Mayor Alan Arakawa answers some of the most-asked questions submitted to his office staff.

Question: I am a Lahaina business owner and also work for one of the global hospitality leaders. A few months ago, I took a trip to the Mainland. My travels included stops at the St. Louis, Denver, Eugene and San Francisco airports. I try to stay hydrated and usually purchase several bottles of water at the airports. In every airport I visited, there were a number of accessible containers for recycling bottles and newspapers. To my dismay, when I returned home to Maui, I couldn’t find one receptacle to recycle my plastic bottles. I found this nearly impossible to believe, since we are such a global destination and wanting to become more “green.” Is there anything you can do to provide this important feature in our airport? I appreciate your “Ask the Mayor” column and for providing a channel for public opinion and inquiry. Thanks in advance for your consideration.

Answer: Thank you for the feedback. All Hawaii airports are under the jurisdiction of the state Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Airports Division. At Kahului Airport, HI-5 beverage bottle recycling bins are available at the TSA checkpoint, and recycling bins for cardboard and other materials are located in the back-of-house. DOT-Airports maintenance staff separate out cans, bottles and other things that can be recycled from rubbish bins in the secure areas as well as from the recycle containers near the TSA checkpoints. In the future, DOT-Airports plans to have more specific recycle bins throughout its airport system.

Question: What happened to the ambulance that was stationed at the Lahaina Comprehensive Health Center area? For the past month, the ambulance has no longer been there. There seems to be an exercise machine parked in its place? Mahalo for providing the “Ask the Mayor” column!

Answer: You’re welcome. The ambulance is operated under a state contract with American Medical Response (AMR), and Lahaina Comprehensive Health Center is a state-owned building operated by the state Department of Health. According to AMR Maui Operations Manager Curt Morimoto, the ambulance had to be moved approximately a month ago due to a sewage leak at the building that forced AMR staff to relocate. State District Health Officer Dr. Lorrin Pang said that the building is being assessed and that any needed repairs will be made to allow AMR staff to reoccupy the building at some point in the future. Until then, the ambulance and its paramedic crews will continue to serve the West Side from the temporary Lahaina location.

Want to “Ask the Mayor?” Submit your questions about County of Maui programs, services, operations or policies to Mayor Alan Arakawa via e-mail at AskTheMayor@mauicounty.gov, phone 270-7855 or mail to 200 S. High St., Ninth Floor, Wailuku, HI 96793. Questions submitted will be considered for inclusion in the “Ask the Mayor” column.