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Maui County Council member Yuki Lei Sugimura steered the council through its months-long budget process. (Nathan Eagle/Civil Beat/2024)

In early June, the Maui County Council unanimously approved a $1.7 billion spending plan for the county in fiscal year 2025, which starts July 1. (Nathan Eagle/Civil Beat/2024)

The Maui County Council, chaired by Alice Lee, prioritized the Aug. 8 fire recovery and housing in the upcoming budget. (Nathan Eagle/Civil Beat/2024)

Hundreds of homes in Lahaina have now been cleared of fire-related debris and are being prepared for rebuilding. (Nathan Eagle/Civil Beat/2024)

Bettina Robinson was asked to repay the $58,450 she’s received from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for renting her three-bedroom Kihei home to fire survivors under its direct-lease program. (Cammy Clark/Civil Beat/2024)

Lima Charlie, one of three companies FEMA hired to run its direct-lease program, notified Robinson of the cancelation and repayment requirement in a letter saying construction on the property obstructed entrances. She refuted that claim. (Cammy Clark/Civil Beat/2024)

Business partners U’i Kahue-Cabanting and Mario Siatris, who lead coconut-weaving workshops, lost their homes in the fires. They traveled to Honolulu in June for FestPAC. (David Croxford/Civil Beat/2024)

Mario Siatris found some reason for hope as the Mela Street property he lived at in Lahaina moved another step closer to being able to return to it after the Army Corps of Engineers cleaned it. (Courtesy: Mario Siatris/2024)

Maui Mayor Richard Bissen, left, met with Army Corps of Engineers and FEMA to receive a briefing about FEMA’s temporary group housing site for fire survivors. (Cammy Clark/Civil Beat/2024)

Work is underway to prepare a 34-acre site in Lahaina for FEMA’s 169-unit temporary housing complex for fire survivors called Kilohana. (Cammy Clark/Civil Beat/2024)

Two temporary group housing projects — one state and one federal — are under construction mauka of the Wahikuli neighborhood in Lahaina. (Nathan Eagle/Civil Beat/2024)

multimedia Crews have started grading the land mauka of the Wahikuli neighborhood in Lahaina for two temporary group housing sites. (Nathan Eagle/Civil Beat/2024)

olowalu landfill dump disposal site aerial multimedia maui fire

The temporary landfill for fire debris in Olowalu. (Nathan Eagle/Civil Beat/2024)

olowalu landfill dump disposal site aerial multimedia maui fire

Lahainaluna Road, a primary artery into Lahaina, was still blocked off 10 months after the Aug. 8 fires. (Nathan Eagle/Civil Beat/2024)

As of Tuesday, the Army Corps of Engineers had cleared 1,283 residential lots out of 1,399, with all the soil sampling and final gravel cover completed on 870 of the properties. (Nathan Eagle/Civil Beat/2024)

A crowd of people went to the Kalana O Maui building in late June for the first public meeting on the mayor’s proposal to turn 7,000 short-term rentals in apartment districts into long-term housing. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024)

Maui Mayor Richard Bissen listened during the Maui Planning Commission’s deliberations on his housing proposal. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024)

Maui Planning Director Kate Blystone, left, explained the housing proposal as Maui Planning Commission Chair Kim Thayer listened. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024)

Testimony on the rental proposal, which the Planning Commission was to continue hearing in July, was split between those wanting more housing for residents and condo owners with a vested interest. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024)

Mayor Richard Bissen touted the progress that has been made in Lahaina since the Aug. 8 fire while standing with county arborist Tim Griffith under the iconic 151-year-old banyan tree during a press tour in late June. (Cammy Clark/Civil Beat/2024)

Workers were clearing fire debris from what once was the Outlets of Maui as the cleanup of the commercial properties continues. About 30% of 159 commercial properties on the Army Corps of Engineers’ list have been cleared. (Cammy Clark/Civil Beat/2024)