lahaina, we were largely un- aware of the extent of the disaster for days. People on the mainland and the other side of the island knew more than we did as we learned through occasional cell-service from a few high spots. Emergency communications centers should be developed within the west-side communities and provisioned with Starlink stations, HF/VHF/UHF ra- dios and antennas, and emergency services scanners with emergency power sources. Starlink stations popped up spontaneously in a variety of locations so it is already
1proven important. The County should institutionalize this capability and pre-position the equipment and operational and maintenance responsibility and publicize it.
4. Evacuation Routes and Staging Sites: Already an obvious topic due to what happened on Front Street and others. Highway 30 and Lower Honoapiilani are the only routes. During the Kaanapali fire, we had to evacuate from the Hillside and the stretch on 30 between the Lower Honoapiilani Road and Kapalua Airport are perfect setups for the evacuation gridlock that trapped people in Lahaina. There should be firebreaks along the highway and escape routes to fire-safe staging areas mauka of the highway to avoid gridlock to allow for controlled traffic flow.
5. Utility Infrastructure Hardening: The utility infrastructure on Kaanapali Hillside is dangerous. The dried and fragile telephone poles used to support the cables going up Puukolii Road, for example, appear ready to collapse and fall on the passing traffic without any disaster as a cause. This obviously all needs to be hardened and made fire resistant.
6. West-side Medical Center: The West Side medical center should be speedily developed for the obvious reasons. It could also provide a staging area for evacuation with a fire-safe boundary.
I’m available to elaborate further on any of these topics and to provide whatever assistance I can.
John Helly / jjh@hellylab.net
Aloha Council Members, Sorry for some reason accessing today’s meeting and testimony has been more than difficult- but hopefully the meeting went well with overwhelming testimony charting a path forward the State Legislature can be guided by. Rep. Diamond Garcia is in your audience and will brief me in place of the live-streamingy that didn’t work out.. Bottom line this has got to be of, by, and for the people of Maui as the State listens closely to your voices and heartbeat for the future.
Aloha and Mahalo,
Rep. Gene Ward
Aloha
Thank you for the opportunity to give testimony. I am sure you have heard all of these items before so I will be concise as I just want to add my concurrence to all of these items:
Short Term:
- Staff up and locate a building permitting office in Lahaina staffed by Lahaina people ASAP.
- Expedite utility restoration to neighborhoods that are partially standing: Opukea, Hoonanea, Waihikuli, Kahoma Village and also debris removal in those areas and the surrounding perimeters. These neighborhoods will provide urgently needed housing for displaced families, both owners of those homes and rentals.
- Fast track Pulelehua and the neighborhood next to the bypass that has already begun construction to expedite housing for displaced families and make rules conducive to displaced people using those homes for short term housing (2-5 years) or long term if they decide to stay there.
Long Term:
- Put utilities underground!!!!!!
- New construction should be incentivized to be as "green" as possible, such as PV on rooftops, improved insulation, cool roofs, low emittance windows, etc.
- Restore Moku'ula in Lahaina
- Make Front Street a walking street and create a parking structure so so people can park and walk along Front Street in an organized fashion
Mahalo for your attention. There is much to do.
MaryBeth Chin
808-280-7473
Aloha Kakou,
I am Hawai'i Island born and raised. I have Ohana that reside on Maui. I come with complete Aloha in my testimony here. The residents of Maui are my first priority. Rebuilding our historical buildings/sites are second.
I am writing to offer my assistance and ideas in rebuilding. I'm aware that 86% of the destructed structures, are residential. I'm aware that the average home was 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, 1,420 sqft. plantation/ranch style home built between 1970 and 1999.
My company and I can provide cold form steel panelization that is cost efficient, fire, hurricane, water, and mold resistant. We are willing to work together with residents, council, government officials, and federal and state programs, to assist the residents in rebuilding. Please see the attached floor plan and rendering of a 3/2 bath ranch style home. Also attached is an estimated budget sheet that we can discuss in further detail and work together in solidifying a bottom line.
We need to build back stronger and have more solidified preventative measures in place. Let's laulima and rise up from this tragedy.
Please feel free to reach out for further discussion or inquiries.
Mahalo nui,
Kanoelehua Cantiberos
(808) 315-0814
KaNoe@KnKCapitalEnterprises.com
How come no one is doing more for our pets? People are being turned away from getting the help they need by the Humane Society in Pu'unene, saying that they’re overcrowded and overwhelmed. Someone saw my cat but I wasn’t even allowed in to look. Plus what about the animals still trapped in the burnt areas? I’m so sad.
