Support community-minded candidates

Recently, the Department of Transportation of Maui County obtained six new hybrid electric buses. This is a tremendous addition to the fleet of The Maui Bus. It reduces noise, carbon emissions and energy consumption. These energy efficient vehicles are low-floor ADA-compliant, another beneficial step for our physically challenged residents. These hybrid buses include a diesel engine along with a generator and electric motor, plus they have rooftop batteries for storing energy.

A crucial characteristic of a successful public servant is one who sees items, services or programs that either need to be implemented or improvements made. Many years ago at a forum in Kihei, in the days when the Maui County Council races were still partisan, my two opponents were both adamant that Maui did not need a public transportation or bus system. They both claimed that residents would not abandon their cars and use a bus. I disagreed and passionately proposed that Maui needed to begin a bus system for numerous reasons. Some residents could not afford the cost of keeping a car, seniors and young people may not be able to drive and numerous other reasons, it would be a program long overdue. A few years later, The Maui Bus started, and a couple of years ago, prior to the pandemic, there were over 2.5 million individual rides. The Maui Bus still needs lots of expansion of routes, hours and making it much more convenient to more residents and visitors.

Ten years ago when my friend, former Maui County Councilmember Jo Anne Johnson was the head of the Department of Transportation, I spoke with her a few times suggesting that the county needed to purchase renewable energy buses to replace our current fleet of polluting buses. It has taken too many years, yet while new technologies are created and environmentally-friendly buses are developed, we can look forward to obtaining many more of these new vehicles.

On numerous issues, including campaigning and testifying for local control of our public water systems, now we have a chance to approve this very same item by supporting the Charter Amendment of creating a local water commission.

When residents fill out their ballots, vote and support someone who has been active for decades in improving our lives on Maui.

Currently, I am seeking the Hawaii State House of Representatives seat for the 13th District in our state Legislature. For over 30 years I have been active on Maui. The quality of life is the significant issue facing the mostly rural regions of Maui County. Each island is distinct, and what impacts Molokai, with its unique challenges, is not the same as what impacts Lanai.

The North Shore of Maui is different than East Maui, where after hundreds of years of theft, the concerted effort of many of us has finally resulted in water being reintroduced into some of our streams.

There is no turning back the progressive movement and changes occurring in Maui County. We need to embrace the indigenous culture and everything it teaches. We must provide for all of our residents; for the kupuna, for our keiki, for their keiki and all who will follow. We must defend, provide for and support all that these truly amazing communities have to offer us in Maui County. You may check me out on social media, including my website at https://friendsofnikhilananda.com/.

NIKHILANANDA, Huelo

Council should move forward with investigation of Napili development

(The following letter was sent to Chair Tamara Paltin and Vice-Chair Kelly King of the County Council’s Planning and Sustainable Land Use Committee.)

I am writing to you as president of the Napili Bay Community Association (“NBCA”) to convey our request that the council act on its previous commitment to conduct an investigation of the notorious and unlawful development in Napili. Pursuant to the Section 3-6(3) of the Maui County Charter, a Council Resolution was approved on August 5th, 2022, to authorize the council to conduct an investigation of the county’s issuance of development approvals for the Real Property located at 5385 Lower Honoapiilani Road in Napili.

It was our request — and the wishes of the Napili community members with whom we consulted — that the investigation be conducted by the council with the assistance and advising of their Council Services attorneys (OCS). However, we learned that around August 31, 2022, Councilmember Tamara Paltin had directed OCS to engage an outside contractor to conduct the investigation. As of this date, no one has responded to the RFP.

It is our position that an outside contractor is unnecessary, and that the council, with the aid of its lawyers from OCS, can conduct the investigation directly, as provided for in the resolution. We presented a list of threshold legal questions through Councilmember Kelly King to be analyzed and opined on by the OCS — a necessary framing for the investigation since the council had been provided with farcical interpretations by Corporation Counsel that simply parroted the developer’s untenable arguments. The OCS opinions to our questions would frame a fair and effective investigation. We also request that the council conduct this investigation in open committee meetings and in complete transparency. We believe that the council will determine that the directors acted outside of their authority and of the adopted county rules and ordinances. The council will then have a clear basis to resort to any number of its powers to reverse the unlawful construction.

In sum, now that an RFP was ineffective in advancing the investigation, we appeal to you to once again take the reins of the community’s just petitions. We believe that the suggested path will lead to a swift resolution of this investigation.

We are requesting the immediate scheduling of this committee item for an update to the community, as this council investigation has come to a standstill.

JOSHUA S. DOWNER, President, Napili Bay Community Association