Revisiting Kahikinui CBED & Makai Management Plan Dismantling Hopelessness on Maui Paddling in Stolen Waters GenY Hawaiians Fighting Real Estate Fraud Ask Why? A&B and East Maui Irrigation Commit Massive Environmental Crimes Addressing Solutions for Maui’s Unsheltered There’s No Water Under The Bridge Maui Sand Burials & the Grand Heist of 30Mil a Year Challenge the Maui BioPesticide Mosquito Experiment Natural Birthing Needs Urgent Support in Hawai‘i Oppose BioPesticide Mosquitoes by Wed. 3/8 to BLNR Where is Maui Safe Sleeping Parking Lot? Wolbachia Mosquito Control Technique Being Reviewed Wolbachia Mosquitoes: Call to Action! Wolbachia Mosquitoes in Hawaii: Update The Tortilla Machine Blew Up Hanaside News – Thirsty Kahikinui Recap of Resource Recovery Maui 2022 Wolbachia Mosquitoes in Hawaii: Unsettled Science (Part 2) Wolbachia Mosquitoes in Hawaii: Unsettled Science (Part 1) Department of Ag Introducing New Mosquito Wolbachia bacteria-inoculated mosquitoes planned for Maui Waikapu Fence Rental DHHL: Rescind ROE for Cattle Removal in Kahikinui Hawai‘i’s Hunters Protest HogStop Resource Recovery Maui 2022 You Got My Vote 2022 Protected: Sustainable Housing TIG Protected: Stephen Loftin KOOKIES Maui ~ Playful Couture Resource Recovery Maui 2021 Ho‘olako Agriculture Consulting Protected: Mo & Sons Ranch Farm Helekunihi Cultural Foundation Faith Chase Maui Hosts Unification Rally in Response to Unlawful Mandates Kahikinui Get ‘Er Done Committee Taking The Bull By The Horns Hawai‘i Remote Education Rewards Restoration Day for Hawai‘i UnTitled Damming Evidence County Communication 20-545 Water Guns Surviving the Jaws of Corporate Fraud Re-Elect the “New Kids on The Block” Photographs by Stephen Loftin After Affects of “After-the-Fact” Special Management Area Permit Intentional Chaos Navigating Homelessness Verbiage Commission on Healing Solutions for Homelessness Introduced Vote for Farming Supporters WSL Served Cease and Desist Orders Maui County Department of Ag Moving Forward Wea ‘Da Mayor? Let the Solutions Flow ~ RESCHEDULED > Dec 26th RRMaui 2021 Sponsorship Benefits Resource Recovery Maui 2019 Replay Mom in the Kingdom How To Testify In Support of FAM Beyond Repair Costing Basics for Multi Crop Vegetables Power To The People If there is Farming, The Water must Flow Mauna Kea Protectors Reaffirm Stance to Kapu Aloha Hawai‘i – Where the Water Buffalo Roam Community Reach & Growing it Forward Raw Milk Movement Opportunity for Hawai‘i Kalama Intermediate is New Home for Upcountry Farmers Union Meetings Commodification of Culture: Notice of War Crimes Maui A&B Sugar Lands Sell for $262 Million Food Sovereignty and Food Security in Hawai‘i: Food For Thought Na Wahine Koa / Strong Women Commemorative Edition Kīpahulu Farmers Honored by Aloha Festivals Farmers Voice Hawaii √ 2018 Election Choice SATURDAY Kanaka Maoli March to Vote The Struggle For Wai Has Taken Its Toll Reporting Pesticide Use Near Hawai‘i Schools Improved Communication needed amongst Kahikinui Leaseholders Sustainable Agriculture Committee December 2017 Newsletter Ka Manaʻo o ka Lā If You Canʻt Erase, Use White Out Ka Manaʻo o ka Lā Ka Manaʻo o ka Lā Pa‘ia Developer Fails in His Promise To Reach Community How to Host A Community Meeting Ka Manaʻo o ka Lā Ka Manaʻo o ka Lā Ka Manaʻo o ka Lā Dirty Dozen Done Hawai‘i Good Ka Manaʻo o ka Lā Ka Manaʻo o ka Lā Island Air Aloha & Passwords Ka Manaʻo o ka Lā Ka Manaʻo o ka Lā Ka Mana‘o o ka Lā Ka Mana‘o o ka Lā Ka Mana‘o o ka Lā Raising Maui Girl Power Gets Good

About

Faith Chase, a 50-year resident of Maui, is a mother and grandmother who has testified at many Maui County and Hawaii State hearings. Her interest in island agriculture inspired her turn from graphic design to writing.

