When I say we, Im talking about the county.. Description. In retrospect states that didnt shut down didnt fare any worse, she said. Whether or not Im mayor or not mayor its more about what we can do as a community and bring a lot of these ideas forth and implement those as a vision for Maui, he said. If elected, he said he would go through every department and ensure every single executive in every department is going to be held accountable and everything is going to be done with transparency.. This was really another way of keeping the price of paradise down.. The status indicates the election the candidate appears in or if the candidate has won outright. Were also about 50% short on our radio transmission officers, which is dispatch. Im thinking we went from $800 million to $1.17 billion. Victorino: Well, like anything else, you need to try it out before you know if it will work or not. And for those who go away to the mainland, wed want to work with them when theyre home on their breaks as interns. Both candidates sat down with our Digital Director, Jack Dugan for a Q&A session, and were given three minutes each to respond. Looking back on the current administrations term, Kay said she did not support the decision to move forward with the West Maui wastewater injection wells lawsuit that went all the way up to the Supreme Court. He said the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling was so ambiguous and could have affected homeowners with septic systems, which is why the county took the case to the U.S. Supreme Court. For frequent drought issues, Victorino suggested having more catchment systems and reservoirs and using gray water. Instead of a three minute response, a simple yes or no; or one word response was requested. The race for Mauis top executive job comes down to incumbent Michael Victorino, and challenger Richard Bissen. Bell took his advocacy to the state Board of Education, Department of Education and Department of Health. East Maui. The process is online now, but still difficult, especially for old-timers, he said. Molina authored the charter amendment to establish an affordable housing fund, created the first-time homebuyers program and introduced the bill that led to the ban on plastic bags. The other part of that will bewe will build 500 more units across the street from the Atherton development, which will be county owned, on county land, and well be able to set the price and make sure that its fixed for our residentsespecially our workforce, our police, fire, teachersall of those essential workers that need housing, that want to stay here, that dont really qualify for the 80% and lower, but theyre in the gap group which is 100%-140% Also to make sure that our doctors, nurses, and other medical techniciansall of these workers are essential to our community, but maybe not directly connected with the hospitality industry. So again, I think were counting the wrong metric, or were looking at the wrong data. He said the high courts ruling brought more clarity. And so with that being said, I think the hospitality industry with the Maui Nui plan, which we are a part of and weve spent the last two-and-a-half years working on, is now taking effect. I think that with regard to your specific question, the issue of acquiring the permit of a license from the state is something that the county should definitely consider. And its gone up in the last four years from the $700,000s to over a million dollars for the average cost of a house. "We got . Kelly Takaya King, who's currently serving her third term as a Maui council member, announced she's running for mayor Tuesday afternoon. So again, I think thats something that we can do. These are all folks that need to work together and blend harmoniously. He was elected again in 2018 and 2020. YouTube We cant expect to have employees if were not doing anything on our part to develop that workforce. Im fighting for all of them, he said. (a) No. Victorino: Weve looked at different water sources in the pastWailuku Water Company, which I have made offers to and they have turned us down. Now, whether we leasehold, or fee simple, or rentals, mixed-usethe idea behind that is to revitalize that commercial space. Candidates Results Resources News Home 2022 Candidate Election Status 2022 Candidate Election Status These are the Candidates for the 2022 Elections. He quit working for out-of-state real estate investment companies, as he couldnt see himself assisting companies who would then turn around and sell homes at high prices. We had a pent-up demand for visitors. She would also like to reimplement what was done during Mayor Alan Arakawas administration, in which all departments would come to the mayors lounge to meet with developers once a month. Sometimes some of the laws are too lenient to those who break them, and they tend to be repeat offenders. Final stories on other races will be published in the coming weeks. Updated: Mar 2, 2023 / 05:01 AM CST. Mail a check for one of the amounts above to: Kihei Community Association. They were not listening to their constituents, they were listening to one side and one side only, said Bell, one of the organizers of the failed recall effort against Victorino. U.S. Sens. Hes got a list of more things that can be done for affordable housing, including looking at partnerships where the county provides the land and the builder puts up the homes. She also suggested setting up more incentives for short-term rentals to rent to residents. Thats a state issue now but we still must advocate for those elderly and those who are disadvantaged not to have to pay GET on food and drugs. I think again, what