GARY T. KUBOTA / GKUBOTA@STARBULLETIN.COM
Maui County Mayor-elect Alan Arakawa, right, celebrated his election win Tuesday in Kahului with environmentalist Robert Parsons. Parsons endorsed Arakawa in the general election.
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By Gary T. Kubota
gkubota@starbulletin.com
Arakawa, 51, who defeated incumbent Mayor James "Kimo" Apana in Tuesday's general election, won a key endorsement from environmentalist Robert Parsons, who garnered 13 percent of the vote in the mayoral primary in September.
Arakawa said he has not decided yet who will fill the new positions, or the Cabinet positions in the administration.
In an interview yesterday, Arakawa said he will not only seek out some people for the posts, but he is also inviting people, including Democrats, to apply.
"I want the best and brightest in my Cabinet," he said.
Arakawa ran unsuccessfully for mayor as a Republican in 1998 against the Democrat Apana but won in this year's election under a new nonpartisan format.
Arakawa, who will assume the office of mayor on Jan. 2, said he expects to make a decision on appointments in the next two weeks so his department heads will have time to work with the Apana Cabinet and find out the status of county projects and programs.
"I'm planning to hit the ground running," he said.
Arakawa said the environmental coordinator will work with groups in the community and look for money to deal with a variety of problems, including alien species, erosion, storm runoff, overgrazing by axis deer and the defoliation of Maui's forests.
Parsons said he supported Arakawa in the general election partly because he liked the idea of an environmental coordinator.
"It's been sort of a missing ingredient," Parsons said.
An environmental coordinator could oversee enforcement of environmental laws and also look at creating a sustainable environment in the county, Parsons added.
Arakawa, who grew up on a farm in Omaopio, said he wants the agricultural coordinator to talk with farmers and determine the county's focus in the industry.
Arakawa said the agricultural coordinator would look at helping farmers in various ways, including the development of new markets, the building of more farm reservoirs and the addition of agricultural park land.
Arakawa said he also has to adjust to changes in county government due to the passage of several Charter amendments, including the placement of the Water Board under his administration and the establishment of a department of transportation.
He said in terms of cutting back projects of the previous administration, he plans to take a look at the proposed $3.1 million Lanai Police Station and see if the county can reduce the size of the project.
He said he plans to reinstitute air ambulance service in the county and develop emergency landing pads in various communities and will also take a thorough look at the escalating cost of health insurance for county workers.
"I have real concerns," he said. "We're going to have to start cutting back in some areas if we're going to have health insurance."
County of Maui
