The two garnered the most votes in the Primary Election and now face off in the. You know, these private partnerships help the government put in infrastructure for the reduction in price of the homes or apartments for our residents to live in, and these look very promising in the future. There were no other places open in the world and Hawaii opened up. Do you believe that over-tourism exists and if so, how should it be measured and mitigated? Maui County: Richard Bissen Wins Big In The Race For Mayor - Honolulu Civil Beat Elections 2022 Maui County: Richard Bissen Wins Big In The Race For Mayor Voters across Maui, Molokai. First of all, I have proven as a leader, through this uncertain, unprecedented times, in the history of this county, state, nation and world, to keep people safe and healthy, was the main priority during this pandemic, he said. Home. We should be focusing on whos getting the house, who is living in the house, whos moving into the houseand thats what were trying to work on. It doesnt take a genius to figure out how to create reservoirs, catchment, drill wells, all of those things need to be in place, she said. Hawaii voters should have received their mail ballot packet for the 2022 General Election by Friday, Oct. 21, 2022. While theres not one silver bullet, if we can find solutions like this wastewater treatment facility that solves multiple problems, like the problem of water for agriculture, the problem of putting that water into injection wells, if we can keep it out of the injection wells and put it on the land to grow something, now we are solving two to three problems at the same time, she said. On affordable housing, Kay said in the short term there could be safe parking lots allowing people to live in their cars to stay somewhere safe, an idea that is currently being proposed at the council level. We cant expect to have employees if were not doing anything on our part to develop that workforce. Bissen: So we understand that tourism is our main economic driver for our island, our county. Ways we can do that is we can leverage our money by working closer with federal and state departments and agencies, and organizations. How much is it going to cost to fix? We could drill four wells.. Click on the links below to view the financial disclosure statements for Council Candidates: Council Residency Area. Also we are looking at working with the hotels and other resorts to see what kind of housing can be built either near or in the area of these resorts. It was an opportunity for them to talk to all departments in one day. Whatever was needed we met those needs. He said there needs to be a shift in water usage, as he feels that lots of the water is being taken up by resorts and large monocrop corporate farming. That needs to change to ensure small and local farms and residents needs come first and that resorts clamp down on usage. To avoid backflow where contaminated water could get into the countys drinking water, he envisions two systems where the catchment system would go towards watering yards, cattle, cars or even flushing toilets in a pinch.. In a debate Saturday night organized by Akaku Maui Community Media, incumbent. I think in a previous discussion I had that we were at a debatethe current mayor, his answer was: well thats the police commissions responsibility. After all water is a public trust,, First of all, I have proven as a leader, through this uncertain, unprecedented times, in the history of this county, state, nation and world, to keep people safe and healthy, was the main priority during this pandemic,, Whatever was needed we met those needs. Im in favor of the county water authority to put (water) back in the hands of the public. Secondly, he would like an audit and narrow down where federal COVID-19 funds have been spent in the county. The current mayors of Kauai and Maui counties Derek Kawakami and Mike Victorino, respectively are running for reelection. Kahului. The change may be expensive and a paradigm shift, but worth it in the long run for future generations of residents. I want to be in the position where everyone knows who I am and I can say, why cant we all get along? One word answer please. A lease agreement could be worked out with a private party, and when the project is done, the building and the land could be turned back over to the county. Eight candidates are vying for the seat, and the top two vote-getters will make it through. Scuba Certification; Private Scuba Lessons; Scuba Refresher for Certified Divers; Try Scuba Diving; Enriched Air Diver (Nitrox) She advertised free rent at the onset to get folks to live there and eventually pay rent. Please send your resume and area of interest and expertise. Lion wants the county to offer some type of rental security, as he has seen personally his rent increased by $700. Also with water and other issues, weve been working very diligently to make sure this will bring the price of food down. The status indicates the election the candidate appears in or if the candidate has won outright. Attorney Winston Wong Discussing Unconstitutional Maui Property Tax Law . And I think what the mayor can do specifically is meet with the chief, meet with the rank-and-file, and increase morale there. Election officials note that ballots are only sent to active voters. When the first COVID cases popped up in Hana and Molokai, the county was quick to get cleaning services. Instead, they should follow the instructions on their ballot to request a replacement ballot. I dont see anyone as the enemy. Our kamaina housing plan also involves short-term, which is accessory