Wednesday, January 6th, 2016

9am – Maui County bldg, Council Chambers (8th fl)

Demand that NO amendments be made to Mauiʻs “Show Me the Water” policy (WR-11)!

Our Water Resources Committee will be meeting to hear proposed amendments meant to lessen the “force” of our “Show Me the Water” policy (WR-11) which requires developers to show adequate water resources for their projects. Developers want you to believe that our affordable housing shortage is due to the “strict” regulations requiring them to show adequate water for those units. They want you to believe that they cannot build more affordable units because of this water availability policy.

The TRUTH is that our County doesnʻt actually know how many affordable units are OWED to the county from some of these same developers who have yet to build them, and who are lining up future projects without fulfilling their existing responsibilities.

The TRUTH is that SEVENTY-FIVE PERCENT (75%) of future housing units will be unavailable to most Maui residents as we have seen market priced units climb into the high $650,000s and up, thus making it unaffordable to many. As developers are only required to provide 25% of their total development to affordable units and those units tend to be in undesirable or densely-structured areas, we see MANY  ʻohana and first-time home buyers being priced out of the market or unable to meet the developerʻs requirements.

The TRUTH is that many of these developers have been sitting on these affordable unit permits for years and have done NOTHING about them, all the while successfully building and selling their “market-priced” units within the project.

We MUST hold these developers accountable for what they currently owe the county for affordable units before they can move forward with other (perhaps newer) projects. We CANNOT allow them to blame a water policy that seeks to protect one of our most precious resources from overuse for private financial gain.

Demand that NO amendments be made to the “Show Me the Water ” policy. As these amendments are currently unknown, it JUST WOULDNʻT BE PONO for our Water Resources Committee to change a policy that currently is strong and requires a commitment to the people of Maui, on the part of the developer. They MUST ensure sustainability and availability of water for all. REAL affordable housing projects are exempt from this water availability law and are given priority for our available water. If developers are able to amend the policy, the uncertainty of water availability could become a major concern for all existing water users when the next drought strikes.

Please come to the meeting and request that the Water Resources Committee NOT amend or repeal this policy; that the County hold developers liable for ALL workforce housing owed; and that the County go further by NOT issuing new permits for developments until ALL workforce housing owed has been completed.

To find out more about the proposed changes to the Water Availability policy (WR-11), click HERE for the full text: http://www.co.maui.hi.us/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/20993

If you cannot show up to testify, please email your testimony by Monday, January 4th to:

wr.committee@mauicounty.us

Gladys C. Baisa, Chair
Michael P. Victorino, Vice-Chair
Robert Carroll
Elle Cochran
Don Couch
Stacy Crivello
Mike White