“I believe that the youth of South Maui are best served by their own high school,” Bissen said during his first State of the County address after being elected in November. “Spending precious time traveling to high schools outside their district takes them away from their neighborhoods.”

“For many years the opening of Kulanihako’i High School in Kihei by the state Department of Education has been affected by paperwork, planning and permitting issues,” Bissen said while delivering his address to lei-clad state and county officials and members of the community on the lawn fronting the Kalana O Maui building in Wailuku.

One of the hurdles that’s long kept the campus from opening is a 2013 LUC condition that the DOE build a grade-separated crossing such as an overpass or underpass prior to the school’s opening. With a portion of the school now built and able to accommodate a freshman class, the DOE asked for a temporary certificate of occupancy from the county last year but was turned down because the department hadn’t complied with the crossing condition. Even with a certificate from the county, the DOE would still need to fulfill the LUC condition or get LUC approval to change it.

Bissen said that last week, the county sent Gov. Josh Green terms for an agreement that would indemnify the county from liability related to the LUC conditions.

On borrowed ukulele, Mayor Richard Bissen Jr. leads the audience in singing “Hawai‘i Aloha” at the conclusion of Tuesday’s address. The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photo

On Tuesday, Bissen spoke to Green, who is expected to sign the indemnification this week, allowing the county to issue the temporary certificate of occupancy, the mayor said to applause and some shouts of joy.

Bissen said his team has worked with the DOE, state Department of Transportation, LUC and the Governor’s Office for the past two months. They also met with leaders of the Kihei Community Association and the newly formed Kihei Parents Hui.

He also noted the efforts made by state Sen. Angus McKelvey and state Rep. Terez Amato regarding the school.

Following the mayor’s speech, Rebecca Hill of the Kihei Parents Hui, which includes parents of the freshmen class who are temporarily using space on the Lokelani Intermediate campus, said the hui is “thrilled with the mayor’s announcement.”

“There are so many working families in the South Maui community who have been waiting for the school for years. We are ecstatic that the time has come for us to have our own high school,” said Hill, who hopes her seventh grader can attend the school in the future.

Green, who was on island Thursday to announce a judicial appointment, told The Maui News that the state attorney general was working on the indemnification that will put liability on the state and not the county.

As for when the school might open, he said, “that’s up to the DOE and whether the facility’s fully ready. But in the coming week to two weeks, I’d like to have the legal question resolved so that there’s no longer an impasse, so that we know that the liability’s covered and kids can safely get on a bus and go … through that roundabout. Eventually I leave it to the senators and reps to decide whether they want to finalize the overpass or what have you. I really don’t want to micromanage that kind of thing, but I want the school to open safely,” Green said.

State Department of Education spokeswoman Nanea Kalani said Tuesday evening that the DOE “remains fully committed to working through all conditions” set by the LUC to open the new school.

“Mayor Bissen’s announcement and support reinforces the school’s safety plan to transport Kulanihako’i students to and from the new campus while a pedestrian overpass is built,” she said. “We look forward to working with the county and LUC on next steps.”

School officials have said they will have shuttle buses to take the students to campus.

During his speech, Bissen also touched upon some of his budget highlights that will come forward Friday when he presents his first budget to the Maui County Council.

Bissen said that his budget will set aside 8 percent of certified real property tax revenue for the Affordable Housing Fund, which is over the 3 percent minimum set by statute. During the last budget session, the council approved a 7 percent contribution.

Bissen said he is proposing the increase to “help advance our work on affordable housing.” He said the contribution would equate to approximately $43 million.

“To help our island families, my proposed budget calls for a reduction in property taxes paid for all owner-occupied homes that are valued at $3 million and below and to lower the mandatory minimum property tax to $300,” he said. “This is intended to support residents who make the islands their home and not a housing investment.”

Bissen said his administration is also working with the nonprofit Trust for Public Lands to seek ownership of valuable watershed and conservation lands in Na Wai ‘Eha and the administration “is speaking with and seeking the acquisition of the Wailuku Water Company.”

Both the administrations of former mayors Alan Arakawa and Michael Victorino had also pushed for the acquisition of Wailuku Water Co., or at least part of it.

Bissen also said that the establishment of the East Maui Water Authority by voters in November “will help pave the way to ensure water is supplied appropriately and responsibly.”

His administration also aims to tackle the axis deer problem by developing a “market incentive” which will provide an “economic stream” of venison products and making use of an existing certified processing plant on Maui, along with bringing to fruition a plan to manage and mitigate thousands of axis deer.

As he works through the first year of his term, Bissen also called for collaboration as well as respect, courtesy and friendship.

“A mayor’s job is to set not only the priorities, but the tone of how we choose to interact and treat each other, especially in times of legitimate and passionate disagreement. In our county, our state, and our country, over the last several years, we have witnessed and experienced a division not seen in a very long time. We do not have to accept this. We can, and must do better by working together, side by side. We need to put the unity back into community. It starts with us, and I will be your voice.”

* Melissa Tanji can be reached at mtanji@mauinews.com. Managing Editor Colleen Uechi contributed to this report.