I support Bill 105, however I do not support the amendment proposed by Councilmember Tamara Paltin.
I am the owner of a destroyed unit in Puamana and have been a regular visitor to Maui for 50 years. Government should do whatever can be done to expedite the rebuilding of Lahaina without using this as a way to slip in "pork" unrelated to rebuilding
I am voicing my support of Bill 105 for the rebuilding of all of Lahaina that was effected by the August 2023. Please consider all who have lost. My sister, a 40 plus year resident of Lahaina, lost a townhome where her children were born and raised. It is a townhome that she and I share now. She has dealt with several health issues after being forced in the ocean off Front St. for 8 hours during the fire. PLEASE oppose the amendment proposed by Councilmember Tamara Paltin. This amendment is not fair or equal to all who have lost so much to this fire.
Mahalo for legislating FOR victims of this disaster,
Nancy Guju Collins
I am in support of Bill105. I am 76, born on Oahu, and raised at 839 Front Street, Lahaina. My mother’s ocean front property, since sold to her by the KAWAGUCHI family in 1965. I am the Trustee of her estate and our family wants the opportunity to rebuild. The income from her property supports a nonprofit foundation created to support the development of children in our community to learn about Hawaiian plants and propagation of Hawaiian endangered species. Please pass this bill to give my family the opportunity to see Lahaina return to its original way of life.
MeriJo Abrams Manuel, Trustee
LAKALA TRUST
808-573-0944
To whom it may concern, My name is Laura Sue Peterson. I had a personal residence at 35-1 Pualoke Place, Lahaina, HI 96761 that burned to the ground in the Lahaina fire of August 2023. I am writing to express my support Bill 105. The home owners and business owners that lost everything in that fire should be able to rebuild, even if the properties are defined as non-conforming and even if they sustained more than 50% damage. This bill is essential for the recovery of Lahaina’s properties, businesses, and community.
However, I oppose the amendment proposed by Councilmember Tamara Paltin, which would prevent non-conforming transient vacation rentals from resuming operations if they were discontinued for 12 consecutive months due to an emergency or disaster. Fire victims should not be penalized for circumstances beyond their control. We have suffered enough. Please make the right decision that is in the best interests of your community. Thank you. Sue Peterson
I support Bill 105 but oppose the burdensome amendment that punishes Lahaina homeowners. The ability to use a property for TVR makes it possible for many long-time permanent and semi-permanent residents to maintain their property. I believe that the citizens of Lahaina have been through a time of great loss and suffering. They should be able to rebuild their properties as they were, where they were, and with full options to use them as they could prior to the fire. Any concerns about TVRs can be addressed separately and with greater compassion and consideration after the recovery.
Testimony in Opposition to the TVR Restriction in Bill 105
Aloha, I support Bill 105 but strongly oppose the amendment restricting legally permitted transient vacation rentals (TVRs) from resuming operations.
Not all TVR owners are mainland investors. Many are local families, long-time residents, and community members who have built their lives in Lahaina. Some own just one property, using it to help cover their mortgage, support their families, and stay in the place they call home. TVRs contribute to the local economy, generating tax revenue, supporting service industry workers, and helping owners maintain their primary residences. They are not just businesses - they are lifelines that have allowed many locals to remain on Maui.
I am one of these people, and this amendment would be devastating for my family. We have lost so much already, and now it feels like this fire is being used against us. We have done everything right - followed the rules, paid very high taxes, and are fighting to rebuild - but now we are facing yet another hurdle. There is only so much Lahaina residents can take.
Insurance money that should be used to rebuild is instead being drained just to keep living in hope that one day we can rebuild. If this restriction moves forward, it will be the next disaster after the fire for many, forcing people like me to sell our homes, leave Lahaina, and lose everything we worked so hard for - we can't not afford to cover two mortgages, selling the TVR would still have us sell our primary residence. We aren’t rich - we did what every responsible person has done, invested our hard-earned money in hopes of having a financially secure life one day.
This is not fair. Lahaina’s recovery should be about helping all of us return, not shifting opportunities from one group to another at the expense of those who have already lost everything. We recognize Maui’s housing shortage, but the responsibility lies with Maui County’s restrictive permitting and zoning policies, not with law-abiding citizens who followed the rules. Before the fire, legally permitted TVRs were not an issue - now, after the fire, we find ourselves fighting just to retain what was already established legally and essential to our financial stability. It is unjust to impose new restrictions that jeopardize any home / business / commercial owner their ability to rebuild and recover! Please pass Bill 105 without this restriction so that all property owners - residential, commercial, and TVR owners - can rebuild and move forward together.
