Maui County Council Government Relations Committee Considers Charter Amendments – June 18, 2026
Government Relations, Ethics and Transparency Committee Meeting – June 18, 2026
The committee, chaired by Connor Batangan, convened at 9:00 AM to complete deliberations on proposed charter amendments for the November 2026 ballot. The meeting included discussion and votes on several resolutions, public testimony, and prioritization of amendments. The committee recommended passage of six charter amendments, filed one, deferred one, and discharged one without recommendation. The meeting adjourned at 4:14 PM.
Key Outcomes
- Resolution 26-88 (emergency appropriations): Recommended passage on first reading (8-0).
- Resolution 26-89 (transfer of appropriations): Initially recommended passage (6-3), but later reconsidered and filed (9-0).
- Resolution 25-215 (notice and conduct of public hearings): Filed (9-0) after clerks withdrew support.
- Resolution 25-217 (computation of time): Recommended passage on first reading as amended (9-0).
- Resolution 26-93 (independent nomination board dissolution): Recommended passage on first reading as amended (9-0).
- Resolution 26-61 (processing of claims): Discharged from committee without recommendation (9-0).
- Resolution 26-11 (council vacancies): Deferred without objection.
- Total recommended charter amendments for the ballot: Eight (including one previously approved).
Public Comments & Testimony
- No oral testimony was received on any item. Written testimony continued to be accepted.
Discussion Items
Resolution 26-88 – Emergency Appropriations
- Budget Director Milner explained the need to clarify the 1% limitation and allow a line of credit for major emergencies. Members expressed support, with Vice Chair Uu Hodgins asking about qualifying emergencies. The resolution passed unanimously.
Resolution 26-89 – Transfer of Appropriations
- Director Milner proposed allowing the council by ordinance to set thresholds for intra-departmental transfers without a resolution. Members divided: Chair Lee and Chair Batangan opposed, citing loss of oversight and budget discipline. Others, including Member Rollins Fernandez and Vice Chair Uu Hodgins, supported flexibility. The initial vote was 6-3 in favor (ayes: Cook, Johnson, Rollins Fernandez, Senensi, Uu Hodgins, Batangan? Wait, Batangan voted no? Transcript: Batangan said "No" at end. So ayes: Cook, Johnson, Rollins Fernandez, Senensi, Uu Hodgins, and? Actually vote: Cook aye, Johnson aye, Chair Lee no, Paulton? She voted with reservations, but it's aye. Rollins Fernandez aye, Senensi aye, Sugimura no, Uu Hodgins aye, Batangan no. That's 6 ayes (Cook, Johnson, Paulton, Rollins Fernandez, Senensi, Uu Hodgins) and 3 noes (Lee, Sugimura, Batangan). Later, during prioritization, the committee reconsidered and voted to file (9-0).
Resolution 25-215 and 25-217 – Notice and Computation of Time
- The clerks proposed combining these resolutions. Corporation Counsel Colby raised concerns about conflict with state law on newspaper publication. Extensive debate led to filing 25-215. A CD1 version of 25-217 was adopted, including amendments to clarify deadlines (referencing Section 4-3.3 instead of Article 9). The amended resolution passed 9-0.
Resolution 26-93 – Independent Nomination Board
- The mayor’s office recommended dissolution with an amendment to allow ordinance-based board appointment policies. Corporation Counsel advised removing language about mayor identifying applicants due to privacy concerns. Member Rollins Fernandez moved to restore omitted language and add "in conformance with public notice requirements of state law." The amendment passed 8-0 (one excused). The main motion as amended passed 9-0.
Resolution 26-61 – Processing of Claims
- Clerks argued for moving claims filing to the Department of Corporation Counsel for better public service. Corporation Counsel warned of conflicts of interest, citing potential for special counsel costs. Member Sugimura moved to amend to direct claims to the Director of Finance, which passed 5-4. After further debate and the absence of Finance input, the committee voted to discharge the resolution without recommendation (9-0).
Resolution 26-11 – Council Vacancies
- A proposed draft was distributed but members felt more work was needed. The item was deferred without objection.
Consent Calendar
- No separate consent calendar was used; all items were deliberated individually.
Prioritization of Ballot Questions
- The committee reviewed the list of eight recommended amendments. To avoid overwhelming voters, members agreed to file Resolution 26-89 (transfer of appropriations) and considered filing Resolution 26-85 (Hawaii state model) and Resolution 25-217 (computation of time). Only the motion to file 26-89 succeeded; 25-217 and 26-85 remained on the ballot. The final recommendation includes six amendments from this meeting plus one previously approved.
Note: The agenda and minutes were not available; this summary is derived solely from the transcript.
Meeting Transcript
Oh, that's what we're going to do. Mm. on June eighteenth, twenty twenty six. I am your chair Connor, Calonar Batangan. Members, in accordance with the Sunshine Law, please identify by name. Who, if anyone, is in the room vehicle orkspace with you today. Um, I believe committee vice chair, Noah. Councilmember Tom Cook. Aloha. Good morning, True. Morning. Councilmember Gabe Johnson. Good morning, Chair, Councilmembers, Committee members. There's no testifiers at the Lanaii District's office, and I'm here and ready to work. Thank you. Thank you. Council Chair Alice Lee. Aloha, Chair. I'm home in my workspace alone, and my morning greeting is from Rapanui Orana. To everyone. Thank you. Thank you, Chair. Councilmember Tamara Paulton. Aloha Kaka Hiaka and E. Urana Kaku. Streaming line there from the council chambers. Thank you very much. Thank you. I believe Councilmember Rollins Hernandez will be joining us shortly as well. Councilmember Shane Senansi. Aloha Chair and Yorana. Aloha and Yorana. And then Councilmember Yukile Sugimura will also be joining us in a little bit as well. From Corporation Council, we have with us Deputy Corporation Council Colby and Deputy Corporation Council Gors. We will also have with us today the county clerk, Deputy County Clerk, Budget Director, and Boards and Commissions liaison. We also have with us our great committee staff. Good morning, everyone. Oh, and I see here we have Vice Chair Nohidlani Uhodgins. Good morning, Chair. Good morning, everyone. Okay, so everybody please see the last page of the agenda for information regarding meeting connectivity. Members, this morning we will complete our deliberations on the two remaining proposed charter amendments that we did not take up on Tuesday. After that, we will move on to the items we previously deferred. There are a total of six deferred items, and we'll begin with resolution 25215, the proposed charter amendment on the notice and conduct of public hearings. Once we have gone through all outstanding items, we will review the total number of charter amendments approved. Right now, we have passed three. Resolution 25216, deadlines related to voter initiative, recall, and charter amendments. Resolution 2685, remove the English translation of the Hawaii State model from the preamble, and resolution 2695, allow reappointment of members of the board of ethics for one successive term. If the committee feels the number, the final number is too high, we can discuss prioritizing the amendments and consider revisiting our earlier decisions. Thank you, Chair.
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