​This week is the anniversary of the devastating August 8th, 2023 wildfires in Lahaina and Kula. In honor and remembrance, gatherings will be held from Thursday, August 8 - Sunday, August 11.  Please log into https://www.kuhiniamaui.org to sign up to attend an event.

On Tuesday, July 16, the Maui Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) will have a draft 2025-2028 TIP ready for Upcountry/North Shore review from 5-7pm at Mayor Hannibal Tavares Community Center in Pukalani.

The TIP is an important document for our island—it includes all transportation projects on Maui that use federal highway or transit money or are regionally significant. By identifying our most important near-term projects in the TIP, we can receive funding for roads, bridges, bus transit, trails, paths, and sidewalks.  

The Hele Mai Maui Long-Range Transportation Plan 2040 (Hele Mai Maui) has been used as the basis for this TIP update, as well as input from Maui residents through a Call for Projects. Coordination with the Hawai‘i Department of Transportation (HDOT), Maui County Public Works (DPW), and the County Department of Transportation (MDOT) to identify priority projects and assign them to the appropriate years also occurred. Since the TIP is fiscally constrained—with about $14 million available each year for County projects—and since federal funds cover only 80% of project costs, staying within the budget and identifying local funds to fill the gap is a tricky balancing act. 

After your feedback on the draft TIP, it will be taken to the MPO Technical Advisory Committee and the Policy Board for final review and approval in August. Then Maui MPO will submit the TIP to HDOT for inclusion in the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP). The STIP must be reviewed and approved by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) before Maui can receive federal funds.

​Councilmember Tom Cook and Council Vice-Chair Yuki Lei Sugimura announced today that they will co- host a community meeting at 6 p.m. on May 8 at the Mayor Hannibal Tavares Community Center. The meeting’s intent is to gather input from the community and provide information regarding the County of Maui’s proposed water-delivery agreement with Free Market Ventures.

In early April, in response to community feedback and at the request of Director of Water Supply John Stufflebean, the Maui County Council recommitted Resolution 24-47 to the Water and Infrastructure Committee for further review. The resolution authorizes Mayor Richard T. Bissen’s administration to enter into an agreement with Free Market Ventures, LLC, which includes drilling wells in Kula and the County purchasing water from the private source.

“As the Council further reviews this potential agreement, it is important for us to continue involving the community in the process,” said Sugimura.
“The Water and Infrastructure Committee also looks forward to continue working with the Department of Water Supply in examining this potential agreement and assessing its impacts to our community,” added Cook.

For a full text of the Resolution 24-47: https://mauicounty.granicusideas.com/.../65e286bef2b67087...
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For more information, contact Cook’s office at (808) 270-7108 and [email protected] or Sugimura’s office at (808) 270-7939 and [email protected].

​Council Member Yuki Lei Sugimura will host a community meeting this Wednesday, March 27 from 6 to 8pm at Pukalani’s Mayor Tavares Community Center. The focus of the meeting will be on a potential water source development agreement between the County of Maui and Free Market Ventures, LLC.  

The meeting should be of prime interest to residents of Kula, Haiku, Makawao, and Pukalani. However, all Maui residents may be affected by the agreement since water rates may rise countywide.

Sugimura announced that the County Council is reviewing a resolution to authorize Mayor Richard T. Bissen’s administration to enter into an agreement with Free Market Ventures, LLC.  The agreement would involve Free Market Ventures, LLC drilling wells in Kula and the County purchasing water from the private source.    

“Water is always such an important subject for our communities, particularly Upcountry,” said Sugimura, who is also the vice-chair of the council.  “This agreement could potentially provide an added source for Upcountry, but it is important that we provide our residents with as much information as possible before making any decisions.”

Participating in Wednesday’s meeting will be Department of Water Supply Director John Stufflebean and representatives from Free Market Ventures, LLC. Also speaking will be Dick Mayer who will be providing a critique of the proposed 30 year agreement that has many long-term and potentially expensive provisions.

“I want to thank Director Stufflebean and Free Market Ventures for participating in our evening meeting,” said Sugimura.  “An agreement such as this has wide-ranging impacts, and I appreciate these resources for taking the time to explain these impacts directly to our community.”  
Wednesday’s meeting will be televised and streamed by Akakū.  

Sugimura holds the council seat for the Upcountry residency area. She is also the chair of the Budget, Finance and Economic Development Committee.

​Mālama Kula is an action-oriented, results-driven organization that was formed to provide disaster relief in response to the Kula Fire, but also also aims to address current challenges facing the Kula community. At the last board meeting of KCA Kyle Ellison, Executive Director, Mālama Kula, asked us to share the following links with our email list.
 
