Housing and Land Use Committee Meeting – March 18, 2026

The Housing and Land Use Committee of Maui County met on March 18, 2026, from 9:14 a.m. to 12:01 p.m. to review the operations and budgetary status of two key departments: the Department of Planning and the Department of Housing. The meeting, chaired by Nohelani U Hodgins, included presentations from department leaders, public testimony, and extensive discussion among committee members.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Christopher Salem (via Teams) testified on systemic failures in the planning department's administration of Special Management Area (SMA) permits, alleging that engineering valuations are intentionally undervalued to classify major projects as minor, thereby bypassing public hearings. He noted that Public Works has never been asked by Planning to review these valuations and that Public Works does not route subdivision plans back to Planning for SMA condition verification. He urged the committee to close this loophole.
• JC Law (in person) spoke briefly on social justice and housing needs, also mentioning a pending case involving former litigant Sonya Davis who is now living in a car.
• Jim Langford (via Teams) supported earlier testimony and asked about an RFP for software to track departmental functions.
• Johan Lal (via Teams) praised the Housing Department's achievements and described their work as a model for addressing the housing crisis.

Discussion Items

Department of Planning Review

• Acting Planning Director Tako Kura presented an overview: the department has 85.5 budgeted positions across five divisions, with vacancies in Zoning (4), Current Planning (7), and Long Range (1). Key responsibilities include zoning enforcement, discretionary permits, long-range community plans, and post-fire rebuild coordination. As of February 2026, the department had processed 1,463 staff responses, 883 land use verifications, and 893 building permits. The department is also working on the South Maui Community Plan, Central Maui Community Plan, SMA boundary review, and Title 19 update. Budget status: 43% of total funds spent (salaries 49%, operations 28%, equipment 65%), with 57% remaining.
• Committee members raised questions about vacancies, staff retention (recruitment incentives and health benefits), fee studies, the wetlands overlay map status (completed informational map), and the need to better implement general and community plans. Member Cook noted a disconnect between planning projections and actual infrastructure funding. Chair Alice Lee expressed frustration with the proliferation of unimplemented plans.
• Director Kura responded that the department is working on retention incentives, updating administrative rules, and collaborating with other departments. She confirmed that the SMA rules' "no-needs" portion was struck by a court but the amended shoreline rules remain intact. She also addressed a testimonial concern about subdivision/SMA reviews, stating that larger subdivisions require SMA permits and that the public can search permit history via the eMaps system.

Department of Housing Review

• Director Mitchell reported on the department's progress since its inception on July 1, 2024: over 800 affordable rental and workforce units have been built (Kaulu o Kukuya, Kaulana Mahina, Hokua, Haliʻimaile 1 & 2, etc.). Staffing grew from 37 to 47, with nearly all positions filled after converting many to exempt status. The department implemented 7–8 office policies, set up a Housing Advisory Board, created a housing dashboard (with 100+ residential workforce housing agreements now databased), and removed 50+ steel cabinets and 150+ boxes of old documents.
• Division administrators presented:
  • Gail Ram (Federal Housing Programs): CDBG program received $1.8M for program year 2025; HOME program $2.85M; HTF $1.45M; Maui Homeowner Assistance Fund helped over 400 households with $15M distributed. Section 8 vouchers: 1,560 vouchers at 97–98% utilization; waiting list processing positions 1,203–1,252.
  • Alicia Mazingo (Housing & Community Development): Five affordable housing projects in development (e.g., Kamole Hana Hale Apartments, Lānaʻi Affordable Housing Project, Kilohana Makai). The Affordable Housing Dashboard was launched.
  • Cassie Yamashita (County Housing Programs): FY2026 funded 16 projects totaling $68.6M assisting 959 units. Administered seven programs: First-Time Homebuyers (3 households served), Rental Assistance (231 households), Home Ownership Counseling (53 households), etc. The Molokaʻi Voluntary Deed Restriction Pilot Program (500K) will launch by end of March.
• Committee questions covered collaboration with other departments (ad hoc meetings), fee waivers (Bill 48 to waive fees for partially affordable projects), administrative rules for Bill 111 (online portal for workforce housing), AMI adjustments for Lānaʻi after a wage increase, and the need for project-based vouchers. Director Mitchell supported broad fee waivers for affordable portions and suggested using Affordable Housing Funds to compensate other departments for lost fee revenue. He also described "tough love" meetings with developers to identify areas for improvement (e.g., document processing speed, digitization, clearer points of contact).

Key Outcomes

• The committee deferred action on both the Department of Planning and Department of Housing agenda items, as the reviews were informational to prepare for the upcoming FY2027 budget season.
• No formal votes were taken. Written testimony remains open.
• Director Mitchell confirmed he will testify in support of Bill 48 (fee waivers for partially affordable projects) at the upcoming Council meeting on Friday, March 20.
• The committee acknowledged the progress of both departments and indicated that further written follow-up questions would be submitted.