Showing posts with label Maui 2008. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Maui 2008. Show all posts

Thursday, May 22, 2008

Rep. Bertram in the news

Rep. Joe Bertram was on the Maui TV News this week talking to reporters about plans to clean up Charley Young Beach, a popular beach park in Kihei that has become "the party spot" for several groups.

"It's been about 5 years since a Brazilian group came in and set up, actually, a permanent post to do this volleyball, and it was just like every weekend and stuff like that, but it's been a real problem in the last couple of years. All of a sudden it just started increasing to like every single day," he said in an interview with reporters.

According to residents, daily raucous parties, sometimes involving drugs and alcohol, can last until the wee hours. There have been property damages to the area, including trash and human waste.

Local, county and state leaders recently took action, blocking off an area between the residential property and the ocean to clean up and clear the vegetation that separates the beach from the condos, and to restore native Hawaiian plants around the park. In the news broadcast, the fence was supposed to be removed today.

This is what Bertram added during the interview:

"This is actually a very unique park…the beach and the land belongs to the county. The state deeded it over…there's a line that goes, basically, through the middle of the beach and that's county land, so it gives the county a lot more latitude in dealing with this problem because they actually – they are the ones responsible for the beach as well."

"… block off an area, clean up all the stuff from the peeing and the pooping and the stuff that they've done, and clear it [vegetation] out so that they couldn't hide anymore because there was all kinds of drug-taking and all that kinds of stuff, and then see if that would prevent them from setting up the net for a little while and then see what we can do in the meantime."

Monday, January 14, 2008

Maui lawmakers discuss their priorities

Maui lawmakers unveiled their priorities for the 2008 legislative session in this Sunday Maui News story. Here's a summary on what's on the wish list:

Joe Souki - $345 million for Kahului Harbor, continued support for Lahaina bypass and construction on Mokulele and Haleakala Highways, ignition interlocking devices for those convicted of DUI, improvements to invasive species detection.

Angus McKelvey - West Maui transportation access plan in case of emergencies, declare West Maui a traffic emergency zone, expedite repairs to Maalaea harbor, keeping physicians in rural areas.

Kyle Yamashita - Accountability for invasive species violations, examine public benefit of state tax credits, small business bill of rights, state run ag processing facility to assist farmers, statewide ag coop for marketing and distribution, $3.75 million for design of 300 million gallon Upcountry water reservoir.

Joe Bertram - $2 million to DLNR for invasive species, hospital for West Maui, regional boards with the authority to veto decisions made by the State Health Planning and Development Agency.

Mele Carroll - Environmental court, emergency plan for Hana Highway.