Aloha Chair Cook, Vice Chair Sugimura, and Honorable Committee Members,
My name is Jen Mather. Mahalo for this opportunity to offer comments on proposed Bill-90 regarding the undergrounding of utilities in Maui County. My previous request to have this committee hear the bill was submitted in April and is available on Granicus. I have to admit that my brain is pretty black and white with certain things which are usually the ones that bring me into the chamber to testify. With this one, however, I am at odds with my two halves. For those of you who know me, I'm an emergency management and disaster response nerd but Iʻm also a cultural resource and biocultural landscape lover with generational ties to this ʻāina. On one side I say underground the utilities for the safety of our community and property. The other part of me dreads the potential of disturbing all of the culturally and historically significant areas that undergrounding would contribute to. And then thereʻs the affordability aspect of requiring new developments to underground and the disruption in older areas of undergrounding near already existing developments. However, I realize public safety is our priority. Putting our electricity transmission and branch lines underground, especially in high risk areas, is a part of protecting our cultural and historic sites, as well. If we risk the loss of our cultural and historical resources to the whims of disaster, weʻve already made the wrong decision. I agree with former Planning Director Aokiʻs adjustments to the language except for exempting affordable housing developments which places the burden on our most vulnerable residents. I also recognize that sometimes Director discretion has gotten us into hot water, as well, so be careful with that. I would suggest that you have Administrator Lonokailua-Hewett and his MEMA team weigh in on the emergency management aspect, as well.
Mahalo for the chance to testify on this topic, I look forward to hearing a presentation and discussion about moving forward with the undergrounding of utilities in Maui County.
Aloha Chair Cook, Vice Chair Sugimura, and Honorable Committee Members,
My name is Jen Mather. Mahalo for this opportunity to offer comments on proposed Bill-90 regarding the undergrounding of utilities in Maui County. My previous request to have this committee hear the bill was submitted in April and is available on Granicus. I have to admit that my brain is pretty black and white with certain things which are usually the ones that bring me into the chamber to testify. With this one, however, I am at odds with my two halves. For those of you who know me, I'm an emergency management and disaster response nerd but Iʻm also a cultural resource and biocultural landscape lover with generational ties to this ʻāina. On one side I say underground the utilities for the safety of our community and property. The other part of me dreads the potential of disturbing all of the culturally and historically significant areas that undergrounding would contribute to. And then thereʻs the affordability aspect of requiring new developments to underground and the disruption in older areas of undergrounding near already existing developments. However, I realize public safety is our priority. Putting our electricity transmission and branch lines underground, especially in high risk areas, is a part of protecting our cultural and historic sites, as well. If we risk the loss of our cultural and historical resources to the whims of disaster, weʻve already made the wrong decision. I agree with former Planning Director Aokiʻs adjustments to the language except for exempting affordable housing developments which places the burden on our most vulnerable residents. I also recognize that sometimes Director discretion has gotten us into hot water, as well, so be careful with that. I would suggest that you have Administrator Lonokailua-Hewett and his MEMA team weigh in on the emergency management aspect, as well.
Mahalo for the chance to testify on this topic, I look forward to hearing a presentation and discussion about moving forward with the undergrounding of utilities in Maui County.
E Mālama,
Jen Mather
See attached