Please, do what we elected you do: support the working class. Instead, this bill yet again focuses on the few, and enables (does not actually) help dangerous behavior, hurting the great majority of people just trying to get by. The homeless advocates are paid actors who are financially interested in showing up to legislative meetings and have a vested interest in making more people homeless by enabling them. They get richer while the rest of the county gets ignored. This bill will further endanger the many children who live in constant fear of the fires these encampments create near daily. Further, this bill ties the hands of the county to remedy encampments. The language designating open flame cooking as not a fire risk is absolutely wrong-- open flame cooking causes fires in these encampments every week. It is only a matter of time before they burn down central Maui and blood will be on your hands, Gabe Johnson and whoever votes for this. The question is simple: where do we put our energy: to rolling out a welcome mat for every violent Portland meth head to come to Maui to light fires, or do we focus legislation on the things that 99% of your voters actually care about and need: affordable housing, safe education, and safe outdoors? It's notable that the people who support this bill don't have to tolerate the constant attacks by homeless people that the working class do. The supporters ride their moral high horses to their homes Upcountry while the working class holding Maui together is left to deal with the violent methheads living in the bushes next to their houses.

Chair and Members of the Maui County Council,
My name is Melissa Noble Brown, a resident of Maui County concerned about the ongoing challenges of homeless individuals and encampments, drug use, crime and the general public decay I see in our county.
I do offer my quasi support for Bill 111, which amends Title 9 of the Maui County Code to revamp procedures for relocating individuals and managing personal property in public spaces.

As outlined in the bill, its purpose is to provide procedures for compassionate relocations, including offering access to behavioral health support, housing transitions, and other services within available resources. By requiring advance notices, the presence of outreach providers during removals, and the establishment of temporary refuges offering shelter, medical care, and storage—this legislation prioritizes dignity and support over punitive measures….. This next phrase is where my support stops. As written: “These provisions are crucial for Maui, where we must balance the needs of our unhoused population with the well-being of our broader community.”
I am assuming the phrase “well-being of our broader community” refers to us everyday taxpaying citizens, the citizens who will pay to fund these programs, and the balancing therefore should be weighed in our favor of our needs and consider what is crucial to us, “the broader community.”
1) Safety within our community: Crime is out of control as evidenced by recent horrific crime events both publicized and kept on the down low. I’m genuinely afraid to drive in Kahului at night due to people wandering the streets in dark clothing and I won’t see them and I’m not alone in this fear
2) Health and hygiene: Bluntly, Maui in general looks like crap. Everyone seems concerned about pollution while there is garbage, debris, human feces and urine and most importantly PEOPLE strewn all across our county on roadways, sidewalks, BEACHES, public parks. Parks and beaches literally STINK. Public restroom facilities (if you can find one open and not destroyed due to vandalism) are disgusting and dangerous (except in Wailea and Kaanapali)
3) FIRE HAZARDS – I don’t think I need to say any more on that. We all see it and are fearful of another disaster (small disasters occur almost daily at Holomua Road, Piihana Road, now Upcounty too)

We must confront the root causes of homelessness head-on: drug addiction and mental health issues. Federal data indicates that nearly two-thirds of individuals experiencing homelessness report regular use of hard drugs such as methamphetamines and fentanyl, while a significant portion also suffer from serious mental health conditions. Ignoring these underlying factors perpetuates a cycle of instability and fails to deliver lasting solutions.

the Federal Executive Order “Ending Crime and Disorder on America’s Streets,” issued on July 24, 2025, directs federal agencies to prioritize funding for states and localities that enforce prohibitions on urban camping and address homelessness through mandatory treatment, including assisted outpatient programs and civil commitment for those unable to care for themselves due to addiction or mental illness. It shifts away from “Housing First” models that deprioritize treatment, instead conditioning housing assistance on participation in behavioral health services to promote recovery and self-sufficiency. Additionally, it emphasizes public safety by supporting the removal of encampments where necessary.
Bill 111 aligns with this federal directive by emphasizing access to services during relocations and incorporating behavioral health support but this MUST BE MANDATORY. Allowing mentally ill and drug addicted people to languish in decay and filth is not humane or compassionate.
I urge the Council to ensure that implementation of this bill incorporates the Executive Order’s focus on mandatory treatment options. For instance, when offering alternatives prioritize programs that require engagement with addiction recovery and mental health services to break the cycle of homelessness. I do not see one alternative within the proposal that requires engagement, only offers it as a choice.
News flash: Mentally ill and/or drug addicted people are not usually thinking clearly and will not choose treatment if given a choice.
This approach not only addresses immediate needs but also tackles the core issues driving the crisis, as evidenced by the order’s recognition that unchecked addiction and mental illness contribute to public disorder and higher homelessness rates.

