[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",5975069,"mediaKeyId","5829595-216cf9b37b733b65d3ffbc7e5428e796","parentId",5829595,"title","Council committee questions hiring process and use of emergency hiring authority as personnel leaders outline RFPs to modernize county HR","audioSeconds",6650,"startMs",3612000,"endMs",10262000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5829595-216cf9b37b733b65d3ffbc7e5428e796&start=3612&end=10262","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5829595-216cf9b37b733b65d3ffbc7e5428e796/thumbnail_3612000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/5975069/Maui-County/Hawaii/Council-committee-questions-hiring-process-and-use-of-emergency-hiring-authority-as-personnel-leaders-outline-RFPs-to-modernize-county-HR","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5975069-3fe86604a64c390c84f6424a89954392/orig.mp4?Expires=1771002453&Signature=gUCYGeF1P80sCs70IOeojhwDgKSddNXl245JxXqVmooJBLKDZ7ElWydwthakViClvEjKZKZ3OTi8YqzSkbyD9NLPKNGfY5zjVQDGaHc-OJhj8qY9NGjBXY9f3hCJ8cQFwz8KqAGKTeSfnz6nbXJg1X7XDA~xbvxOOvjFzZ5mZfm-1nHwHKOYznEWTKUwE7SLO3I-RX3BuLxzllkfu~jhc0ms13AmegYhLbYptToqtDkneu6Awkw51WL0CGSYDip154-zmWlCUuqDoZPSapjkwkMdAxLK8B8OOzKdFN2qluBFLB8VcaLualb-RkF-qNU4UdWKYMZodKp1UNZigT1zWA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Maui County","date","2025-09-25T00:00:00Z","article","Sept. 25, 2025 — Council members pressed the Department of Personnel Services on Sept. 25 about slow hiring, minimum‑qualification screening and whether the county should use Governor Josh Green's emergency hiring proclamation to fill housing vacancies. Deputy director Kainia Aiwohe Alo told the committee the department plans two requests for proposals to modernize hiring and administrative rules but said it prefers to use an existing state statutory exemption for certain housing positions rather than the governor's emergency proclamation.

Michelle McLean, executive assistant to Council Chair Alice Lee and a former planning director, told the committee that the county's current civil‑service procedures often prevent departments from seeing or weighing all applicants. \"When a department wants to fill a position, they submit a request to DPS who recruits, screens applicants for minimum qualifications or MQs, and then they provide the department with a list of eligible applicants,\" McLean said. She described cases in which on‑paper minimums excluded candidates with relevant experience and urged more department involvement in screening.

Deputy director Kainia Aiwohe Alo said the department met with Corporation Counsel and the state's human resources director and concluded that positions in the county's housing and community development division are better handled under the statutory exemption in HRS (referred to in committee as \"76‑77‑14\") than under the governor's emergency proclamation. The deputy's rationale, she said, is that the statutory exemption creates a permanent exempt status for those positions; by contrast, appointments made under the emergency proclamation could be converted back to civil service if the proclamation ends, which may complicate compensation and employment status.

Housing Director Mitchell appeared by arrangement and said he had requested the county use the emergency proclamation to expedite hires for the housing community development division after months of empty slots. \"I still have the position that we should use every tool we have to fill the positions — we are in an emergency. Period,\" he told the committee, noting he had pursued the EP after conventional recruitment produced losses of qualified candidates.

Committee members pressed for specifics. The committee learned that the housing division currently has seven vacancies, including three secretary positions the department plans to fill via civil‑service recruitment. One position — a newly created development project coordinator — was reclassified from a planner role and the department has requested it be exempted under the statutory authority.

Deputy director Aiwohe Alo told the panel the department will issue two RFPs before year‑end: one, with the Department of Management, to review countywide HR systems and functions; and a second, with Corporation Counsel, to review and modernize Department of Personnel Services administrative rules and county policies tied to those rules.

Council members and witnesses raised several recurring concerns: that minimum qualifications (MQs) can be outdated and exclude capable candidates; that departments receive only DPS‑ranked candidate lists and would like more ability to review full applicant pools; and that retaining staff is made harder because managers cannot adjust pay or easily reallocate duties within civil‑service constraints.

Deputy Corporation Counsel Christy Trenholm said the legal default is that county positions are civil service unless an HRS exemption applies or an emergency proclamation provides different authority. She agreed to meet with department and housing leadership to clarify whether the emergency proclamation pathway and statutory exemptions could be used together to fill vacancies quickly while limiting future conversion risk.

The committee did not take a final action on personnel policy changes; the item was deferred for follow‑up. Committee members requested written material on the DPS hiring flow, state laws and departmental rules, and said they expect to be briefed as RFPs proceed.

Why it matters: County operations and capital programs depend on hiring and retaining staff. Council members said slow hiring is affecting permitting, housing projects and other services; department leaders acknowledged nationwide recruiting challenges but said they are reviewing procedures and seeking external guidance.

