HLU-4 Bill 9 (2025) BILL 9 (2025), AMENDING CHAPTERS 19.12, 19.32, AND 19.37, MAUI COUNTY CODE, RELATING TO TRANSIENT VACATION RENTALS IN APARTMENT DISTRICTS (HLU-4)
I oppose Bill 9. The committee must recommend a better solution. Locals have the opportunity to purchase any of the 790 condos (according to Redfin) that are on the market today.
Do better committee.
When this bill was purposed tourism has drastically reduced. If it is approved it will devastate the island, families can’t afford to stay in hotels. Many locals will be unemployed.
Submitted by: Tryson Kaiama — 21-year-old Native Hawaiian, Construction Apprentice
To: Maui County Housing and Land Use Committee
Date: [Insert Date]
Aloha mai kākou,
My name is Tryson Kaiama. I’m 21 years old, born and raised Upcountry Maui. I work full-time in construction. Every day, I help build houses across this island — from Kīhei to Kāʻanapali — and even though I know I’ll probably never afford to own one, I’ve got enough work to last until retirement. I’m just building homes for everyone else.
That’s the hard truth for local boys like me. We put in the labor, we grind under the sun, and we build the foundations for other people’s dreams — but our own dreams of owning a home here get farther and farther away.
That’s why I’m standing in strong support of Bill 9. This bill is one small move in the right direction — putting housing back in the hands of residents and shutting down the loopholes that let people turn apartment zoning into illegal vacation hotels. That land was meant for people who live and work here — not for tourists, corporations, or trust fund kids looking to invest.
I look at what’s happening and I think about our kūpuna. I think about how they lived close to the land, how they shared, how they protected their ʻohana and their kuleana. And I also think about the 12 tribes in the Bible — the people of Israel. Each tribe had their own land, their own responsibility, their own role in the bigger picture. They got scattered and displaced too. But eventually, they were called to return — to rebuild, to restore justice, and to care for the poor.
That’s our story too. We’ve been pushed out of Lahaina, out of Kīhei, out of even parts of Upcountry now. But we’re still here. And we still believe in something sacred — that the land is not just a resource. It’s our inheritance. It’s our identity.
Bill 9 isn’t perfect. But it’s a law that finally starts standing up for locals instead of bowing to money. It’s the County’s chance to say: we’re not going to protect investor ROI while residents are living five families to a house, or sleeping in their trucks, or leaving Maui altogether.
The opponents will say this is bad for business. But if business means local people can’t live here anymore, then maybe it’s time to change the way business is done.
In the Bible, righteous leaders restored their people by returning to the law, protecting the vulnerable, and honoring the land. That’s what I see in this bill. That’s why I support it.
I want to raise my future kids on Maui. I want them to grow up like I did — Upcountry, close to ʻāina, close to ʻohana, close to something that money can’t buy.
Please pass Bill 9.
Ua mau ke ea o ka ʻāina i ka pono.
The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness.
Mahalo,
Tryson Kaiama
Age 21
Upcountry Maui
Construction Worker
This is in regards to Bill 9. My ancestors migrated to Maui almost 200 years ago from Madera, so, we have no connection to those ancestors outside of Maui. My mother grew up in plantation housing at the pine apple plantation where her father worked on Maui. After her father died, the family moved to Oahu to find work. My mother moved to California where she found additional work and where I was born. My wife and I purchased our condo at Kamaole Sands where I have intended to retire some day, however, using as the unit as short term rental is needed to be able to afford the unit until our family debt is reduced so that I can retire. At the time we purchased the unit we relied on the flexibility of being able to use the unit for short term rental, then eventually as long term housing. In the mean time we also use the unit to visit on island ohana. Thank you for your consideration.
