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Curbside garbage pickup resumed Wednesday in a Kahaluu neighborhood that had been without service since November.
Service was halted on Nov. 21 when a portion of Mapele Road collapsed after heavy rain. Residents made repairs to the road over Easter weekend — after the city said it was not responsible for reconstruction because the original developers had not turned over the road to the city for ownership.
Last week, the city said it would need a signed letter of indemnification from residents before trash pickup could resume, but city spokesman Andrew Pereira said Tuesday that Department of Design and Construction Deputy Director Mark Yonamine inspected the road and said “he’s satisfied in the meantime.”
City Environmental Services Director Lori Kahikina said Tuesday that the department has inspected the road to ensure that trucks can safely travel on it and turn around. She added that the refuse bins set up for residents at Kahaluu Regional Park would be removed by the end of this week.
“I’m really proud of the residents and how quickly they repaired the road,” Kahikina said. “We want to resume (curbside pickup) just as much as they want us to resume.”
Ken LeVasseur, who lives on the ridge above Mapele Road, said Tuesday that residents are excited for pickup to resume.
“Everybody’s very happy,” said LeVasseur, who serves as the liaison between the Kahaluu Neighborhood Board and a steering committee set up by residents to address the road’s condition. “We’re very proud of the work we’ve done.”