Brenden Moore
The State Journal-Register
Yard waste across vast swaths of Springfield has not been picked up in a timely or reliable matter, a Republic Services representative acknowledged before the Springfield City Council Tuesday evening.
“We understand your frustration. We take full responsibility. We underestimated some of the yard waste clippings that have generated this spring, and we’ve placed plans to get things back on track,” said Dan Winters, regional general manager for Republic.
Winters was asked to explain the current situation after several council members have fielded multiple calls from residents whose yard waste has not been picked up.
Republic was awarded a $770,440 contract in April to be the city’s sole yard waste collector this year.
The new collection program uses a set schedule of no-sticker pickups every other week from April through December, replacing the city’s longstanding program that provided free curbside pickups for a few weeks in the spring and fall and required residents to attach $2 stickers to yard-waste bags to have them collected during other times of the year.
The expanded program — which is being funded by an increase in the city’s waste and recycling fee from $3 to $4.50 a month — means that yard waste pickup should happen uninterrupted every other week through the end of the year, alternating each week between the northern and southern halves of the city.
Yet, several have reported problems getting yard waste picked up under the new system.
Ward 7 Ald. Joe McMenamin said several Ward 7 neighborhoods between Chatham Road and Veterans Parkway received no yard waste pickup last week.
“They really got to show a much-improved delivery of services for the summer than what we’ve seen so far,” McMenamin said. “We can all understand how they’ve entered a new service agreement for which they had no precedent and no prior experience, but they are contractually obligated to meet their obligations. Basically it’s a breach of contract when they have entire portions of the city that go unpicked up.”
Acknowledging the botched rollout, Winters said the company is working to dig itself out by adding a third truck route and more trucks. He said they hope to be caught up by the end of the week and that as they become more familiar with the neighborhoods, service will get more reliable.
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Most council members seemed satisfied with the company’s commitments to get it right.
“I think we’re all glad to see two high-level representatives come here tonight and speak to us, and they basically understood the situation they’re in with the residents of Springfield and I think they’re committed to making improvements,” McMenamin said.
Joe McMenamin for Ward 7 