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DWS to present West Maui wells timeline; county declines Hana Ranch acquisition under current terms
Summary
Director John Stufflebean said the Department of Water Supply will present a timeline for West Maui well environmental reviews; the Board was told the county concluded a purchase of the Hana Ranch water system was not in the county's best interest under the terms presented. The director said he is recused from the announced MOU with Maui Land & Pine and will follow up.
During the Department reports section, Director John Stufflebean said the Department will present a timeline for environmental assessments (EAs/EISs) and milestones associated with West Maui well development in a future meeting at the Board's request.
Member John Helly asked specifically for schedules for upcoming EAs or EISs; Stufflebean agreed to provide those timelines. On the possible purchase of the Hana Ranch water system, Stufflebean said the Department evaluated the proposal and concluded it was not in the county’s best interest under the terms offered: "They couldn't agree on the terms and it would cost too much," he said.
Stufflebean said he had recused himself from matters related to the recently announced memorandum of understanding with Maui Land & Pine and would check with Deputy Director Kimo Landgraf for follow-up information; Chair Inouye-Nohara said the MOU can be added to the next agenda.
Why this matters: the West Maui wells timeline will set environmental-review milestones important to project scheduling; the Hana Ranch decision signals the county is not pursuing acquisition under current terms. The Board asked staff to return with a timeline and to place the MOU item on a future agenda.
