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Waste Pro Falls Down On the Job In Palm Coast And Flagler But Refuses To Say Why

November 7, 2017 | FlaglerLive | 79 Comments

Many customers and government officials in Palm Coast and Flagler see problems with Waste Pro dating back a couple of years. (© FlaglerLive)
Many customers and government officials in Palm Coast and Flagler see problems with Waste Pro dating back a couple of years. (© FlaglerLive)

Longwood-based Waste Pro is the long-time trash hauler for Palm Coast and Flagler County. It’s had a good reputation locally.

No longer.


To many residents and government officials, Waste Pro is falling down on the job, and not because of September’s hurricane.

Depending on whom you ask, Waste Pro has been failing for about a year to two years. It’s been particularly bad this year in Palm Coast, as reflected by the city’s monthly fines of the company. County commissioners say it’s been bad going on two years, though the county does not fine the company. Commissioners go by the more anecdotal complaints they get.

“The last couple of years, I don’t know what’s happened over there, but my complaint bin has filled up on Waste Pro,” County Commission Chairman Nate McLaughlin said Monday.

“Our crews work very hard  rain or shine,” a company spokesman said by email. “Our goal is 100 percent perfect service but the reality is mistakes can be made.” The record points to worse than near perfection or a few mistakes.

Palm Coast government’s more solid evidence tells the tale: Waste Pro is fined when it fails to meet its contractual obligations, whether that’s causing skid marks (a repeated problem earlier this year, but whatever drivers were mistaking their haulers for hot rods have calmed down), providing inadequate reports, not completing a route, not picking up at given addresses after complaints, and so on. In October, it failed 24 times to pick up garbage at given addresses by evening or by noon the following day even after complaints were lodged, with nine of those complaints having to do with entire streets, and it failed to complete a route 10 times. The company was fined nearly $3,000 in October.

But that was a relatively good month, compared with how it’s been. The city went easy on Waste Pro in September, not wanting to levy fines in a month when everything was upside down because of Irma (again belying the company’s claim that its problems were storm-related). But in August, it levied $4,170 in fines. Same amount in July. In May and June, the fines totaled $4,000. Earlier months were much better, with fines totaling less than $700 from January to April. Last year was spotty only in certain months, with a spike to $4,000 in July 2016 when, according to Palm Coast’s Cynthia Schweers, the customer service manager, “they had a lot of issues, two of the fines were $500 each due to whole routes not being done and they never gave us notice.”

The caring has not been as much in evidence since Waste Pro won a contract renewal for five more years in Palm Coast: the monthly fines, in thousands of dollars, abated in September only because the city did not want to levy them while the company was contending with Hurricane Irma's aftermath. (© FlaglerLive)
The caring has not been as much in evidence since Waste Pro won a contract renewal for five more years in Palm Coast: the monthly fines, in thousands of dollars, abated in September only because the city did not want to levy them while the company was contending with Hurricane Irma’s aftermath. (© FlaglerLive)

Ironically, Waste Pro’s problem spiked in July 2016 just days after it had secured another five-year contract extension to provide service in Palm Coast, and a 9 percent increase in fees it charges. Even then, city council members were reporting getting a lot more complaints about the trash hauler. Flagler County’s contract in most ways mirrors that of Palm Coast’s, and is usually renewed soon after the city’s.

Keeping in mind that the two contracts are in separate jurisdictions, the complaints tend to be echoes of each other, like those of Bill Clay, a San Diego Lane customer, spoke to county commissioners Monday. “Our community has had for at least two years an ongoing problem with Waste Pro, and it just seems to be getting worse,” he said. “You just can’t get the answers that we need. What they pick up one day and what they pick up the next week, it’s like a crap shoot. Talking to Waste Pro, you might as well be talking to a brick wall. I think the people at the county level tried to do something about it, but it’s totally inconsistent and we cannot get anybody to really answer. What is the answer to trying to get this stuff picked up? One week they pick it up, the next they don’t pick it up. Somewhere along the line the county has to come up with a plan so that everybody understands what the rules are and so somebody enforces the document that the county signed with Waste pro.”

Waste Pro handled a reporter’s inquiries very much like it appears to be handling customers’ complaints—by deflecting, stonewalling, evading or refusing to answer questions.