Remote testifying at the Maui County has become a reality after 25+ years. An alternative to public testimony has been triggered by concerns surrounding the corona virus. Maui residents can provide remote testimony for the April 9th Economic Development and Budget Committee meeting through an online program called, BlueJeans.

The new option to testify via the internet is a timely option as next week farming students on Maui look to see important budget appropriations considered. A recent decision by a statewide farming organization has forced the Farm Apprenticeship Mentoring (FAM) program to organize supporters to provide remote testimony in critical support of the program.

The successful FAM program has been struggling with fair and reasonable representation. A budget line item of $270k, originally designated for the FAM program, was abruptly diverted into a greater budget pool for the Hawaii Farmers Union United (HFUU). FAM founders and supporters are working diligently to educate their fellow Maui residents to understand and learn how to provide testimony to the Economic Development and Budget Committee.

The remote testimony program BlueJeans needs to be downloaded ahead of hearing on a computer or smart phone. The link is www.bluejeans.com. The Economic Development & Budget Committee scheduled for April 9th at 9:00 a.m. to 12 p.m can be accessed at the following link: https://bluejeans.com/59778519

If anyone needs assistance with downloading the BlueJeans app and getting started, you can request technical support by emailing BlueJeans@FarmersVoiceHawaii.com

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Background, Facts & Testimony Process

Maui County Council is currently deciding whether or not the FAM budgeted monies will be RETURNED to its own Line Item in the County Budget or if funding will remain lumped under HFUU. FAM needs its own line item in the County Budget and under its own 501.c3.

FAM will formally become itʻs own independent non-profit by the summer of 2020. In the meantime, Food Security Hawaii (FSH) as offered to host FAM temporarily. Food Security Hawaii is a local Maui non-profit with an egalitarian board.

Food Security Hawaii believes that the solution to island-wide food security and global climate change are one in the same – creating carbon rich fertile soils for local food production. World leaders are waking up to their responsibility to return atmospheric carbon to the soil. Our goal is to help farmers increase their soil fertility while sequestering atmospheric carbon, all while earning substantial financial gains through the new voluntary carbon market.

The goals of Food Security Hawaii will advance all 5 of Hawaii’s Sustainability Task Force’s goals for 2050 as well as all of the goals of Hawaii’s Carbon Farming Task Force. We will offset the carbon footprint of our tourist industry and protect the beauty of our islands by developing a healthy agricultural economy.

 

Top Reasons for Farm Apprenticeship Mentoring (FAM) independence:

FAM is a highly successful community-based beginning farmer program here in Maui County. It has been successful because of the leaders involved to date. There is no continued benefit for FAM to be managed by HFUU because it is a top-heavy state-wide organization with a complicated financial history and needs of its own.

There is a severe lack of collaboration in the HFUU administration. The decision makers failed to collect the information they needed to make an informed decision on employment of FAM program leaders. Thirteen chapter presidents from across the islands did not consult with their respective chapter board of directors before voting to fire two FAM program leaders.

The organization (singular) of Hawaii Farmers Union United (HFUU) / Hawaii Farmers Union Foundation (HFUF) has many political and inner conflicts that FAM has none of. These conflicts have negatively impacted FAM.

FAM leaders have worked well in plans to expand program offering to Moloka’i and Lāna’i. They will also increase efficacy in Hāna and Lāhaina. Councilmember Rawlins-Fernandez requested this program expansion work, and funds were made available for the deserving FAM budget for the 2020 programming.

FAM has strong ties to many community alliances like the University of Hawaii Maui College, Farm Services Agency of the United States Department of Agriculture and East Maui kalo farmers.

 

Important Related Maui County Scheduled Meetings and Agendas

The Economic Development and Budget Committee will hold meetings through April 2020 on the Fiscal Year 2021 budget.

