Maui County Council GREAT Committee Recommends Settlement Resolution 26-147 – September 22, 2026

The Government Relations, Ethics, and Transparency (GREAT) Committee of the Maui County Council met on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, beginning at 1:31 p.m., by Teams videoconference and in the Council Chamber in Wailuku, Hawai‘i. The sole agenda item was Resolution 26-147, which would authorize settlement of Kathleen Platt v. County of Maui, et al., Civil Case 2CCV-25-0003688. The committee received the proposed resolution and an August 24, 2026 Corporation Counsel transmittal. The underlying claim—described in the agenda as a claim and by Corporation Counsel as the lawsuit—was filed October 8, 2025, and alleged negligence and premises liability from a March 8, 2024 incident at Kulamalu Park in Pukalani. After receiving testimony, discussing the item, and convening in executive session, the committee voted 7-0 to recommend adoption.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No testimony was initially scheduled, but one caller using the last four digits 4945 testified. The caller said he had no access to meeting information, recommended creating a public access point, expressed agreement with Parks Director Pat McCall about weather-related destruction of county buildings, and urged the County to stop money from “bleeding out” and to curb Corporation Counsel spending related to taking people to court on harassment-related privilege charges.
• No other oral testimony was offered; the chair closed oral testimony after a final call. Written testimony remained available.

Discussion Items

• Deputy Corporation Counsel Abby Hoke stated that the plaintiff was carrying her granddaughter down stairs at Kulamalu Park, reached for a railing on a smaller landing and found none, fell, and claimed damages including a fractured hip, pain and suffering, and emotional distress. Hoke said the County received a confidential settlement offer and submitted Resolution 26-147 for consideration.
• Parks Director Pat McCall said the Department of Parks and Recreation had discussed the matter with Corporation Counsel and agreed with the proposal.
• Councilmember Tamara Paltin asked whether the County built the stairs and whether they met legal review. McCall replied that the park was built privately and later dedicated to the County; the stairway met code at the time of dedication in 2011 but is now out of code due to code changes. He offered further detail for executive session. Paltin also asked about prior injuries; McCall said Parks and Corporation Counsel had no record of other injuries.
• Council Chair Alice Lee asked whether repairs had been made since the accident; McCall said no repairs had been made. Lee noted the park is used for sports, especially Pop Warner football, with children running on the stairs.
• The committee voted 7-0 to enter executive session under HRS 92-5(a)(4) and HRS 92-5(a)(8) to consult with legal counsel and discuss confidential settlement information. Members Gabe Johnson and Keani Rawlins-Fernandez were excused.
• After reconvening at 2:27 p.m., Legislative Attorney Peter Hanano provided the required public summary: the executive session covered the County’s powers, duties, privileges, immunities, and liabilities related to the lawsuit, including the strengths and weaknesses of the case, alleged damages, settlement efforts to date, Corporation Counsel’s recommendation, and proposed settlement authority.

Key Outcomes

• A motion to recommend adoption of Resolution 26-147, including any non-substantive revisions, was made by Councilmember Yuki Lei Sugimura and seconded by Vice Chair Nohelani U‘u-Hodgins.
• The motion passed 7 ayes, 0 noes; Councilmembers Johnson and Rawlins-Fernandez were excused.
• The committee meeting adjourned at 2:29 p.m.