The Budget, Finance and Economic Development Committee (BFED) met on April 16, 2026, at 1:05 PM to continue deliberations on the proposed Fiscal Year 2027 budget for the County of Maui. The meeting focused on the Department of Environmental Management (DEM) budget, public testimony, and council member questions. The meeting was adjourned at 4:30 PM.
Well, the budget finance and economic development committee meeting of April sixteenth, twenty twenty six come to order. It is one oh five PM. I am the Vice Chair of this committee, Colin Petongan, and I will be acting as chair for today's meeting. This online meeting is being conducted in accordance with the Sunshine Law. As a reminder, when your name is called, if you're not in the council chamber, please identify by name who, if anyone is in the room, vehicle, or workspace with you today. Minors do not need to be identified. Committee chair Yuki Leisu Yimura will be joining us a little bit late. Um next up we have Councilmember Tom Cook. Good afternoon, Chair. Welcome all. Councilmember Gabe Johnson. Aloha, Chair, Council members, community members. There's no testifiers at the Lena E District Office, and I'm here and ready to work. Maha. Thank you. Council Chair Alice Lee. Good afternoon, Chair. I'm home. I'm here in my office in the building with my little kitty named Jill Lee. And she's playing with her friend Matilda. Ready to work. Thank you. Councilmember Tamara Paul. Hello, Imala Sheen Living there, Fund of Council Chambers. Councilmember Canny Rollins Fernandez. Aloha chair. Uh, there are currently no testifiers at the Molokai District Office. And uh Mahalo again to Member Johnson and to the community on Lanae for hosting us last night. Councilmember Sheen Tenense. Hello, and good afternoon, Chair. Um, here at my home office, I'm here by myself, and there's no testifiers in Anach. And Councilmember Nohe Lani Uhajans. Good afternoon, Chair, good afternoon, everyone. I'm at my private residence. I do have my husband, William Cole Hodgins home with me now, but he would be leaving shortly to pick up our child from school, and at that time I will have a miniature version of my husband and the big version. Thank you, members. Everybody, please see the last page of the agenda for information on meeting connectivity. Uh thank you, members for attending today's BFE Committee meeting. We have one item on the agenda today that is BFED 1, the proposed fiscal year 2027 budget for the county of Maui. Members, I will be taking testimony after opening comments today. Before we begin, I would like to recognize Council Members Cook and Johnson for comments on the South Maui and Luna E residency area meetings respectively. Member Cook. Thank you, Chair. Uh local council members, uh, and thank you all for coming to our South Maui uh community meeting. Here is a summary containing some testimony highlights for your consideration and use and your recap of BFED day after tomorrow morning. Twenty-eight individuals testified orally. We also received some written testimony. The meeting was called to order at 6 p.m. and adjourned at 8 10 p.m. Testifiers express gratitude and support for the funding for a variety of organizations, including Maui AIDS Foundation, wraparound services, including homelessness prevention, sexually transmitted disease education and free testing, insurance assistance, medical clinic, food pantry, housing case management, jail outreach, MEO, Transportation Services, Spanish Translation Services, Head Start, Youth Services.