The new Maui County Council will be inaugurated at 10 a.m. Wednesday in the Council Chambers.
At 2 p.m., the councilors elected in November will hold their organizational meeting in the same chamber and will choose officers, establish standing committees, adopt rules and appoint staff. In November, it was announced that Council Member Gladys Coelho Baisa will serve as chairwoman and Council Member Bob Carroll as vice chairman.
Council members to be seated for the 2013-14 term will be Baisa, Carroll, Elle Cochran, Donald G. Couch Jr., Stacy Crivello, Don S. Guzman, G. Riki Hokama, Michael P. Victorino and Mike White. They will take their oath of office during the ceremony.
Former Lt. Gov. Brian Schatz, who was named to replace U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye on Wednesday, is the scheduled keynote speaker. Council staffers Wednesday indicated that given Schatz's recent appointment they were unable to confirm whether the ceremony would fit in his schedule.
Others participating in the program will be Deidre Tegarden, the governor's protocol officer, who will be mistress of ceremonies; 2nd Circuit Judge Richard Bissen, who will administer the oaths of office; and Kealoha, poet laureate of Hawaii, who will recite his poem "New Day."
Firefighters Ikaika Blackburn and Kamakoa Lindsey Asing will provide music prior to the ceremony, and kumu hula Cody Pueo Pata will offer an opening oli.
Fire Battalion Chief Louis Romero and firefighters Blackburn and Jerry Javier will lead the singing of the national anthem, and Pata will lead the singing of "Hawaii Pono'i."
Raiatea Helm also will perform during the ceremony.
The Council Chambers on the eighth floor of the Kalana O Maui building will open to the public at 9:30 a.m.
Limited two-hour parking may be available in front of the county building. Additional parking also will be available at 2307 Main St. Signs will be posted near the turnoff point on Main Street, before the Bailey House Museum, to mark the parking area.
Both the inauguration ceremony and the organizational meeting are open to the public and will be broadcast live on Akaku: Maui Community Television on Channel 53.
For more information, call the Office of Council Services at 270-7838.
