During last Tuesday’s Leon County Board of County Commissioners meeting, the Board heard an update regarding the curbside collection service provided by Waste Pro, Inc. The update is given quarterly to monitor the performance of Waste Pro and ensure Waste Pro is meeting expectations.
Staff reports that efforts have been made by Waste Pro since the renewal of the agreement to enhance service delivery. In addition, several tangible steps have been taken by Waste Pro resulting in fewer legitimate complaints. The County will continue to actively engage with Waste Pro and monitor contract performance to ensure satisfactory service levels are maintained.
Waste Pro Inquiries, Requests for Services, and Liquidated Damages Assessments 2018-2021
In early 2020, the Board considered contracting with another waste service company due to an increasing number of resident complaints about Waste Pro. However, in February 2020, the Board approved continuing service with Waste Pro through a renewal of the Solid Waste Franchise Agreement. Within the agreement, a condition provides for liquidated damages to be levied against Waste Pro in the event of unresolved customer complaints.
Per the agreement, the ability to levy liquidated damages is a tool the County uses to address non-compliance. Additionally, the volume and nature of customer calls is another indicator used to monitor Waste Pro services. Below is a chart indicating the types of calls and number of calls from customers with legitimate complaints and the amount in liquidated damages.
Waste Pro has 24 hours to take corrective action on a grievance of missed pick-up and seven business days to service bulky items before such an inquiry would become a legitimate complaint.
Currently, an estimated 29,000 residents in the unincorporated area subscribe to Waste Pro services. In addition, there are now an estimated 730 commercial accounts. Services include the exclusive collection of commercial solid waste, residential solid waste, recyclable materials, yard debris, and bulky waste on a subscription basis.
Leon County Receives Waste Pro Update added by Lynsey Kirk on
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Waste-Pro uses their automated excuse call-up as a weekly excuse for poor service. They send out fliers with their billing about their weekly household waste, recycle, yard waste pick-up that rarely happens. It has usually been Wednesday recycle, Thursday household, and yard debris every few weeks. I am paying for competent regular Wednesday pick-up of all three and am paying in full for that schedule under their contract. They have been failing in their contractual obligations for many, many months.
The sanitation department has left my trash here for over three weeks now, despite me having the helping hands service. As a result of a crash, I have 20 broken vertebrae and, therefore, cannot physically handle the resulting aggravation and Rodentia created by the Sanitation department’s refusal to do their job. I should note that I was billed over $500+ for my first month of service. For such an exorbitant and punitive first month’s fee, could you at least pick up the trash already?
Waste Pro of Leon County’s website states that residential yard waste will be picked up on the normal garbage pickup day. About a month ago they changed their policy to state that yard trash will only be picked up when a resident calls. They need to update the website. I know there is a driver shortage, but it is very inefficient whn they snd out a truck to pick up a small pile and leave a neighbor’s pile just 30 – 50 feet away!
“the renewal of the agreement to enhance service delivery”
Despite the issues, at least Waste Pro seems to understand that they’re delivering a service, not garbage. When Waste Management was the vendor, I had to clean the yard every week after their truck left…
Wow… somethings just don’t change. Every time (well more times than not) when the garbage or recycle truck visits my neighborhood you can see the trail of hydraulic fluid dripped all over the County’s streets. How the company can afford to spill that much fluid verses maintaining equipment is unfathomable. County staff (Mid and lower level employees) are responsive and helpful, but why our citizens, County Administration, and elected officials don’t demand this company do their job and not spray a material considered a hazardous material regulated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA) and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), is just beyond my comprehension.
Those people who cry when a tree or old house is torn down should scream at the poison being sprayed in our neighborhoods.
Disillusioned in NE Tally/Leon Co.
If I bought a ticket on Delta Airlines and go to the airport and lineup at the gate and the shiny well maintained beautifully painted jet I am anticipating boarding ends up to be a puddle jumper with a bad paint job with the wrong kind of paint I don’t think I’m going to get on that plane. Why does Waste Pro use smaller trucks with bad paint jobs and no Waste Pro logos? It screams cash flow problems!?
The county should be asking us for a WastePro update. Not WastePro!