Passing Bill 111 with an emphasis on integrating federal guidance will help Maui County, will help all citizens, lower crime rates, support vulnerable residents in achieving stability, and align local efforts with national priorities. This is an opportunity we have now in this time and I urge the council to take it for the sake of our Maui County citizens who are, frankly, fed up.

Thank you.

Access to a computer and internet may be an issue for those without. Other issues. In this section may be apparent if you think of yourself as houseless.

Regarding this part of the bill:
9.37.110 Online reporting of notices and property logs. A.
Within one business day of the posting of a notice or property log
under this chapter, the County or its designee must upload a copy
of the notice or property lot to a County website. The County website
must include a function that allows encampment occupants to
identify advocates as outreach providers under section 9.37.030 and
for all interested parties and members of the public to be notified
when a new upload is made.
B. The County must maintain and display on the website,
contact information including an email address or telephone
number, to retrieve stored personal property. The telephone number
must have a voicemail and call-back system if staff are unable to
answer calls.
- 10 -
C. Instructions and forms for appeal processes required by
this chapter must be available on this website.

STOP delaying the inevitable of needing to clean up our island and take care of the homelessness and mentally ill problem that is ruining neighborhoods, communities, businesses, and affecting our well being! You all know this needs to be handled ASAP and all you are doing by prolonging this matter is kicking the bucket down the road for another day when things get worse. Can they get worse?? A police officer was just SHOT and KILLED in PAIA! By allowing the lawlessness of Holomua Rd. and all other activities around our island you have made it unsafe for our communities. MAKE PAIA SAFE AGAIN! clean up Holomua Rd. and stop the delay!

Testimony Opposing Bill 111
Aloha Chair and Councilmembers,
I am writing in strong opposition to Bill 111. This bill, as written, would incentivize rampant homelessness and place an exponential financial burden on taxpayers without addressing the root causes of the crisis.
As a taxpayer and community member, I want to be able to bring my family back to the Cut Mountain area one day to enjoy the beach safely. Since COVID, this area has turned into a hub for drugs, domestic violence, car theft, wildfires, and criminal activity. It is no longer a safe place for families.
Years ago, I was part of efforts to advocate for the county to purchase these lands for the future Pali to Puamana Parkway plan. The vision was to create a community space that would one day serve as a park, a place of wellness, and a gathering area for all residents. Today, that vision is being undermined by the lack of enforcement and accountability—what could be a park for families is now a dump and a danger zone.
It is also important to note that many people in our community are too afraid to publicly testify out of fear of retaliation by homeless advocates. Their silence does not mean support for this bill. It means intimidation is preventing honest voices from being heard.
The county has a responsibility to protect surrounding communities from wildfire risks. We lost over 100 lives in the Lahaina fire—a tragedy we must never allow to happen again. Yet Maui Fire Department continues to respond to fire calls in this area almost weekly. Bill 111 would only worsen this public safety hazard.
For the sake of community safety, fiscal responsibility, and the future of the Pali to Puamana Parkway vision, I urge you to reject Bill 111.
Mahalo.

please support the removal of the Holomua Rd encampments. This area is at high risk for fire which could destroy Paia town. We need to find a better safer area for people that are unhomed. Holomua Rd is a beautiful area and should be cleaned up anyways.

Aloha Chair and Councilmembers,

I am writing to oppose Bill 111. Bill 111 will create delays in reducing wildfire risk. It will extend the time that the houseless living in the Holomua encampment will be at risk in unsafe and unsanitary conditions where it is also well known that all versions of criminal activity proliferate and overflow into nearby neighborhoods.

I have lived in Kuau for over 25 years. I reside less than half a mile downwind from Holomua Road. I am extremely concerned about wildfire risk enhanced by the large homeless encampment near Old Maui High School directly upwind from our homes. Last year there were over 100 brush fires or car fires on Holomua Road. Recently, on August 17, there were stacked pallets and brush on fire at the homeless encampment. There was another brush fire on Holomua on August 20. These fires not only threaten our Kuau community but they also threaten the health and safety of those living in the unsafe conditions at the Holomua encampment.

Please do not pass Bill 111. Please prioritize immediacy with providing safe and healthy shelter and homes for the population within this encampment.

Thank you for your time and consideration,
Lisa Starr

I understand that the proposed bill 111 could cause more delays in removing homeless people and their abandoned belongings as as well as slowing down a rest processes and getting needy people to care at services they should be referred to. The county and state need to act expeditiously to remove campers and waste that we see throughout our community further, I would like to see more trees planted in our parks and more caregiving, including irrigation of lawns and small trees at all of our parks, especially the beach parks like Kanaha and Lania Poco thank you Brett Gobar, bachelors degree and resource management, environmental quality and policy analysis