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Beneficiaries urge halt to Waiahole wells plan, allege undisclosed $2.46M DHHL contract
Summary
Beneficiaries at the Hawaiian Homes Commission meeting urged the department to pause the Waiahole/Waihule wells project and demanded fuller beneficiary consultation after testimony alleging a $2,460,000 DHHL contract with Austin Tsutsumi & Associates and potential diversion of trust water to non‑beneficiaries.
Tema Watson, an undivided‑interest leaseholder on Maui, told the Hawaiian Homes Commission on Sept. 16 that the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL) had moved forward with a Waiahole wells agreement that she said “would give nearly half of our trust water to the County and to non beneficiaries.” She also testified that DHHL executed a $2,460,000 procurement with Austin Tsutsumi & Associates on July 30, 2025, “before any consultation and without approval from the Hawaiian Homes Commission,” and called for the project to stop until beneficiaries are fully consulted.
Why it matters: Beneficiaries framed the issue as both a resource‑allocation and legal question. Watson cited Ahona v. DHHL (1981), saying the agency holds fiduciary duties…
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