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Ask the Mayor

Mayor Alan Arakawa answers some of the most-asked questions submitted to his office staff.

Q: My wife and I have been going to Palauea Beach (aka “White Rock”) for quite some time. Recently, two mansions have been built on Makena Road fronting the beach. Now, I see that they are extending their landscaping right up to the road, effectively eliminating beach parking. It is my understanding that the county has an easement from the street into the property (8 feet, I think). I live on a street with no sidewalks. I had landscaping to the street but was ordered by the county to remove it to provide an 8-foot clear space for walking and parking. If this continues, when the remaining two or three are developed, we, the other tax-paying homeowners, will be shut out from enjoying our beloved beach. Is this practice of “discrimination via landscape” sanctioned by the county or are they in violation of County Code?

A: Based on the photo you provided, it’s clear the property owner doesn’t want anyone parking in front of the home. However, upon checking with our Public Works Department, it would be impossible to tell exactly how far the county right of way extends without doing a survey as the right of way is different for each property. The good news is that the county does own two adjacent lots that will be kept open for posterity. Just up the street from the county parcels is a large parcel owned by the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, and it appears that parking is still accessible on the side of the road there. Currently, there are no plans to develop the county parcels. The parks department is in the midst of creating the Park Systems Plan for each district, so now would be a good time to contact the department to voice your requests for this area.

Q: What’s the update on the used motor oil recycling program? There are over 2 gallons being stored on my property, and I didn’t want to drag it to the store to recycle if the program was still on break.

A: You can take it in now, as the county’s Used Motor Oil program was recently reinstated. For a list of used motor oil collection sites on Maui, Molokai and Lanai, visit www.mauicounty.gov/recycle.

Q: We often read of people (frequently, visitors to Maui) being rescued after getting stranded in remote locations, injuring themselves on hikes or becoming unresponsive in the ocean. This requires a significant deployment of first responders and their equipment, including, sometimes, helicopters. Who pays for these rescues — Maui resident taxpayers or the parties being rescued?

A: In short, the taxpayers do. However, regardless of who is being rescued, visitor or local, the cost for retaining the use of the helicopters is high. For this fiscal year, the county pays a flat fee of $64,114 per month for access to the helicopters, plus an hourly rate of $509 for the first helicopter and $1,200 an hour for any additional helicopters. These costs will increase somewhat over the next three subsequent years according to the contract with Windward Aviation. Keep in mind, the helicopters are also used to fight fires and conduct emergency-related surveys. Bottom line, we ask everyone to stay off private property and out of dangerous or remote areas — especially those places where people have no business going, even though they are highlighted in some guidebooks. It’s important for visitors to learn how to enjoy their vacation safely, whether on land or in the ocean. Please help share the brochure and safety video available online at www.mauicounty.gov/oceansafety. Mahalo.

* Want to Ask the Mayor? Submit your Maui County related questions to Mayor Alan Arakawa by email at askthemayor@mauicounty.gov, by phone at 270-7855 or by mail at 200 S. High St., 9th floor, Wailuku, 96793. Questions submitted will be considered for inclusion in the “Ask the Mayor” column; to request a personal response to a concern, email mayors.office@mauicounty.gov.

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