Testimony in Support of Maui County Bill 105
Submitted to Chair Alice Lee and Members of the Maui County Council
Aloha Chair Lee and Council Members,
We are writing today in strong support of County Bill 105. In light of the recent LA fires, and the additional pressure on the resources necessary to rebuild that is coming, the time is NOW to allow Lahaina fire victims to move forward and rebuild not just our homes, but our livelihoods, and our community. It has been 18 months since the fire, and the lack of progress in the permitting process for so many of us, continues to take an emotional and financial toll. County Bill 105 provides a necessary solution, and we urge you to pass it. However, we oppose Amendment G being added to this bill. Taking away the ability to TVR fire damaged or destroyed properties penalizes some fire victims for an event and its aftermath over which they had no control. Please eliminate this amendment from Bill 105, and do not let it become another distraction that delays the ability of Lahaina fire victims to rebuild what they had prior to August 8, 2023.
Mahalo for your consideration and efforts to help Lahaina rebuild.
Carrie and Tom Rolfes
40 Puakukui Place Apt 4
Lahaina, HI 92671
I support this bill. I’ve been a homeowner in Puamana since 1986 and lost my home in the fire. We want to rebuild and get back HOME!!! The west Maui community is very strong, I’ve been a member of the Lahaina Yacht club for 20 years and the amount of community work they do is amazing, we just had 150 keikei for our fishing tournament….We just want to rebuild and get back HOME….Mahalo
I oppose Councilmember Paltin’s amendment. If STRs are not allowed, it will affect locals who rely on income from STRs and services related to STR operations. Those locals will face more hardships. Thank you!
I oppose the rebuilding of non conforming homes, boarding houses, bed and breakfast and vacation rentals. Many of these type of non conforming structures contributed to the fatalities in the August 8, 2023 .
Hundreds of residential homes are having their building plans rejected because new building and permits regulations have been enforced against them. Honsador sold material and package homes that have passed county approval for years . Now Lahaina fire victims are having those same Honsador , residential home Plans rejected by the County of Maui.
It is ludicrous that Msui county is still approving wood shake roofs and allow the sale of wood bark mulch in a town that does not have evacuation routes.
I ask that non conforming: residential , boarding houses, vacation rentals & bed and breakfast be rebuilt complying with the house or cottage square footage based on the property size and all current county electrical, fire, plumbing , off street parking, drywall rules and inspection.
Thank for understanding that allowing non confirming rebuilds increases fire risks and is just not fair to previous and current residents struggling with getting building permits with new requirements surfacing.
Historic buildings are a different consideration.
Sincerely Robin Ritchie
Retired, Lahaina Visitirs Center.
Aloha Chairman Lee & Council Members,
I wish to submit testimony today to support Bill 105 but to also voice strong opposition to the following amendment:
"G. Nonconforming transient vacation rental uses: exception. Notwithstanding subsection E, nonconforming transient vacation rental uses that were discontinued for 12 consecutive months or more because the transient vacation rental was within a structure that was damaged or destroyed in an emergency or disaster, may not be resumed."
The ramifications of such an amendment would penalize some of the fire victims and each and every fire victim of Lahaina has suffered enough.
Please don’t make assumptions about TVR property owners and assume they are wealthy people who own multiple properties. A large portion of TVR owners own a single unit and many of these owners count on the income from their TVR for living expenses in their retirement years.
One such owner is a neighbor of mine. She has lived in Lahaina for 35 years and has served the community in the medical field for decades. Her TVR unit was a huge part of her retirement income. It burned to the ground along with her own home. She is still obligated to pay HOA fees for her home and her TVR each month. She has nearly exhausted her insurance proceeds to pay her ongoing living expenses and may not have enough left to rebuild.
Now, in addition to living with PTSD and ongoing injuries as a result of the fire, she also lives with the concerns that her hope to restore her retirement income will be extinguished if the proposed amendment to Bill 105 is included in it’s passage.
