Maui County Council approves West Maui land purchases, police contract award, housing grant redistributions and multiple bond appropriations

The Maui County Council took several substantive budgetary and land-use actions on Oct. 24, 2025, voting to authorize multiple land acquisitions tied to West Maui recovery planning, approve bond fund transfers for county facility purchases and agricultural park development, adopt arbitration cost items for police officers and related employees, and reassign affordable‑housing grants to specific projects.

Major land acquisition and bond actions

- West Maui land acquisitions: The council adopted Committee Report CR25-68 and related bills to add a project titled “West Maui Land Acquisitions,” authorizing up to $20,150,000 ($16,192,706 in bond proceeds and $3,957,294 in lapsed bond funds) for the purchase of roughly 162.07 acres and up to 120 parcels in the Lahaina area. The seller and county appraisals differed; the county’s bulk appraisal was cited around $13.1 million with parcel-by-parcel appraisals higher, and the council approved an up-to-$20,000,000 purchase price exclusive of closing costs. The measure passed on the council floor (recorded as 8 ayes, 1 excused).

- 24 North Church Street (Wailuku): The council advanced Committee Report CR25-66 and first-reading bills to amend the FY2026 budget and bond authorization to add a $10 million appropriation for acquisition and renovation of 24 North Church Street. The administration said the $10 million will cover the $9.5 million purchase price plus closing and life‑safety upgrades; the stated intent is to consolidate the Department of the Prosecuting Attorney into the facility near the second circuit courthouse.

- Kula Agricultural Park expansion: The council approved CR25-67 adding $5,862,123 in bond funding for the Kula Ag Park Phase 1 expansion. The county’s appropriation would complete the county’s $10 million match to a state appropriation for initial water infrastructure and related site work. The total estimated project cost cited at the meeting was about $24.3 million, with additional phases planned.

Police arbitration and personnel costs

The council adopted Resolutions 25-187 and 25-188, approving cost items from a Sept. 24, 2025 arbitration award covering police officers and employees excluded from bargaining unit 12. The adopted package covers fiscal years 2026–2029 and includes annual salary increases of 5 percent, step movements, and a one-time retention payment of $1,800 in fiscal year 2027 for specified officer classes (PO‑7 through PO‑15). The administration presented an estimated four-year cost of about $38.6 million; the council approved the resolution (recorded as 8 ayes, 1 excused).

Affordable housing grant redistributions

The council adopted three resolutions (25‑197, 25‑198 and 25‑199) to reassign previously recognized affordable housing grants from the Hawaiian Community Development Board to named project entities (three phases of the Hale O PEKEA projects). During debate members and staff made technical amendments to clarify unit counts and to insert the phrase “and 1 resident manager unit” in the first whereas clauses. One of the amendments changed a recital figure from 90 to 89 rental units for a project and similar numeric clarifications were incorporated before the motions were approved.

Settlement and litigation items

The council’s Government Relations, Ethics and Transparency Committee recommended adoption of Resolution 25‑184 to authorize a settlement in Christopher Salem v. County of Maui (2nd Circuit case noted on the agenda). The committee report recorded a 7‑0 recommendation; the council subsequently approved the settlement measure (vote recorded 8 ayes, 1 excused). The committee noted the matter is scheduled for Nov. 11, 2025 in pending proceedings.

Other measures and ordinance votes

- Bill 155 (repeal of Chapter 9.12 on pinball machines) passed on second and final reading. - Bill 40 CD1 (amendments related to residential workforce housing provisions) passed on second and final reading. - Bill 159 (extension of the county greenprint deadline for the comprehensive conservation plan) passed on first reading to extend the adoption deadline to Dec. 31, 2027. - Bill 162 (conditional appropriation for Baldwin Beach Park shoreline debris removal) passed first reading and was advanced for committee consideration. - Additional administrative budget amendments and appropriations passed or were referred, including funding and conditional language for water system upgrades, Kula Ag Park committee membership changes, and local economic development grants.

The meeting record shows that most of these items passed with counts recorded as “8 ayes, 1 excused.” Where the council amended resolutions or bills, members stated the amendments were primarily technical clarifications to match transmittal language and to correct unit counts.

What the votes mean

The land purchases and bond appropriations are intended to support county projects including flood control, road expansion and title curative work in West Maui, facility consolidation in Wailuku, and infrastructure at the Kula Ag Park. The police arbitration approval implements the arbitrator’s award for multi-year personnel costs; budget impacts were summarized by staff as four‑year estimates during the meeting. The redistributed affordable housing grants move existing budgeted funds to specific project entities, which the administration said will help accelerate capitalization and construction of affordable rental units.

Next steps

Many of the actions require administrative follow-through: completing real estate closings, transmitting certified grant documents to project entities, processing bond fund allocations, and updating budget appendices. Several matters noted procedural requirements (for example, the lapsed bond authorization under state law requires a two‑thirds vote when applicable), and staff signaled follow-up notices and technical cleanups would be provided to council members.