were lacking right now is the harmony, that trust is lacking. These are two key essentials that should help bring down some of the pricing of housing. CHRISTIE WILSON / CWILSON@STARADVERTISER.COM. We have increased our budget by over $400 million this cycle. Thats the start. Anyone who receives a grant from the County of Maui on my administration would be required to have an internship program there. Keep the ball rolling, I call it. first prev. A list of locations and hours is posted online atelections.hawaii.gov. The change may be expensive and a paradigm shift, but worth it in the long run for future generations of residents. I think we are in a sense of urgency.. Refresh. Maui mayoral candidate Richard Bissen launches Q&A sessions By Lianne Bidal Thompson Maui PUBLISHED 10:20 AM ET Jan. 27, 2022 MAUI Retired Chief Judge of the 2nd Circuit Court, Richard Bissen, who announced his candidacy for Maui County mayor on Jan. 17, will hold the first of his "Bissen Listens" video sessions 4 p.m. Thursday. So again, its a very complex system as you say in your question. Ive had a degree in political science, and my law degree, but recently a hooponopono certificate after five-and-a-half years of training. Our community's most active progressive leaders spent 1,400 hours searching, evaluating interviewing and selecting the top candidates who will best serve the people and the 'aina we call the 'Ohana Candidates. Whats to blame for the major erosion happening along Kaanapali? Also with water and other issues, weve been working very diligently to make sure this will bring the price of food down. You havent done anything. Maui Mayor Mike Victorino and retired Maui Chief. We also have a Department of Ag that will help mentor our farmers, help them to find USDA and FDA loans or grants that can help make them more stable. Other mayoral candidates Cullen Bell, Kim Brown, Alana Kay, Jonah Lion and Mike Molina were invited to a forum at 1 p.m. today,. And it was really important to know that sometimes these criminals had checkered pasts that really made it difficult to have them released. Im not running against something or someone. Gov. Make the most of your Maui vacation with these top-rated activities: This comments section is a public community forum for the purpose of free expression. Nobriga (Nonpartisan) Tina Pedro (Nonpartisan) I know we use the term affordable as a formula, as a way of determining eligibility, but the fact of the matter is, I dont think you can call a $1 million house an affordable housethats the average price of homes. Developers meanwhile have said that it will make it harder to build affordable projects. Candidate Mike Victorino (Nonpartisan) Cullan H.M.M. Eight candidates are vying for the seat, and the top two vote-getters will make it through. We would cut our water usage at least in half, he said. Click on the links below to view the financial disclosure statements for Council Candidates: Council Residency Area. She added that lots of times families who may not show enough income to qualify but could make it work may be turned down as they do not meet certain standards on paper. But he added: Money is not an object. 2022. Bissen said he would look at an inventory of county, state and even private lands appropriate for building. A special voters guide to candidates is included in todays edition on page T1. Learn more about voting in Maui County, including how to register to vote, here In July 2022, the Maui Nui Food Alliance (MNFA) launched a candidate survey, inviting all Maui County candidates to share their food system priorities. With crowded airports and a return of tourism to near pre-pandemic levels, visitor congestion has surfaced as a key issue among our readers. He said he would like to see stricter campaign spending reforms and reduce spending limits, that way the playing field is level.. Id like to know what area of the mayors responsibility I would not be capable of doing, because again, it comes back to judgment, decision-making, problem-solving, working with people, I feel is my wheelhouse, thats what I have been doing, Bissen said. There was strong public testimony in support of establishing a water authority to possibly take over the East Maui Irrigation system. WAILUKU (HawaiiNewsNow) - In the final four days before the election, Maui County mayoral candidates are making one more push to entice voters. Candidate. I was tired of seeing privileges for you know, developers, or the big businesses over the small business, she said. And so I think there is an impact when tourists are here; however, there are ways we can manage that. I also think we should pay good attention to our Maui Nui Destination Plan, which is a 2022-2023theres one for Maui, Molokai and Lnaiand I feel like we need to follow the recommendations that have been arrived at by stakeholders who took advantage and got together and held community meetings. King said she would seek to have similar systems used in larger Upcountry neighborhoods which have cesspools. It can be kpuna, it can be millennials, people just getting their first homes, or people who want to downsize. I think in a previous discussion I had that we were at a debatethe current mayor, his answer was: well thats the police commissions responsibility. We also think we need to take better advantage of existing infrastructure. So we would say: no traveling in between the hours of 6 and 8. Molina, a Makawao resident, served on the Maui County Council from 2001 to 2010 before stepping down due to term limits. Lot of the infrastructure is used for short-term (rental), basically investment, money-making corporations coming in and buying