Committee advances mayoral nominations to county boards; several appointments recommended

Maui County’s Government Relations, Ethics and Transparency Committee on Feb. 4 advanced a large group of mayoral nominations to county boards and commissions, recommending several nominees for placement on Exhibit B for final council approval and scheduling additional interviews for others.

The committee opened the mass-nominations portion of its agenda with remarks from Cynthia Lalo, the mayor’s chief of staff, who thanked nominees and noted recruitment challenges for some rural seats. “We have an amazing group of individuals, and the mayor would like to thank you for your willingness to serve and for your commitment to the community,” Lalo said.

Why it matters: Boards and commissions influence local implementation of policies on housing, emergency response, conservation and services for older residents. Several of the nominations drew little discussion and were recommended unanimously; others prompted extended testimony and candidate interviews that the committee postponed for a later date.

Key outcomes

- The committee recommended approval of Paul Montavo to the Affirmative Action Advisory Council (resolution listed on the agenda as 25-23). Members voted in favor (recorded tally: 7 ayes, 0 nos) and amended the motion to place him on Exhibit B for final council consideration.

- The committee recommended placing Vernon Kalani Kau on Exhibit B for approval to the Conservation Planning Committee (agenda item shown as resolution 25-29). That recommendation passed 9-0 after several residents offered oral testimony in Kau’s support.

- Two nominees for the Council on Aging, Margaret (Margaret Elizabeth) Hansen and Nani Watanabe, were recommended to Exhibit B (agenda reference: resolution 25-30). The motion passed 9-0.

- Joseph Arias was recommended for placement on Exhibit B for the Police Commission; the committee recorded the recommendation as unanimous (9-0) in the meeting minutes.

Matters held or continued

- The Fire and Public Safety Commission nomination of John (Taotao) Pele was discussed and the committee took testimony, but members paused final action on at least one related nomination and indicated the item will be revisited when all nominees can be interviewed together.

- The newly created Housing Advisory Board drew extended interviews from multiple nominees (including Will Spence, Dennis Chinif, Paul Montavo, Elani Palmano and others). Committee members and several nominees agreed the board’s duties will need clarification from administration and the department before the committee takes final votes; the committee set a reconvened meeting for Thursday, Feb. 13 at 9:30 a.m. for additional consideration and interviews.

Public testimony and candidate interviews

The meeting opened with a public-comment period. Several residents testified in support of individual nominees (see related articles). Committee members asked nominees about priorities, conflicts of interest and operational knowledge for the boards they were nominated to serve on. Questions included how nominees would prioritize evacuation planning and services for older adults and people with disabilities; several nominees said they would support cross‑agency work and training to improve evacuation and communication.

Process and next steps

Under the county process, the council ordinarily has a 30-day window to approve or disapprove mayoral nominations; staff and members discussed the council deadline for the nominations as Feb. 28, 2025 (the meeting agenda contained an earlier date that committee staff corrected during the session). The committee closed oral testimony for the day and accepted written testimony. Members scheduled a follow-up meeting for Thursday, Feb. 13 at 9:30 a.m. to complete interviews and consider outstanding nominations.

Votes at a glance (items acted on Feb. 4)

- Resolution 25-23 (Affirmative Action Advisory Council; nominee: Paul Montavo) — committee recommendation: place on Exhibit B for council approval. Motion carried 7-0. - Resolution 25-29 (Conservation Planning Committee; nominee: Vernon Kalani Kau) — committee recommendation: place on Exhibit B for council approval. Motion carried 9-0. - Resolution 25-30 (Council on Aging; nominees: Margaret Hansen and Nani Watanabe) — committee recommendation: place on Exhibit B for council approval. Motion carried 9-0. - Police Commission (nominee: Joseph Arias; resolution number not specified on the transcript) — committee recommendation: place on Exhibit B for council approval. Motion carried 9-0.

What committee members said

Committee members repeatedly raised evacuation planning for elderly and disabled residents as a cross‑cutting priority. Member Robert Paulton asked nominees whether evacuation registries or other targeted measures should be prioritized; nominees who had experience with aging and disability services described outreach, training and coordination needs with MEMA (Maui Emergency Management Agency), the fire department and social service providers.

Meeting context

The session lasted from 1:36 p.m. to about 4:32 p.m. and combined a standard mass‑nominations agenda with extended interviews for several seats. Committee staff asked nominees to be prepared to return for a follow-up meeting; written testimony remains accepted through the council’s public records portal.

Members and nominees will now await full council consideration of the committee’s recommendations. Final confirmation for any nominee requires a majority vote of the County Council.