Michelle Anderson
From dKosopedia
Categories: Maui County, Hawaii | Hawaii Republicans
Michelle Anderson is the sitting councilmember of the Maui County Council for the South Maui residency area. A nonpartisan seat, Anderson is not a member of an organized political party.
Contents |
Background
Anderson was born in Iowa, raised in California and moved to Maui as a young adult. She has been a resident of Maui since 1981. She has a B.A. in commercial art. Prior to office, she was a small business owner and involved in Maui's culture and art scene. She worked for the State of Hawaii's Office of Planning and as a legislative aid to former South Maui Councilmember Wayne Nishiki.
Anderson demonstrates remarkable empathy to parties that appear before the Council. Council advances Ueoka rezoning
Election and Office
2004 Election and 2005-2007 term
In 2004, Councilmember Wayne Nishiki was prevented from running for re-election because of term limits established in 1992 by the voters. Eight people ran for the seat. Eight vie to replace Maui's anti-growth councilman Anderson won the primary with 6034 votes with radio personality Ron Vaught coming in second with 5357 votes. Zandra Souza-Amaral, Joe Bertram, Johnny Jackson, Johanna Amorin, Jason Norman, and Juan Cendejas placed behind the two. Maui Election Returns 2004 Primary
Shortly after winning the primary, the County Clerk's office threw out a complaint by Johnny Jackson, sixth place finisher, attacking Anderson's South Maui residency. Challenge to Anderson's residency status denied During the general election campaign, Anderson was considered sympathetic to environmental concerns while Vaught was considered sympathetic to the development and business community. Council candidates air their differences Also, see Stands on growth separate
Anderson beat Vaught 22,121 to 18,309. Maui Election Returns 2004 General This feat was very well-earned considering Vaught raised $72,925 compared to Anderson's $36,070. Money not everything in Maui races
Anderson served as the water Committee Chair during her first term. During her first term, Anderson has criticized attempts to minimize the impacts of tourism when engaging in land use planning. General plans would be completed in 2008 Anderson voted against the Waipuilani Estates subdivision in Kihei because the applicant had failed to address traffic and drainage problems. Waipuilani Estates wins initial approval
Anderson also encouraged the Council to comment community issues that the County did not have direct authority over like the calling for a Superferry EIS Council calls for Superferry EIS and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Council takes on national controversy.
Anderson voted against the Waiolani Pikake subdivision in Waikapu after hearing from old-time residents of Waikapu with unresolved concerns regarding the development. Council advances Waikapu project Anderson voted against Spencer's Stable Road project when the terms of an agreement with Maui Coastal Land Trust indicated the developer would retain control over the beach portions of the so-called open-space. Council advances Stable Road plan The Council subsequently referred the project back to committee when further investigation by Anderson disclosed additional problems regarding public access to the shoreline. Spreckelsville project sent back for review
Anderson eventually cast the lone dissenting no vote on the Spencer Stable Road development. Agreement for access added to rezoning
Anderson voted against Sterling Kim's Hale Mua 201G fast track development because the proposal segregated affordable housing from luxury houses and because the project had gone from 100 percent affordable to 20% of the acreage to affordable housing. Lawmakers concerned about trade-offs
Anderson raised concerns over A&B's Haliimaile Project's claim of affordable housing pointing out that most local Maui residents cannot afford houses valued at $700,000. Councilors not done with A&B project She subsequently voted against A&B's Haliimaile project. Haliimaile project gets council's final approval
Anderson questioned the appropriateness of appointing Warren Suzuki, who was a corporate officer of Maui Land & Pineapple Co., Maui's second largest private landowner, to the General Plan Advisory Committee. Council OKs general plan committees
Anderson voted against Kapalua Mauka's approval in committee. Kapalua project moves along Anderson voted against Kapalua Mauka's approval on first reading before the Council. Kapalua Mauka handed initial OK Anderson voted against Kapalua Mauka's final approval before the Council. Divided council approves Kapalua Mauka
Shortly after the Kapalua Mauka approval, five of the six council supporters were discovered dining together with officials of Alexander and Baldwin at Mama's Fish House in Kuau. Anderson was not invited to the sworee.Select few councilors dine with A&B chiefs
As Water Committee Chair, Anderson also got the Council to agree to urge the Water Supply Department to stop using the Hamakuapoko wells for Paia. Panel urges end to plans Anderson also used the budget request for the Hamakuapoko wells to bring attention to Arakawa's contradictory policies. Council members leery of plans for wells The Council eventually cut the budget request from the budget. Council panel cuts funds After being ignored by Arakawa's administration, Anderson led the council to ban the use of the wells by law. Council moves to bar polluted wells
