Palm Coast government today warned Waste Pro in a letter that the city may end its $9 million contract with the hauler that’s provided garbage service citywide since 2007. The city is citing repeated and “severe” service failure despite past attempts going back to last year to correct problems that have added up to at least 4,565 customer complaints just in the last six months, and almost $30,000 in fines levied against the company. The city says Waste Pro is in breach of contract.
The city has been contacting other haulers to perform the work if necessary.
“The City has repeatedly notified Waste Pro, over the past year, of deficient services provided by Waste Pro” under its contract, City Manager Matt Morton wrote Tom Dolan and Brian Wintjen, Waste Pro’s regional vice presidents, in a two-page letter today. “However, the deficiencies still exist and are more becoming more severe and more frequent.”
Waste Pro had a difficult 2017 with the city, piling up fines and complaints. It had a better 2018 and 2019. But Complaints started picking up again toward the end of 2020, becoming worse each month with the new year and raising tensions with the hauler.
“I apologize to you and the City of Palm Coast for the service delays in the past weeks,” Wintjen wrote Morton on April 1. “We have run into an issue regarding hiring helpers as well as obtaining temporary helpers from various agencies we currently use. We have been typically short 4- 6 helpers daily causing the delays. I believe this is a problem that will be corrected within a couple of weeks.”
Wintjen at the time said the company had contracted with three additional temporary providers in Jacksonville and St Augustine, increased pay for all “drivers and helpers” to increase current employees’ pay and raise the starting rate (he did not provide figures) and would hold a job fair and advertise for needed workers. “The service issues are not deep rooted with being short on trucks or drivers,” he wrote Morton.
But Waste Pro was required later that month to come up with a “performance improvement plan.” The company pledged to acquire three additional rear-loaders for the city to help with continued growth and hire additional drivers, as well as add office staff to track complaints (complaints in Palm Coast are lodged through the city’s customer-service staff). “We have set a goal of hiring enough positions to cover all routes, vacations, call-out’s and the driver down time due to the initial training at the time of hire,” the performance plan states. “Our Regional HR manager will be in Palm Coast every week until we are completely staffed. Waste Pro has a job fair set up with a local staffing company on April 27th and plan to have one monthly to help with hiring of additional drivers and helpers.”
The company was also establishing separate supervisors for the Palm Coast and Flagler County areas, “coaching our drivers, doing route observations and coordinating completion of all routes and complaints in the field.” The plan pledged to “maintain a laser focus on customer complaints.”
It apparently did not resolve the problems.
“Garbage collection is an essential service for residents of Palm Coast and the City is dedicated to providing timely and consistent service to residents,” Morton wrote the company’s regional vice president. “The collection services continue to be at unacceptable levels and the City cannot sit idly by and let this continue. It is a priority to provide quality service to our residents. Waste Pro must, within the 7 day notice provided herein, comply with all service level requirements, or the city may have no choice but to pursue its contractual options, including but not limited to claim upon the performance bond and/or self-help, cost of which will be deducted to any amounts due to Waste Pro.”
Waste Pro lost the contract with Beverly Beach two years ago over customer dissatisfaction. Beverly Beach returned to contracting with Flagler Beach for hauling services. Flagler Beach and Bunnell governments have their own, in-house garbage service. Waste Pro’s current contract with Palm Coast expires in 2022. The city began its many steps toward a request for proposals several months ago. Among those steps was a survey gauging customers’ satisfaction and wants from their current service. Waste Pro did not fare badly, with 67 percent of residents liking their garbage service. Not stellar, but not as badly as perceptions of persistent complaints might have let on.
The city council is not interested in major changes. But its members grow impatient with the hauler the more complaints they get. This latest breakdown does not bode well for the company’s future in the city. Waste Pro also provides garbage services for Flagler County’s unincorporated residents in a “piggy-back” contract with county government.
Waste Pro has been in that very spot before, especially in 2017, when labor shortages were not the issue they are today. Morton’s predecessor at the time summed up the state of hauling in the city in two words: “It stinks.” Waste Pro addressed the problem and entered a two-year period of calm satisfaction with and in the city.
Today, Palm Coast is requiring yet another “written work plan and immediate action to be taken by Waste Pro consistent with contractual obligations.” But the city appears disillusioned.
“Given the amount of services that need to be completed on a daily basis and the history of Waste Pro’s failures, the City is strongly considering additional waste hauling, recycling, and debris contractors with their own work force,” Morton’s letter stated, “and would like to work closely with you to assure the contractual services are met.” The city is also invoking the contract’s surety bond, meaning that if the city were to incur additional expenses to ensure garbage service, Waste Pro’s bond would have to underwrite the costs, not Palm Coast customers or Palm Coast government.
