Is Council Chair White abusing his power for the benefit of the private interest of Ka’anapali Beach Hotel?

The community has been at odds (forever really but especially lately) with the Ka’anapali Resorts over many issues including beach access and beach parking. When the Ka’anapali hotels were built they were required to provide parking stalls for the public- you know those incredibly elusive “beach parking” stalls that are hardly ever vacant. Well public parking is harder to find than ever in Ka’anapali, as vendors, employees and even hotel valet have been improperly using them. Community activists have produced pictures and video evidence of hotels like the Ka’anapali Beach Hotel locking their beach access spaces after hours, chaining in valet parked rental cars for the night.

Let us remind you that Maui Council Chair White is also the General Manager of the Ka’anapali Beach Hotel.

In a suspiciously timed move, Council Chair White recently proposed his bill titled: A BILL FOR AN ORDINANCE AMENDING SECTION 10.48.250, MAUI COUNTY CODE, RELATING TO PUBLIC BEACH ACCESS PARKING. The intention of this legislation is to change the hours of some those 24hr beach access spaces that are on hotel property, to be closed from 9pm to 6am. What for? Why write such an anti- community bill? Why does “Hawaii’s most Hawaiian hotel” want to restrict access to fishermen and native Hawaiians? For 10 more valet spaces?

It does appear that Mike White is using his power in office to push forward an agenda of the hotel that works directly against his island community. We were hoping that this bill would get quietly filed today but since Chair White didn’t show up to defend/explain the intent of his bill the item got deferred to a later date. We’ll keep you posted on where this one goes. hopefully straight into the trash.