What worked? And what didn’t? That was the goal of the Congressional Subcommittee on Government Operations and the Federal Workforce.
Officials conducted Monday’s hearing in Lahaina to examine the ongoing federal recovery efforts in the wake of the deadly wildfires.
A panel of federal administrators shared the disaster response of FEMA, the EPA, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and others involved on Maui over the past year. A second group of state and local witnesses from government and community response efforts highlighted the work that’s been completed — and the emotional toll it’s taken on the community.
"We watched it, but you lived through it," said U.S. Rep. Pete Sessions of Texas, chairman of the Subcommittee on Government Operations and the Federal Workforce, who led the hearing.
"And the people of this island suffered, and it was personal, and it was a different experience for them, but the people the United States also watched how the people of this island handled this and the devastation that took place, and we offered our not only our prayers, but also those of resiliency and braveness that were met by each of you," Sessions said.
Looking to the future was a key theme. Whether it’s addressing Maui’s housing crisis or planning what Lahaina’s rebuilding process will look like, a lot remains to be done.
Mayor Richard Bissen said a draft plan to outline the community’s vision for the future will be released next month.
“The long-term recovery project is due to be out — the draft — in October," Bissen said. "That's a result of many, many community meetings that we've held, and also neighborhood meetings, that our Office of Recovery staff has been pursuing. One of the mantras we've had is that this would be community-led and government-supported.”
Bissen said the planning takes into consideration the impacts of shoreline rules, evacuation plans, health, safety, a need for increased size of streets and many other factors.
He said there will likely be multiple drafts brought to the community, but the goal is to be finished by the end of the year.
Overall, feedback on the federal response was positive.
Community leader Keʻaumoku Kapu spoke on some areas that need improvement from a cultural standpoint.
“The federal government's response has been great throughout the recovery process and beyond," he said.
"Some hiccups when it comes to the protection of historic properties, especially when dealing with burials and understanding more of the roles of Hawaiʻi burial laws through the Hawaiʻi Revised Statutes and administrative rules, could need a lot of more clearing up and understanding on both the federal and state levels of governance.”
Lawmakers say feedback from panelists and the community will help determine what congressional action may be needed moving forward and learn from the experience in addressing future disasters.