Idiots…
@ Hope, The FSU Garbage Truck belongs to FSU for use on their Campus, they have their own Waste Dept., then they just take it to the Transfer Station when it is full. The City has a couple as well, not sure why but they do, has their Logo and Tag on them.
Tony,
They’re supposed to pick up your yard debris every week and if they’re telling you every other week then that is wrong.
You should report that and they should receive a fine for that because you pay for the service.
I think what you’re talking about they classify as bulk waste and yes you do have to call for that and they will tell you that they will pick it up from between 1 and 10 days. So on the 11th day after it hasn’t been picked up you give them a call as to why it hasn’t been picked up.
They are awful about that and yes if there are other bulk items on the street they will just ignore it when it should be picked up and not ignored. Apparently they management operates on very low-tech levels and doesn’t track their bulk waste calls and doubles back or even triples back. What a disorganized operation.
Waste Management upper management purposely directs their employees in under servicing the client. Apparently they underbid the contract. Had to pay bribes to Yordon and Scott Maddox…
David,
If they are using an FSU truck then that would be using FSU as a subcontractor and who knows what liability issues there are that need to be addressed.
Since you are running for County Commission you should request a ride along or investigate this and when you win correct it.
Perhaps if TaMaryn Waters could find time from promoting The Usual Suspects she might actually do an investigative report on this… I’m not holding my breath.
When they can’t even function and carry out their duties even the little things then you know there are bigger problems.
@ Hope: Believe it or not, it could be owned by FSU. They have their own Garbage Truck and it is small and all White. The last time I saw it, it had the FSU Logos (in dk. red) on the doors but they were very very faded. Also the City has one just like it as well. I used to see them all the Time when I was driving a Van all day for work.
@ Hope …. those they pick up. it is the other stuff, like small construction stuff. I replaced some Trim pieces and cut it up and they won’t pick it up unless I call them to will wait until I have a lot more out there. It just baffles me that they wont walk the 10 feet……LOL
Tony, you aren’t supposed to have to call. They are to pick up your yard debris, recyclables, and waste on your given day. Take a video and post it.
Something is wrong. They are stingy about picking up yard debris and you have to get an act of Congress to get them to do that. I just hire a private company to do that because it was such a hassle to get Waste Pro to do it.
Lynsey, please include in your report if possible, how much Waste Pro spends to do robo calls each week saying they weren’t able to pick up on our given day and that they will be around the next day. Also, how much does it cost for them to text us the same message? Most importantly what is the delay? Are they having a cash flow problem? Are they able to pay insurance?
I often see Waste Pro trucks being towed? Is this an indication that they cannot keep up the maintenance on the trucks?
There is also a truck that does not have any Waste Pro logo, is smaller, and is painted white? What is that about? It does not look up to standard.
How much were Gary Yordon and Scott Maddox given by Waste Pro… $200,000?
Hopefully this is one of the contracts the City of Tallahassee is investigating and the county should do likewise. I don’t know why County Administrator Vince long was not fired for participating in the illegal contract due to Scott Maddox having a conflict of interest and subsequently being convicted on a felony for other contracts.
When you take bribes and accept bribes on a contract and don’t look into is the company properly funded, insured, paying the employees a fair wage and benefits, training the employees properly, etcetera… This is why this type of corruption should be taken very seriously as it can do great harm to not only the employees on the front lines at Waste Pro, but also to the public-at-large. Vince Long, Scott Maddox, and Gary Yordon don’t care about the safety of the public-at-large they only care about themselves.
More investigations need to be done regarding the city and county contracts with Waste Pro. And Vince long needs to go or be prosecuted with Scott Maddox. He knew and did nothing and let it go through and more money changed hands between Waste Pro and Scott Maddox than J T Burnett and Scott Maddox.
Also, waiting for the TR report on the friction between City Commissioner Matlow and Ben Pingree. Let’s just say Matlow is warranted in his concerns.
MY COMPLAINT IS: Garbage & Recycle is every Wednesday, I don’t have to Call them. Yard Waste is every other Wednesday, I don’t have to call. Other Waste, I have to call them even though my Neighbor has “Other Waste” and called them, they won’t pick up mine even though it is just 10 feet away. If the Truck is coming through my Neighborhood, WHY does everyone have to call for a pick up, just DO IT.
So… who determines if a complaint is legitimate?