What happened next: The committee deferred further action and asked DPS to provide a detailed process map and documentation of the legal authorities being used; members asked for periodic updates as the RFPs are issued and procured.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Maui County - K?mike Aloha ??ina (2025-2027) on 2025-09-25 9:00 AM","oneSentenceSummary","Sept. 25, 2025 — Council members pressed the Department of Personnel Services on Sept. 25 about slow hiring, minimum‑qualification screening and whether the county should use Governor Josh Green's emergency hiring proclamation to fill housing vacancies.","taxTitle","Maui County, Hawaii","taxId",12846,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},5975074,"Maui committee recommends first‑reading approval to rename two sites, strikes phrase 'cultural preserve' from bills",1966,1220000,3186000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5829595-216cf9b37b733b65d3ffbc7e5428e796&start=1220&end=3186","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5829595-216cf9b37b733b65d3ffbc7e5428e796/thumbnail_1220000.jpg","/articles/5975074/Maui-County/Hawaii/Maui-committee-recommends-firstreading-approval-to-rename-two-sites-strikes-phrase-cultural-preserve-from-bills","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5975074-55cdfa80c3438ef4c10c394e31d219b5/orig.mp4?Expires=1771002453&Signature=fP2pXl0a5Csc3LEk0IDuN6cuBH~ZK3EfSgMx2dJn0jEnT6u87LMZ035yuCt5SX1jax5jKTGjqSa7Z0NhQWdkK9hmn09ZxgVkuZtR9sux3So8QCK71qTceBGdepUtQdr6tMmN2~dRFL0MjC3pi3BH5Nx2K3uv4~69XJntWJyaR5ckg3BZ0ZSGu68wOS6pQnZzSAVAQ7xawxykGpFVyAT73oiHWn3ts7esiOMJq4AuN15L~4H6o1Ij0VzR6QcZgkSJo72OHtrrA~jL1HPZkEf6jPwx7QraRjC3IiARs90IKsEqtHClyEFfFfYSDQm4qgj~ROHeARakl2z3oaAcEzhNaA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Sept. 25, 2025 — A Maui County Council committee voted unanimously on Sept. 25 to recommend first‑reading approval of two bills to give cultural place designations to Mapulehu and Hamakualoa, and it amended both measures to strike the phrase \"cultural preserve\" from the bills' titles and text.

The committee, chaired by Keanu Rollins Fernandez, took up Bill 106 (Mapulehu) and Bill 107 (Hamakualoa) together after a presentation and cultural framing from staff of the county's Office of Cultural and Natural Resources. Director Kapona Aye Molital and deputy director Ke Kai Robinson described the initiative as an early step toward recognizing and caring for places of storied historical and genealogical significance.

\"We get one Maui; we get one opportunity to Malama our wahi,\" Kumu Kapona (Kapona Aye Molital), the department director, said in opening remarks about the cultural intent behind the proposed designations.

The department asked the committee to consider Hawaiian terminology for the designations rather than the English phrase \"cultural preserve.\" Committee members heard that the move is intended to add formal recognition and to start community‑led work on appropriate conduct and stewardship; it is not intended to change current land management or routine park operations.

Public testimony included support from local stewards. \"We would just like to support Bill 107 in the name change,\" testified Miley Davis of Malama Hamakua. Another testifier, Leilani M., said community groups appreciated the county's outreach and the chance to co‑create protections.

During committee discussion, members asked whether the bill would change who manages the land and whether it would affect public access, maintenance or security. The chair reported that she had confirmed in writing with the Department of Parks and Recreation that the bills would not alter current management or day‑to‑day operations. Committee members also heard that any site‑specific rules would not be a blanket county code immediately on passage but would likely take the form of a community‑co‑created code of conduct.

The committee first moved to recommend passage on first reading of Bill 106; the motion was made by committee member Tom Cook and seconded by committee member Alice Lee. Member Lee then moved — with member Paulton seconding — to amend the bill by striking the words \"cultural preserve\" in the title and body and replacing them with an alternative Hawaiian designation recommended by the county resource staff. The amendment passed unanimously. The committee then voted unanimously to recommend passage of Bill 106 as amended.

The committee took the same actions on Bill 107, with member Lee moving for passage and member Cook seconding. The amendment to strike \"cultural preserve\" and replace the term likewise passed unanimously; the committee then voted to recommend passage of Bill 107 as amended.

The chair noted for the record that committee member Tasha Kamal was not present and therefore not included in the unanimous votes. Chair Rollins Fernandez also said Bill 1‑24‑2025 — a separate measure that changes Chapter 12.4 language from \"facilities\" to \"places\" — is scheduled for second and final reading before the full council on Sept. 26; passage of that bill would legally broaden the county's naming authority to include non‑facility places.

Why it matters: The committee's action formally advances local recognition of places with cultural and genealogical significance and begins a process for community‑based stewardship. Committee members and cultural staff said the change signals an intent to treat certain lands differently from conventional park facilities and to work with local stewards on place‑based rules and management.

What happened next: The committee recommended both bills on first reading as amended and will forward them to the full council for further consideration. Committee members and staff said community partners and the Department of Parks and Recreation would remain involved in any subsequent rule‑making or stewardship agreements.

","A Maui County Council committee voted unanimously to recommend first‑reading passage of two bills to give cultural place designations to Mapulehu and Hamakualoa, and amended both measures to remove the wording 'cultural preserve' after presentations by the county's cultural resources staff and testimony from local stewards.","actionData","errors"]

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Council committee questions hiring process and use of emergency hiring authority as personnel leaders outline RFPs to modernize county HR

Maui committee recommends first‑reading approval to rename two sites, strikes phrase 'cultural preserve' from bills