Steven Pierce
A plus to eliminating the excess short term rentals is the water saving. There is a continual shortage of water and owning a STR and noticing how visitors waste our island water without any concerns about the impact such waste causes. Those that live here know not to run showers for hours at a time and to make sure faucets are turned off. The continual building of short term rentals, resorts, timeshare complexes, just puts all the mre additional strain on our water supplies. It seems that no one is thinking of this, only bringing in more vacationers.
Opposition to Bill 9 and Request for Amendment
I oppose Bill 9 as drafted and urge the Council to amend it by excluding Papakea Oceanfront Resort, which the County has historically identified as having A2-H2 zoning on the Planning Department Website. I have requested explicit from clarification from Planning Staff regarding this error through their own (LUD2024-00747) and my request to appeal or seek clarification has been wholly disregarded since 2024. Because of this, I believe Papakea Should Be Excluded from this bill.
Legal Vacation Rental History
Papakea has operated as a legal vacation rental property for nearly 50 years, marketed and sold specifically for this purpose before any zoning restrictions existed. This establishes a clear precedent that should be respected.
Never Workforce Housing
Unlike properties Bill 9 targets, Papakea was never workforce housing for local residents. It has always served tourists, so it doesn't represent the harmful conversion from local housing to vacation rentals that the bill aims to address.
Commercial Location and Design
Papakea sits in a tourism corridor surrounded by hotels and commercial properties, not in residential neighborhoods. The property features resort amenities like a front desk, activity concierge, and shared spaces designed for short-term guests. Most units are under 600 square feet with limited parking, making them unsuitable for long-term residential use.
Protected Investment Expectations
Owners purchased based on consistent County ordinances from 1989 to 2022 that permitted short-term rentals. They've made substantial investments in mortgages, renovations, and furnishings specifically for vacation rental operations. Eliminating these legal rights would unfairly destroy legitimate investment-backed expectations.
Conclusion
Papakea's 50-year history as a legal vacation rental, commercial tourism location, and resort-style design distinguish it from residential properties converted to vacation rentals. The Council should amend Bill 9 to exclude Papakea and protect owners' legitimate property rights that have been promulgated by Planning Department as recently as 2024 when this matter was under consideration.
Sincerely,
Mason Kirby
I oppose Bill 9. The committee must recommend a better solution. Locals have the opportunity to purchase any of the 790 condos (according to Redfin) that are on the market today.
Do better committee.
When this bill was purposed tourism has drastically reduced. If it is approved it will devastate the island, families can’t afford to stay in hotels. Many locals will be unemployed.
Listen to Stan Franco
Testimony in Strong Support of Bill 9
Submitted by: Tryson Kaiama — 21-year-old Native Hawaiian, Construction Apprentice
To: Maui County Housing and Land Use Committee
Date: [Insert Date]
Aloha mai kākou,
My name is Tryson Kaiama. I’m 21 years old, born and raised Upcountry Maui. I work full-time in construction. Every day, I help build houses across this island — from Kīhei to Kāʻanapali — and even though I know I’ll probably never afford to own one, I’ve got enough work to last until retirement. I’m just building homes for everyone else.
That’s the hard truth for local boys like me. We put in the labor, we grind under the sun, and we build the foundations for other people’s dreams — but our own dreams of owning a home here get farther and farther away.
That’s why I’m standing in strong support of Bill 9. This bill is one small move in the right direction — putting housing back in the hands of residents and shutting down the loopholes that let people turn apartment zoning into illegal vacation hotels. That land was meant for people who live and work here — not for tourists, corporations, or trust fund kids looking to invest.
I look at what’s happening and I think about our kūpuna. I think about how they lived close to the land, how they shared, how they protected their ʻohana and their kuleana. And I also think about the 12 tribes in the Bible — the people of Israel. Each tribe had their own land, their own responsibility, their own role in the bigger picture. They got scattered and displaced too. But eventually, they were called to return — to rebuild, to restore justice, and to care for the poor.
That’s our story too. We’ve been pushed out of Lahaina, out of Kīhei, out of even parts of Upcountry now. But we’re still here. And we still believe in something sacred — that the land is not just a resource. It’s our inheritance. It’s our identity.
