Maui County Government Relations, Ethics and Transparency Committee Meeting - June 16, 2026

The committee convened at 1:34 PM to continue its June 2, 2026 deliberations on proposed charter amendments. The meeting included discussion of four resolutions (2611, 2686, 2695, 2687, 2693) and ended with a recess at 5:10 PM to be continued on June 18, 2026 at 10:00 AM.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Resolution 2611 (Council vacancies): Sam Small attempted to testify on an unrelated charter amendment but was ruled out of order; Christina De Leon sought to testify on a later item and was asked to wait.
• Resolution 2686 (COGC staggered terms): Dick Mayer testified in support of staggering terms but suggested moving the effective date to February 1, 2027 and extending the concept to other boards.
• Resolution 2695 (Board of Ethics reappointment): No oral testimony was received.
• Resolution 2687 (Climate Action Fund): Multiple testifiers spoke in support: Lucienne DeNaie (Sierra Club Maui) supported the fund but urged focusing on proven resilience projects; Alex DeRode (former county staff) emphasized dedicated funding for the Climate Action and Resiliency Plan (CARP); Suparna Vashisht and Hannah Leely (Surfrider Foundation) also expressed support, with Leely calling for clear guardrails.
• Resolution 2693 (INB dissolution): Dick Mayer provided history of the Blue Ribbon Committee and urged retaining and improving the INB; David Good suggested mechanisms to extend board members' service; a testifier from the Kingdom of Hawaii advocated for reverting to original hiring laws. The COGC chair recommended keeping but strengthening the INB with additional staff and resources.

Discussion Items

• Resolution 2611 (Council vacancies): Introducer Councilmember Rollins Fernandez proposed amendments to require a special election if the unexpired term is 6+ months, remove the mayor's appointment authority if the council deadlocks, and eliminate the council's deadline to fill vacancies. Discussion focused on whether the trigger should be 365 days instead of 6 months, whether the council chair should act as tiebreaker (opposed by some), and whether to adopt timelines similar to Honolulu (10 days to call election, 120 days to hold it). The committee deferred the item to June 18 with direction to staff to draft language reflecting: removal of mayor’s role, 365-day trigger, no tiebreaker mechanism, and provisions for multiple vacancies.
• Resolution 2686 (COGC staggered terms): Vice Chair Uu Hodgins introduced the proposal. COGC Chair Dina Gusens Larson noted the commission prefers a code amendment over charter amendment to avoid shortening existing terms. Legal counsel initially opined that a charter amendment is required, but later discussion suggested that the phrase “unless otherwise provided” in the charter may allow a code amendment. The committee deferred the item pending further legal review.
• Resolution 2695 (Board of Ethics reappointment): Director Lauren Akitake supported allowing reappointment for one successive term (currently a two-year waiting period). The committee discussed extending terms to two five-year terms versus one ten-year term. An amendment was made to correct the effective date from July 1, 2026 to July 1, 2027. The committee voted to recommend passage on first reading (voice vote, no dissents noted).
• Resolution 2687 (Climate Action Fund): Councilmember Johnson proposed setting aside 20% of TAT revenues into a dedicated climate fund. Budget Director Milner noted that FY27 TAT is estimated at $65 million, so 20% would be $13 million; current county spending on CARP-related projects is about $90 million. Several members opposed using TAT for this purpose, citing dwindling revenues and competing needs (housing, homeless services). A motion to file the resolution passed 8–1 (Councilmember Johnson opposed).
• Resolution 2693 (INB dissolution): Councilmember Rollins Fernandez proposed repealing the 2022 charter amendment that created the Independent Nomination Board (INB). Testimony highlighted recruitment challenges and quorum failures. Chief of Staff Lalo Alcon shared the administration’s openness to co-creating a more efficient system. The committee deferred the item to June 18 and requested data on board vacancies and canceled meetings before and after the INB’s creation.

Key Outcomes

• Resolution 2695 (Board of Ethics): Approved on first reading (as amended) and will move to full council.
• Resolution 2687 (Climate Action Fund): Filed (8–1).
• Resolutions 2611, 2686, 2693: Deferred to June 18, 2026, with specific direction to staff for further drafting or legal review.
• The committee recessed at 5:10 PM and will reconvene at 10:00 AM on Thursday, June 18, 2026 to consider remaining charter amendments and reconsider any items as needed.