It’s been just over a month since the disastrous Maui fires of Aug. 8 that killed at least 115, leveled Lahaina, damaged parts of Kula and took down portions of West Maui’s communications, power and water infrastructure. The accumulating hit to the state’s economy is an estimated $1.9 billion through 2024.
The removal of hazardous substances and debris from Lahaina is expected to take another year or more. Community members and elected officials must make full use of this time to hammer out a plan to nurture a thriving, rebuilt Lahaina.
Immense challenges lie ahead, including mapping out the town’s future layout, economic planning, and environmental and cultural stewardship.
On Friday, the one-month anniversary of the fire, Gov. Josh Green addressed the state to announce that agreements are in place to fund temporary housing and long-term rental support well into 2024. Funds also have been established for “bridge” support to aid individuals and businesses displaced by the fires. All that brings a modicum of stability in highly stressful and uncertain times.
On Oct. 8, all travel restrictions closing off West Maui will end, and many of the hotels and resorts outside of Lahaina will resume welcoming tourists.
“Now we turn to Lahaina town and our road to recovery and healing,” Green said.
The governor, Maui County officials, even the president of the United States, have promised that Lahaina will be rebuilt in accord with the needs and desires of the people of Lahaina.
A next step, then, is to create a rebuilding process that incorporates this input.
One promising strategy for doing so comes from the University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization (UHERO), which raises the prospect of creating a state-sanctioned “post-disaster agency” to navigate this path.
Such an agency could be similar to the Hawaii Community Development Authority (HCDA), which has authority over zoning, road improvements and infrastructure in Kakaako. The advantage of such an authority is that rebuilding processes would be streamlined and as necessary, accelerated.
The agency could also act as a central body to navigate conflicts and competing concerns among interest groups, UHERO suggests. This is where a new Lahaina “post-disaster agency” would have a broader mission and function than the HCDA.
Thousands of residents and business operators in a pre-fire Lahaina hope to return to a rebuilt community, and the urgency for action and responsive public management is of a magnitude higher than for Kakaako, where planning and development took place over decades. A tailored mix of powers and responsibilities is required.
“Rebuilding a community that has suffered catastrophic destruction requires that the community make fundamental decisions about the rebuilding goals and process,” UHERO said, noting accurately that direct involvement by local stakeholders, including those with generations-long ties to Lahaina, is necessary. This can best be assured by including residents, including cultural advisers and trusted leaders of varied backgrounds, as board members and in positions of authority within the agency.
Among potential duties:
>> Planning and placing infrastructure. Where damage has overwhelmed essential services such as power and water delivery, the challenges go far beyond direct repair. New materials, technology and placement must all be considered.
>> Re-evaluating and changing zoning regulations, as necessary, to create affordable housing while rebuilding safer structures.
>> Examining environmental regulations, such as those controlling ocean setbacks.
>> A disaster recovery agency could also take responsibility for coordinating what UHERO calls the “public benefits infrastructure” — ensuring and providing access to a wide range of services such as child care, mental health and job placement. Hawaii’s Red Cross has been temporarily delegated this role, with federal funding. As the federal disaster framework is dismantled, needs will remain.
The state Legislature will play a decisive role in creating such a body, should lawmakers find it warranted. With the legislative session not underway until Jan. 17, however, it’s good to see the state House, grasping the urgency of the situation, starting work on preparations. Interim House working groups have been formed to evaluate needs created by the Maui fires and to recommend legislation that can help, in six categories: environmental remediation; food, water and other supplies; jobs and business; schools; shelter; and wildfire prevention.
The working groups must fully engage with community stakeholders — residents, businesses and land owners, and cultural practitioners. Consultation is a must — as is transparency. Where possible, working group meetings should be open for public observation; and full public access must be provided to reports, allowing for comments and contributions. The groups’ draft reports, due Nov. 1, will be eagerly scrutinized.
Hawaii can deliver on the promise made to Lahaina’s people, by making residents’ ideals the base for all recovery planning.