Anderson voted along with a majority of the council to refuse to confirm Randall Endo, corporate officer of Maui Land & Pineapple Co., to the Board of Code Appeals. Panel nominees spark disagreement
Anderson used a budget request to turn the disputed Montana Beach house into an environmental center to question Mayor Alan Arakawa's policy of using a building that the County had opined shouldn't have a building on it. Demolish disputed house
Anderson also brought public attention Arakawa's surreptitious approvals of Maui Lani projects' ignoring of zoning and grading laws. Anderson, mayor butt heads over Maui Lani Anderson provided the public with a lengthy dossier of documents over Arakawa's disputed actions. Subdivision fill policy may cover more projects Her investigation led local residents, with the help of Wailuku attorney Lance Collins, to file suit against the County and subsequently to receive an injunction against further building. Judge puts hold on raised Maui Lani lots
Anderson voted against a proposed charter amendment that would create significant limits to persons injured by the county's negligence. Proposal to reduce deadline for claims
Anderson voted to support strict requirements for affordable housing of all developments. Council approves housing policy
2006 Election and 2007-2009 term
In 2006, Anderson was not challenged and was uncontested in her reelection to the CouncilMaui Election Returns 2006 General Election Regardless, Anderson was endorsed by the Sierra Club Hawaii. Support from Sierra Club Hawaii
As part of her commitment to the county enforcing the laws as written, Anderson has been a vocal opponent of unpermitted or illegal vacation rentals. This opposition has included claims of waiver or amnesty by successive county administrations. Council panel debates vacation rentals Anderson also has raised concerns over the Planning Department and Corporation Counsel's creative uses of zoning law to avoid admitting previous mistakes. 20 years later, doctors may get their zoning
Anderson began the process of terminating confusion over the 2002 charter amendments which removed the Department of Water Supply's semi-autonomous status by creating legislation which explicitly gave the Board of Water Supply authority to hear appeals of the Water Supply director. Water board site of appeals Other water policy changes included hearing and approving the "Show Me The Water" bill that requires proposals for development to show an available, committed source of water for the twenty years following build out. Planning development? Bill: Show me the water The final bill, however, removed the twenty year requirement. Council OKs 'show me the water' bill
During committee deliberations on the proposed Wailea 670 development, Anderson had registered her concerns over the Council's land use committees use of recessing meetings to avoid taking new public testimony. In July, Anderson with Jo Anne Johnson and Mike Victorino requested a public hearing under a special minority-councilmember provision of the County Charter, so that people in South Maui could provide testimony on the project. New public hearing required for Honua'ula Eventually, Council Chair Riki Hokama brokered a deal whereby the three withdrew their request and the Land Use Committee would honor Anderson's original request and hold a new meeting in South Kihei at night. Molina agrees to Kihei session
Anderson rejected Maui Lani Partner's attempt to use a proposed affordable rental project to satisfy affordable housing requirements when it was uncovered that monthly rents would be as high as $1,453 for a three bedroom unit before utilities. Councilors find housing details hard to swallow
During review and deliberation on Wailea 670, Anderson routinely questioned the developer's representative over a variety of incomplete aspects of its application. Water available for Honua'ula, but not enough Anderson also proposed monitoring marine water quality. Some progress on Honua'ula Anderson also proposed a condition for a large conservation easement for endangered native plants on the property. Panel mulls plant preserve Anderson proposed conditions related to reporting of the development's proposed wastewater facility. Committee OKs wastewater condition Anderson also intensely questioned the developer on failing to submit required preservation/mitigation plans for known archaeological sites, pointing out that the basis inventory had not been approved by the State's Historic Preservation Division. Council panel nearing Honua'ula decision A condition established based upon those decisions were later gutted out by motion of Danny Mateo. Honua'ula cultural protection limits disputed
Anderson voted against committee approval of the Wailea 670 project. Honua'ula wins committee OK The first reading of Wailea 670 involved first the addition then the reconsideration a variety of conditions to the development. Anderson voted no on the development at first reading. Honua'ula clears first reading Anderson voted no on the development at second and final reading. Council approves Honua'ula zoning 5-4
On July 15, 2008, Anderson informed Maui that, due to family concerns, she would not be seeking re-election and promptly endorsed former South Maui Councilmember Wayne Nishiki.
External Links
- Coumcilmember Michelle Anderson (Maui County)
This biographical article is a stub. You can help dKosopedia by expanding it. Please adhere to our Policies. Before editing any pages, you must first register and log in.
![[Main Page]](../../../../upload/banner-blue-135.jpg)