In Bunnell, District Manager John Cinelli would not take a call, deflecting an inquiry to Ron Pecora, in charge of the company’s PR. Though trained in PR by the University of Florida, Pecora refused to speak by phone, at first recycling an email he sent the Observer, blaming issues on “the unprecedented situation” of Hurricane Irma and on Palm Coast, saying direction to Waste Pro “comes from the City of Palm Coast as to what debris to focus on at any particular day.” When asked about a dramatic increase in complaints long pre-dating the storm, Pecora wrote back that he would be “glad to review and comment on any data you may have that supports  a ‘dramatic change.’”


“You can’t count on Waste Pro to pick up when they’re supposed to pick up.”


But when provided with the month-by-month evidence listed above he changed the subject: “Please show me Flagler. Check with Palm Coast City Manager and see how we are doing.” Landon, Palm Coast’s city manager, last week made his feelings known when he told the council that as far as Waste Pro is concerned, “we’re not asking anymore. We’re not playing nice guy anymore. We’re tired of it, too. It just adds insult to injury when we still have storm debris out, and they’re not doing their jobs.”

The word still was key, since Palm Coast has been disenchanted with Waste Pro for much of the year.

Waste Pro is not being summoned to appear before the city council just yet. But it will be summoned before the county commission. “What I want to see,” McLaughlin said, “is a presentation from Waste Pro kind of to defend what’s going on there. We can’t let this go on. We talk to them and talk to them, and we’re not getting what we need.”

 “You can’t count on Waste Pro to pick up when they’re supposed to pick up. I mean, you can’t count on them,” Commissioner Greg Hansen, a Palm Coast resident, said.

“We’ve had a lot more problems the last two years,” Coffey, the county administrator, said. The county has just finished picking up 30,000 cubic yard of storm debris and 222 cubic yards of construction and demolition debris, he said. (The actual numbers his office issued today are 37,460 cubic yards of vegetative debris through 1,581 truckloads and  888 cubic yards of construction and demolition debris, or 43 truckloads.)

 “We should be done after this week,” Coffey continued, “we’ll accept no more debris, it’ll all be back on Waste Pro, and Waste Pro has been very bad about picking up any debris. I know they missed my neighborhood last week as far as the little piles of debris, and my neighborhood was picked up weeks ago.”

Only Commissioner Charlie Ericksen offered a hearty endorsement of the company, promoting McLaughlin to ask: “Do you have like a sign in your yard that says this is Commissioner Ericksen’s domicile?”

Meanwhile, Palm Coast announced this week that it is 95-percent complete with its first pass through residential neighborhoods to collect debris from Hurricane Irma after picking up about 25,000 cubic yards so far.

According to a city-issued release, the second and final pass of storm debris collection will begin this Wednesday and will be completed in a few days. Residents should ensure any storm debris (including any construction and demolition debris) is placed at the curb as soon as possible – and no later than 7 a.m. Wednesday. Debris should be placed on your property near the curb – NOT on the street. City staff will inspect the neighborhoods and identify any remaining storm debris for pickup. Once all the identified storm debris is collected, the city will return to normal waste collection with quantity and size limitations enforced. That information is available at www.palmcoastgov.com/trash/schedule. To review county guidelines, go to www.flaglercounty.org/trash_guidelines.

The Florida Department of Transportation on Monday began a final sweep of State Road A1A.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jeffrey UZ says

    November 7, 2017 at 10:34 pm

    They’re pros at wasting the County’s time and money.

  2. Brian Curbow says

    November 7, 2017 at 10:42 pm

    And pros at pissing off residents!

  3. Bobbie Crowder says

    November 7, 2017 at 10:47 pm

    1-2 years, what a fing joke!! I have been here 10+years and have made weekly complaints about everything from them not picking up at all to literally being blocked in our driveway by the emptied cans because they can’t put them back on the side where they got them to our cans being strung down as far as 10 houses away. The city or county not fining them at all or appropriately for that matter is also a joke! Both Waste Pro, Flagler County and the City of Palm Coast need to step up or find another option. BEYOND REDICULOUS!