There are many other owners of individual, legal TVRs that are in similar dire situations since the fire. Many TVRs are locally owned by local people who will continue to suffer if Bill 105 passes with the proposed amendment.
Additionally, the intent of the amendment, to “back-date”, i.e. … “uses that were discontinued for 12 consecutive months”….. at a time when 18 months has already passed since the wildfire disaster, seems unreasonable.
Regardless, there are many good reasons to pass this bill. Our community must rebuild before more homeowners and residents give up and move off the island.
I urge each committee member to consider making a motion & voting on removing the amendment from Bill 105 prior to the vote to pass Bill 105.
Mahalo for your kind consideration toward ALL Lahaina property owners and residents.
My testimony concerning bill105 is attached. I support the intent to allow non conforming uses to continue, but do not support the proposed amendment that would further victimize two Maui Resident homeowners who operated a B&B in Wahikuli and a Native Hawaiian owned Inn located in Kula. These folks must be allowed to continue their business that were established more than 40 years ago.
Testimony in Support of Maui County Bill 105
Submitted to Chair Alice Lee and Members of the Maui County Council
Aloha Chair Lee and Council Members,
My name is David Medina, and I am writing in strong support of Bill 105, which would allow fire victims in Lahaina to rebuild their non-conforming structures that were destroyed by the fire.
The fire took more than just homes—it took our community, our sense of stability, and our ability to move forward. The lack of progress in permitting is causing unnecessary delays, making it even harder for us to heal and rebuild our lives. Losing Lahaina as a community has been just as devastating as losing my home, and the prolonged displacement is taking an immense emotional and financial toll on so many.
Many of my neighbors are struggling to stay afloat as they wait for the opportunity to rebuild. Every delay in permitting pushes families closer to financial ruin and forces them to make heartbreaking decisions about whether they can remain in Lahaina at all. Bill 105 provides a necessary solution—one that acknowledges the unique hardship fire victims are facing and allows us to take meaningful steps toward recovery. I am not in support of the amendment written by Councilmember Paltin. I urge you to oppose this unfair amendment.
I urge you to pass this bill without delay. Let us begin the process of rebuilding our homes, restoring our town, and bringing our community back together.
I’m writing in support of SB105. It is a vital step toward helping rebuild and restore communities affected by the recent fires on Maui. The ability to rebuild non-conforming structures in the burn zone can offer a path for residents to return to their homes, businesses and communities while keeping the area’s unique character intact.
However, I strongly oppose the amendment to SB105 which excludes non-conforming transient vacation rentals from resuming operations if they were discontinued for 12 consecutive months due to an emergency or disaster. It took government agencies almost a year to clear away all the fire debris, so it is not the fault of the TVR owners that they were unable to resume operations. All fire victims should be included in this bill equally.
As a 20-plus year owner of a place at Puamana (fortunately one that survived the fire) I urge you to support Bill 105. However, I oppose the
amendment proposed by Councilmember Tamara Paltin, which seems not only unwise and unnecessary, but possibly mean-spirited.
Thank you.
As a 30 year homeowner on Front Street I am in full support of Bill 105. All we are asking is for the right to rebuild what we had before the fire. We did not cause the fire, and therefore should not be penalized. We have already been horribly traumatized by the fire and the loss of our neighborhood. We have suffered enough, and we need your help and cooperation.
I am a Lahaina resident that lost my hair salon in the Lahaina fire that served the community for 20 years. I also lost a plantation house that is zoned B-2 that I was renting as a STR. We have lost so much already. Our community wants to build back both homes and businesses. We need to move this along quickly. People can't hang on any longer. I am in support of bill 105 but oppose to Tamra Paltins part to not allow STR's to build back in the burned area. Trying to use the fire as not using it as a STR for 12 months is an awful excuse to not allow people to build back. I don't even think that is legal because it's not that the buildings/homes were used as another use. They are gone because of a fire that our county failed to protect us of.
Wendy Pogni
Aloha, We support Bill 105 but DO NOT support enforcing the 12 month rule on STR's. These STRs are owned by hard working locals that employ hard working locals and have lost everything. Dont forget about the guests that visit these STRS that eat at the resturants and spend money in the shops which put money in the peoples pockets that enable them to feed their families...
I support Bill 105, however I do not support the amendment proposed by Councilmember Tamara Paltin.
