OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Maui County Committee Update on Safe Parking Pilot Project – June 29, 2026

County Council & Committees — Monday, June 29, 2026
BodyMaui County, Hawaii
SessionCounty Council & Committees
DateMonday, June 29, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 2:05:27
Transcript — Verbatim
1:07

And welcome to the WhatsApp committee meeting of Monday, June 29, 2026.

1:12

It is now 9.01.

1:14

I'm Shane Sinansi, your committee chair.

1:16

Uh Mahalo, everyone, for attending this meeting.

1:20

Just a reminder for members of the public to please silence your cell phones or any noise-making devices.

1:28

Members in accordance with the Sunshine Law.

1:30

If you're not in the council chamber, please identify by name.

1:32

Who, if anyone is in the room, vehicle or workspace with you today, and minors do not need to be identified.

1:39

Also, please see the last page of the agenda for information on meaning connectivity.

1:44

Joining us this morning, we have committee members, uh Vice Chair, uh Gabe Johnson.

1:50

Aloha and good morning.

2:03

Uh have can we unmute member committee vice chair Johnson?

2:10

Or are we at one of those Monday morning?

2:17

Okay, members.

2:19

Um, we'll recess for uh two minutes until we can figure this out again.

2:54

Continuing on with the introductions of our committee members.

2:57

Uh, we have committee vice chair Johnson.

2:59

Hello, and good morning.

3:02

Good morning, Chair, Council members, committee members.

3:05

Hope you all can hear me now.

3:06

There's no testifiers at the alumni district office.

3:09

I'm alone on my side of the office.

3:11

Enjoying some delicious cookies from Hannah that Councilmember Sinense brought over when we joined us at the pineapple festival this weekend.

3:18

We had a real good time, and thank you all for coming who could make it.

3:22

Thank you, Chair.

3:22

Yes, uh Malo for hosting.

3:24

I did have some chocolate meat last night.

3:28

Uh also joining us in the uh the council chambers.

3:32

We have uh council member Batangan.

3:35

Aloha and good morning.

3:37

Aloha, kakaka, yakakako.

3:39

Also joining us from the South Maui uh district office.

3:43

We have Councilmember Tom Cook.

3:45

Aloha and good morning.

3:47

Aloha, good morning, there's nobody here.

3:51

Well, my EA is in the office, but I'm alone in my office here in South Kiwi.

3:55

It's good to be back in the office.

3:57

Open and we currently have no testifiers.

4:01

Thanks for joining us.

4:03

Also joining us online is Chair Lee with her Popo Kiw.

4:07

Aloha and good morning.

4:10

Yeah, uh, she's the only one, but she's not going to testify uh today.

4:15

Uh aloha and Zinchal, in case you're going to Vietnam.

4:19

And I'm glad to hear that Tom is back in his office, but I hope all of you got the email.

4:26

Be on alert for other people.

4:28

Thank you.

4:29

Thanks, Charlie.

4:30

Uh, also joining us in the uh chambers is Councilmember Tamara Poulton.

4:36

Aloha and good morning.

4:38

Aloha, kakayaka.

4:40

She mean live in direct from the council chambers.

4:42

Thank you.

4:43

Thanks for being here.

4:44

Um, do we see Council Member Rollins Fernandez yet?

4:48

I'm sure she'll jump on.

4:52

I will have my video on in just a little bit.

4:53

In reality, they don't really have a lot of enforcement.

4:56

I am at my past.

4:57

You know, about the policy.

5:01

How much important is somebody online if they can mute?

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Homelessness█████████████████████████████████████████████91%
Procedural████8%
Engineering And Infrastructure█1%
Summary of Proceedings

Maui County Water, Social Services, and Parks Committee Update on Safe Parking Pilot Project – June 29, 2026

