Shame No Planner

It is with regret that I read in The Molokai Dispatch online of the loss of Mr. Mike Torgerson as the Molokai Planner for the Maui County Planning Department (MCPD). He was a voice of reason with a common sense, customer friendly approach to the projects on Molokai. He was a strong supporter of the Molokai Veterans project and authored a detailed letter, signed by Mr. Jeffrey Hunt, then Director MCPD, to Mr. Jeffrey Eng, Director of the Department of Water Supply, urging his approval of the Molokai Veterans building permit. That letter was ignored and, sadly, Mr. Hunt has since resigned and now Mr. Torgerson “was let go.” I fear that the current approach of dealing with permits on Molokai by the Maui County administrative offices will continue unless there is either a recognition that they exist for the people and not for their own arbitrary interpretation of the rules, or there is a change in Maui County leadership.

David Hafermann