Maui County Council Committee Meeting on Shoreline Erosion and Sea Level Rise - June 3, 2026
Maui County Council Committee Meeting on Shoreline Erosion and Sea Level Rise - June 3, 2026
The Disaster Recovery, International Affairs, and Planning Committee of the Maui County Council met on June 3, 2026, at 12:30 PM HST to discuss DRIP 9.11, focusing on shoreline erosion impacts on coastal properties and sea level rise. The meeting featured presentations by Dr. Chip Fletcher (Dean, School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, University of Hawaii at Manoa) and Tara Owens (Coastal Processes and Hazards Specialist, University of Hawaii Sea Grant College Program). The committee heard public testimony and engaged in extensive discussion about policy options for mitigating climate change effects on coastal properties.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Kai Nashiki urged the council to consider whether encouraging local families to invest life savings in coastal hazard areas is wise, and cautioned against inflating property values for offshore investors. He highlighted the Hawaii Coastal Resilience Acquisition and Lease Back program (a state legislative bill) that could allow acquisition of shoreline properties for workforce housing with hazard-adjusted values. He also called for strong funding guardrails to prevent county adaptation funds from being used to entrench development in hazard zones.
- Christian Balagso (Upcountry resident) emphasized the interconnectedness of the ahupuaʻa system, stating "what affects one affects us all." He invoked the Titanic analogy, saying the community is in an emergency situation and must act immediately.
- Kaya Pooninko Hawaiiana (representative of Ko Kohavaipaina) called for restoring native Hawaiians to their ancestral lands, arguing that those who hold original title know how to care for the land. They demanded that the council restore the "true land title holders" and follow Hawaiian Kingdom law.
Discussion Items
- Dr. Chip Fletcher presented a detailed overview of sea level rise science, including:
- Global warming is accelerating, with the rate of surface temperature rise increasing.
- Sea level rise rate has doubled over the last 30 years (from 2 mm/year to over 4 mm/year).
- Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets are melting irreversibly; Thwaites Glacier has more than doubled its flow rate.
- Hawaii will experience 15-20% more sea level rise than the global mean due to gravitational and land motion effects.
- Multiple types of flooding were explained: marine (passive) flooding, wave-driven flooding (even seasonal swell becomes destructive with sea level rise), shoreline erosion (which also exposes cesspools), drainage failure (gravity-based drainage will be lost with 2 feet of sea level rise), groundwater inundation (saltwater rising into infrastructure), and compound flooding (rain + high tide).
- Tara Owens presented a local perspective on Maui, showing:
- Photographs of shoreline erosion, road undermining, and building collapses (e.g., a condominium in North Kihei that collapsed after repeated erosion and flooding events).
- Examples of managed retreat and dune restoration success stories at Kapalua Bay (where a turtle nested after seawall removal) and Baldwin Beach.
- The Mantukuji Mission, a 100+ year old historic and culturally significant structure, is threatened by erosion despite temporary sandbag protection, which is causing flanking erosion.
- The county has made progress: several departments have completed vulnerability assessments, community plans incorporate sea level rise data, shoreline setback rules were updated in 2024 to include erosion projections, and a managed retreat revolving fund was created.
- However, Maui still uses a planning target of 3.2 feet of sea level rise, while the intermediate scenario is now projected at 4 feet. Updated mapping for Maui is not yet available due to loss of federal funding.
- Councilmember Cook asked about offshore solutions (e.g., artificial reefs) to mitigate storm surge. Dr. Fletcher noted they create an "energy shadow" that traps sand, but sand is a zero-sum game—taking sand from one area harms another. Ms. Owens added that permitting for erosion mitigation artificial reefs would be very difficult in Hawaii.
- Councilmember Sugimura raised the Kahana Bay community facilities district (CFD) issue: the county would own groins and would be liable for maintenance, while the state would own the infrastructure in the ocean. Dr. Fletcher recommended a removal bond as a management tool. Ms. Owens noted that a state bill passed in 2026 allowing property owners to develop "adaptation plans" for BLNR review, but it's ambiguous and doesn't require approval.
- Councilmember Rollins Fernandes questioned whether the county should guarantee shoreline access in perpetuity, stating "individual owners must take responsibility for business decisions made building on the shoreline." She also asked about restoring Uhu (parrotfish) to increase sand production. Dr. Fletcher explained that beach sand is centuries to millennia old; modern sand production is too slow to build beaches on human time scales.
- Councilmember Gabe Johnson asked about funding a coastal viewer for Maui County similar to the Waikiki model. Dr. Fletcher estimated it would take 2-3 years and cost about $1 million per year.
- Councilmember Johnson also inquired about immediate actions for the coming El Niño season. Recommendations included clearing drainage ways, reducing fuel loads on fallow lands, and retiring offshore windows and doors to reduce building loss in high winds.
