Kokua Line
Kokua Line
Question: Regarding green garbage and non-garbage such as book cases and water heaters and so on and so forth that's left out on the street for weeks. Isn't there a regulation or rule about leaving that stuff out for two weeks? Our neighborhood was relatively nice but now is full of bulky items left out for two to three weeks. There’s a time and
place for everything,
even garbageQ: My neighbor leaves their automated trash receptacle out on the street 24 hours a day, seven days a week, which causes problems. What can be done legally?
Q: Every day for the past 10 years, I have driven past a house on Dole Street that always has piles of old furniture, mattresses, tires and appliances on the sidewalk. I have wondered why that neighborhood board or police has not done something about the disgusting mess and eyesore. Why is the owner allowed to do this year after year?
Answer: These are just a sample of the complaints we've received recently about household trash left on the sidewalk or curb.
Whether it's household trash, yard waste or bulky items such as appliances, the law is they should not be put curbside earlier than the evening before the scheduled collection day, said David Shiraishi, the city's refuse collection administrator.
You're advised to place refuse or trash containers at the curb by 6 a.m. on collection days, but not before 6 p.m. the previous evening. Some homeowners may fudge a little on either side of the time period. You might give them a break.
But for egregious infractions -- such as the examples above -- you can call the nearest collection yard, Shiraishi said: Honolulu 523-4685; Aiea-Pearl City-Ewa, 455-1725; Kailua-Waimanalo, 262-4386; Kaneohe 247-3553; Koolauloa (Laie) 293-5657; Haleiwa-Waialua, 637-4795; Wahiawa-Mililani, 621-5241; and Waianae, 696-3421.
Meanwhile, the city encourages recycling green waste, Shiraishi said. You can do this by leaving grass clippings on your lawn and/or by starting a backyard compost pile (for information, call the City Recycling Office at 527-5335). Otherwise, people are advised to dispose of green waste in trash containers, if there is enough room.
The city also manually collects bundled and bagged green waste from automated collection neighborhoods twice a month for mulching and composting. About 80 percent of Oahu now has automated collection, he said.
Yard waste collection days are indicated on the sticker placed of rubbish carts. If not, call the nearest collection yard (see above).
Auwe
To property managers who rent houses in quiet, low-density family neighborhoods to groups of four or five 20-something bachelors, then close their eyes to the fact that twice (or more) that number hang out and habitually sleep over. It is not surprising that the fraternity house or barracks atmosphere thus created is resented by neighbors who wish to live in a community of single-family homes. While property managers are, of course, responsible for maintaining a "bottom line," they seem to have a concurrent responsibility to honor the sensibilities of neighbors. Instead, many of them will simply point to the letter of the law and attempt to paint the unhappy neighbors as chronic complainers. -- C.R.R. on Kina Street
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Call 529-4773, fax 529-4750, or write to Kokua Line,
Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., No. 7-210,
Honolulu 96813. As many as possible will be answered.
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