I am the owner of a destroyed unit in Puamana and have been a regular visitor to Maui for 50 years. Government should do whatever can be done to expedite the rebuilding of Lahaina without using this as a way to slip in "pork" unrelated to rebuilding
I am voicing my support of Bill 105 for the rebuilding of all of Lahaina that was effected by the August 2023. Please consider all who have lost. My sister, a 40 plus year resident of Lahaina, lost a townhome where her children were born and raised. It is a townhome that she and I share now. She has dealt with several health issues after being forced in the ocean off Front St. for 8 hours during the fire. PLEASE oppose the amendment proposed by Councilmember Tamara Paltin. This amendment is not fair or equal to all who have lost so much to this fire.
Mahalo for legislating FOR victims of this disaster,
Nancy Guju Collins
I am in support of Bill105. I am 76, born on Oahu, and raised at 839 Front Street, Lahaina. My mother’s ocean front property, since sold to her by the KAWAGUCHI family in 1965. I am the Trustee of her estate and our family wants the opportunity to rebuild. The income from her property supports a nonprofit foundation created to support the development of children in our community to learn about Hawaiian plants and propagation of Hawaiian endangered species. Please pass this bill to give my family the opportunity to see Lahaina return to its original way of life.
MeriJo Abrams Manuel, Trustee
LAKALA TRUST
808-573-0944
To whom it may concern, My name is Laura Sue Peterson. I had a personal residence at 35-1 Pualoke Place, Lahaina, HI 96761 that burned to the ground in the Lahaina fire of August 2023. I am writing to express my support Bill 105. The home owners and business owners that lost everything in that fire should be able to rebuild, even if the properties are defined as non-conforming and even if they sustained more than 50% damage. This bill is essential for the recovery of Lahaina’s properties, businesses, and community.
However, I oppose the amendment proposed by Councilmember Tamara Paltin, which would prevent non-conforming transient vacation rentals from resuming operations if they were discontinued for 12 consecutive months due to an emergency or disaster. Fire victims should not be penalized for circumstances beyond their control. We have suffered enough. Please make the right decision that is in the best interests of your community. Thank you. Sue Peterson
I support Bill 105 but oppose the burdensome amendment that punishes Lahaina homeowners. The ability to use a property for TVR makes it possible for many long-time permanent and semi-permanent residents to maintain their property. I believe that the citizens of Lahaina have been through a time of great loss and suffering. They should be able to rebuild their properties as they were, where they were, and with full options to use them as they could prior to the fire. Any concerns about TVRs can be addressed separately and with greater compassion and consideration after the recovery.
should be
Testimony in Opposition to the TVR Restriction in Bill 105
Aloha, I support Bill 105 but strongly oppose the amendment restricting legally permitted transient vacation rentals (TVRs) from resuming operations.
Not all TVR owners are mainland investors. Many are local families, long-time residents, and community members who have built their lives in Lahaina. Some own just one property, using it to help cover their mortgage, support their families, and stay in the place they call home. TVRs contribute to the local economy, generating tax revenue, supporting service industry workers, and helping owners maintain their primary residences. They are not just businesses - they are lifelines that have allowed many locals to remain on Maui.
I am one of these people, and this amendment would be devastating for my family. We have lost so much already, and now it feels like this fire is being used against us. We have done everything right - followed the rules, paid very high taxes, and are fighting to rebuild - but now we are facing yet another hurdle. There is only so much Lahaina residents can take.
Insurance money that should be used to rebuild is instead being drained just to keep living in hope that one day we can rebuild. If this restriction moves forward, it will be the next disaster after the fire for many, forcing people like me to sell our homes, leave Lahaina, and lose everything we worked so hard for - we can't not afford to cover two mortgages, selling the TVR would still have us sell our primary residence. We aren’t rich - we did what every responsible person has done, invested our hard-earned money in hopes of having a financially secure life one day.
This is not fair. Lahaina’s recovery should be about helping all of us return, not shifting opportunities from one group to another at the expense of those who have already lost everything. We recognize Maui’s housing shortage, but the responsibility lies with Maui County’s restrictive permitting and zoning policies, not with law-abiding citizens who followed the rules. Before the fire, legally permitted TVRs were not an issue - now, after the fire, we find ourselves fighting just to retain what was already established legally and essential to our financial stability. It is unjust to impose new restrictions that jeopardize any home / business / commercial owner their ability to rebuild and recover! Please pass Bill 105 without this restriction so that all property owners - residential, commercial, and TVR owners - can rebuild and move forward together.
