Expanded Service at Central Maui Landfill Postponed

Central Maui Landfill. File photo County of Maui.

Maui County has postponed opening the Central Maui Landfill on Sundays as the department of Environmental Management works out logistical, personnel and budget issues.

During his Jan. 2 inaugural address, Mayor Victorino announced the landfill opening as of early February.

Mau Victorino said his vision of expanding landfill hours to another day as outlined in his inaugural address, outpaced the necessary personnel and budgetary processes needed to make it a reality at this time.

“I stand by family and local values. Sundays are indeed a time for our landfill employees to spend with their families,” Mayor Victorino said. “Many of them already work Saturdays, so adding a Sunday workday is a lot to ask. Without adding more staff, the additional day would be working a complete weekend for them. Still, our community should have access, in the long term, to the landfill on Sundays, a second day when most people are off from work. I believe that opening the landfill on Sundays would be environmentally sound and customer-friendly.”

County officials say budget and senior management are working with employee union partners to explore ways–including the hiring of more staff– to open the landfill on Sundays.

Details such as costs, personnel requirements and landfill hours remain undetermined.