dwelling units, people call them ohana or cottages. I think that what we need to do is build morale. Discover RAM GAD POD RAM GAD POD - Discussing Maui County's Housing Policies w/ Mayor Michael Victorino and Lori Tsuhako, Director of the . Twitter * Melissa Tanji can be reached at mtanji@mauinews.com. Yes or No. Other mayoral candidates Cullen Bell, Kim Brown, Alana Kay, Jonah Lion and Mike Molina were invited to a forum at 1 p.m. today, which will be aired across all Akak channels. There are ways we can co-exist, but I think we have to understand there is a capacity that we can withstand on our islandon our three islands that make up Maui County. In this episode we discuss the various ways in which Habitat Maui is serving the community, opportunities for our REALTORS to get involved (www.100RealEstateAgentsWhoCare.com), as well as Max's history and thoughts on how our County can increase housing opportunities. My first 180 days in office, Im committing to permitting 100 ADUs, and the way that were going to do that is pre-approve certain sets of plansa studio, a one bedroom, a two bedroomand if you select one of those, youre on county water and county sewer, were going to fast track those permitting, and get 100 homes granted the permits. Green, makes 17 more appointments critical to, Maui Now Reader Survey Results: Inflation and Cost, Tokuda gives inaugural floor speech on debt ceiling, Hirono Advocates Window Safety for Children Living, Benefits increase 8.7% for Social Security, Maui Top 20: Maui Visitor & Tourism Information. I thought I was going to use that in retirement, but I can see now this would come in handy as the CEO of the County of Maui, because theres definitely relationships that need to be repaired, and trust restored. They are all things on the books we are moving forward, Victorino said. Now, in her bid for Maui County mayor, Kay said the experience is one of the things that would help her in her mission of bringing people and groups together for the common good. 2022. Out of the 160 units, only eight were officially occupied. She said that the permitting process is quick for some and very slow for others. The race for Mauis top executive job comes down to incumbent Michael Victorino, and challenger Richard Bissen. Climate change, poor planning, or something else? Learn more about voting in Maui County, including how to register to vote, here In July 2022, the Maui Nui Food Alliance (MNFA) launched a candidate survey, inviting all Maui County candidates to share their food system priorities. The other part of that will bewe will build 500 more units across the street from the Atherton development, which will be county owned, on county land, and well be able to set the price and make sure that its fixed for our residentsespecially our workforce, our police, fire, teachersall of those essential workers that need housing, that want to stay here, that dont really qualify for the 80% and lower, but theyre in the gap group which is 100%-140% Also to make sure that our doctors, nurses, and other medical techniciansall of these workers are essential to our community, but maybe not directly connected with the hospitality industry. Facebook Nonpartisan primary for Mayor of Maui. Michele McLean is both knowledgeable and a great communicator, so this was an easy interview for me. So we know one of the biggest things is we need to make sure the water we use is used properly like the ahupuaa systemto make sure that we use the water as it comes down the mountain. And again, I think that is one area where we could reduce the cost of living is tightening our belt as a government. . You havent done anything. If somebody is here and it is not their primary residence, than it needs to be a long-term rental.. The NEUTRAL Zone - It's Anything BUT Neutral !, Up Close & Personal, campaign 2022, Interview JASON SCHWARTZ, Candidate, Maui County COUNCIL KAHULUI with GUEST HOST: NICK DRANCE- 7 4 22 Please view at your own discretion. Marina Riker/Civil Beat/2022 Whatever their plans, the stakes are high. The Upcountry water meter list has been stalled for decades. We also have a Department of Ag that will help mentor our farmers, help them to find USDA and FDA loans or grants that can help make them more stable. Victorino: Weve looked at different water sources in the pastWailuku Water Company, which I have made offers to and they have turned us down. Because that was the best information available, whether it was from John Hopkins, or USC Medical, or Harvard, Victorino said. So Im focused on why Im doing this. Im thinking we went from $800 million to $1.17 billion. There are issues that all candidates can agree on that need work, including food security, affordable housing, managing tourism and caring for the ecosystem, she said. The Air Force and Air National Guard veteran has also been a teacher with the Department of Education and continues to serve as a substitute. You know, we have young people that need to buy homes or be able to rent affordable apartments and units and right now, the way the prices have gone up, it has made it unreachable for many of them. And finally, we all have to work together to share. Marina Riker/Civil Beat/2022 "It's so last minute that. Voters are reminded that if they make a mistake on their ballot, they should not attempt to correct it by crossing it out or using correction tape. Email aloha@bissenmovement.com. But Brown said she will have to look at the numbers to see how much short-term rentals contribute to the county versus if they converted to long-term rentals. Lot of the infrastructure is used for short-term (rental), basically investment, money-making corporations coming in and buying multiple homes and turning it into an investment opportunity instead of it being housing for the locals, he said. So Im focused on why Im doing this. What is an equal share to pay? Belong to the Bissen Administration. Over $400 millionthats incredible. These are places that already have water, already have sewers, already have parking, theyve already been disturbedthe ground, so we may as well make those into living quarters. And so I believe, if you can see the numbers lately, our high-end destination has drawn less numbers as far as people that are coming. State Senate District 5: Wailuku, Waihee, Kahului, State Senate District 6: South and West Maui, Legends at Maui Lani, Waikapu Gardens, State Senate District 7: East and Upcountry Maui, Molokai, Lanai and Kahoolawe, State House District 10: Central Maui, including Wailuku, Waikapu, State House District 11: Kihei, Wailea, Makena, State House District 12: Pukalani, Makawao, Kula, Ulupalakua, Keokea, State House District 13: East Maui, Kahoolawe, Lanai, Molokai, Kahului Airport, Spreckelsville, State House District 14: West Maui, Kahakuloa, Waihee and part of Waiehu, Office of Hawaiian Affairs Maui Resident Trustee, Today's breaking news and more in your inbox. (a) No. She recently was contacted by a veteran affordable home developer whose plans were in place but was having to answer the same questions over again after an employee assigned to the project retired. We depend on our hospitality industry but weve got to make sure they knowthey come here to respect the resources and the people that live here. He wondered how much water could be saved even in the resorts by just reusing the wastewater for toilets. It was a small class, but there are things that you can see inspire them. We also need viable career options for our youth, and we need to be very mindful of the industry that we can create for our youth. Instead of submitting plans that go from one department, then they approve it, it goes to the next department and they approve it,, if we can find solutions like this wastewater treatment facility that solves multiple problems, like the problem of water for agriculture, the problem of putting that water into injection wells, if we can keep it out of the injection wells and put it on the land to grow something, now we are solving two to three problems at the same time,, Basically we went to the Supreme Court for the right to pollute our own water,, People are still upset about that, nobody knows where that money went,, When looking at what has taken place, especially in the last two to three years, especially with COVID, we are really in a space of healing right now. No. And there were many, many people coming hereuncontrolled. I want to bring a businesss sense in mind to turn this sinking ship around and say, hey lets give us a chance to survive here and thrive, because I dont want to be just surviving, were just keeping our head above water, I want us to thrive. So this would help to be a starting point along with my private-public partnerships that we have instituted. "We got . County elections and candidates August 13, 2022 (Primary) Maui Maui County Council - East Maui Claire Kamalu Carroll (Nonpartisan) Shane Sinenci (Nonpartisan) Maui County Council - Kahului Cara Flores (Nonpartisan) Tasha Kama (Nonpartisan) Carol Lee Kamekona (Nonpartisan) James M.A. He was elected again in 2018 and 2020. Each resolution contains the proposed amendment as well as the question that will be on the 2022 County of Maui General Election ballot for the proposed amendment. This was really another way of keeping the price of paradise down.. Arizona. Molina holds the Makawao-Haiku-Paia residency seat, and while parts of his district see frequent rain, other areas are impacted by yearly drought. Brown also thinks the county and state should work together to streamline permitting and regulations processes to produce more affordable housing. Adding more ground water to the system would require changes to treatment plants, yet another expense. Flooding in Khei is a recurrent issue. To address water resources and drought, Kay said the county needs to focus on the islands hydrology, avoiding building on wetlands or aquifers and not having too many diversions. Copyright Maui News | https://www.mauinews.com | 100 Mahalani Street, Wailuku, HI 96793 | 808-242-6363, The main reason why Im running is my children and all of our children of Hawaii, really. It stretches from private land, government land. Dave's names is probably familiar for a few reasons: Dave was Government Affairs Director for RAM for about 10 years, he's authored hundreds of stories as a local journalist, and he is currently serving on the Maui County Charter . The list includes: Cullan Bell, Richard "Rick" Bissen, Kim Brown, Alana Kay, South Maui Councilmember Kelly Takaya King, Jonah Lion,. Lanai. That waste treatment plant would also be a big factor in getting all of the waste from this part of town in Central Maui, out to that plant which would be made to be and designed to use the R1 water for agriculture and irrigation. Jan 2020 - Feb 2022 2 years 2 months. The other part of this issue is I want everybody at the table. Having a toll booth maybe at Twin Falls, and one at the Winery up in Ulupalakua would be another, as a possible way to manage tourists that go into Hna. Voters who have moved and have not changed their voter registration, will need to update their record before they can vote in the election. 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