Bill 9 isn’t perfect. But it’s a law that finally starts standing up for locals instead of bowing to money. It’s the County’s chance to say: we’re not going to protect investor ROI while residents are living five families to a house, or sleeping in their trucks, or leaving Maui altogether.
The opponents will say this is bad for business. But if business means local people can’t live here anymore, then maybe it’s time to change the way business is done.
In the Bible, righteous leaders restored their people by returning to the law, protecting the vulnerable, and honoring the land. That’s what I see in this bill. That’s why I support it.
I want to raise my future kids on Maui. I want them to grow up like I did — Upcountry, close to ʻāina, close to ʻohana, close to something that money can’t buy.
Please pass Bill 9.
Ua mau ke ea o ka ʻāina i ka pono.
The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness.
Mahalo,
Tryson Kaiama
Age 21
Upcountry Maui
Construction Worker
Listen to Stan Franco
This is in regards to Bill 9. My ancestors migrated to Maui almost 200 years ago from Madera, so, we have no connection to those ancestors outside of Maui. My mother grew up in plantation housing at the pine apple plantation where her father worked on Maui. After her father died, the family moved to Oahu to find work. My mother moved to California where she found additional work and where I was born. My wife and I purchased our condo at Kamaole Sands where I have intended to retire some day, however, using as the unit as short term rental is needed to be able to afford the unit until our family debt is reduced so that I can retire. At the time we purchased the unit we relied on the flexibility of being able to use the unit for short term rental, then eventually as long term housing. In the mean time we also use the unit to visit on island ohana. Thank you for your consideration.
Steven Pierce
A plus to eliminating the excess short term rentals is the water saving. There is a continual shortage of water and owning a STR and noticing how visitors waste our island water without any concerns about the impact such waste causes. Those that live here know not to run showers for hours at a time and to make sure faucets are turned off. The continual building of short term rentals, resorts, timeshare complexes, just puts all the mre additional strain on our water supplies. It seems that no one is thinking of this, only bringing in more vacationers.
Opposition to Bill 9 and Request for Amendment
I oppose Bill 9 as drafted and urge the Council to amend it by excluding Papakea Oceanfront Resort, which the County has historically identified as having A2-H2 zoning on the Planning Department Website. I have requested explicit from clarification from Planning Staff regarding this error through their own (LUD2024-00747) and my request to appeal or seek clarification has been wholly disregarded since 2024. Because of this, I believe Papakea Should Be Excluded from this bill.
Legal Vacation Rental History
Papakea has operated as a legal vacation rental property for nearly 50 years, marketed and sold specifically for this purpose before any zoning restrictions existed. This establishes a clear precedent that should be respected.
Never Workforce Housing
Unlike properties Bill 9 targets, Papakea was never workforce housing for local residents. It has always served tourists, so it doesn't represent the harmful conversion from local housing to vacation rentals that the bill aims to address.
Commercial Location and Design
Papakea sits in a tourism corridor surrounded by hotels and commercial properties, not in residential neighborhoods. The property features resort amenities like a front desk, activity concierge, and shared spaces designed for short-term guests. Most units are under 600 square feet with limited parking, making them unsuitable for long-term residential use.
Protected Investment Expectations
Owners purchased based on consistent County ordinances from 1989 to 2022 that permitted short-term rentals. They've made substantial investments in mortgages, renovations, and furnishings specifically for vacation rental operations. Eliminating these legal rights would unfairly destroy legitimate investment-backed expectations.
Conclusion
Papakea's 50-year history as a legal vacation rental, commercial tourism location, and resort-style design distinguish it from residential properties converted to vacation rentals. The Council should amend Bill 9 to exclude Papakea and protect owners' legitimate property rights that have been promulgated by Planning Department as recently as 2024 when this matter was under consideration.
Sincerely,
Mason Kirby
Bill 9 letter of support