A Message from Kelly King
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In this time of turmoil, divisiveness, partisanship and truth denial, I am more determined than ever to bring civility and reason to local government. While this first term has been challenging at times, it has been productive, both in the Council Chambers and out in the community, and I am humbled and honored to be working with caring, talented Mauians to realize our shared vision and goals. The collaborations I have created as a Councilmember, as well as initiatives I am supporting (such as Vision Zero and HiPERComm) have been extremely fulfilling and give added importance to this job.
The community is evolving, and the next step is for our future generations to really be heard! Leaders need to make decisions that will truly result in meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of our children and their children to meet their own needs. To that end, please get informed about the issues and the candidates and vote on November 6. You will make a difference!
I hope you have a safe and happy Halloween and a wonderful Thanksgiving celebrating with friends and family.
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Key Legislative Initiatives this Quarter
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- Resolution to support the recommendations in the Hawai'i Sea Level Rise Vulnerability and Adaption Report: After inviting Coastal Hazards Specialist Tara Owens to present the findings from the Hawai'i Sea Level Rise Vulnerability and Adaption report to the Maui County Council Planning Committee in June, Councilmember Kelly King spearheaded a resolution affirming the Council’s support for the report’s nine recommendations based on predictions of a sea level rise of 3.2 feet within our lifetime. The resolution passed unanimously in September.
- Special Management Area Revolving Fund: Councilmember King proposed a bill in September in her planning committee amending Title 3 of the Maui County Code to establish the Special Management Area Revolving Fund. It passed second reading at the full Council unanimously on Oct. 5. Starting next year, civil fines collected pursuant to Chapter 205A of the Hawaii Revised Statutes will be allocated for beach access projects and towards implementation of coastal realignment.
- Adoption of Publicly Accessible Digital Maps: In August the Planning Committee recommended the approval of the online digital zoning maps as the official zoning maps for the Island of Maui. It passed the full Council unanimously and now, 17 years after the initial digital zoning project began, the maps are the official county maps and can be found online for easy public access at www.mauicounty.gov/2159/digital-zoning-map-update-project.
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Kelly attended the 2018 National Association of Counties Annual Conference and Exposition this July, where one of the guest speakers was Marian Wright Edelman, civil right activist and founder of the Children's Defense Fund
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Kelly was invited to be the keynote speaker at the Sierra Club of Hawaii 50th Anniversary event on Oahu. She joined leaders from the other islands to honor
one of the oldest and most effective grassroots environmental organizations in the islands.
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The third quarter in 2018 was productive for our office. The Kaiwahine affordable housing project broke ground; contracts were granted for 4 road improvement projects; the Kihei volunteer working group, confronting the homeless crisis and working with Ka Hale A Ke Ole, formulated a plan to create a mobile hygiene unit program for South Maui; Hui O Ka Wai Ola sent out the preliminary results from their South Maui Water quality data collection between November 7, 2017 and June 1, 2018 and the Ahupua'a sign project was finalized and is ready for installation this month.
Affordable Housing
The Kaiwahine Village project at the top of Kaiwahine Street in North Kihei broke ground this summer. The new owner, Urban Housing Communities LLC (UHC) has a 14-month completion schedule. If all goes well, the 120-unit Kihei affordable rental housing project should be completed in November 2020. This is exciting news for many low income families looking to rent an affordable, clean and safe home.
To find out more about UHC and other affordable housing developments UHC has completed, you can go to
www.uhcllc.net
Public Work Projects
Contracts were granted this August for four South Maui pavement rehabilitation projects totaling over $4 million. These include Kulanihakoi St., East Waipuilani Rd., East Lipoa St. and East Welakahao Rd. We look forward to seeing these roads repaired.
Homeless in South Maui
Councilmember King's office is continuing to work with Ka Hale A Ke Ola Homeless
Resource Center to set up a resource facility for the homeless in South Maui. After three volunteer working group meetings, two plans of action have been developed. Working closely with KHAKO chief executive officer Monique Yamashita, a white paper has been drawn up proposing a mobile hygiene unit that will serve our homeless community. This project is now seeking Community Sponsors to help secure funding. The second plan of action will make use of $1.5 million set aside for South Maui (as workforce development funding) to create a more permanent housing opportunity for the very low income/homeless.
Kalama Park
Delayed skate park repairs, sun shades and security have all been issues in Kalama Park. The skate park repair got held up in permitting this summer, but they now have all the paperwork required, so we anticipate repairs shortly. Many parents have expressed concern about the lack of shade over the play structure. With money allotted to this project in the FY2019 budget, shades should be constructed within the year. Security has also been a hot topic. Councilmember King met with the Kihei police department in September for an update on the status on getting more police coverage for the area.
South Maui Water Quality
In November 2017, Hui O Ka Wai Ola started collecting data from 24 sites in South Maui, looking at 12 parameters including water temperature, salinity, turbidity, total nitrogen, total phosphorous, ammonium nitrogen and dissolved oxygen. The preliminary results released this August revealed that turbidity is at a critical point between Ma'alaea Bay and Cove Park, exceeding state standards by a factor of 10-65 times, while six sites exceeded the state standard for nitrogen by a factor of 30 or more! Unfortunately, the Cove has the highest rate of ammonium nitrogen, total phosphorous, nitrite nitrogen and total nitrogen from all the sites that were tested. This first summary provides eye opening results from less than a year of data collection, but as of yet does not include analysis. To find out more, visit
huiokawaiola.com.