Mahalo, Ginger of Lahaina for 15 years
I am in support of this bill.
Testimony in Support of Maui County Bill 105
Submitted to Chair Alice Lee and Members of the Maui County Council
Aloha Chair Lee and Council Members,
We are writing today in strong support of County Bill 105. In light of the recent LA fires, and the additional pressure on the resources necessary to rebuild that is coming, the time is NOW to allow Lahaina fire victims to move forward and rebuild not just our homes, but our livelihoods, and our community. It has been 18 months since the fire, and the lack of progress in the permitting process for so many of us, continues to take an emotional and financial toll. County Bill 105 provides a necessary solution, and we urge you to pass it. However, we oppose Amendment G being added to this bill. Taking away the ability to TVR fire damaged or destroyed properties penalizes some fire victims for an event and its aftermath over which they had no control. Please eliminate this amendment from Bill 105, and do not let it become another distraction that delays the ability of Lahaina fire victims to rebuild what they had prior to August 8, 2023.
Mahalo for your consideration and efforts to help Lahaina rebuild.
Carrie and Tom Rolfes
40 Puakukui Place Apt 4
Lahaina, HI 92671
I support this bill. I’ve been a homeowner in Puamana since 1986 and lost my home in the fire. We want to rebuild and get back HOME!!! The west Maui community is very strong, I’ve been a member of the Lahaina Yacht club for 20 years and the amount of community work they do is amazing, we just had 150 keikei for our fishing tournament….We just want to rebuild and get back HOME….Mahalo
I oppose Councilmember Paltin’s amendment. If STRs are not allowed, it will affect locals who rely on income from STRs and services related to STR operations. Those locals will face more hardships. Thank you!
I oppose the rebuilding of non conforming homes, boarding houses, bed and breakfast and vacation rentals. Many of these type of non conforming structures contributed to the fatalities in the August 8, 2023 .
Hundreds of residential homes are having their building plans rejected because new building and permits regulations have been enforced against them. Honsador sold material and package homes that have passed county approval for years . Now Lahaina fire victims are having those same Honsador , residential home Plans rejected by the County of Maui.
It is ludicrous that Msui county is still approving wood shake roofs and allow the sale of wood bark mulch in a town that does not have evacuation routes.
I ask that non conforming: residential , boarding houses, vacation rentals & bed and breakfast be rebuilt complying with the house or cottage square footage based on the property size and all current county electrical, fire, plumbing , off street parking, drywall rules and inspection.
Thank for understanding that allowing non confirming rebuilds increases fire risks and is just not fair to previous and current residents struggling with getting building permits with new requirements surfacing.
Historic buildings are a different consideration.
Sincerely Robin Ritchie
Retired, Lahaina Visitirs Center.
Aloha Chairman Lee & Council Members,
I wish to submit testimony today to support Bill 105 but to also voice strong opposition to the following amendment:
"G. Nonconforming transient vacation rental uses: exception. Notwithstanding subsection E, nonconforming transient vacation rental uses that were discontinued for 12 consecutive months or more because the transient vacation rental was within a structure that was damaged or destroyed in an emergency or disaster, may not be resumed."
The ramifications of such an amendment would penalize some of the fire victims and each and every fire victim of Lahaina has suffered enough.
Please don’t make assumptions about TVR property owners and assume they are wealthy people who own multiple properties. A large portion of TVR owners own a single unit and many of these owners count on the income from their TVR for living expenses in their retirement years.
One such owner is a neighbor of mine. She has lived in Lahaina for 35 years and has served the community in the medical field for decades. Her TVR unit was a huge part of her retirement income. It burned to the ground along with her own home. She is still obligated to pay HOA fees for her home and her TVR each month. She has nearly exhausted her insurance proceeds to pay her ongoing living expenses and may not have enough left to rebuild.
Now, in addition to living with PTSD and ongoing injuries as a result of the fire, she also lives with the concerns that her hope to restore her retirement income will be extinguished if the proposed amendment to Bill 105 is included in it’s passage.
There are many other owners of individual, legal TVRs that are in similar dire situations since the fire. Many TVRs are locally owned by local people who will continue to suffer if Bill 105 passes with the proposed amendment.
