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Community Development

What is community development? How should community development be governed?

Planning for Molokai’s Water Resources

Wednesday, May 25th, 2022

Planning for Molokai’s Water Resources

By Catherine Cluett Pactol | Editor

A plan is being developed to analyze Molokai’s water resources and project how future water needs will be met. Public mana’o is currently being gathered on this important topic and planners are asking the community to share their voice. 

State of Hawaii Water Code requires each county to develop a Water Use and Development Plan, and Maui County is developing separate plans for Molokai, Lanai, and Maui to better address the unique needs of each island. The goal of Molokai’s plan is to provide a balance between the preservation and management of the island’s water resources, and sustainable ground and surface water use and development to service present users and future generations, according to planners. …

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Ranch Community Ownership Discussions Continue

Wednesday, May 25th, 2022

Sust’ainable Molokai News Release

Please join us this month for meetings regarding community ownership of Molokai Ranch. Each meeting has a different purpose. 

Subcommittee meetings will focus on technical research about funding options, community ownership models and spirituality. These meetings will be followed by a working group meeting to synthesize the progress made by subcommittees into material that is easily understandable and empowers our community with the information to make informed choices. 

Lastly, a community meeting will provide distilled updates on working group progress and serve as an opportunity for broad community input. 

Please see the dates below and in the community calendar to join us.…

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Water Use Plan Pop-Ups

Thursday, May 5th, 2022

Townscape News Release

As a part of our community outreach for the Molokai Island Water Use and Development Plan, Townscape, Inc., consultant to the Maui County Department of Water Supply, will have staff on island to conduct in-person outreach. 

We will be setting up a booth pop-up style at a variety of locations during the third week of May. The purpose of the outreach is threefold. We want to reach out to folks who have not been able to participate in the virtual meetings. We will share information about the work that has been done so far on the plan. And we want to better understand community sentiments and values for the island’s water resources.…

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Draft State Budget Includes Molokai Projects

Wednesday, April 13th, 2022

HI Senate News Release 

With the State’s economy rebounding and significant increases in tax revenues, Maui County’s Senate delegation is in full support of the supplemental operating budget for fiscal years 2022-2023 as recently passed out of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means. 

“With funding set aside for infrastructure, education, housing and health on the Valley Isle and statewide, we are heartened in anticipation of the needed work that will be done to improve the lives of our neighbors and friends on Maui, Molokai, and Lanai,” Senators Gilbert Keith-Agaran (District 5 – Wailuku, Waihe‘e, Kahului), Rosalyn Baker (District 6 – South and West Maui), Lynn DeCoite (District 7 – Hana, East and Upcountry Maui, Molokai, Lanai, Kaho‘olawe) said in a joint statement.  …

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Input for Important Ag Lands Designation

Friday, March 18th, 2022

Maui County News Release

The County of Maui Department of Planning is seeking community review and comment on the initial steps to identify and map parcels on Molokai, Maui and Lanai that may be eligible for designation as Important Agricultural Lands under state law.

The law aims to preserve the highest quality agricultural lands in each county for current and future agricultural use and food security. The Planning Department is working with lead consultant Christine Feinholz of Pacific Cartography and Project outreach lead Anders Lyons of Kapalaea Consultants.

“Agriculture has always been a big part of our heritage throughout Maui County,” said Mayor Michael Victorino.…

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DHHL Molokai Cesspool Survey

Friday, March 18th, 2022

DHHL News Release

The Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL) is beginning an assessment of active and inactive cesspools throughout the state starting with homestead communities on Molokai.

Governor David Ige signed Act 125 into law in 2017, requiring the upgrade, conversion, or sewer connection of all cesspools in the State before January 1, 2050. It is estimated there are approximately 88,000 cesspools statewide.

The data collected from this survey is expected to provide accurate information for officials to determine appropriate funding mechanisms to assist families in complying with Act 125.

DHHL, through its contractor Hawaii Engineering Group, will conduct the Molokai field survey from March through April, weather permitting.…

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Grants Fund Molokai Homestead Projects

Wednesday, March 9th, 2022

DHHL News Release 

Three Molokai projects were funded among 14 recipients of the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL)’s Community Development Program, each receiving a portion of $859,375 in grants.

In June 2021, the Hawaiian Homes Commission (HHC) approved a total of $1,000,000 from the Native Hawaiian Rehabilitation Fund (NHRF) for the current fiscal year. The funds were administratively allocated as $100,000 for Capacity Building and $900,000 for Regional Plan Priority Projects.

DHHL makes available annual grant funding to nonprofit organizations that demonstrate a purpose to benefit native Hawaiians. The Department has offered grants in several program areas over the years as a means of implementing the community development component of the rehabilitation fund.…

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Grant for Local Food Distribution

Friday, February 25th, 2022

Sust’ainable Molokai News Release

Sustʻainable Molokai recently received a $34,375 grant from the First Nations Development Institute of Longmont, Colorado. This award will support the efforts of Project Hoʻokuʻikahi Aloha Molokai, which distributes locally produced food to Molokai residents through our island’s 22 food pantries.

This project began as a hui of community organizations that rallied together to provide food for our Molokai residents during the outbreak of the pandemic. The name Hoʻokuʻikahi Aloha Molokai means “uniting in love for our people of Molokai.” These and other efforts are covered in this short video, Island in the Pandemic, created by Quazifilms’ Matt Yamashita, which premiered on Oct 16, 2020.…

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Discuss Molokai Water Use and Demand

Thursday, February 24th, 2022

Townscape News Release

Learn about Preliminary Water Use and Demand for Molokai’s water systems. At two meetings open to Molokai residents, we will be presenting water use information for public and private water systems on the island, our methodology for projecting future water demand, and sharing our preliminary water demand projections. The Molokai Water Use and Development Plan is being updated by a collaboration between Townscape, Inc., an environmental and community planning company, and the County of Maui Department of Water Supply, Water Resources and Planning Division.

We will offer this presentation at two different meeting times. Our presentation will be the same at each meeting, and open discussion time will follow the presentation.…

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Energy Coop Gets Support for $7.5M Loan

Thursday, November 11th, 2021

Ho’ahu Energy Coop News Release

Ho’ahu Energy Cooperative Molokai, a local group formed to build community-owned energy projects for community benefits, received initial support for a state loan of $7.5 million to fund a 2.75 megawatt solar and battery storage project the Coop is proposing on Molokai. 

The board of the Hawaii Green Infrastructure Authority (HGIA) met virtually on Oct. 27 to hear the proposal from Hoʻahu President Todd Yamashita and co-development partner, Ali Andrews of Shake Energy Collaborative. At that meeting, the board voted to set aside $7.5 million from their Green Energy Market Securitization (GEMS) Program for Hoʻahu’s Community-based Renewable Energy (CBRE) solar and battery storage project.…

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