What's Being Discussed
The Maui County Council's Government Relations, Ethics, and Transparency (GREAT) Committee will meet on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, at 1:30 p.m. to review three legal and settlement matters involving the County:

Additional legal fees in an Evans family lawsuit: The County is asking to increase payments to outside law firm ES&A, Inc. by $250,000 (bringing the total to $450,000) to represent a County employee named Scott Martin in a civil lawsuit.
Settlement of firefighter labor disputes: The County is seeking approval to settle two cases filed before the Hawai'i Labor Relations Board involving the Hawai'i Fire Fighters Association, Local 1463. Both cases stem from a labor arbitration process that concluded in March 2026.
Additional legal fees in a Salem lawsuit: The County is asking to increase payments to outside law firm Kobayashi Sugita & Goda, LLP by $75,000 (bringing the total up to $1,000,000) for an ongoing civil case — Christopher Salem v. County of Maui.

Note: The committee is expected to hold closed (executive) sessions for all three items to discuss confidential legal matters.

Decisions Expected

The committee may vote to recommend approval or rejection of each of the three resolutions, or choose to table them for later action.

Who Should Pay Attention

Maui County taxpayers, since all three items involve public funds spent on legal representation and settlements
Maui County firefighters and their union members
Residents interested in how the County manages lawsuits and legal costs