The Water, Social Services, and Parks Committee of the Maui County Council met on June 29, 2026, to receive an update on the pilot project allowing vehicle habitation in designated county parking lots. The meeting, chaired by Councilmember Shane Sinensi, focused on persistent delays, site challenges, and the urgent need for solutions for the houseless population. No votes were taken; the item was deferred.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Tim Ordin urged the committee to act with urgency, emphasizing the human toll of homelessness and the need to cut through bureaucracy.
  • Melvin Johnson, principal of AGON (the contractor selected for the pilot), explained that site preparation at the MEO property (behind Target) has been delayed by subcontractor changes, flooding from Kona low storms, and the need for topographic mapping. He stated that AGON is ready to implement but faces challenges with the site and NIMBY opposition from potential alternative property owners.
  • Lisa Darcy, founder of Share Your Mana, expressed confusion, asserting that the current project differs from the original safe parking concept and criticized the county for leaving people in danger.
  • Gordon Jackson (Stitch) noted that Google's estimate of 651 houseless individuals is conservative (he believes closer to 1,000) and questioned why the county spends large sums on other projects while neglecting the homeless.
  • Bill Greenleaf reiterated the urgency, criticized the mayor for continuing sweeps, and called for a larger vision including villages and farming.
  • Karina O'Malley (via video from Kirkland, Washington) shared her experience running a safe parking program for 15 years and offered to help the county set up sites quickly.
  • Dr. Graham Press, Executive Director of the National Vehicle Residency Coalition, supported the program and offered resources to address safety and management concerns raised by police and fire departments.

Discussion Items

Update on the Safe Parking Pilot Project:

  • Director Maggie Willis (Department of Human Concerns) reported that the contract with AGON has been executed but no funds have been expended. Site readiness at the MEO property (Hansen Road) is now estimated at approximately five months due to the need for topographic mapping, engineering plans, and permitting after flooding damage from Kona low storms.
  • The county is exploring alternative county-owned parcels for potentially combining safe parking with safe sleeping, but the primary focus remains the MEO site.
  • Police Captain Angel raised concerns about restrooms, enforcement, increased calls for service, and abandoned vehicles. Fire Captain Purdy cited access, water supply, and fire safety issues.
  • Deputy Director Robinson (OEV Resources) offered indigenous perspectives on caring for the houseless.
  • Councilmembers expressed frustration with the slow pace and lack of a comprehensive plan. Councilmember Sugimura asked for an overall homeless plan from the administration. Director Willis stated she is working on a master plan but needs time to gather community input. Councilmember Johnson noted the difficulty of implementing a Housing First model in a housing shortage.
  • Suggestions included engaging faith-based organizations, using church parking lots, starting with women and children only, and separating men for safety.

Key Outcomes

  • The committee received the update and deferred the item for future discussion.
  • No votes or formal actions were taken.
  • The committee will send correspondence to the Homeless Coordinator (Naomi Crozier) requesting a comprehensive homeless plan and a timeline for its delivery.
  • Committee members urged the administration to act with greater urgency and to consider alternative sites that can be brought online more quickly.

Meeting Transcript

And welcome to the WhatsApp committee meeting of Monday, June 29, 2026. It is now 9.01. I'm Shane Sinansi, your committee chair. Uh Mahalo, everyone, for attending this meeting. Just a reminder for members of the public to please silence your cell phones or any noise-making devices. Members in accordance with the Sunshine Law. 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, and minors do not need to be identified. Also, please see the last page of the agenda for information on meaning connectivity. Joining us this morning, we have committee members, uh Vice Chair, uh Gabe Johnson. Aloha and good morning. Uh have can we unmute member committee vice chair Johnson? Or are we at one of those Monday morning? Okay, members. Um, we'll recess for uh two minutes until we can figure this out again. Continuing on with the introductions of our committee members. Uh, we have committee vice chair Johnson. Hello, and good morning. Good morning, Chair, Council members, committee members. Hope you all can hear me now. There's no testifiers at the alumni district office. I'm alone on my side of the office. Enjoying some delicious cookies from Hannah that Councilmember Sinense brought over when we joined us at the pineapple festival this weekend. We had a real good time, and thank you all for coming who could make it. Thank you, Chair. Yes, uh Malo for hosting. I did have some chocolate meat last night. Uh also joining us in the uh the council chambers. We have uh council member Batangan. Aloha and good morning. Aloha, kakaka, yakakako. Also joining us from the South Maui uh district office. We have Councilmember Tom Cook. Aloha and good morning. Aloha, good morning, there's nobody here. Well, my EA is in the office, but I'm alone in my office here in South Kiwi. It's good to be back in the office. Open and we currently have no testifiers. Thanks for joining us. Also joining us online is Chair Lee with her Popo Kiw. Aloha and good morning. Yeah, uh, she's the only one, but she's not going to testify uh today. Uh aloha and Zinchal, in case you're going to Vietnam. And I'm glad to hear that Tom is back in his office, but I hope all of you got the email. Be on alert for other people. Thank you. Thanks, Charlie. Uh, also joining us in the uh chambers is Councilmember Tamara Poulton. Aloha and good morning. Aloha, kakayaka.

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