Not on the agenda, Veolia, excuse me, ADS, stood up to talk about trash collection Monday morning’s Lowndes County Commission Work Session. All of the new Commisioners had questions, some of which were answered. A repeat performance is scheduled for Tuesday evening: don’t miss it!
Dave Shepler, regional manager of Advanced Disposal (not on the agenda)
He said ADS wanted to start March 1 in order to give people time to mail in their cards and sign up, but the February 1st date was “what the county wanted to do.” About 400 accounts that had slow delivery, even though they called in very early; “coding error”. Can deliver about 200 carts a day, one crew is doing nothing but handling complaints. Some carts delivered without pickup information; he blamed that on the wind. Missed pickups. When the Bemiss center (presumably the one at Pine Grove) was closed over 3,000 people had not signed up, and there is trash on the ground that ADS is picking up. After 30 days they’ll stop picking it off the ground and tell people they need to sign up. Long hold times due to many people calling in at once. Over 7 people on the phone every day taking calls; 500 calls a day. Somebody complained about a callback fee, but ADS doesn’t have that. ADS sent out used carts, claiming they were recycling. Have ordered over 6500 new axles, wheels, etc. “As people call in, they’ll get repaired.” ADS may credit people who have called and waited more than a week for a cart. He said of 12,000 total residences, about 10,300 have signed up.
Demarcus Marshall to ADS: can you come back tomorrow and get in the newspaper?
Commissioner Marshall said he wished the people had the information ADS was telling the Commission, and he asked Shepler to come back tomorrow for the Regular Session, and to put something in the newspaper. Shepler said he thought putting an ad in the newspaper would help. And he thought the centers closing got peoples’ attention, adding:
We will provide this county quality service.
Chairman Bill Slaughter asked whether Shepler had said he had 125 carts scheduled for example for today to be delivered. Shepler confirmed that, and said he was getting carts to everybody who wanted them. He clarified by saying it took about four days.
Commissioner John Page also asked Shepler to return tomorrow evening to talk to the public. Shepler said he had to be in Biloxi tomorrow, but he would send somebody.
Commissioner Richard Raines asked whether a customer could go get a cart rather than waiting for delivery. Raines also wondered if there was “a representative of the media” present. Shepler said people could come to their office and get a cart. Apparently the VDT reporter was not there.
Back in November I wrote County trash plan already failing when Allgreen Services, turfed out by Lowndes County’s grant of a monopoly to ADS, took up all its garbage cans. One anonymous blog commenter didn’t like that. So, what do you think now? Can we call it failing yet?
-jsq
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