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Paia businessman’s $500,000 in fines now paid in full

Baskin paid $190K balance due on last day of extension

The Maui News – Paia businessman Michael Baskin has paid Maui County the $190,000 balance of the largest fine ever levied by the Department of Planning, department Director Will Spence said Tuesday.

Responding to a query from The Maui News, Spence said Baskin came up with the rest of the money on Jan. 31, “the very last day” of an extension.

“He’s paid up on his fines,” he said, although it was a half a year after the original deadline to pay.

Baskin acknowledged paying the fine, although he said, “We wanted to fulfill our agreement even though we believe the county has not. The settlement agreement specifically states there is no admission of wrongdoing on our part.”

“We agreed to a settlement in order to be able to continue our business with an agreement that the county would act in good faith to process our permits,” he said in an email. “This included presenting a fair staff report to the planning commission, which they did not.”

Spence said the staff report was “fair and factual.”

“The planning commission is entitled to know the facts,” he said.

On Dec. 13, the Maui Planning Commission denied Baskin’s application for a special use permit to operate the Paia Inn, a nine-bedroom transient vacation rental.

Commissioners cited Bas-kin’s record of problems with the county as a reason for denying the permit.

But as of Tuesday, the inn remained in business, Spence said.

“He’s still operating,” he said.

However, the commission had not issued its decision and order, which would put the permit denial in effect, Spence said. Once that final action is taken, county officials believe Baskin will appeal the permit denial, he said.

Baskin said the planning commission “chose to ignore the over 2,000 letters of support for the Paia Inn and focused on a few neighbors who gathered against us who have a personal agenda.”

Spence said the Planning Department received letters for and against Baskin’s permit application, but “it was certainly not 2,000 letters in support.”

Baskin said he’d wait for the commission’s final decision and order before determining how to proceed.

The full $500,000 in fines were the result of a July 31, 2015, settlement between the county and Baskin.

In December, Baskin denied he was behind in payments on his fines, maintaining that the county had not acted in good faith on acting in a timely fashion on permits for his businesses.

In May 2013, the county launched an investigation against Baskin, the owner of a number of short-term rental properties in addition to the Paia Inn, eventually issuing 30 notices of violation in July 2015. The notices were for violations of short-term rental, special management area, zoning and building code laws, the county said.

Baskin said the Paia Inn contributes to the town’s economy, employs residents and provides “a very positive needed service in the community.”

The Planning Department’s staff report made the same observations, Spence said, adding that he believes that showed the fairness of the department’s report on the proposal.

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