Kauai disaster recovery holds lessons for Lahaina
Children played in the rubble left by the fury of Hurricane Iniki, Sept. 15, 1992, near Poipu Beach on Kauai. Photo by AP Photo/Reed Saxon. The following commentary was first published on March 6, 2024, by The Maui News. This version includes hyperlinks to the sources that support the statements. ____________ By Malia Hill and […]
What Kent of Grassroot learned during recent visit to Lahaina
“Slowly,” “really expensive” and “frustrating” were words Joe Kent, executive vice president of the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii, used last week to describe how Lahaina’s recovery efforts are going. Speaking with radio host Johnny Miro on the H. Hawaii Media radio network, which has stations on Oahu, Maui and Kauai, Kent said he had just […]
Reform emergency permitting to quicken Lahaina recovery
The following testimony was submitted by the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii for consideration by the Maui County Council on March 8, 2024. _____________ March 8, 2024, 9 a.m. Maui County Council Chamber To: Maui County Council Alice Lee, Chair Yuki Lei Sugimura, Vice-Chair From: Joe Kent, Executive vice president […]
Bill 64 (2023): Allow mulltifamily dwellings in business zone, defer food truck parking rules
The following testimony was submitted by the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii for consideration by the Honolulu City Council Committee on Planning and the Economy on March 7, 2024. _____________ March 7, 2024, 9 a.m. Honolulu Hale To: Honolulu City Council Committee on Planning and the Economy Esther Kiaʻāina, Chair […]
Water agency ID’d as major Lahaina recovery roadblock
The state’s plans to spend over $600 million to shelter victims of the Lahaina wildfire in hotels is neither financially sustainable nor ideal for victims who are desperately seeking a sense of normalcy, according to Joe Kent, executive vice president of the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii. Speaking on Feb. 29 with radio host Rick Hamada […]