- Councilmember Senensi asked about the stormwater drainage system in Kahului (Panaha Pond) compared to the Ala Wai Canal on Oahu. Dr. Fletcher confirmed that both face similar issues with high sea levels. He cited Miami Beach's use of pumps, raised roads, and landscaped areas to direct water to pumps as a management model.
- Councilmember Nohe Hodgings discussed the Molokai wharf road where culverts were filled in, causing sand to accumulate on one side and erode the other. She questioned why the road isn't designed as a causeway to allow natural water and sand movement. Ms. Owens noted that the realignment of Honoapiʻilani Highway will include causeway segments over wetlands.
- Councilmember Rawlins-Fernandez asked about purchasing wetlands in North Kihei to improve drainage. Ms. Owens confirmed that a working group (including MEMA, Public Works, and community members) is working on a grant proposal to turn an undeveloped parcel into a "stormwater management park" and to slow water from the upper watershed.
- Councilmember Palten asked about assessing oceanfront properties at lower values given future liability. The planning director noted that this is a broader conversation involving multiple departments, but for Lahaina rebuilds, hold-harmless and unilateral agreements are being required.
Key Outcomes
- The committee received extensive expert testimony and discussion on coastal hazards, sea level rise, and potential policy responses.
- No formal votes or decisions were taken on DRIP 9.11; the item was deferred.
- The chair (Councilmember Palten) summarized key takeaways for the council: clear drainage ways, reduce fuel loads, and retrofit homes in preparation for El Niño.
- Several council members expressed a need for a regional approach to shoreline management, with policies tailored to specific community plan areas rather than island-wide rules.
- It was acknowledged that Maui County needs updated sea level rise mapping (for the 4-foot intermediate scenario) and that this would require substantial funding ($1 million/year for 2-3 years).
- The committee concluded that managing sea level rise will require collaboration among all decision-makers, community members, and experts.
Meeting Transcript
Will the disaster recovery international affairs and planning committee meeting of June third come to order? The time is now one thirty three. If everyone could please silence their cell phones or any noise making devices that would help our cause. In accordance with the sunshine law, if you are not in the council chambers, please identify by meaning who, if anyone is in the room, vehicle or workspace with you today. Also, please see the last page of the agenda for information on meeting connectivity. My oldest son is an adult legally, but he will be leaving soon. Thank you. Thank you. And Member Kalanoe Batanga and maybe excused. We also have Councilmember Tom Cook. Aloha Winala. Aloha, we're allowed chair, and um, looking for today's meeting. There's no testifiers at our KA office because it's closed for the week. Thank you. Thank you. Next up we have committee member Gabe Johnson, aloha we in a law. Aloha, Chair, Councilmembers, committee members, there's no testifiers at the Lanae District Office. I'm alone in my house, and I'm here and ready to work. Thank you, Chair. Thank you. And next up we have Council Chair Alice Lee, Aloha Winala, and Oki Doki. Aloha. Yeah, Oki and Aloha Winala. I'm home alone in my workspace, except I have one minor feline who's taking a nap. Thank you. And next up we have committee member Keani Rollins Fernandez, aloha weenala. Aloha Awena La Chair, Aloha Awina La Kako, my Malukainuya Hina. I'm at my private residence. I do have my uh husband, Makenna Fernandez, here, and uh my two children uh under 18. And there are no testifiers at the Molokai District Office. Mahal chair. Thank you. And next up we have committee member Shane Senensi, Aloha Winala. Aloha Winala, Chair and Oki here at my private residence of uh the refrigeration uh specialists here, so I'm not here by myself, but um uh happy to join from home. Thank you. And um it looks like Member Suimura might be coming because her computer is here, but she's not here yet. This meeting of the Disaster Recovery International Affairs and Planning Committee of the Maui County Council is located on the traditional island of Kanakoi. Um, who never ceded their sovereignty to the United States. We recognize that her Majesty Queen Lili Okolani yielded the Hawaiian kingdom to the U.S. in the rest under threat of violence to avoid the bloodshed of her people. We further recognize that Hawaii remains an illegally occupied nation state by the U.S. as documented in a 2021 scholarly article for the National Lawyers Guild review by Andrew Reed, a junct professor of law at the University of Benversturm College of Law. Generations of Kanakamauli and their knowledge systems have sustainably cared for Hawaii and continue to do so. We're grateful to occupy this space and learn the ways in which we can contribute. As a committee, we seek to support the varied strategies that the indigenous peoples of Hawaii are using to protect their land and their communities and commit to dedicating time and resources to working in solidarity. From the administration department of planning, we have planning director Jackie Takukura, and our other resources that we have are Tara Owens, Maui Nui Program Coordinator, Coastal Processes and Hazards Specialist, University of Hawaii Sea Grant College Program. We also have Dr. Charles or Chip Fletcher, Dean of the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, University of Hawaii at Manoa. Members, without objection, I will designate these individuals as resource persons under Rule 18A of the rules of the council due to their knowledge and expertise in coastal hazards, beach processes, and shoreline change on a statewide and local levels. Ryan Ramirez is our newest legislative analyst.
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