SOUTH HADLEY — The town’s trash hauler admitted this week that bad weather played a role in pickup delays over the last month, with officials from Republic Services saying they made decisions to alter collection schedules and delay driver start times with safety in mind.
“At Republic Services, safety is our top priority, and we remain committed to the safety of our drivers, the safety of our customers and the safety of the communities we are servicing,” Adam Grier, general manager at Republic Services, said in the statement Tuesday. “In the case of the inclement weather over the past weeks, sometimes this does involve delaying driver start times, temporary alternative collection schedules, or not running routes at all for a couple of days.”
Republic Services says it is working to catch up with regular service needs, though town officials report that the company has again fallen behind this week.
Leonard Finkowski, president of the Hillcrest Park condominium association, questioned at a Select Board meeting last week why the delays occurred and why the changes were not made public.
Select Board chairwoman Sarah Etelman told Finkowski that a trash truck broke down weeks ago, then a severe snowstorm followed, resulting in further delays in service. The town did not have time before the storm to put a notice in the Town Reminder, and holidays further complicated trash pickup schedules, she said.
The company did not mention equipment failure as a reason for the delays in its statement.
Finkowski has been a Hillcrest resident for 23 years, and served as the condo association president for 12 years. He said that after Republic Services failed to collect trash one week, strong winds blew it around the condo complex, forcing residents to pick it up.
“Until recently I would say their service has been very favorable,” Finkowski said. “I hope this is just a blip.”
The town announced Tuesday that it is seeking applications for a new solid waste coordinator. Town Administrator Michael Sullivan said that the town’s former solid waste manager, Veronique Blanchard, left for another job a few months ago, and the position has been vacant since.
“The problems we’re having have nothing to do with staffing,” Sullivan said.
Sullivan said he spoke with Republic Services last Friday, and was assured that the company was doing everything it could to catch up. He said the trash hauler fell behind again this week, and insisted it send drivers go back out to collect unattended routes Tuesday night.
“We appreciate our customers’ patience during this time and we remain committed to providing quality service to the local communities we are fortunate to serve,” Grier said in the statement. “We are committed to getting back on track with our routes as quickly as possible.”
In response to multiple residents’ complaints, the town temporarily extended hours of operation at the transfer station, started independently picking up old Christmas trees and created a response team to help residents for whom trash had accumulated. Etelman said the town made schedule changes public on their social media pages, too.
According to Sullivan, the town considered hiring a second contractor to pick up the slack, but it was not allowed in the contract agreement.
“Mike has made is very clear to them that when the contract comes up for renewal they will take hard look at it,” Finkowski said. “My understanding is that (trash) pickup is lucrative and they’re very well paid.”
Republic Services’ contract with South Hadley expires in June and the town will accept new bids from other waste management companies, according to Sullivan. Republic Services may reapply for the position.
Republic Services is based in Phoenix and is the second-largest waste management company in the nation based on revenue. The company services about 2,700 municipalities and employs approximately 30,000 people, according to their website.
South Hadley property owners pay an annual $65 fee for bi-weekly trash and recycling services, plus the purchase of special “green” bags for garbage. The town pays Republic Services about $829,000 per year for waste removal for about 5,800 households and businesses.
Sarah Robertson can be reached at srobertson@gazettenet.com