Meeting agendas are available at: MauiCounty.us/agendas

Due to COVID-19 concerns, meetings will be conducted remotely via the BlueJeans video conferencing service. You have the opportunity to provide testimony during the meetings by using the phone number or video link provided on the meeting agenda.

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REMOTE ACCESS GUIDELINES for SPOKEN TESTIMONY for the April 9th, 2020 Maui County Council Economic Development and Budget Committee Meeting:

DATE / TIME: Thursday April 9, 9am – 12noon VIA BLUEJEANS (see directions for this platform below)

Meeting Address (once you’ve joined BlueJeans): https://bluejeans.com/59778519

 

Preparing a 3- minute testimony is advised. If you want to say more, kindly ask the council members to ask you questions afterwards.

1. Greet the Council

Aloha’e Chair Rawlins-Fernandez and members of the Committee. Thank you for your precious time and in offering an opportunity for us to speak.

2. Introduce yourself

My name is … I live … I farm X # of acres ….. I want to learn and farm X # of acres … I grow..

3. Tell your FAM story

Back up your support for Farm Apprentice M with facts. What have you witnessed while participating with FAM.

4. Make your Ask (why are you taking the time to testify today?)

What are you asking the Council to do?

Make FAM independent from HFUU as its own 501.c3, give reasons…

5. Close

Reiterate anything you want to – closing statement. And thank the Council for their time, and for their consideration.

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HOW TO CONTRIBUTE ORAL TESTIMONY for the Council via BLUEJEANS:

BlueJeans TRAINING OPTIONS


Best Practices Tips

This video is approximately 4 minutes and provides best practices, profile set up, joining & scheduling settings and meeting id set up, & overview: Getting-Started-with-Your-BlueJeans-Account


Quick Start Guide

Schedule, join and in-meeting experiences:

https://www.bluejeans.com/sites/default/files/Phone-Audio-In-Meeting.pdf


Other training option from BlueJeans

Be sure to select BlueJeans Meeting modules

https://support.bluejeans.com/s/training


Tips & Tricks for remote workers
Workday Learning has a training video called “Learning BlueJeans Meetings”:
https://support.bluejeans.com/s/article/BlueJeans-for-remote-workers-Best-Practices

Login into your Workday account
Click on the “Learning” worklet
Select “Browse Learning”
Type “BlueJeans” in the search area of the screen

 

Attending Meetings without giving testimony
If you are just going to attend a BlueJeans meeting, you do not need to sign up or download any software. Instead, go to:
https://bluejeans.com/59778519

 

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Maui County Related Information

Maui County Budget

mauicounty.us/budget2021/

 

Lift & Load County Council Member Emails

Alice.Lee@mauicounty.us, Keani.Rawlins@mauicounty.us, Tasha.Kama@mauicounty.us,Riki.Hokama@mauicounty.us, Kelly.King@mauicounty.us, Mike.Molina@mauicounty.us,Tamara.Paltin@mauicounty.us, Shane.Sinenci@mauicounty.us, Yukilei.Sugimura@mauicounty.us

 

Budget Discussion Schedule by Department (subject to change)

Quick Glance:

April 1 – budget overview, revenues, countywide costs, general budget provisions, Budget Office, Department of Finance

April 6 – Office of the County Clerk, Office of Council Services, Office of the County Auditor, Department of Corporation Counsel, Emergency Management Agency

April 7 – Department of Environmental Management, Department of Finance

April 8 – Department of Fire and Public Safety, Department of Housing and Human Concerns

April 9 – Department of Liquor Control, Department of Management, Office of the Mayor

April 13 – Department of Parks and Recreation, Department of Personnel, Department of Planning

April 14 – Department of Police, Department of the Prosecuting Attorney, Department of Public Works

April 15 – Department of Transportation, Department of Water Supply

 

Maui County Council Economic Development and Budget Committee

www.MauiCounty.us/edb

Download (PDF, 304KB)

 

Additional Contact Information
Maui County Council
Office of Council Services
200 South High Street
Wailuku, Hawaii 96793
(808) 270-7838

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LINK TO RELATED STORY: Teaching Farmers Reorganized