Mahalo, please help
As I’m concerned, Citizen long term resident of Maui, I urge you to make the Maui Humane Society accountable for the lives of the animals still in the burn zone! Everyone who supports them and donated to them in hopes that they will do the right thing and rescue all the animals still in the burn zone needs to be addressed! They need a second recovery center for all the animals that have survived the fire and are now trying to survive daily before the poisons and the bulldozers get them in a few weeks! I urge everybody who is searching for their beloved pets, still trapped in the burn zone to put more pressure on MHS to do the right thing! They have rejected many professionals in animal, rescue and welfare from around the globe, and even the local animal rescue groups have been denied access to help these poor animals that are still trapped inside the burn zone! They only have 2 to 4 trappers nightly, and they only bring out max five animals nightly and they estimated there are still over 500 cats trapped in the burn zone! Please allow at least the local animal rescue groups to come in and secure a second Recovery Center, ASAP! Maui Humane Society needs to do the right thing with the millions of dollars in donations that they have received for these efforts! Mahalo for your time, aloha
Testimony for 09/27/2023 GREAT meeting
Aloha Maui County Council,
As someone who has worked animal welfare on Maui for the past decade my vision for rebuilding is bringing the local animal rescue community together during this unprecedented time. Maui Humane Society (MHS) stated in a press article 2 days ago that they are estimating still 500 live animals inside the burn zone waiting for rescue, but yet they are only allowing a couple trappers from the mainland in to help. This is despite having credentialed professional animal search and rescue groups like Hawai’i Animal Kuleana Alliance (HAKA) on island sitting standby ready to assist.
Instead, at the beginning of September a New York based group called Neighborhood Cats (NC) was tasked by MHS to run the trapping/rescuing in Lahaina Town. NC is a Trap Neuter Release (TNR) group consisting of just a couple people that have no experience in disaster rescue like HAKA does. It's become clear very quickly that NC is not equipped to run the rescue side of things. For example, they only had one third the amount of feeding stations established that the professionals (AIM that MHS had brought in last month) told them they needed based on live animal sightings. It’s completely unacceptable that AIM gave their assessment/recommendations and then NC didn’t follow up until the next fire expert got into the field almost 2 weeks later and realized there was not even close to enough food/water to meet the huge need. That fire rescue expert also gave recommendations that have since been ignored. NC has proven to not be transparent with the community or even a team player as in the 5 years since the husband/wife two-person-team moved here they denied assisting the two main TNR groups on island.
It has been stated that after the county is done escorting Lahaina homeowners back to their properties that Soiltac will be sprayed and demolition will begin in these areas. There is a timeline of 3 weeks before FEMA starts spraying the Soiltac and begins demolition. This is an urgent situation and the local animal rescue community is reaching out again to offer our help because we don’t feel it will be a safe environment for any cats once this process begins. The cats that survived the fire need to be removed from the burn zone immediately and their ohanas given a chance to find them/reunite.
What it comes down to is that locals with disaster rescue credentials are willing and wanting to help with the fire animal rescue operations, but are being denied when they should be the ones leading these recovery efforts! We are begging the county to allow HAKA in who will continue working with the local rescue community where transparency and true team work can begin as we move forward together with these long term rescue efforts.
Independence Energy Company (IEC) submits the following proposal for the conversion of the Town of Lahaina. The first principle essential to the conversion process is the preservation of the dignity; first and foremost, of the remains of the victims of the fire who could not be recovered and then the preservation of the physical remains of the Town of Lahaina. IEC’s technology will convert the remains in a final step akin to a full cremation. Our process will completely deconstruct the remains that were partially and crudely cremated by the fire. Our process yields a combustible gas and inert ash. IEC will temporarily store the inert ash awaiting interment. The decisions regarding interment will rest in the hands of those most connected to the Town of Lahaina. The IEC process is essentially modular and portable. IEC will locate its hardware at a site suitable for a temporary project. The total area needed is 2-3 acres. IEC will place at the site material preparation equipment, thermal reaction hardware and combustible gas (the gas produced by the IEC thermal reaction) processing equipment. IEC has targeted a timeline for completion of the conversion process of less than 12 months. The operation of the conversion process will be conducted by a local company already identified by IEC. The local company will train and employ Lahaina and Maui persons to complete the conversion process. The IEC conversion process is demonstrably carbon neutral if not carbon negative. The process is fully compliant with prevailing Federal and State environmental statutes and regulations. For instance, no particulate matter escapes IEC’s controlled process. Additionally, all organic compounds are converted to an environmentally safe and benign state. As noted above, throughout the entire conversion process IEC will seek the guidance of persons connected to the Town of Lahaina to ensure the preservation of the dignity of the remains. IEC fully recognizes that the conversion of the remains is not an industrial project. The conversion of Lahaina and most importantly the unrecoverable victims is the final process of interment. The preservation of dignity is the first and continual principle. Please direct any questions or inquiries to Adrian Lanser, CEO/President of Independence Energy Corporation, 770-606-4403 or adrianlanser@gmail.com.
Support with reservations