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Council dissolves two planning advisory committees after members say they rarely meet
Summary
The council voted 9-0 to pass Bill 83, eliminating the South Maui and Paia-Haiku advisory committees to the Maui Planning Commission after members and staff described low activity and duplication with other community groups.
Maui County Council members voted unanimously on June 30 to pass Bill 83, which removes the South Maui and Paia-Haiku advisory committees to the Maui Planning Commission.
Council Member Paulton said the advisory committees had met infrequently — the South Maui advisory committee met twice and the Paia-Haiku advisory committee once in 2022 — and that the structure was not producing the intended community engagement. Several council members and committee chairs said planning staff and limited meeting attendance made the advisory committees less effective than informal working groups, such as the Agricultural Working Group, which they described as a more active forum for local input.
Supporters argued that the advisory committees’ low meeting frequency and limited staff capacity made them inefficient; they suggested community organizations and working groups could continue providing input on planning issues and that applicants can testify directly to the Planning Commission. Council Member Uhudgins said the council would work with staff to evaluate boards and commissions for cost and effectiveness and noted plans to coordinate with the Cost of Government Commission on broader boards-and-commissions review.
Opponents or members seeking more time questioned whether the changes should be delayed to solicit additional community feedback. Council Member Gabe Johnson and others said they were sympathetic to the need for community voice but that the advisory committees had not been functioning as intended and that staff resources and planning workloads — especially post-wildfire — limited the department’s ability to staff additional committees.
The council passed the bill 9-0. Members said they would pursue alternative ways to gather local input — including encouraging community associations and volunteer working groups to remain active — and that the council’s committees would continue reviewing boards and commissions structure in the coming months.