Ahupua'a Signs
In 2017 Councilmember King secured funding for the Aha Moku O Kula Makai Council to develop an Ahupua'a sign project, similar to a project completed on Oahu. Look for the 12 signs being installed at six Kihei highway locations to help raise awareness about Hawaii’s ancient land division system and natural resources in Kula Makai (Kihei). The installation of the signs is a collaborative effort between the Aha Moku O Kula Makai Council, KCA, Maui County Council, and State Department of Transportation.
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In 2017 Councilmember King secured County funding for water quality data to be collected from the waters off South Maui. Hui O Ka Wai Ola sent out a report this August with their preliminary findings. Check out the result from The Cove.
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Councilmember King participated in the Kaiwahine Village blessing alongside Governor Ige and other Maui representatives. Kaiwahine Village will offer 120 affordable rental units for low income families.
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Look for the new Apupua'a signs that will be placed along the Highway in Kihei. Each sign will have the location's Hawaiian name and a silhouette of flora and fauna from that area. A public blessing is being planned for late October.
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- Streamlining the Community Plan Process: As mentioned in previous newsletters, Councilmember King, chair of the Planning Committee, has been discussing ways to streamline the Community Plan reviewing process. With the West Maui Community Plan review coming up next and the Kihei - Makena Community Plan scheduled after that, she is researching ways to make the process more timely, efficient and inclusive.
- Community Plans: The Molokai Island Community Plan was voted out of committee this quarter. With the Kihei - Makena Community Plan review in line after West Maui, Councilmember King is already working with the KCA to get a jump start on the process. Please visit www.wearemaui.org to learn more about the current community plan process and stay updated.
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While it is not under county jurisdiction, our office periodically receives requests about the timeline for the Kihei High School. State Department of Education officials confirmed during a meeting on March 8, that the Kihei high school is on track to open for the 2021-22 school year.
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Kelly attends quarterly board meetings with the Kihei Community Assn. (KCA), to stay connected to and informed by her community, and also to share what is happening at the county and state level.
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In support of the 29 years of service of Maui Fire Department Chief
Jeff Murray, Kelly attended the chief's retirement party
this summer.
Thank you for your service!
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Kelly participated in the 2018 International Coastal Cleanup Day, the world’s largest volunteer effort for our ocean and waterways, along with a team she organized to participate.
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Councilmember King has continued to attend every public meeting held by the
Kihei Community Association
, as well as her quarterly meetings with the KCA board, to not only stay connected and informed, but to also share valuable information.
Councilmember King traveled to the mainland twice this summer to represent Maui and gain further education on how other entities are solving social, economic and environmental community issues. In July she flew to Nashville to attend the National Association of Counties (NACo) Conference and Expo to learn from other counties in areas such as affordable housing, climate change and emergency preparedness. In August she flew to Los Angeles with Kate Griffiths, her office's legislative and policy analyst and the current chair of the County of Maui Committee on the Status of Women, to attend the 48
th
Annual National Association of Commissions on Women Conference. Topics covered were gender equality and equity, human trafficking and female homelessness, investing in women, applying a gender lens to policies, and a tour of the Downtown Women's Center (DWC) on Skid Row to witness how the DWC is reducing women's homelessness in the city of Los Angeles through housing, wellness and advocacy.
This quarter was also very productive for her Planning Committee as she was able to pass out to the council four important items - the Moloka'i Island Community Plan Update, a resolution on adopting sea level change recommendations, a bill to establish a shoreline SMA revolving fund and a bill adopting our county's digital zoning maps.
Councilmember King looks forward to continuing her work in the fourth quarter, tackling problems head-on and finding solutions that are collaborative and effective. Please feel free to contact the office if you have any concerns, issues or ideas to help our community thrive.
Mahalo nui loa
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To learn more about becoming a member of KCA click
here
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Besides chairing the Council’s Planning Committee, Councilmember King is currently serving on the following state and national organizations:
- Maui Metropolitan Planning Organization
- Hawaii Energy Policy Forum
- Share Your Mana
- Hui Malama Learning Center - emeritus
- Sustainable Biodiesel Alliance - founder and immediate past president
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Susan Foley, Executive Assistant
Susan and her husband Mike have lived on Maui for over 20 years. With almost 40 years of administrative and marketing experience, Susan loves working with people and seeing them succeed in their dreams.
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Terra Malia Foti, Executive Assistant
Born and raised on Oʻahu, with careers in both hospitality and real estate, Terra enjoys her role here as it allows her to find her influential voice benefiting generations to come.
Kate Griffiths,
Legislative & Policy Analyst
With a degree from the London School of Economics and Political Science, Kate has always had a keen interest in how governance shapes our world. With her career in publishing and community advocacy, she continues her mission to support Maui, a place she has called home for over 20 years.
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CONNECT
WITH US
200 South High Street
Wailuku, HI 96793
808-270-7108
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NEWSLETTER - Third Quarter 2018
Editor:
Kate Griffiths
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