OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Maui County Council District Budget Meeting - April 3, 2026

County Council & Committees — Friday, April 3, 2026
BodyMaui County, Hawaii
SessionCounty Council & Committees
DateFriday, April 3, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
Meeting Thumbnail
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Transcript — Verbatim
0:13

Welcome everybody to the district.

0:16

Wow, so loud to the district meeting, and we're here in your beautiful paya.

0:22

This is Nohe Uuhajans, her districts.

0:25

I'm gonna ask her to entertain introductions to everybody, um, and then we are starting this meeting following sunshine.

0:33

Um, if you're testifying, you have three minutes to testify, and if you're not done, we'll be given another 30 seconds.

0:40

I want to welcome all of you, and Nohe will introduce the other members and then we'll proceed with the meeting.

0:48

Thank you, Yuki.

0:50

I will start from this end.

0:52

We have from HANA, Mr.

0:53

Shane Senanthi.

0:54

Welcome.

0:58

We have from Kihay, Mr.

1:00

Tom Cook.

1:04

I'm Nohe, I'm the district rep.

1:07

Nice to see you all.

1:10

I have my grandma here most importantly as well in the green jacket.

1:14

Oh right here in the green jacket.

1:17

Oh, we have budget chair Yukile Sukimura from upcountry.

1:25

We have our new council member during the budget tour with us, Kawanoi Batangan.

1:34

We have the exact opposite version right next to him, Chair Lee.

1:38

There's several roundup budget.

1:41

She's she's a familiar face.

1:44

We have Member Paulton from Lahaina all the way from the other side of the island.

1:50

And we have our two neighbor island, Ohana.

1:53

We have Member Rollins for Fernandez from Olokay.

1:58

And Member Johnson from Lanai.

2:00

Thank you guys for all being here.

2:02

And thank you folks for being here as well.

2:04

Lovely to see you all.

2:05

Thank you.

2:06

Thank you.

2:07

Um, Member U Hodgens.

2:09

Um, welcome everybody.

2:11

Uh, we are so glad to be here, and our goal is to listen to you.

2:15

We are in our budget process, and we have set up district meetings throughout all in all of our districts.

2:22

And really, we're here to find out if you have any um budget needs.

2:26

And if you do, um, if you could say what it is, what your program is, and how much you are asking for or in the budget for, um, if you do know that answer.

2:37

Um, and for some programs like MEO here or you know, the STEM education or whatever, you may not know the specific, but we do know that you are included in the budget.

2:47

So, whatever information you could give us, we like to have written testimony so that we can verify information when we get back to the office.

2:56

Um, but it's not necessary.

2:58

It just helps us.

2:59

I'd like to also thank our staff, which is David Roth's here.

3:02

He's actually our director for Office of Council Services at the end.

3:06

It's quite an honor to have you here, Mr.

3:08

Ross and Megan Moniz.

3:10

Um, and I think Stacey K.

3:14

Oh, Sissy, where's Sissy?

3:15

Sissy back there, Kawasaki.

3:17

She's our uh deputy director of Office of Council Services and Ryan.

3:21

I think that's all I see.

3:23

But anyway, we have awesome staff, and we appreciate all of you for being here.

3:27

So our goal is to listen to you.

3:29

Um you have three minutes and um 30 seconds to finish if you're not finished.

3:35

So we're taking, we're giving preference to youth and to seniors, and the um Megan will be announcing the testifiers in whatever order that you have signed up.

3:46

Thank you.

3:47

Thank you, Chair.

3:48

Our first testifier is Mahailani Bettencourt, followed by Sheila Kalima.

4:02

Oh, that's good.

4:03

That's good.

