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Editor’s note: For Hawaii’s Nov. 5 General Election, Civil Beat asked candidates to answer some questions about where they stand on various issues and what their priorities will be if elected.

The following came from Alice Lee, candidate for Maui County Council Wailuku-Waihee-Waikapu District. The other candidate is James Forrest.

Go to Civil Beat’s Election Guide for general information, and check out other candidates on the General Election Ballot.

1. Clearly, Maui County faces big issues related to the fires. What’s the primary thing Maui needs to do now to recover from the fires?

We need to provide sufficient long-term temporary housing that can be occupied by February when FEMA programs end, and continue working on permanent housing.

The focus must be on the west side because that is where Lahaina people want to return. And this means providing sufficient water and other infrastructure, which will require coordination with the state.

2. What should Maui do to encourage people to stay? What can the county do to ensure that families aren’t priced out?

People will stay if they have homes that they can afford and jobs that pay a living wage. The council has budgeted more than $75 million in the upcoming budget to subsidize new workforce housing projects, including projects on the west side.

3. Do you support the new state law that allows counties to regulate and even shut down short-term rentals? Why or why not?

Yes, because the counties should have “home rule” over this level of regulation; the state should not have the final say on whether or how these uses are allowed. It should be up to the counties.

I have concerns over the proposed shutdown of short-term rentals, though, which is why the council will commission a study to analyze its potential impacts, both good and bad.

4. What’s your vision for Lahaina? How should it be rebuilt and who should decide?

The community, residents and property owners should decide in consultation with the county. The county’s role would be in land use planning and the provision of adequate infrastructure.

The question of how Lahaina should be rebuilt should have been asked months ago so that a plan could be developed in case some properties cannot be redeveloped, such as those along the shoreline that are threatened by coastal erosion and sea level rise.

My vision is for Lahaina to retain and restore as much of its historic and cultural heritage as possible, and for it to continue to have a walkable, livable mix of residential, business, public and service uses that put the needs of our residents first.

5. What should elected officials do to restore trust in county government?

Trust has to be earned by your words and actions.

Everyone, especially elected officials, must be true to their word. Elected officials in particular must tell “the whole truth” and not provide only selective information when responding to inquiries or requests, and must be responsive to the public.

6. Do you think Maui County should do more to manage water resources? Why or why not?

Yes, absolutely.

The August 2024 wildfires and the need to rebuild and provide new temporary and permanent housing in Lahaina has shown the problem of our current regulatory framework where the county cannot just develop new water sources to meet our needs — the state must approve.

County officials have better awareness of the community’s water needs, for housing, agriculture, subsistence, fire protection, cultural practices, recreation, etc., than officials on Oahu.

7. What is the first thing Maui County should do to get in front of climate change rather than just reacting to it?

We face two immediate threats from climate change, both of which have already shown us that we cannot wait to act: wildfire hazards and coastal erosion/sea level rise.

For wildfire hazards, several key agencies have produced “after action reports” with findings and recommendations, many of which relate to being proactive and better prepared. These recommendations need to be put into effect, either through policy and practice or through law.

For coastal erosion/sea level rise, the rebuilding of Lahaina can show us how to build responsibly and resiliently, and these practices can be replicated county-wide.

Additionally, we need a comprehensive and realistic plan for existing coastal development that is imminently threatened.

8. Homelessness is becoming more of an issue on Maui. What do you think needs to be changed to help people get into housing, and stay housed?

We need to learn from past mistakes and work collaboratively with housing developers on solutions that meet our residents’ needs and the developer’s bottom line.

For decades, our market and affordable housing supply kept up with demand through market forces and county workforce housing requirements. When these requirements became too strict, developers stopped building new homes. When the requirements were then loosened, we began to see new developments again.

However, there is a temptation to impose additional requirements, with the well-intentioned goal of providing more housing at affordable and workforce rates; but such requirements will only result in another cycle of reduced supply.

9. Traffic is getting worse on Maui, and different regions face different challenges. What would be your approach to improve Maui’s transportation problems?

Since our roadway system involves both county and state jurisdictions, this must be a collaborative effort. The Maui Metropolitan Planning Organization is the county’s transportation planning agency that coordinates and schedules county, state and federal funding for county and state transportation projects.

We have many planned solutions for traffic congestion, such as new roads and improved roadway alignments, but are constrained by available funding.