multiple homes and turning it into an investment opportunity instead of it being housing for the locals, he said. We should all be in a sense of urgency right now, said King, a Kihei resident. U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono's next election year is 2024. Costs have also been compounded by supply chain shortages. Each resolution contains the proposed amendment as well as the question that will be on the 2022 County of Maui General Election ballot for the proposed amendment. Out of the 160 units, only eight were officially occupied. And again, theres one separate for Lnai, separate for Molokai, and separate for Maui so that we can manage the tourist industry. . Our Maui Now news team compiled questions focusing on topics of interest for Maui County constituents. How much is it going to cost to repair? I dont see anyone as the enemy. King pointed to the nearly $10 million in funding she obtained in this current fiscal years budget for a Maalaea Regional Wastewater Reclamation System. I think my life experiences combined with my government experiences certainly will help and it definitely qualifies me to serve in this capacity, along with my legislative accomplishments, Molina said. First of all, I have proven as a leader, through this uncertain, unprecedented times, in the history of this county, state, nation and world, to keep people safe and healthy, was the main priority during this pandemic, he said. Looking back, Victorino said there was no playbook at the beginning of the pandemic. Email aloha@bissenmovement.com. Victorino admitted there may have been some kinks, but we are working through them.. How high is this on our priority list? TNZ- RICHARD BISSEN Candidate for Maui Mayor 2022 & Jason Schwartz, Host of the Neutral Zone - 10-27-2022. And needing to heal, not only from a humanity level and us as a community, but also the land itself, the aina is also in such need of healing and our relationship with the aina,, Lot of the infrastructure is used for short-term (rental), basically investment, money-making corporations coming in and buying multiple homes and turning it into an investment opportunity instead of it being housing for the locals,, If somebody is here and it is not their primary residence, than it needs to be a long-term rental., Its not so much a lack of water here, its a lack of ideas and old irrigation systems that need upgrades,, Whether or not Im mayor or not mayor its more about what we can do as a community and bring a lot of these ideas forth and implement those as a vision for Maui,, I think my life experiences combined with my government experiences certainly will help and it definitely qualifies me to serve in this capacity, along with my legislative accomplishments,, If it works then future councils or future mayors can expand the funding to help more families that have these structures but just dont have the money or the startup money to fix these homes that could be made livable again,, Im in favor of the county water authority to put (water) back in the hands of the public. And I think thats how were going to help get our local people, our kamaina, into homes so that they are not forced to leave Maui.. The following candidates ran in the primary for Mayor of Maui on August 13, 2022. Nonpartisan primary for Mayor of Maui. In the long run, Kay said the county needs to diversify its economy so people can get better-paying jobs to be able to pay for rent and buy a home. He added that he also supported a charter amendment that would establish a county water authority to seek a lease for East Maui water use and give community members more of a say over water issues. Updated: Jun 19, 2022 / 01:42 AM HST HONOLULU (KHON2) Hawaii Tourism and Lodging Association hosts a Maui mayoral debate in Waikiki. She said this could be a temporary solution when other longer-term housing is being worked on. I think the county should control the water. Aloha Listener, This episode is a departure from the candidate interviews we have been focusing on lately, and instead focuses on housing. I want the East Maui taro farmers, and other farmers, ranchers, the residents of East Maui, Mahi Pono, EMI, A&Beverybody has to be at the table to make sure that this water authority works, and works the way it should be at workthat everybody gets what they deserve, and no waste is occurring. I do not regret putting any of these mandates out at that point in time. So Im not sure what the cost or what kind of offer would be acceptable to EMI or A&B who owns much of that systemor at least controls the system. The newest term we hear now is regenerative tourism which meansit used to be eco-tourism, it used to be sustainable tourism, and today we use this term. The council recently voted to put the question on the general election ballot. If it works then future councils or future mayors can expand the funding to help more families that have these structures but just dont have the money or the startup money to fix these homes that could be made livable again, Molina said. King is the chairwoman of the councils Climate Action, Resilience and Environment Committee and founded Pacific Biodiesel with her husband, Bob, on Maui in 1995. The owner would pay for the catchment, but in turn they may not pay as much for county water as they will be using the catchment, Bissen said. We have everything we need to thrive.. Twitter So the housing issue is a big challenge, but we have lots of exciting ideasso much so that other people are also adopting some of our ideas. I think that our program that wed like to promote is kamaina housing. Council Candidates. We are not in a drought, we