During a recent government meeting, significant discussions centered around several bills, including a zoning change for Grace Baptist Church and amendments to the county budget and flood hazard regulations.

The meeting began with a proposal to change the zoning for Grace Baptist Church, which was met with a request for further testimony. Leslie Milner, a key speaker, highlighted the urgency of bills 112, 113, and 123 but opted not to elaborate on them at that moment. Instead, she urged the committee to consider floor action on bill 121, a housekeeping measure aimed at correcting formatting errors in the bill's final version.

Testimony continued with Mr. Law discussing the zoning change for Grace Baptist Church, referencing a legal dispute involving a century-old land deed and the separation of church and state. He expressed concerns about some churches allegedly using their land for personal gain without contributing taxes, indicating a potential visit to these churches to ensure compliance.

The committee then moved to close public testimony and accept written submissions regarding the bills. Following this, the clerk introduced bill 112, which amends the fiscal year 2025 budget for the county of Maui, and bill 113, which relates to flood hazard areas. Vice Chair Sugimura proposed discharging both bills from the Budget Finance and Economic Development Committee to facilitate the administration of a new fee for flood development permits, effective September 1.

The committee voted unanimously in favor of waiving certain procedural rules to expedite the process, allowing for the first reading of both bills. The proposed amendments would transfer responsibilities for flood hazard areas from the Department of Planning to the Department of Public Works, enabling the latter to charge fees for permit applications.

The meeting concluded with motions to pass bills 112 and 113 on first reading, reflecting the committee's commitment to addressing flood management and zoning issues in the community.