“To solve this unacceptable public problem,” the city stated in a release issued today, “the City is proactively seeking out additional haulers in the event that Waste Pro is not able to resolve the breach in the allotted seven day time frame. If Waste Pro does not sufficiently correct the issues described in this news release, the City has the contractual right to terminate the contract with Waste Pro.” Waste Pro had not responded to an inquiry about Palm Coast’s letter by the time this article initially published.
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Waste Amateurs says
Recycles sittin’ outside, AGAIN, not picked up. Week 2 in a row. I’m talking right now, it’s at driveways end, today is pickup, it’s 6:38 pm, not am folks. It’ll probably get picked up tomorrow, a day late, like last week.
I just hope they leave the bin smack dab in the center of my driveway, ohh I love coming home to that!
S. Peters says
Same here. Two Weeks in a row, no recycle on Wednesday. I’ve heard that our recycles are not really being recycled anyway due to China not taking our country’s recycles due to some squabble. I don’t know if that’s true, but if it is, why can’t our country take care of our own recycles? Creates more jobs right here in America.
Carol Caso says
Waste Pro missed our “recycle pick up” today and has been days late on every pick-up for several months now. Our recycle bins are awkward and heavy for Seniors to handle and we should have a tall blue container on wheels like other towns have. Not too mention, the open recycle bins allow papers, cans and bottles to blow onto the streets, causing roadside trash build up. Our city would save money on picking up trash in the swales and roadsides if we had containers with lids and wheels. This would prevent people from putting out their trash cans without the lid to prevent from loss or damage, – but allowing the big birds to pull apart the trash and it ending up in the swales and streets. I know a lot of residents wouldn’t mind paying a few dollars more for cans on wheels with lids and one arm pick up trucks.
Jane Gentile-Youd says
Amen Carol.. Martin County has had wheels for years… so have many other counties and cities
Recycle says
100% yes. I’ve been asking for the tall cans with lids on wheels for ages.
tom dooley says
Good for Palm Coast. They should have their own garbage, fire dept. and police dept. Hire from the local community. If little old Bunnell and Flagler Beach can make it work why not Palm Coast?
Morgan Monaco says
Amen for that. We’ve got enough with unnecessary tennis club pool & Holland park for nothing. Palm Coast should have their own pick up garbage.
Kimberly Higgins says
Waste Pro is the worst ran company I’ve ever been with ! I’ve had nothing but issues for the 7 years I’ve been forced to use them . Increasing price without notice, forcing me to pay for recycling I don’t use , destructive workers that has destroyed 4 utility grade garbage cans and then make me pay for one of yours because your people destroy my personal ones. I cant wait for Asheville NC to drop this company!
Art Bowles says
We have our own fire dept. And no police dept can do a better job than FCSO!!!
arthur burns says
why should we be paying our water bill which includes waste management if we are not getting the the service we are paying for with higher water bills which is locked into waste management
Palm Coast resident says
I just told my husband that we should start deducting the amount for waste removal from the bill each month. If everyone did that, they would fix the problem real fast.
TR says
Like many other companies having the problem of hiring people. The problem is the unemployment being to high and free hand outs of money from the Biden administration. People are making more money sitting home doing nothing than if they went to work all day. I say raise the employment pay and lower unemployment benefits and stop giving free money from the government. Give people an incentive to go to work and make a living.
The Truth says
Yeah you’re right — thanks to the Biden administraton for putting together an actual plan for vaccine distribution rather than the cluster that we had with the previous administration. You mention “raise the employment pay” — how exactly do you think that would work? Are you suggesting that employers like Waste Pro pay people more money than what they’re currently paying them? Do you think they have budgeted for this? Sounds like you are suggesting that the government pay this extra money, but wouldn’t that be giving a handout. Stop getting your news from Faux News, Newsmax and OANN.
PC Resident says
Not true, it is people finally realizing they do not want to work for BS wages anymore. Raise the wages and people will come back. Don’t even attempt “prices will raise!” They’ve been raising all along with wages staying in one place or moving by a few pennies. One restaurant just admitted raising their wages would only raise their prices by 80 CENTS without touching their profits. It has zero to do with Biden giving handouts, Trump did too while yelling about people going back to work. It is people moving on to other jobs and those who haven’t are refusing to go back to $2.13 an hour plus tips, or $8.50 an hour. FDR said “if you cannot pay a LIVING WAGE, you do not deserve to be in business in our country.” Neither of those are a living wage. Yes minimum wage is meant to be a living wage. It is the minimum wage that should be paid to allow a person to pay for their home and food and living expenses. If you don’t believe that, you need to go BACK to a history class and pay attention this time.
