Community Plan Kicks Off

Q&A about the first event to plan for the Plan.

The Molokai Dispatch had a chance to catch up with County of Maui Planner and former Molokai Staff Planner Nancy McPherson about a kick-off Open House event on June 26 to get the community involved in the Molokai Community Plan Update process.

Molokai Dispatch (MD): What can we expect for the open house?
Nancy McPherson (NM): The process to update the 2001 Molokai Community Plan will begin with an open house on Saturday, June 26 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. at the Kaunakakai Elementary School cafeteria, not at the Kalanianaole Hall as originally scheduled. The open house will include food, music, Molokai coffee, and a special area for the keiki. Lono and friends will perform during the event, adding a distinctive Molokai touch to the proceedings. Many of the activities at the open house are designed to be fun and interesting to the entire ‘ohana, so both keiki and kupuna are encouraged to attend.

MD: Why is this important?
NM: People can stop by any time during the event to learn about the community planning process, review maps and other information that will be used, and meet the project staff. In addition, the county’s planners are especially interested in identifying the island’s strengths – organizations and projects that are now working and can be strengthened to meet the challenges of the future.

MD: What other events do you have planned for the future?
NM: The open house marks the official kickoff to the three-year community plan update process.  Several more public events will be held over the next year, culminating in a draft plan in late spring of 2010, which the Community Plan Advisory Committee (CPAC) will review over a six month period. Once the committee’s review is done, the draft plan will be reviewed by the Molokai Planning Commission and reviewed and adopted by the Maui County Council.

MD: Who will be there?
NM: Kathleen Ross Aoki, Planning Director, and John Summers, Long Range Planning Program Administrator, will also be at the event, and the Planning Department will be providing many more opportunities for people to express their thoughts on the issues and opportunities facing the island during the update process. The mana’o of the Molokai community counts, and the Community Plan is Molokai’s Community Plan, so we encourage the whole community to come join us at the open house!

For more information about the event or the community planning process, contact Nancy McPherson at 270-7219, or via email at nancy.mcpherson@mauicounty.gov.