4:05

Aloha, my name is Mahailani Bittenkoi.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Parks and Recreation███████████████████████████████31%
Youth Programs█████████████13%
Public Transit██████████10%
Infrastructure███████7%
Environmental Protection██████6%
Water And Wastewater Management█████5%
Procedural████4%
Workforce Development████4%
Public Safety███3%
Summary of Proceedings

Maui County Council District Budget Meeting - April 3, 2026

The Maui County Council held a district budget meeting in Paia to hear community testimony on budget priorities. Council members present included Chair Yuki Lei Sugimura, Vice Chair Nohe U'u-Hodgins, and others. The meeting focused on listening to residents and gathering input for the upcoming budget.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Mahailani Bettencourt (MEO Paratransit) emphasized the critical role of paratransit services for individuals with disabilities, including wheelchair lifts and specialized training, calling them essential infrastructure.
  • Sheila Kalima (MEO Paratransit rider of 16 years) shared her personal reliance on the service for medical appointments, shopping, and family events, and suggested an automated phone message system during service disruptions for those without internet.
  • Brandy Diaz Christian (MEO Paratransit new user) expressed gratitude for the service enabling her to access groceries, medical care, and outings, noting the lack of sidewalks and safety hazards near her home.
  • Lucianne Denay (Haiku Community Association) requested $40,000 for stream water quality monitoring (E. coli, enterococcus, nutrients) to protect recreational stream users, and expressed concerns about the proposed Haiku-Upcountry water pipeline, questioning costs and impacts.
  • Francina Arona (Paia resident) requested $750,000 for gates on Holomua Road to address safety issues, $80,000 to replace angle parking with parallel parking on Baldwin Avenue, and funding for lighting at Mana Foods municipal lot.
  • Bianca Campagna (8th grader, Maui Waiani Intermediate) testified in support of MEDB (Maui Economic Development Board) media program, describing how it helped her overcome shyness and win awards at competitions.
  • Ari Lampitok (8th grader, Maui Waiani Intermediate) supported MEDB, highlighting awards at Shoot Summit and Student Television Network, and how the program taught leadership and public speaking.
  • Keely Cabreros (8th grader, Maui Waiani Intermediate) supported MEDB, noting two first-place wins and two honorable mentions from STN, and how the program gave her a second family.
  • Arya Olivedo (6th grader, Maui Waiani Intermediate) supported MEDB, stating the program helped her become more confident and find a sense of belonging.
  • Jason Ocoba (7th grader, Maui Waiani Intermediate) supported MEDB, citing awards from STN and VEX Robotics qualification for World Championships, and credited MEDB for teaching leadership.
  • Kenneth Kosaka (student) thanked MEDB for fueling his passion for STEM from kindergarten onward.
  • Lindsay Kosaka (student) supported MEDB funding, sharing how robotics and programming changed her life and provided a supportive community.
  • Sierra Kosaka (8th grader, Seabury Hall) supported MEDB, recounting her brother's robotics success and her own growth in coding and engineering through STEM programs.
  • Martin Mally (Maui Mountain Bike Coalition) requested support for the Cycle Strong grant, which teaches lifelong cycling skills, noting it was on a recommended list for funding.
  • Kai Lenny (surfer, community member) testified about Hookipa Beach Park needs: restrooms have been out for over a year, aging infrastructure, parking congestion, and safety concerns from tourists and storms.
  • Alex Odrio (parent) supported MEO Head Start program, describing how it stimulated her daughter's development and supported her return to work.
  • Maile Davis (Malama Hamakua Maui) requested increase from $40,000 to $80,000 for maintenance of Hamakua Open Space Preserve, citing illegal dumping, delayed cultural assessment, and the need for long-term solutions like a transfer station.
  • Francis Komako Colani (Upcountry Strong) requested continued county grant funding for the only food pantry in upcountry Maui, which served 7,000 individuals in 2025, distributing 2,000 pounds of food weekly.
  • Ginger Prados (lifeguard at Hookipa) urged infrastructure improvements: relocate restrooms to upper lot, address erosion, enforce rules to prevent overcrowding and safety hazards.
  • Shay Chan Hodges (former Board of Water Supply member) criticized the proposed $1 billion water capital plan, calling for data-driven analysis, transparency on project details, and an airborne electromagnetic aquifer study before committing to new wells.
  • Elijah Welch (community member) emphasized the need for community stewardship and action at Hookipa, noting the park receives over 1 million visitors annually and requires better management.
  • Kelsey Miller (volunteer) proposed paid parking for tourists at Hookipa, with revenue reinvested into park improvements, and creation of a community advisory group.
  • Bob Street (lineal descendant) requested documents on historic district violations and raised concerns about water rights from the Waihe Ditch system. The chair briefly recessed after he became confrontational.
  • Leanne Fulcher (parent) supported MEO Head Start, describing how it helped her continue her education and build a future for her child.
  • Luke Walsh (resident) raised issue of unauthorized commercial tour buses at Hookipa, which block traffic and create safety risks, and asked what they contribute to the park.
  • Dennis Walsh (firefighter) described dangerous conditions at Hookipa due to tour buses and crowds, urging enforcement and better infrastructure.
  • Moana Wetcha (born and raised) supported paid parking for Hookipa to reduce congestion and fund visitor education.
  • Nick Nicolanda (39-year resident) called for water system reform, addressing homelessness with compassion, and expanding the tiered property tax system to include a vacancy tax.
  • Moi Kabakoa (Holomua Outreach) thanked council for three grants that funded workforce development for houseless individuals, and requested continued funding and five acres of land for a holistic rehabilitation center, possibly at Maliko.
  • Maya Marquez (houseless advocate) echoed Moi's requests, asked for clarification on Holomua Road gate funding ($450,000 vs $750,000), and urged council to prioritize land for houseless communities.