Additionally, the intent of the amendment, to “back-date”, i.e. … “uses that were discontinued for 12 consecutive months”….. at a time when 18 months has already passed since the wildfire disaster, seems unreasonable.
Regardless, there are many good reasons to pass this bill. Our community must rebuild before more homeowners and residents give up and move off the island.
I urge each committee member to consider making a motion & voting on removing the amendment from Bill 105 prior to the vote to pass Bill 105.
Mahalo for your kind consideration toward ALL Lahaina property owners and residents.
My testimony concerning bill105 is attached. I support the intent to allow non conforming uses to continue, but do not support the proposed amendment that would further victimize two Maui Resident homeowners who operated a B&B in Wahikuli and a Native Hawaiian owned Inn located in Kula. These folks must be allowed to continue their business that were established more than 40 years ago.
Testimony in Support of Maui County Bill 105
Submitted to Chair Alice Lee and Members of the Maui County Council
Aloha Chair Lee and Council Members,
My name is David Medina, and I am writing in strong support of Bill 105, which would allow fire victims in Lahaina to rebuild their non-conforming structures that were destroyed by the fire.
The fire took more than just homes—it took our community, our sense of stability, and our ability to move forward. The lack of progress in permitting is causing unnecessary delays, making it even harder for us to heal and rebuild our lives. Losing Lahaina as a community has been just as devastating as losing my home, and the prolonged displacement is taking an immense emotional and financial toll on so many.
Many of my neighbors are struggling to stay afloat as they wait for the opportunity to rebuild. Every delay in permitting pushes families closer to financial ruin and forces them to make heartbreaking decisions about whether they can remain in Lahaina at all. Bill 105 provides a necessary solution—one that acknowledges the unique hardship fire victims are facing and allows us to take meaningful steps toward recovery. I am not in support of the amendment written by Councilmember Paltin. I urge you to oppose this unfair amendment.
I urge you to pass this bill without delay. Let us begin the process of rebuilding our homes, restoring our town, and bringing our community back together.
Mahalo for your time and consideration.
David Medina
355 Front Street
Lahaina, Hi 96761
I’m writing in support of SB105. It is a vital step toward helping rebuild and restore communities affected by the recent fires on Maui. The ability to rebuild non-conforming structures in the burn zone can offer a path for residents to return to their homes, businesses and communities while keeping the area’s unique character intact.
However, I strongly oppose the amendment to SB105 which excludes non-conforming transient vacation rentals from resuming operations if they were discontinued for 12 consecutive months due to an emergency or disaster. It took government agencies almost a year to clear away all the fire debris, so it is not the fault of the TVR owners that they were unable to resume operations. All fire victims should be included in this bill equally.
As a 20-plus year owner of a place at Puamana (fortunately one that survived the fire) I urge you to support Bill 105. However, I oppose the
amendment proposed by Councilmember Tamara Paltin, which seems not only unwise and unnecessary, but possibly mean-spirited.
Thank you.
As a 30 year homeowner on Front Street I am in full support of Bill 105. All we are asking is for the right to rebuild what we had before the fire. We did not cause the fire, and therefore should not be penalized. We have already been horribly traumatized by the fire and the loss of our neighborhood. We have suffered enough, and we need your help and cooperation.
I am a Lahaina resident that lost my hair salon in the Lahaina fire that served the community for 20 years. I also lost a plantation house that is zoned B-2 that I was renting as a STR. We have lost so much already. Our community wants to build back both homes and businesses. We need to move this along quickly. People can't hang on any longer. I am in support of bill 105 but oppose to Tamra Paltins part to not allow STR's to build back in the burned area. Trying to use the fire as not using it as a STR for 12 months is an awful excuse to not allow people to build back. I don't even think that is legal because it's not that the buildings/homes were used as another use. They are gone because of a fire that our county failed to protect us of.
Wendy Pogni
Aloha, We support Bill 105 but DO NOT support enforcing the 12 month rule on STR's. These STRs are owned by hard working locals that employ hard working locals and have lost everything. Dont forget about the guests that visit these STRS that eat at the resturants and spend money in the shops which put money in the peoples pockets that enable them to feed their families...
Hayden Pogni
I am in full support of Bill 105 to rebuild our beloved community however opposed to Council member Paltin’s proposal.