WAILUKU >> Maui County Council members are talking about reorganizing themselves and replacing acting Chairman Dain Kane. Maui County Council
considers reorganizingBy Gary T. Kubota
gkubota@starbulletin.comBut Council members have agreed to hold off discussion about picking a permanent Council head until someone is selected to fill the late Council Chairman Patrick Kawano's seat on Molokai.
Talks about reorganization are expected to take place in early August.
Council members scheduled a special meeting for 6 p.m. Monday to talk with prospective applicants for the Molokai seat.
The location of the meeting has been tentatively set at the Mitchell Pauole Center in Kaunakakai.
The Council plans to fill the vacancy at a meeting starting at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday in the Council chambers on Maui.
Council members have 30 days, or until July 22, to select a replacement. The vote requires a majority of five members. Otherwise, the authority to fill the position is transferred to the mayor, according to the County Charter.
Under the Charter, the prospective appointee is required to be a resident of Maui County for 90 days, live on Molokai and be a qualified voter of Maui County.
Each of the nine Council members, who run at large, has a different district residency.
Kawano, 71, died at his Kaunakakai home on June 22 from complications caused by diabetes, leaving Council Vice Chairman Kane to assume the acting role as leader.
Several Molokai residents have indicated they are interested in filling the Council seat, including Dennis "Danny" Mateo, an executive assistant under Kawano who has the support of the late chairman's family.
Kawano was planning to end his Council service after this year and had endorsed the candidacy of Mateo.
Kawano's daughter Adrienne said the appointment of Mateo to complete the remaining six-month term would honor her father's legacy.
"This appointment is about fulfilling our dad's request and wishes," she said.
Councilwoman Charmaine Tavares indicated she is interested in becoming chairwoman.
Except for Councilman Michael Molina, who publicly expressed support for Kane, Council members indicated they wanted to discuss the resolutions in the near future.
Other people have indicated an interest in filling the Molokai Council seat. They include:
>> Oliver "DeGray" Vanderbilt, a retired businessman. He's serves as a member of the Molokai water working group, an advisory committee to the state Commission on Water Resource Management, and has served on the county advisory committee for the Molokai Community Plan.
>> George Kahinu Jr., sales supervisor for Loves Bakery.
>> Beverly Pauole-Moore, Molokai supervisor for the state unemployment office. She was a member of the appeals board for county property taxes.
>> Stephanie Crivello, retired GTE manager. She is a board member and past president of Ke Aupuni Lokahi, the nonprofit group that serves as a steering committee for Molokai Enterprise Community projects.
Maui County