Delusional👆🏻 says
That is factually incorrect. You really think an extra 300$ a week is enough on top of a max (which means it’s not standard) of 237$ can dissuade someone from working? Do you remember who started the extra unemployment? Hmm? Your orange god. Who approved an extension of those benefits? A bi-partisan group. Let me see, I used to work as a trash man, the pandemic allowed me to learn something new, now I have an office job making three times as much. Huh? Maybe if businesses paid a living wage (adjust for inflation and do the math, minimum wage should start at 22$ an hour), they’d find workers no problem. In fact, businesses paying at least 17$ to start have an overflow of applicants.
Tired of giving out “handouts?” Pay people. Tired of hearing business can’t find employees? Pay more. No one can live on minimum wage. No one. Why should they accept a job that doesn’t pay a living wage? 67% of people have changed or will change jobs. The problem isn’t unemployment benefits.
The problem is businesses think that people should feel grateful to work for 7.75$ an hour with no benefits and no chance for advancement, and only part-time work. I’ll pay more for goods and services if it means others are being paid a living wage. You should not have to work 3 or 4 jobs and still have to decide between food and medicine.
When your heart unthaws and you stop watching OAN, Newsmax, and Fox, and look around you, those people, the minimum-wage earners, are the hardest working people out there and it’s a thankless life. Hauling trash or going back to school, learning computer coding, and earning good money? I don’t blame anyone for wanting to better themselves. You are just stuck in your circle of hate and have no idea what people are doing right now. They’re changing. They’re tired of this shit. They’re tired of being treated like garbage for no money. They aren’t sitting at home, playing video games, suddenly rich. 75% of the people I know changed careers. They bettered their life. Others are too. You can complain all you want and blame Biden but Trump started the extended benefits, some Republicans extended it, and the Republican governor of this state accepted the funds and allowed them distributed. But why would you concern yourself with facts when you’re still licking the boots of the former guy. Don’t worry, he’ll think of all you fondly in prison.
TR says
Funny how before the pandemic there were a lot of people working for lower minimum wages and unemployment was really low. Then the pandemic hit and the Biden administration took over and here we are with unemployment the highest it’s been in years and people are sitting home getting more money then they should. Weather it be from unemployment or hand outs from the government. Stop all the and watch people start working again. I never said that the minimum wage workers weren’t hard working. I also said that the unemployment benefits should be lowered and the pay for workers should be higher.
Talk about a circle of hate, maybe look in the mirror and you’ll see it.
I’m not going back and forth with someone who’s got their head in the sand and doesn’t want to believe what’s really going on.
steve says
We lost more jobs than anytime in Hstory due the the orange blowhards lack of response to the C19 YOUR HEAD aint in the sand pal LMAO Delusional
Justsayin says
Maybe Waste Pro should look into purchasing automatic sideloaders and have the city provlde the garbage and recycling cans. These trucks require only one employee. The cost to the city would be high at first, but would pay off in the long run.
Marw says
Current service is brutal. I’m not sure my recycling gas ever been picked up on the day it’s supposed to.
JDS says
We don’t even recycle anymore. The men were putting the recycling right into the garbage truck with the trash.
Avid Recycler says
Monday, May 24,the recycle truck never showed up in the “F” section.
Old Guy says
My neighborhood in the F Section has had spotty service for weeks. Yard waste pickup has been the worst followed by recycle. Regular trash pickup has been fairly regular compared to those two categories.
MITCH says
While on my morning walk, Wednesday Yard Trash Pickup, I was able to witness some of the things Waste Pro has been dealing with. -1) More than normal yard trash piled up (large amount, limbs definitely over size limit) -2). Non-yard trash mixed in with yard trash -3) cars parked in culdesac circles that forced the driver to have to backup into resident’s driveways to be able to get out. OK, they are short personnel; are resident’s ignoring city requirements for pickup considered as hindering the speed of trash pickup? The men I witnessed were working very hard and having to deal with city violations on trash pickup. – No, I don’t know anyone that works for Waste Pro; but I do know when it is wrong when they are being taken advantage of. I’m sure there is more to the issues than what I have listed, but please consider what on one day while walking what I witnessed – now multiply this city wide. I hate to see anyone lose a job while doing their best to recover after COVID and hindered by potential employees getting paid more in unemployment benefits.
palmcoaster says
We get in our street excellent service from Waste Pro I don’t know were their lack of service complaints come from…I can tell all the residents violations that I can see they leave for Waste Pro to resolve that is not their contracted work. Some residents just dump their discard improperly for Waste Pro employees expected to clean up. What is the underline here? I am fine with Waste Pro and do not want any increases if they get replaced by a Mickey Mouse collector then. 67% of us is okay with Waste Pro…so don’t push for change on us over “some frivolous invented excuses”
mike says
its about time
Support 81 says
This is another major reason to STOP all Future Approvals of Housing Developments until the Waste Disposal Issues are CORRECTED! Common Sense Growth is the only answer for Palm Coast to meet the needs of the current residents!