Key Outcomes

  • No formal votes or decisions were made during the meeting.
  • Council members thanked testifiers and noted they would consider input during the budget process.
  • The meeting was adjourned after public testimony closed.

Meeting Transcript

Welcome everybody to the district. Wow, so loud to the district meeting, and we're here in your beautiful paya. This is Nohe Uuhajans, her districts. I'm gonna ask her to entertain introductions to everybody, um, and then we are starting this meeting following sunshine. Um, if you're testifying, you have three minutes to testify, and if you're not done, we'll be given another 30 seconds. I want to welcome all of you, and Nohe will introduce the other members and then we'll proceed with the meeting. Thank you, Yuki. I will start from this end. We have from HANA, Mr. Shane Senanthi. Welcome. We have from Kihay, Mr. Tom Cook. I'm Nohe, I'm the district rep. Nice to see you all. I have my grandma here most importantly as well in the green jacket. Oh right here in the green jacket. Oh, we have budget chair Yukile Sukimura from upcountry. We have our new council member during the budget tour with us, Kawanoi Batangan. We have the exact opposite version right next to him, Chair Lee. There's several roundup budget. She's she's a familiar face. We have Member Paulton from Lahaina all the way from the other side of the island. And we have our two neighbor island, Ohana. We have Member Rollins for Fernandez from Olokay. And Member Johnson from Lanai. Thank you guys for all being here. And thank you folks for being here as well. Lovely to see you all. Thank you. Thank you. Um, Member U Hodgens. Um, welcome everybody. Uh, we are so glad to be here, and our goal is to listen to you. We are in our budget process, and we have set up district meetings throughout all in all of our districts. And really, we're here to find out if you have any um budget needs. And if you do, um, if you could say what it is, what your program is, and how much you are asking for or in the budget for, um, if you do know that answer. Um, and for some programs like MEO here or you know, the STEM education or whatever, you may not know the specific, but we do know that you are included in the budget. So, whatever information you could give us, we like to have written testimony so that we can verify information when we get back to the office. Um, but it's not necessary. It just helps us. I'd like to also thank our staff, which is David Roth's here. He's actually our director for Office of Council Services at the end. It's quite an honor to have you here, Mr. Ross and Megan Moniz. Um, and I think Stacey K. Oh, Sissy, where's Sissy? Sissy back there, Kawasaki. She's our uh deputy director of Office of Council Services and Ryan. I think that's all I see.

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