Director of Port Administration Barney Sene said the operation of luggage carts at the airport has been outsourced to a private company due to several factors. One key reason was the overtime costs for personnel from other airport divisions who were pulled in to operate the carts. Additionally, the old carts were breaking down and were insufficient to handle luggage weighing 250 to 300 pounds.
Sene told a House hearing that last year, the airport purchased 100 smart carts like the ones used in Honolulu. However, due to the unaffordable overtime costs associated with operating them, the decision was made to outsource cart services to a private company. There was an RFP (Request for Proposals) in January, and only one company, Legacy, made a bid. Legacy was awarded the contract to supply and operate the carts.
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Sene said Legacy spent $100,000 to purchase the 150 carts and their contract is for seven years. Under the agreement, the airport receives $1 from every cart fee. The director’s goal is that when the new airport terminal is completed, free carts will be provided for arriving passengers. The director did not know who the owners of Legacy are.
Rep. Shaun Vaa, who had raised the issue about the airport carts, noted that the company sometimes fails to issue receipts upon payment. “So how can the airport claim its share of the fees?” he asked. The director agreed that receipts should be issued at all times and said he will look into the matter.
Regarding overtime payments for airport personnel, Sene acknowledged they are behind in paying overtime. He confirmed that the last payment of overtime was during Payroll 3, while the American Samoa Government is now at Payroll 14. He emphasized that the overtime must be paid, and they are currently working on a solution to settle the backlog.
