Lahaina residents are getting a platform to reconvene and reflect on their town's post-disaster recovery efforts this week, Maui County officials announced. Scheduled for 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 2, at the Lahaina Intermediate School cafeteria, the Lahaina Community Meeting will focus on a variety of critical topics, including wildfire debris management, community rebuilding, infrastructure improvements, and cultural restoration efforts.
According to an announcement from the County of Maui, one key discussion point will be the status update by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers concerning the movement of wildfire debris, an issue that has persisted since well, it entered the municipal radar, the transfer from the Temporary Debris Storage site at Olowalu to a Permanent Disposal Site in Central Maui is expected to be a major point of interest for many residents. An update on the County Office of Recovery's progress in community rebuilding and the availability of Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) will also be outlined.
The meeting is not just about presentations; there will be opportunities for residents to engage directly with various agencies. Representatives from the County of Maui's Office of Recovery, 4LEAF, MEMA, Department of Planning, and external organizations such as FEMA, USACE, Hawaiian Electric Co., Hoʻōla iā Mauiakama Disaster Long Term Recovery Group, and Native Hawaiian Legal Corp will be present. Those needing more tailored assistance can also connect with professionals from the State’s Disaster Case Management Program at resource tables set up for the event.
The County Department of ʻŌiwi Resources will present updates on efforts to restore cultural sites such as Mokuʻula, Pākala, Mokuhinia, and the Lahaina Royal Complex. These restoration projects are part of the broader recovery and infrastructure plans for Lahaina. Residents who are unable to attend the meeting in person can participate virtually via livestream on the County of Maui's Facebook page or watch the live broadcast on Akakū: Maui Community Media, Channel 53.
Homeowners and citizens of Lahaina who have been directly impacted are encouraged to sign up for notifications via email and text at www.mauirecovers.org/sign-up. More details about the upcoming community meeting and previous sessions are available at www.mauirecovers.org/events.
