Top South Maui County issues and concerns

5/3/24  #kihei

What is most important to you for your community?  KCA works to be the voice for our community in communication with government and media, so we use our senses to determine major concerns. We find some are constant, while others seem to be influenced by events. Something often at the top is inadequate transportation infrastructure. Traffic congestion and unsafe walking and cycling conditions are apparent  every day. Sometimes these conditions are exacerbated by events, but they never disappear. Mitigation can be achieved by filling in the missing segments of the North-South Collector Road and adding sidewalk segments on numerous streets that are still missing them.

Housing for our residents is another constant for several years, which of course was amplified by the August 2023 devastation. The segment of our community that pays rent is especially concerned. This may not directly personally effect everyone, but it seems to have consequences for a great many.

Some other major concerns seem to ebb and flow. Most everyone has major concerns about flooding when it is happening and immediately afterwards, but as the floodwater drains and the brown water turns blue, the issue drops down the list. Yet it remains a top concern, as the major causes remain largely unchanged.

Wildfire mitigation is a major concern in “fire season”, but it too dwindles a bit afterwards, even though we know the extreme danger remains.

To be clear wildfire and  mud flooding remain top community concerns, but there is some “out of sight, out of mind” effect on perceptions.

Misnamed “wastewater” can actually be a valuable resource after extensive treatments and used for irrigation when transported in the purple pipes

Sewage transported to our County Wastewater Treatment plant must be reused in this manner and NOT injected and flowing into the kai, so expanding these distribution pipelines needs to be expanded. But there is some sewage which never gets to the plant, as it flows into cesspools, and seeps untreated into the ‘āina. Thus, eliminating cesspools is another community concern.

Healthy living through smart growth, including a walkable-bikeable community is another concern. This somewhat ties into transportation infrastructure as “alternative” transportation, but it goes much beyond that. It includes protecting the natural environment and other topics included in our position papers: construction management; road and design guidelines, and bicycle transportation.

Are these your top concerns, or did we miss yours? We will continue to reach out to hear from you, but you do not have to wait to be asked. Speak up!