dont have a water issue, we have a water mismanagement issue, big time, he said. In 1983, the 160-unit apartment complex pending foreclosure in Wisconsin was in disarray. Thats something that we want to promote. RAM GAD POD - Michele McLean, Director of the Maui County Department of Planning. Again, these are fair questions to ask, and it would have been helpful if the auditor would have come up with a number, so that when people vote on the amendment, they can have a better, more clear idea of what theyre voting on. Copyright Maui News | https://www.mauinews.com | 100 Mahalani Street, Wailuku, HI 96793 | 808-242-6363, The main reason why Im running is my children and all of our children of Hawaii, really. Today's story focuses on. She started Akamai Coffee Co. back in 2007 in the Home Depot parking lot after being turned down 20 times for a business lease around the island. By HNN Staff Published : Aug. 13, 2022 at 7:28 PM HST | Updated : Aug. 14, 2022 at 11:17 AM HST I think that we are looking at what Park Maui will be doing. Then homes will be built above. Wallace, a former schools executive backed by . Molina holds the Makawao-Haiku-Paia residency seat, and while parts of his district see frequent rain, other areas are impacted by yearly drought. Mike Molina points to his combined 35 years experience in county and state employment, and the fact that he was born and raised on Maui, as credentials to lead the county. The police commission, while they are responsible for evaluating the police chiefs performance, its the mayors job as the leader to inspire the leadership, and I think whats lacking is that active leadershiptaking control. She acknowledged that workforce training is ongoing but that government needs to place more emphasis on it. And to purchase that, I would be in favor of it, but it has to be a collaborative effort between myself, the county, and the rest of the people of Maui County because they are the benefactors of it, and I want to make sure they are at the table to make sure it works. So what weve been doing is ramping up the housing initiative. This is really important. On affordable housing, Kay said in the short term there could be safe parking lots allowing people to live in their cars to stay somewhere safe, an idea that is currently being proposed at the council level. And thirdly, he would also talk to the DOE and DOH to make his case that parents have the choice over what medical procedures they want or dont want for their child. It stretches from private land, government land. The following came from Cullan Bell, candidate for Maui County mayor. And there were many, many people coming hereuncontrolled. There were no other places open in the world and Hawaii opened up. Now, the rest of the world is pretty much opened up. People are still upset about that, nobody knows where that money went, King said. ', in order to feed everybody here, Mahi Pono has to be part of the equation,, As long as we are fighting over water, and over whos doing what, we are not going to advance that initiative,, we as humans on this island have impeded our hydrologic cycle by things we are doing., We should use different building materials and different roofing materials and plant more trees in the city to improve the moisture and bring the temperature down,, In retrospect states that didnt shut down didnt fare any worse,, I think we really need a climate mayor at this time and I have the most climate experience and environmental experience,, We should all be in a sense of urgency right now,, We know we have maybe eight years to try to enact the regulations that are going to help keep our temperature at a reasonable rate., The mayor needs to step in at those points and say this is a priority,, So they could lay out, this is what Im trying to do, can you see anything I need to change right away? Part of it is we need to continue to increase their wages, help them with housing, retention bonuses are very important, and utilization of private cars may be another option that I have heard from many police officersthat they would long to have. He also thinks the island has housing infrastructure but that too much of it is being used for short-term rentals. On Friday, December 13th, RAM members were invited to attend a RAM Community Meeting regarding the Council's real property tax reform efforts. These are places that already have water, already have sewers, already have parking, theyve already been disturbedthe ground, so we may as well make those into living quarters. Published: Nov. 4, 2022 at 9:54 PM PDT. Do you think there should be a cap or limit on how many visitor or hotel units can be built? Bell said if elected, the first three things he would do is begin pulling back the curtain and go through every department and ensure it is running efficiently and that executives are held accountable. Michigan Republicans are anxious about 2024 as the party recovers from a disappointing midterm and struggles to find a way to reset in a key battleground state . When it comes to criminal activities, I think that goes to some of the laws that are in existence. Bissen, who spent three decades as an attorney and judge, said theres no direct correlation in being a legislator and being an executive.. So when it gets to the ocean, it is utilized again to rewatch, and replenish our fisheries. Voters are reminded that if they make a mistake on their ballot, they should not attempt to correct it by crossing it out or using correction tape. Maui County . Cullan Bells drive to run for mayor grew from his advocacy for children and families during the COVID-19 pandemic. March 1, 2023. Keith is the ideal candidate for any team looking to achieve exceptional results. 