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Maui County's Liquor Commission has given formal notice that it will hold a public hearing on repealing controversial rule changes the panel made in February.
Those include allowing 24-hour retail sales of alcohol, removing a cap on the number of hostess bars in Maui County and permitting home delivery of alcohol.
In a legal notice published in the Friday issue of The Maui News, the Liquor Commission said it has scheduled a public hearing for 10 a.m. July 12 in the Department of Liquor Control's conference room in Wailuku. Oral and written testimony will be taken on the proposed rule amendments.
July's hearing comes after a special meeting was held May 10 and 11 in response to Wailuku resident Mahina Martin, a founding member of the Coalition to Repeal 24 Hour Alcohol Sales, formally petitioning the commission to repeal some of the rule changes made in February.
The commission has listed those amendments on its legal notice. The proposed changes now call for allowing retail sales only from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., returning the cap of 12 licenses for hostess bars and disallowing the sale and delivery of liquor to private residences or businesses.
Around 50 people affected by drunken driving and alcohol abuse testified during the May 10 meeting. Many asked the commission to rescind the rule changes.
Coalition and community members also questioned the reasoning behind the changes and how the public was not notified of them or the meetings to discuss them.
The commission may take action on the amendments July 12 or announce another date for action, a county attorney has said.
"It is an opportunity for the commission members to take a step back, correct a misdirected action they took in February," Martin said Friday. "Hopefully, when it comes down to a vote, they really heard the voice of law enforcement and the community. Because if they didn't, I wouldn't want to keep on revisiting it."
Martin said she is not assuming that the vote, whenever it is made, will be in favor of the coalition. But she hopes commission members understand that, when significant changes are made such as those done in February, the process should be inclusive.
"I would encourage people to make their voices heard again, attend the hearing," Martin said.
While repealing the 24-hour retail sales was among the top concerns brought up by the community and the coalition, the commission is also looking at returning to other rules not largely debated by the community. This includes only allowing manufacturers and wholesalers to do business from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., according to the legal notice.
The initial rule changes adopted Feb. 8 and signed into law by Mayor Alan Arakawa on Feb. 21 allowed liquor manufacturers and wholesalers to conduct business any hour of the day.
A member of a business advisory committee organized by the liquor department to review the initial changes, said in March that allowing manufacturers and wholesalers to conduct business any time of the day would allow for them to deliver alcohol when its not busy on the roads.
Another change not highly debated by the public relates to the hours allowed for alcohol to be served at hotels and condominiums. The changes made in February permit hotels and condominiums to serve alcohol any hour of the day. If approved, the rule would revert back, making alcohol unavailable for service from 4 to 6 a.m.
The business committee member noted that international visitors regularly check into hotels after late-night flights and are confused because they are not able to buy alcohol during the two-hour blackout period.
Copies of the proposed amendments may be viewed or downloaded from the Department of Liquor Control webpage at www.mauicounty.gov/liquor and selecting the Rules/Laws tab. Copies of the proposed amendments will be mailed to anyone requesting a copy. There are required fees for copying and postage.
Requests for copies can be made to the Department of Liquor Control at 2145 Kaohu St., Room 105, in Wailuku or by calling 244-4666.
Written testimony may be submitted by mail, but it must be received by the Liquor Commission before the public hearing closes July 12.
* Melissa Tanji can be reached at mtanji@mauinews.com.