Planning director says staffing crisis and low pay threaten county recovery work

Department of Planning leadership told the Budget, Finance & Economic Development Committee that low salaries and high turnover are impeding the department's ability to recruit experienced planners and to meet obligations tied to recovery and county-wide planning.

At the start of deliberations the committee heard from a Planning department representative (identified in testimony as Kate Glisto) and Deputy Director Anna Lillis. The department said it currently has 24 vacancies and a turnover rate described as ‘‘unacceptable’’; managers said the department plays a central role in review of building permits and shoreline projects tied to Lahaina recovery and in planning work across Maui Nui. Director Keith Blystone was listed among attendees and available to answer council questions.

The department proposed multiple strategies because the county’s salary schedule is ``outdated’’ and reportedly noncompetitive. Those strategies include supplemental agreements, recruitment and retention bonuses and other supplemental pay mechanisms the department plans to deploy beginning in July if council support is granted. Deputy Director Lillis said the department expects to take on two CUPU interns in partnership with the state Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) at no cost to the county; one intern had already been selected and the department hoped to select the second later in the month.

Department leaders said filling vacancies is urgent because the Planning Department reviews each building permit for zoning compliance and performs coastal and shoreline reviews for projects in Lahaina while also serving the broader Maui Nui region. The department requested funding for grant management and additional staffing to support long‑range planning, zoning administration and planned‑implementation work.

Committee members pressed the department on several items including grant match language in the budget packet (the department acknowledged an error describing a NOAA award as requiring a 50% local match and said there is no match requirement for that grant), the status of the Title 19 zoning rewrite contract (the department said the current contract was about $634,000 with roughly $400,000 remaining and a target completion in 2026), and the use of professional services versus hiring staff. Planning leadership said they favor investing in county staff to preserve institutional memory and reduce time and cost over the long run.

Several councilmembers asked about retention pay and recruitment strategies. The department said proposed retention payments start at a minimum of about $500 per month in the requested budget package and that the department wants to avoid leaving long‑term employees behind while also adding a state‑style shortage differential for new hires if needed.

Quotes: "The salaries that we offer our employees are not competitive," Planning staff said. "These low salaries make it difficult to recruit experienced talent to even interview, let alone hire."

"We are just excited to deploy this approach in July with your support," Deputy Director Anna Lillis said about planned recruitment and retention measures.

Ending: The committee asked for written follow-up on grant match questions, recruitment timeframes and the department’s capacity to manage CIP projects; members pressed the department to provide more detail on implementation timelines for Title 19 and the grant manager position description.