2022. Mayor: 1: County of Maui: 4 years: Councilmember: 9: East Maui West Maui Wailuku-Waihee-Waikapu Kahului South Maui Makawao-Haiku-Paia . We should be focusing on whos getting the house, who is living in the house, whos moving into the houseand thats what were trying to work on. We have it all ready to move. I think lots of officers who comethey want to be promoted, they want to work their way up the rank. We know we have maybe eight years to try to enact the regulations that are going to help keep our temperature at a reasonable rate.. The Upcountry water meter list has been stalled for decades. Our occupancy rate is the lowest in the state, but our residual effects and our monies that are coming in for the par value of the hotel is on the high side. Hawaii voters may return their voted ballot through the US Postal Service, by dropping it off at a ballot drop box, or may visit a voter service center in their county. Challenger Richard Bissen was victorious over incumbent Mike Victorino in the hotly contested race for Maui County mayor, according to the latest election results Tuesday night. He said there needs to be a shift in water usage, as he feels that lots of the water is being taken up by resorts and large monocrop corporate farming. That needs to change to ensure small and local farms and residents needs come first and that resorts clamp down on usage. I think one of the biggest areas is some of the challenges in this day and age of becoming a police officer, first of all. Now eyeing the mayors seat, Bell pointed to his experience as the owner of a small construction company where he deals with budgets and is responsible for hiring workers and contractors. Share. Update: 2022-09-26. No. Keep the ball rolling, I call it. Its not so much a lack of water here, its a lack of ideas and old irrigation systems that need upgrades, he said. Bell, who is helping out with the restoration of loi in Honomanu, said East Maui at one time could provide food for the entire island. WEBDESK. Students and staff, as well as community members filled the seats to examine the potential new congress. Victorino: Well, first of all, overtourism back in March of 2021 did exist. Like many other local families, Bell has also considering moving away due to the high costs of island life. He said that at times medical advice conflicted each other, which also made decision-making hard. This episode is a good one for all my REALTORS out there. Bissen points to his executive experience heading the prosecutors office in the county from the mid-1990s to early 2000s, along with serving as the interim director of the state Department of Public Safety from 2004 to 2005 and as first deputy attorney general for the state from 2003 to 2004. Jan 2020 - Feb 2022 2 years 2 months. When we talk about affordable housing, what were really focusing on is the price of the house, and if you build 500 affordable houses and you sell 450 to people from outside of Hawaii, what have you really done for the housing problem? Molina had $8,474.02 in his campaign coffers at the last campaign spending report deadline. Everybody is different, Im not anti-vaccine, Im not anti-mask, but I definitely think it always should have been a personal choice, it always should have been a parental choice, he said. While some may point to climate change as the cause of not having enough water, Kay said we as humans on this island have impeded our hydrologic cycle by things we are doing.. And we had just a surge that many of us could not handle. And the public wasnt informed that some of these criminals were released. Bissen: Public safety is the number one responsibility of the mayor. . She recently was contacted by a veteran affordable home developer whose plans were in place but was having to answer the same questions over again after an employee assigned to the project retired. Its hana hou time. What are your real world solutions for bringing down the cost of living to make Maui more affordable to residents? He pointed to more than half a dozen projects in the works, including the Waikapu Country Town project which the county will provide wastewater services for in exchange for more units as well as the 324-unit majority affordable Wailuku rental apartment project across from Longs Drugs in Kehalani. I know many of them. Is that going to fall on commercial? Editor's Note: This story is part of a series on Maui County Council and mayoral candidates in the lead-up to the Nov. 8 general election. Some of the costs can be offset by using the Affordable Housing Fund to pay for infrastructure costs, and in return the builder could construct more affordable units with the savings. Do you believe that over-tourism exists and if so, how should it be measured and mitigated? Become a Candidate; Candidate Reports; Nonpartisan Candidates in Partisan Contests; Presidential. Like some of his opponents,Lion expressed dislike over East Maui waters being maintained by a private company. As for his first-term record, he defended going forward with the Lahaina injection well case. Incumbent Maui Mayor Michael Victorino to face former judge Richard Bissen in general election By Jack Truesdale Aug. 13, 2022 Unlimited access to premium stories for as low as $12.95 /mo.. The NEUTRAL Zone - It's Anything BUT Neutral !, Up Close & Personal, campaign 2022, Interview JASON SCHWARTZ, Candidate, Maui County COUNCIL KAHULUI with GUEST HOST: NICK DRANCE- 7 4 22 He also supports the county contributing to the infrastructure of projects to help cut down building costs.
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