The following testimony was submitted by the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii for consideration by the Maui County Council on Aug. 22, 2024.
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Aug. 22, 2024, 9 a.m.
Council Chamber, Kalana O Maui Building
To: Maui County Council
Tom Cook, Chair
Yuki Lei Sugimura, Vice-Chair
From: Jonathan Helton, Policy Researcher
Grassroot Institute of Hawaii
RE: Bill 110 — A BILL FOR AN ORDINANCE AMENDING SECTION 16.25.201, MAUI COUNTY CODE, RELATING TO IMPROVEMENTS TO PUBLIC STREETS
Aloha Chair Cook, Vice-Chair Sugimura and other members of the Council,
The Grassroot Institute of Hawaii supports Bill 110 (2024), which would exempt Lahaina and Kula property owners whose homes or businesses were damaged or destroyed by the Aug. 8, 2023, wildfires from normal street-improvement requirements.
Typically, Maui property owners must pay for improvements to public streets that are adjacent to their properties whenever they remodel their existing buildings or build new commercial or residential structures and the value of the work done to the structure exceeds 50% of its value. Such improvements can include repaving roads, adding sidewalks or placing utilities underground.[1]
Because many of the owners in Lahaina and Kula are faced with the need to completely rebuild, waiving this requirement would help such residents afford to rebuild their homes or businesses.
The Grassroot Institute of Hawaii discusses other strategies to assist in Lahaina’s rebuilding in our recent memo, “Six ways to speed up the recovery and rebuilding of Lahaina,” which you can access on our website.
Thank you for the opportunity to testify.
Jonathan Helton
Policy Researcher
Grassroot Institute of Hawaii
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[1] Maui County Code, 16.25.201 – Applicability and Scope., accessed July 15, 2024.