The Maui WES (Wildfire Exposure Study) will be taking place at Kula Lodge this Saturday, Feb 17, and here is the link to sign up:
 
https://www.mauiwes.info
 ​
The Maui Wildfire Exposure Cohort Study, is the most comprehensive study to understand and mitigate the health and social impacts of the Maui wildfires. By joining this study, participants not only gain insight into their personal exposure risks but also contribute essential data that supports community resilience throughout the recovery phase.
 
We are recruiting adult participants living in Maui who were directly or indirectly affected by the Maui Wildfires.
 
Participants who qualify and complete the questionnaire and health metrics will receive up to $100. The health metrics include saliva, urine, height, weight, blood pressure, and a small amount of blood (30ml or about 3 tablespoons).
 
The other link is for the free Kula Curbside Recycling program for HI 5 beverage containers, and you can sign up at the link below:
 
https://www.malamakula.org/kula-curbside-recycling
 
Please contact Kyle Ellison for further information:  [email protected]

​Kula MEMA meeting has moved to Tuesday nights, 6 PM, in the Kula Elem. Cafeteria.

Mayor Richard Bissen announced today that weekly Disaster Recovery Community Update Meetings will launch Upcountry this week for Kula residents impacted by the August wildfires.

The weekly meetings, beginning on Thursday, Nov. 16, 2023, will be held at the Kula Elementary School cafeteria. They will continue weekly at 6 p.m. every Thursday in November and December as debris cleanup progresses, with the exception of holidays, such as Thanksgiving, Nov. 23, 2023.

The Kula Disaster Recovery Community Update Meetings will cover progress, schedule and common community questions. Kathy Ho, Deputy Director of Environmental Health for the Hawaiʻi Department of Health, will be in attendance at this weekʻs meeting. Representatives from the county, state and federal agencies will be available after the meeting to answer questions and offer informational materials.
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The Disaster Recovery Community Update Meetings will be live-streamed and archived on the County of Maui Facebook page.
Disaster Recovery Community Update Meetings for Lahaina residents began last week and will be held weekly at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesdays at the Lahaina Civic Center.

​To notify Kula residents of nearby debris removal activities, the Kula Community Watershed Alliance and MEMA have compiled a schedule. It is now on-line and will be updated by the Watershed Alliance. You may view the schedule at https://bit.ly/KulaPhase2

​Council Member Yuki Lei Sugimora sent us this announcement today.

Aloha Everyone,

We are holding a Community Meeting tonight from 6:00-8:00 p.m. at Eddie Tam Community center to discuss the ongoing debris removal and recovery process Upcountry. I apologize for such short notice as we have only just recently been able to finalize all of the logistics. This meeting is being held by the Mayor's Office and the Maui Emergency Management agency, in partnership with my office.

My office has been fortunate to help facilitate meetings with owners who lost property in the wildfires and responding agencies. We have been pushing for a broader community as well, and hope that you can join us tonight.

Kula Community Watershed Alliance has notified us that the Phase 2 Debris Cleanup began this week at the burned house sites in Kulamanu subdivision. They have asked Kula residents to please stay safe and avoid this area if you can. From what they can tell from the Department of Health fact sheet, use of PPE is recommended in the area.
Kula Community Watershed Alliance invites any concerned residents living near burned building sites to complete a survey (https://bit.ly/KulaDebris) which will help them keep neighbors informed of cleanup schedules. Right now, those who gave Right of Entry to the Army Corps of Engineers are the only people being informed, but they are hoping to change that to include neighbors in the surrounding areas.
If you are a neighbor who is concerned that the ash from cleanup sites may reach your living space, please complete this form to help this Hui coordinate communications and understand community need: https://bit.ly/KulaDebris

Due to drought conditions, the Department of Water Supply has issued a Stage 2 Water Shortage as daily demand in Upcountry is exceeding supply by 20%.  This declaration requires Upcountry water users to stop using water for irrigation, watering lawns, washing vehicles or other nonessential activities. Also, the use of temporary construction meters is prohibited. At this time, there is no change to water rates.  The Upcountry service area includes Makawao, Upper and Lower Kula, Pukalani, Kaupakalua, Ulupalakua, and Kanaio.  For more information follow this LINK.

The official County of Maui website for recovery efforts related to the August 2023 fires on Maui has had a successful launch. Those impacted are encouraged to visit the site for important information and ongoing updates. Please review important safety information for returning to fire-impacted areas.

