Funding for the long-awaited yet controversial Wailuku Civic Complex was subject to scrutiny Tuesday, as councilmembers of the Economic Development and Budget Committee debated the scope and need of Phase 1B of the project, the parking structure. Councilmembers voted 6-3 to cut the budget for the parking structure in half, allowing for a down-sizing of the proposed four-story … [Read more...] about Committee Votes to Reduce Funding for Wailuku Parking Garage
Maui County Council
‘Unacceptable and Irresponsible’: Councilmember Tamara Paltin writes to UH president David Lassner regarding TMT
More than three weeks have passed since Governor David Ige made the announcement that the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) was “set to start construction,” and yet no equipment has made the ascent up Maunakea. Instead, at Mauna Kea Access Road, kia‘i, or protectors, have set up camp. Through non-violent action and kapu aloha, bound by culture and identity, and grounded in arguments … [Read more...] about ‘Unacceptable and Irresponsible’: Councilmember Tamara Paltin writes to UH president David Lassner regarding TMT
Overall Success of Million-Dollar Coqui Frog Control Efforts Remains a Mystery, Audit Finds
A third-party audit contracted by the Maui County Council found that efforts of the Maui Invasive Species Committee to control or eradicate coqui frogs lack the measurements needed to determine the overall effectiveness of the program. The audit was transmitted to the council at its July 5 meeting and referred to the Environmental, Agricultural, and Cultural Preservation … [Read more...] about Overall Success of Million-Dollar Coqui Frog Control Efforts Remains a Mystery, Audit Finds
‘An Overworked Brothel’ – Maui County Council discusses visitor impacts to our environment and infrastructure
It’s easy to make fun of tourists, but it's a lot harder to criticize the tourism industry. Tourists drive at a crawl over the Pali, rubbernecking at whales, while 10 cars tail them. Tourists crowd beaches and trails, then tell you to get out of “their” sunset. Tourists poke you with their selfie sticks as they strike poses for Instagram while crusted in reef-toxic … [Read more...] about ‘An Overworked Brothel’ – Maui County Council discusses visitor impacts to our environment and infrastructure
Maui County Council Debates the Future of the Island’s ‘Golden Goose,’ Tourism
It’s said that the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry. So it goes for Maui’s Island Plan, a long-range planning document adopted in 2012 to guide the county’s decisions until 2030. It contains this bit of policy direction: “Promote a desirable island population by striving to not exceed an island-wide visitor population of roughly 33 percent of the resident … [Read more...] about Maui County Council Debates the Future of the Island’s ‘Golden Goose,’ Tourism