The following testimony was submitted by the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii for consideration by the Maui County Council on July 19, 2024.
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July 19, 2024, 9 a.m.
Council Chamber, Kalana O Maui Building
To: Maui County Council
Alice Lee, Chair
Yuki Lei Sugimura, Vice-Chair
From: Jonathan Helton, Policy Researcher
Grassroot Institute of Hawaii
RE: BILL 96 — A BILL FOR AN ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 16.25, MAUI COUNTY CODE, ON PERMIT EXEMPTIONS FOR SHIPPING CONTAINERS
Aloha Chair Lee, Vice-Chair Sugimura and other members of the Council,
The Grassroot Institute of Hawaii would like to offer its support for Bill 96, CD1 (2024), which would eliminate the need for a building permit to use shipping containers for storage on industrial-zoned land, except the storage of motor vehicles, hazardous materials, or personal property.
Instead of needing a permit, property owners would simply need to file a form with the Maui Department of Public Works declaring the size and type of the container and where it is to be placed on the property.
We support this measure because it would be a way to cut back on Maui County’s severe permitting backlog[1] without introducing any significant health or safety issues. In fact, Maui officials should consider eliminating other harmless activities that currently require county building permits.
Thank you for the opportunity to testify.
Jonathan Helton
Policy Researcher
Grassroot Institute of Hawaii
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[1] Daniela Bond-Smith, Rachel Inafuku and Justin Tyndall, “The Hawaii Housing Factbook 2024,” Economic Research Organization at the University of Hawai‘i, May 20, 2024, p. 9.