Follow this LINK for the new website.

​COUNTY PRESS RELEASE
The Department of Water Supply has lifted the Unsafe Water Advisory for Upper Kula, removing the two remaining areas, UK-2B and UK-5. Water serving buildings and homes in Area UK-2B and UK-5 is declared safe for unrestricted use effective October 31, 2023.

At this time, the Department is requesting all Upcountry, Maui water consumers to refrain from using water for irrigation, lawns, personal washing of vehicles, or other nonessential activities. If the water demand can be reduced then no further restrictions will be necessary.

For more information follow this link.

This project update was sent to the KCA today by Michael Reyes Senior Ecologist/Principal, Maui Environmental Consulting, LLC. He asked us to share it with our members. Please view the attached pdf file at this link. At the very end of the pdf file you will find a link to the text of the draft version of the Maalaea Bay Watershed Management Plan.

The latest test results for Upcountry Water Testing have been posted on the Maui County Water Department website.  https://www.mauicounty.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=12755
The Kula Community Association will continue to follow progress on water testing and other issues impacting our residents. 

​Please follow our FB page!  https://www.facebook.com/kulacommunityassociation/

​(This update is from Councilwoman Yuki Lei Sugimura summarizing the information provided at the upcountry meeting held on 8/24.)
 
Thank you to Akakū for airing the meeting last night. For those who missed it, here is a link to the meeting video.
 
Mahalo to Water Director John Stufflebean, as well as Melvin Tokuda and Dennis Lopez from the State Department of Health's Safe Drinking Water Branch for answering questions related to water. We are also very grateful for the participation of Prof. Andy Whelton of Purdue University.
 
RECAP OF INFORMATION SHARED LAST NIGHT

• What was done in response to the fire:
• The system was isolated and secured
• The system was re-pressurized for fire control
• Determined the water advisory and affected areas as is standard practice following a wildfire
• Water samples were collected for testing
• It takes about one week from collection of samples to receiving results
• What is ongoing:
• Samples are still being collected for testing, with more testing to be done in the coming weeks
• None of the samples tested so far exceed health standards
• What is next:
• Sampling/testing will continue over the coming weeks to ensure that the water is safe
• It will likely be a couple of weeks before areas are removed from the advisory
• A definitive timeline was not given because it depends on test results
• If your address is located in the advisory area, follow all guidelines
• If your address is not located in the advisory area, your water is fine
• Increased communication from the Department of Water Supply

 
QUESTIONS

• My office is working on consolidating the questions that were not addressed in last night's meeting so we can get the appropriate and accurate responses.

 
GUIDANCE

• Check the advisory map to see if you are located in the affected area. Addresses are searchable on the top left.
• Follow the guidance put forward by the water department. This information, along with other resources, can be found on mauinuistrong.info.
• Lab results for Upper Kula water systems can be viewed here.

 

The Department of Water Supply has provided an updated interactive map that highlights the areas in Upcountry and Lahaina affected by the unsafe water advisory.

Use this LINK for the interactive map.

Aloha Upcountry Residents - Councilmember Yukilei Sugimura will host an upcountry community meeting about our water situation this Thursday, 8/24 at the Kula Community Center. The following information comes from correspondence with the office of Councilmember Sugimura. 
 
The meeting will focus on the current water situation in Kula. More information will be provided soon.

Attending this meeting will be John Stufflebean - County Director of Water Supply - as well as representatives from the State Department of Health and Environmental Protection Agency. 

Please share this information with any friends or family that you feel may benefit from the information provided.  My (Councilmember Sugimura) office and I continue to request more information be provided to our Upcountry residents by relevant departments and agencies.

A new Community Information Hub, by the University of Hawaii Water Resources Research Center, on the status of Maui water safety is now up and running.  You will find updates and relevant links to answer your questions on water testing and safety.

​Click this LINK for more details.

The Unsafe Water Advisory for Upper Kula is still in effect. The advisory was issued as a precautionary measure due to the unknown impacts of the wildfires in the area. The advisory will be updated as test results are analyzed.
​
Use this LINK for the full Advisory.

Update from Maui County website:

The Unsafe Water Advisory for Upper Kula is still in effect. The advisory was issued as a precautionary measure due to the unknown impacts of the wildfires in the area. The advisory will be updated as test results are analyzed.

The preliminary findings are encouraging, of the tested samples all reported non-detectable, with one (1) exception, trace amounts of xylene were detected, however, well below the Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) determined by the EPA.

Use this LINK for the full report.