  4. Karen Wagner Dempsey says

    November 7, 2017 at 10:51 pm

    I think Waste Pro do a fantastic job…

  5. Rusty Rollings says

    November 7, 2017 at 10:53 pm

    I was one who called after they missed our section consecutively for a month. My normal day is Tuesday but it was after noon on Wednesday before our section was picked up. We citizens pay for trash service and expect that service to be done on it’s designated day. They have continually failed to pick up my cul de sac on numerous occasions but I finally got tired and have lodged complaints with the city. Oh and if they find out you complained they bust your bags of trash making a mess in front of your house. Maybe it’s time for a new provider!

  6. Paula Philtrich says

    November 7, 2017 at 11:00 pm

    No thing is ever good for good ol PC!

  7. Donna Carvalho says

    November 7, 2017 at 11:01 pm

    I saw one flying through bunnell center today on us1.Speed limit 35.He was going about 50-55.

  8. Jennifer Caufield says

    November 7, 2017 at 11:12 pm

    I just came home from work to find my street being pressure cleaned with chemicals because a waste Pro truck leaked out hydraulic fluid then drove all through it and tracked it all over!

  9. Linzey chaffin says

    November 7, 2017 at 6:23 pm

    Why hasn’t waste prow picked up wood from storm on
    Panei lane since storm?
    What a bad job they are doing ,dropping garbage and leaving on street
    We pay all year for pickup and have very little brush ,but if you have a pile they don’t pickup
    Linzey Chaffin
    47 Paul lane

  10. Gayle Molesworth says

    November 7, 2017 at 11:24 pm

    Why does Palm Coast keep hiring them if they are sooo bad? What a waste!!

  11. Larry Blankenship says

    November 7, 2017 at 11:27 pm

    No complaints on the crew on Pinwheel. They have been great since 2007.

  12. Katherine Bailey says

    November 7, 2017 at 11:32 pm

    Hey they do work hard, they were just taking a break. Just kidding. They do a great job on our street. Thanks guys

  13. John Kearney says

    November 7, 2017 at 11:33 pm

    Well key word. TIP them once n awhile and they will do a better job..

  14. Michael Watkins says

    November 7, 2017 at 11:33 pm

    I’ve had great service. I had a few times that didn’t show up because residents put all their large household items out and truck is full by the time it gets to me. That’s not waste pro fault. I don’t complain if they don’t come because they come early next morning. I pick my battles. I don’t complain because can is blocking driveway. They work hard at a crap job. Maybe try to treat your crew to gatoraid when they stop.

  15. Shelly McCarty-Hatzl says

    November 7, 2017 at 11:37 pm

    9 out of 10 times I have to stop in the street and move my van to get in my driveway. I leave it in the corner of the driveway but it’s never left there.

  16. Lisa Clark says

    November 7, 2017 at 11:41 pm

    I have no complaints about Waste Pro :) I have had the same crew for years. I am sometimes outdoors, either doing gardening or coming back from a bike ride, or leaving for work, when they come. They are friendly, do a good job. I leave water or Gator or soda out for them, and say thank you :)

  17. Steve Naso says

    November 7, 2017 at 6:43 pm

    Time to call the Terminator.

  18. Eric Cooley says

    November 7, 2017 at 11:45 pm

    Flagler Beach has no issues thanks to “Donuts” aka Bruce F. Garrison and the boys on the back. Dont subcontract city services and you will keep much better control.

  19. John Grimm says

    November 7, 2017 at 11:46 pm

    Honestly the drivers are run in to the ground the management push them to the unsafe limit long hours and crappy pay the turn over is ridiculously out of control

  20. Chris A Pickett says

    November 7, 2017 at 6:48 pm

    But Residents are still charged every month and must foot the bill, while the town gets paid from these fines. Pretty good system they have, paying customers get shoddy service, then have to pay the city for the shoddy service, meanwhile the city gets paid from the people who are supposed to serve the residents. Seems to me like the city should be making this public, but the cat is out of the bag, when are the rebates coming, I won’t hold my breath…….

