The city’s plan to eliminate garbage service for 181 condominiums, apartments and other multifamily properties and nonprofit organizations has been halted temporarily by a state judge.
The service was slated to end Saturday. But Circuit Judge Karl Sakamoto on Wednesday granted a temporary restraining order that prevents the city from implementing the plan until there is an outcome to the lawsuit filed by United Public Workers, the union that represents the refuse workers.
The UPW sought the delay.
The union argues that ending front-loader service is unconstitutional because it essentially calls for the privatization of a service that is "customarily and historically performed by civil servants," the lawsuit says.
The union also says the move violates a 1998 agreement it has with the city that requires modifications to a contract that deals with public collection of trash at multifamily properties, condominiums and nonprofit organizations to be negotiated.
Lori Kahikina, the city’s director of Environmental Services, said her department is ready to continue the service as needed, at least for the time being.
She said there are seven front-end loader trucks, all of which are "at the end of their useful life," working four routes. The City Council has consistently rejected funding for replacement trucks, which cost about $300,000 each.
"If my trucks die, I would have to hire contractors," she said.
There are about 13 UPW employees who are part of the so-called front-end loader crew and all will be transferred to other duties.
She said the owners of about 30 of the 181 properties have converted to private haulers and stopped using the city service.
Echoing the position of Mayor Kirk Caldwell, Kahikina said it is unfair for the small group of owners to continue to receive the free service when some 4,000 other multifamily dwellings and nonprofits have been paying for private pickup for years.
The decision to eliminate front-end loader service for condos and nonprofits does not affect the city’s curbside trash pickup for about 180,000 single-family households on Oahu.
