MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Issues over the Republic contract for waste and recyclables continue for residents in the City of Morgantown.
Over half of the active members of Morgantown City Council voiced concerns related to waste pickup during the end of Morgantown City Council’s regular meeting Tuesday night. Issues varied from the timing of pickups to communications with contracted disposal company Republic Services and included interactions with the public and with members of the city council themselves.
“I have heard and reported a lot of complaints about missed pickups and early neighborhood pickups,” said Deputy Mayor Danielle Trumble on concerns she’s heard regarding trash services.
Trumble, along with Councilors Bill Kawecki, M. Joe Abu-Ghannam, and Mayor Jenny Selin, each voiced a different issue involving Republic Services and their recent performance of duties. While Trumble voiced issues over the timing of pickups that have affected residents, Kawecki described situations where residents didn’t have either the 96-gallon waste bin or the 35-gallon recycle bin provided as part of the service provider’s contract with the city.
“The difficulty I find too, though, is that we don’t seem to have an inventory of anything, not even the recycle bins,” said Kawecki on what he’s seen around Morgantown. “I know there’s one rental property near my area that has four recycle bins in front of it and no trash can,” he said.
Councilor Abu-Ghannam described an incident where Republic Services asked for medical information in order to have a trash bin smaller than the 96-gallon waste container given to Morgantown residents. In his request for a smaller bin due to the size of his wife, Abu-Ghannam alleges that Republic Service representatives requested doctor-signed medical information despite guarantees from Republic Service officials that those types of issues would be avoided.
“When I called about it, because my wife is too short to move the garbage bin, in return they asked for a doctor’s note,” said Abu-Ghannam. “Which I’m not quite sure where Republic’s business is (having) our doctor be involved,” he said.
As part of the contract with the City of Morgantown and Republic Services, the city has the right to issue fines for drops in performance that can vary from missed pickups to a failure to replace a container within a ten-day notice. Trumble, along with the rest of the Morgantown City Council, affirmed that if the same level of service continues, action should be expected to be taken by the city.
“I would like to remind everyone that when we were re-negotiating the contract, we had a commitment that we would be implementing those fines that are written out in the contract,” said Trumble. “And at least on my part, I’m happy to give you video every time they’re through my neighborhood at 5:30 a.m.,” she said.