Maui County Council

A request for the aircraft was made at a Maui County Council meeting to expand rescue capabilities for remote locations of the county at all hours.

The policy, announced by Mayor Richard Bissen and grassroots advocacy group Lahaina Strong, is intended to free up housing for displaced families devastated by the August wildfires. The county will have the authority to enact this policy due to the state Legislature's final approval of Senate Bill 2919.

His proposed budget is $153 million more than last year’s operating budget, mostly due to wildfire-related departmental spending. The Maui County Council will now review and approve Bissen’s budget.

The county council unsuccessfully attempted to reach an agreement with the current landowner, Komar Maui Properties, which bought the parcel in 2015. Councilmembers at a recent committee meeting heard passionate testimony from Lahaina residents in favor of using eminent domain. HPR's Catherine Cluett Pactol reports.

The last year in Maui County marked the deadliest fire in modern U.S. history, and Mayor Richard Bissen described the state of the county as "heartbroken" in his annual address. HPR's Catherine Cluett Pactol reports from Maui Nui.

The West Maui wildfires destroyed more than 2,000 homes and more than 800 businesses. Hawaiʻi lawmakers advanced a bill Monday that would create an entity to oversee recovery efforts in West Maui.

A firefighter from Molokaʻi has been honored for his heroism during the Lahaina wildfire. On Aug. 8, nine firefighters were trapped in the inferno. With no way out, they sheltered inside a fire engine, sharing oxygen from air tanks. Tanner Mosher jumped into a nearby fire vehicle and attempted to clear a path for their escape. HPR’s Catherine Cluett Pactol has more.

A state Department of Human Services program to housing families who have been displaced by the Maui fires but don’t qualify for federal assistance; a Filipino family searching for a home yet again after Lahaina fire; and the declining population and song of the Hawaiian honeycreeper ʻAkiapōlāʻau.

After hearing more than five hours of testimony, the Maui County Council voted in favor of a bill that encourages vacation unit owners to rent to fire victims on a long-term basis. Mayor Richard Bissen said those who participate would receive a 100% real property tax exemption. A second reading of the bill is scheduled for Dec. 15. HPR's Catherine Cluett Pactol reports.

The Maui County Council is moving Bill 138 to create the commission, focusing on reducing the negative impacts of tourism while maximizing its benefits. Under the proposed bill's current language, its responsibilities would mostly involve making policy recommendations.