Agriculture, Diversification, Environment, & Public Transportation Committee Meeting – August 6, 2026

The Agriculture, Diversification, Environment, & Public Transportation (ADEPT) Committee met on August 6, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. via Microsoft Teams and in person at the DPS Conference Room in Wailuku. The committee considered Bill 98 (2026), which would codify the Maui County Food and Nutrition Security Plan into Title 22 of the Maui County Code. After receiving presentations from the Department of Agriculture and Department of ‘Ōiwi Resources, testimony from the public, and committee discussion, the committee voted 6–0 (with one member excused) to recommend passage of the bill on first reading, as amended by a CD1 version and a minor amendment.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Hugh Starr, representing the Maui County Farm Bureau, initially requested deferral of the bill to allow producers to provide input on how the Title 19 rewrite and Important Ag Lands Act implementation should inform the bill. After clarification from Councilmember Paltin that the bill is at the committee working stage and that producers could submit comments before second reading, Starr withdrew the deferral request and asked only that the Farm Bureau have an opportunity to comment before second reading.
• Johan Law testified in support of the plan, noting the importance of planning to create food security and highlighting components such as invasive species management and watershed conservation. He also called for enforcement of agricultural zoning regulations.
• JC Law testified about personal difficulties in finding farm work and frustrations with government participation, but his testimony was not directly related to the bill.
• RL (anonymous) testified, questioning the role of farms versus individual home food production and the involvement of native Hawaiian ‘āina stewards in land use decisions.

Discussion Items

• Department Presentations:
  • Department of Agriculture Director Kali Arcy described the food insecurity situation (60% of Maui County residents and 70% of fire survivors cutting back on groceries), the plan’s development with input from over 900 residents, and expressed support for codifying the plan to guide the department’s work.
  • Food Access Coordinator Laura Nelson noted the committee’s enthusiasm and ongoing use of the plan to improve metrics for grants and programs.
  • Deputy Director Kakai Robinson (Department of ‘Ōiwi Resources) emphasized the importance of integrating Native Hawaiian knowledge and ahupua‘a management, and requested a defined ongoing role for the department in the plan’s implementation and updates.
• Committee Deliberations:
  • Councilmembers discussed the proposed online dashboard, with the Department of Agriculture indicating it would be maintained in-house and modeled after the Climate Action and Resiliency Plan dashboard. A draft was expected in Q2 of the following year.
  • Councilmember Lee raised concerns about unfunded mandates and the need for economic incentives. Chair Johnson clarified that the amended bill language replaced “for the purpose of ensuring” with “to guide policy towards the goal of ensuring,” making it advisory rather than mandatory.
  • Councilmember Batangan questioned the legal weight of codifying action items that lack identified leads or measurable metrics. Corporation Counsel confirmed that outside of reporting requirements, the plan is advisory and action items do not impose legal mandates on external partners.
  • Councilmember Cook expressed support but cautioned against creating additional regulatory hurdles for farmers, noting challenges such as water access and the need for practical solutions.
  • Councilmember Paltin proposed an amendment to add “or their designee” after references to the managing director to accurately reflect responsibility for the dashboard. Corporation Counsel stated it was not necessary but could be added for clarity; the committee did not adopt this amendment.
  • A minor amendment was adopted to change “submitted to the county” to “submitted to the council” in Section F of the bill (updated plan approval).
  • The committee also discussed the effective date and its interaction with the five-year update cycle but chose to retain the original language, keeping the plan evergreen.

Key Outcomes

• Motion to amend and replace Bill 98 with CD1 version: Passed unanimously (voice vote). The CD1 version included three changes: (1) amended title to identify the new chapter; (2) changed purpose language from “for the purpose of ensuring” to “to guide policy towards the goal of ensuring”; (3) added a definition for “food security.”
• Motion to amend Section F (change “county” to “council”): Passed unanimously (voice vote).
• Main motion to recommend passage of Bill 98 (2026) on first reading as amended: Passed 6–0. Voting members present: Gabe Johnson, Kauanoe Batangan, Tom Cook, Alice L. Lee, Tamara Paltin, Nohelani U‘u-Hodgins. Vice Chair Shane M. Sinenci was excused. The bill will now proceed to first reading before the full Council.
• The committee recessed from 10:25 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. and adjourned after the vote.