Robjr says
The two men who worked in our neighborhood picking up the trash and yard waste in the W section near the Mobil gas station WERE excellent. First Waste Pro split them up from working together then moved them off of the route. You could bank on them arriving around the same time each trash day. I enjoyed greeting them and providing them beverages on hot days
There is not a worker shortage there is a wage shortage. These workers are paid by the day. Do they get paid extra for having to cover part of absent workers route? More than likely not since they are paid by the day.
The Wednesday pickup of recycle trash ( a different crew) is still sitting on our streets, today is Thursday. This is happening with greater frequency.
No matter how many times Waste Pro misses providing service we taxpayers lose because we still pay in full each month. The city gets paid twice. The city takes a franchise fee off of the top from Waste Pro’s monthly invoice and then gets paid when Waste Pro is fined. So who is really coming out on top as a result of poor service?
Dennis says
What makes the city think someone else picking up garbage will do a better job? Everyone is trying to hire.
Dennis C Rathsam says
What gives with the cities love for Waste Pro? Complaints are at an all time high. They dont do a good job, yet the city keeps this half ass company. Im in disbelief that the city wants to bring them back again….Enoughs enough, its time for a change.U cant fix stupid. Im so sick of cleaning up after them, on garbage day the trucks spill gargage juice on the streets and it makes the whole street stink, I have to wash it away with bleach. On branch & yard waste, they leave the street a mess…I have to pick up what they left behind. NO MORE WASTE PRO!!!!!
palmcoaster says
Waste Pro employees are not supposed to sweep the street from garbage/litter improperly left for pick up whern some residents even as I have seeing their garbage out in even “grocery shopping bags” or kitchen tall white bags that at night get ripped off by rats (that then proliferate) and expect the WP workers to clean it up?
Mary Fusco says
I have been in PC 21 years and have never had a problem with garbage pickup. When I walk my dog, i observe people that must save their garbage for weeks and then put out 4 or 5 pails with garbage not even contained in bags. Lots of times the pails have been turned over by animals. That mess is NOT for Waste Pro to pick up. I also observe recycles overflowing the bins. That mess is NOT for Waste pro to clean up. My garbage is in a covered pail in garbage bags and then in a large black that is tied and covered. My newspapers are tied with cord so they don’t blow all over the streets. As for yard waste, it is NOT their job to sweep up. I don’t think any garbage company is going to stop at each house and clean up. LOL. This past year has been difficult for everyone. We pay $20 a month on our water bill for 8 pickups. I don’t think that is excessive. Give these guys a break! My brother lives in NC in a rural area. No garbage pick up in rural areas. They have to haul their garbage, including any furniture or appliances (which waste pro will take) to the dump. Imagine how citizens of PC would have to be medicated if they had to do that. LOL.
Coyote says
‘The lonely “inside man” at the “Skonk Works” has never been appreciated …. until he is gone.
GR says
Let me get this straight. The city continues to allow developers to construct homes and businesses hence more places for garage pick up and Waste Pro is short employees. Sounds like a recipe that will never be solved. LOL
Steve says
I never had a problem. Put it out correctly they picked it up. Inevitably with the yard waste I had to clean up after and I had a bunch
John Anderson Hwy Homeowner says
You think your service is horrible in Palm Coast, try living in unincorporated Flagler County. We experience very sketchy service, not knowing when or even if our trash, recycles & yard waste will get picked up. If is does, it often all gets dumped in the same trash truck. This company is horrible. I’ve called so many times & get the same excuses: “The lack of employees, not enough trucks and the over abundance of trash from the pandemic” is the reason. This has been going on way before the pandemic. I am paying full price & getting half (if that) the service. They have been cutting corners for too long! The county says their hands are tied because they piggy back off of what Palm Coast does. Well someone needs to take responsibility & get this shit resolved. I’m about ready to drop off my weeks old, smelly trash on someone’s door step!!
Rain says
If fines have been levied and if collected, where do those monies go? I have never seen a credit on my bill.
Trailer Bob says
For the life of my I cannot understand why, after nicely emptying our trash cans, the workers will throw the cans on the ground, almost as if they hate the customer, or maybe the cans?
By the time I get to grab them, the cans have many times blown down the road.
