Aloha Wailea Ekahi Homeowners,
Maui’s a little quiet this time of year, but that doesn’t mean we aren’t keeping busy as Ekahi. Our recent hiring efforts have brought on 5 new employees, and we are fully staffed in all departments again.
The biggest news on the employee changes is the announcement about a promotion for Chloe Komiss. June 8th is Chloe’s 8-year anniversary with Ekahi, and she has developed her skills and leadership to a point where she is ready for the next step. We are thrilled to name Chloe as our Operations Manager, with direct oversight of the Pool and Maintenance Department. Chloe will be assisting with the search for a replacement pool supervisor to round out that team. Please help me in congratulating Chloe! Chloe can be reached at 808-446-1825.
In June, our AOAO office at 18B will be undergoing some upgrades to the office flooring and window coverings. Our conference room, staff kitchen, and all 3 offices will be undergoing touch-up painting and carpet installation between June 2-13. There may be brief interruptions when we disconnect the phones or move the computers for the installation. Next door in the AOAO’s STVR at 18C, we have new kitchen appliances ordered for delivery in July, and a tile surround being repaired for the guest bathroom in the first week of June.
A few of the owners that have stopped by recently mentioned that the 2025 Summer bookings seem light this year. The AOAO vacation rental managed by CoralTree, a garden view 1 bedroom 2 bathroom, currently has 19 room nights on the books for June and 13 room nights for July. August only has 3 nights booked thus far. We performed well in Q1, and at the end of April our reported revenue is ahead of the budget by about $5500.
Phase 3 is scheduled for sidewalk and pathway improvements between buildings 40-41 and 41-42 in June. With the BBQ activity at Pool 3, we wanted to provide an accessible and stable way for guests to find Pool 3 and the adjacent BBQ area. On the attached map, I’ve highlighted the pathways where SF Masonry will be pouring new cement beginning June 16th. Over the next couple of weeks, our crew members will be prepping the area with landscape pruning and plant removals to allow for a wider berth that can accommodate a beach wagon or stroller. There will be low voltage path lights added for better visibility.
While it’s still quiet in June, we are working on the storm drain grates that got bent out of shape during the paving project last year. A local welder has fabricated a few new pieces and will be making necessary improvements to what exists. The vendor will be running a generator out to the driveway to power the welding equipment, and cones will be in place for safety. If your unit is adjacent to the driveways where these drains exist, there may be some noise and nuisance associated with this work.
As we head into another hot dry Wailea summer, we are implementing landscaping processes to better aid our conservation efforts in support of the Stage 1 water restriction. We don’t know if the County will increase the allowable days of watering, but after 10 months, we are facing the realization we may never get our optimal water usage restored. We used to water some areas as much as 4x weekly, and currently we are only allowed to water twice a week for 8 hours. Our focus is on irrigation efforts with replacement controllers, irrigation components and soil moisture sensors, in conjunction with mulching our gardening beds. Dethatching of our turf is scheduled right after Labor Day in September. Last week, I stopped at Jawz Tacos in the back corner of Dolphin Plaza for some take-a-way. I had forgotten it was there, and our food was fresh, delicious and affordable. You might remember their taco truck at Big Beach, but this brick-and-mortar location still serves some fantastic specials. It’s cheap and cheerful and I can’t remember the last time I only spent $12 on a burrito in Maui! Dolphin Plaza is also home to the only German Baker on Maui, with remarkable specialty bread and pretzels at Maui Bread Co. Upstairs is Oliver and Co where you can find the cutest salon owned and operated by my long-time friend and master stylist Annie Oliver.