QUESTION: Since June I have been trying to get the trash and recycling carts replaced at a home that I purchased. They were left in very bad condition, with holes in some wheels. I have been calling the Refuse Division for several months and been told the supervisor would call and let me know when I will be able to exchange all the carts for new ones. The last time I called, in December, I was told they were very busy but that I would get them in a couple of weeks. This is January and I am still waiting. What is the problem?
ANSWER: There must have been a miscommunication or a lack of communication somewhere along the line.
The city Department of Environmental Services says it will not be replacing any of your carts because the old ones were considered to be in “acceptable condition.”
Asked about your lengthy wait, Environmental Services spokesman Markus Owens said, “We don’t have an exact date when we got (your) request. However, about three weeks ago (in early January), an assistant supervisor reported to the regular automated collection supervisor that the carts were OK.”
He said the supervisor inspected the carts Saturday and changed several wheels. We understand that you have since been contacted about the decision to not replace the carts.
Refuse supervisors “are able to fix most problems such as (with) lids and wheels to keep them functional,” Owens said. “If a cart is not fixable by our supervisors or is severely cracked and cannot contain the garbage, the cart will be replaced at no charge as long as the damage was from normal wear and tear.”
Just having a dirty cart? “That is not grounds for replacement,” he said.
However, if anyone is not satisfied with the condition of a cart deemed “serviceable,” a new one may be purchased for $75, he said.
Apparently some residents don’t take good care of their carts. The advice is to regularly wash them and securely bag all rubbish.
Owens also advises not placing “any types of coals, embers, fireworks, etc. in the carts that would cause damage.”
If a cart has a broken wheel or lid, contact your district’s refuse base yard. Go to www.opala.org/solid_waste/contact/contact_us.html for contact numbers.
QUESTION: What made the Board of Water Supply start up the nice water fountain
in front of their Beretania Street headquarters again?
ANSWER: The fountain at 630 S. Beretania St. was reactivated in late November, after the BWS was “finally able” to complete needed repairs in time for the holiday season, said spokeswoman Tracy Burgo.
In September 2011, when someone last asked Kokua Line whether the fountain, which had been shut down for some time, would ever flow again, the answer was not any time soon. Part of the problem was a broken pump system.
“The last time the BWS turned off the fountain, its aging parts required repair to restart and function continuously,” Burgo said. “The BWS was finally able to complete the repairs” to get it running again.
The agency began shutting down its “iconic landmark” periodically beginning in 2001.
“In the past, the fountain had been turned off occasionally during the summer months and voluntary conservation periods to remind Oahu water users to reduce their consumption,” Burgo said.
MAHALO
To city employee Ruben Inocencio. I was headed home to Kahala after shopping at the Navy Commissary at about noon Saturday, Jan. 12, when my car started making a strange noise. I ended up on Kalihi Street with a flat tire. Frantic, I called my husband and waited 20 minutes for him to come. During that time, no one stopped to offer help. As he was almost finished changing the tire, a City and County truck stopped, and a very friendly Ruben asked if we needed help. I want to express how grateful I am for what he did. — Helene Webster
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Write to “Kokua Line” at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu 96813; call 529-4773; fax 529-4750; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
