The first thing that must be rebuilt in Lahaina is trust.

Those were the sentiments of two women we spoke with Thursday in the Lahaina Cannery Mall parking lot. Sitting on the tailgate of a rusty truck and having a smoke, they said residents feel anxiety over the speed with which decisions are being made concerning the town’s future. While its people grieve the loss of lives, homes and belongings, they worry outsiders are already dividing up the land to determine what comes back, what gets moved and what is gone forever.

Asked if their distrust was directed at federal, state or county government, they said it ran the gamut. Feeling excluded, still overwhelmed by the enormity of their losses, they feared Lahaina’s rebuild would only worsen its inequities. Many folks had to work three jobs to pay rent before the fire, they say. Will those renters be allowed any input in guiding Lahaina’s path forward? Will they be able to afford to live in the new Lahaina? Could someone with no aloha for the town swoop in with enough cash to seize control? Or to turn a tidy profit while mucking up the works?

Five weeks have passed since wind-driven wildfires claimed at least 115 lives and reduced most of the picturesque harbor town to rubble and ash. We’re not sure how much official planning has been done in such a short time, but can imagine a chorus of out-of-state civil engineers, developers and speculators poring over our tax map key.

Hawaii Gov. Josh Green and Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen can begin building trust among Lahaina’s doubters through transparency and collaboration. When those two leaders meet with the public to discuss Lahaina’s rebuild, we suggest they leave their charts and slide shows until the end. Start by listening. The people of Lahaina have had it up to here with the top-down approach. If we would all just grant them a moment, they have a lot to say.

Green, Bissen and their people should squelch the urge to preemptively inform the group that Lahaina must have better evacuation routes and fire protections, that it will never hug the shoreline as it once did. Before telling people that some neighborhoods will have the same footprint, and others, including the center of town, could be reconfigured, try listening. Lahaina’s shell-shocked residents have had five long weeks to consider what comes next. They know the lay of their town. Its history flows through their veins. Listen.

No matter how chaotic the meeting, or how long it goes, give them a chance to be empowered and heard. Lahaina faces a long cleanup. Lawsuits over the fire are predicted to drag for as long as five to 10 years. We can’t wait for all that dust to settle before letting Lahaina residents know they deserve a seat at the table.