It doesn’t take that much time to simply place the cans back in the positions that they were found in.
On another thought, maybe we would all get better service if so many residents (in mondex) didn’t expect the refuse company to pick up all kinds of crap that they feel they should be able to simply throw out into the roadside…including items that rightfully should be brought to the dump by the homeowner. I have never lived anywhere else where you can throw out your old lawnmower, construction debri, and old broken furniture on a normal pick-up day.
Whathehck? says
T.R. is right it is President Biden’s fault, I wouldn’t be estonished if it wasn’t President Obama’s fault too.
We are having problems with garbage pickup since 2019, but wait! Was President Biden in office in 2019?
Had not all the dead Democrats voted in this past election we would have a president in his hero’s cape riding in the back of a garbage truck and all problems in Palm Coast would have been resolved. I am quite sure T.R. you will have no problem coming up with another myth.
Like viruses garbage problems will miraculously disappear.
“It’s going to disappear. One day — it’s like a miracle — it will disappear,” Trump said. “And from our shores, we — you know, it could get worse before it gets better. It could maybe go away. We’ll see what happens. Nobody really knows.”
Call your friends says
Oh heck, let’s build another 15,000 homes and 187 new apartment complexes . There’s plenty of room here in Palm Coast. And the well water levels will last for 100 more years. Go ahead, build more shopping malls and restaurants to feed to the masses. Call you friends up north, have them move down with all their families and bring the dogs and cats………. (Sarcasm to the MAX)
Give me $300,000 for my old house and I’m OUT OF HERE !!!!!
JustBeNice says
Our Waste Pro service in the Indian Trails B section are wonderful, hardworking people. They are very kind, considerate and friendly.
Travis Greggs says
If all these conversations bout wate pro kills me. Im a waste pro helper myself.
Orlando Fl,
Dig this. Do any of you Men & Women know how hot that truck be on the side.
Days of Rain
Days of Sun
Days of Dont wana come to work
Yet shit i got to due to Family.
Im sorry to hear about the Trash Problem. Tbh as All these voices and suggestions. Bear with the Trash plz for u all should knoe Trash is not a easy thing
Ray W. says
More solid proof that all politics are local.
Once again, I point out my suspicion that the worst jobs with the lowest pay are going to be the hardest to fill as our economy returns to normal. As one potential explanation, there have been a significant number of articles about home sales spiking in the Volusia/Flagler area, complete with significant median price increases. My oldest son lives in Texas. Two of his coworkers who are approved to work from home took a huge step and rented a waterfront condo in St. Pete. They love Florida. I wonder just how many employees in northern states are approved to work from home and are buying homes in Florida. Is this a new normal? I spoke with a casual friend who is a realtor; he and his wife renovate homes in hopes of a quick sale. He commented that many out-of-area home buyers are hiring contractors to renovate their new homes. I suspect that building contractors and subcontractors are paying more than Waste Pro can afford to pay. Yes, the home buying spree might eventually cool off and the money flow will dry up, freeing up laborers for restaurant and garbage pickup work. Then again, maybe it won’t. Another realtor acquaintance mentioned that two adjacent oceanfront homes sold recently. The buyer plans to combine the lots, demolish both homes, and build a new one. A friend of my youngest daughter told me he is selling his lawn service to work for a company that installs underwater lighting on waterfront home docks. I am surprised that there is enough of that type of work out there, but I guess there is. Yes, all of these examples are anecdotal in nature, but follow the money, or at least acknowledge the lack of it.
Is it possible that the lazy unemployed storyline is political in origin and effect, based on anecdote and repetitive hyperbole? I repeat the point that studies show that 10 million women left the work force early in the pandemic. Only 2.5 million have returned to work. If true, this explains one extremely large facet of the shortage of workers on a national scale. If area building contractors are paying significantly higher wages than fast food and waste pickup businesses, this explains another significant facet of the shortage of workers, though at a more local level. TR has a point. I strongly suspect that he is correct in stating that some people are collecting unemployment benefits instead of accepting any job that is offered to them. I have yet to see a study that establishes the significance of the number of people who are doing that, so caution must be exercised, lest we put too much weight on what might actually be an insignificant fact. After all, much political fodder comes from the most insignificant of facts.
Vincent says
One of the guys in the back of the truck was about ready to fight me because I asked why they arnt picking up my yard trash after three weeks. He said I was lying about how long it’s been at the road. These guys suck! Always have missed pick ups. I’m from Jacksonville a much bigger city and they have nicer employees and never miss days
capt says
I’ve always had good luck with Waste Pro. I was kinda surprised when they collected trash today, which is Memorial Day.