  21. James Dean Fiske says

    November 7, 2017 at 11:50 pm

    I have no complaints as well. For the complainers, I encourage you to step away from your keyboard and go do what these people have to do day after day in all kinds of weather. I meet them at the street periodically and hand them a bottle of Gatorade. Perhaps if you show them some consideration for what they have to put up with daily, instead of complaining, things wouldn’t be as bad as you presume them to be.

  22. Linzey chaffin says

    November 7, 2017 at 6:55 pm

    Why hasn’t waste pro or city picked up debrie on Panei lane after storm?
    Linzey Chaffin

  23. palmcoaster says

    November 7, 2017 at 7:12 pm

    Waste Pro is not Waste Management our good all garbage hauler switched to Waste Pro years ago under unexplained favoritism and dubious conditions. I understand that Waste Pro is a more local Florida company and Waste Management is a national enterprise, but I remember well that Waste Management gave us a better service from the start in Palm Coast and in AZ were my children live they are the #1 excelling at their service. I heard the complaints of one of their workers hauling our Irma debris on a Sunday and under heavy rain soak and wet, told me he didn’t get weekend pay for his work, just basic hourly and that management suck. I felt sorry for him and paid his lunch, for his hard work. I have the general impression that workers do their duties mad in a resentful way at something, versus the cordial attitude that Waste Management workers exhibited. I bet Waste Pro keeps them at very low pay and that may be the reason…GREED?

  24. Wishful Thinking says

    November 7, 2017 at 7:14 pm

    Simple fix:

    The County and Palm Coast should both insist that Waste Pro treat their employees with the utmost respect and that all employee records will be able, upon request, by either government agency.
    I firmly believe that the haulers and crew are not treated with respect by their employer. We lost the best 2 guys – they became close to my heart and boom – one got fired, one got transferred and my e-mails of commendations were never mentioned to them,
    Need more be said………. The upper echelon ( in my personal unprofessional biased opinion) is making all the bucks and treating their employees like crap so they treat us more like crap – not intentionally but a pay back to their 18th century minded employers

  25. Jim Sheehan says

    November 8, 2017 at 12:25 am

    My guys are great. Take everything, always smile and say hello. No complaints here.

  26. Ray Douglass says

    November 8, 2017 at 12:39 am

    We had a Waste Pro recycle zealot who seemed to enjoy tossing anything that he did not seem to deem recyclable onto our lawn or into the street. I complained several times and finally, we quit recycling.

  27. Micky Ryan says

    November 8, 2017 at 12:56 am

    Ya my waste pro guys rock down here in s section no complaints at all except when i forget to take it to the road …. lol

  28. Travis Sabatini says

    November 8, 2017 at 1:07 am

    I guess most people should get tipped at their jobs then. Especially to maintain them doing it right in the first place. They get full pay unlike waitress’ and benefits also they chose these careers. They also pay pretty well from what I am told and if they have or get a CDL it’s a good bump in pay.

  29. Travis Sabatini says

    November 8, 2017 at 1:09 am

    Last I heard from a driver they get paid over $14. That’s not bad for Flagler county.

  30. Barbie Mattocks Bembry says

    November 8, 2017 at 1:38 am

    No complaints on the west side. Rarely is it missed, and if I dont get it put out in time in the morning, they get it on the way back later. I’ts a tough job I wouldn’t want to do.

  31. Thomas says

    November 7, 2017 at 9:01 pm

    I am very pleased with Wastepro.

  32. Yourstruly says

    November 7, 2017 at 9:05 pm

    Hey, I got a complaint…. THEY BROKE MY TRASH BIN LID!

  33. Frank Cianchetta says

    November 8, 2017 at 2:24 am

    It’s a NY thing Tipping We tipped the Mailman The pizza guy , and the Sanitation people

  34. Annette Laffond Herlihy says

    November 8, 2017 at 2:34 am

    Our guys always pick up on schedule and are great!

  35. Ralph Coward says

    November 8, 2017 at 3:13 am

    I worked at waste pro for five years. Most people don’t realize that they are paid by the day not the hour. So the sooner they get done the more they make. That’s why they always seem to be in a rush

  36. Anthony Manousakis says

    November 8, 2017 at 3:16 am

    I’ve heard from people that waste management was way more employee friendly. Just saying. Doesnt mean they were but I’ve heard that from a couple of people from waste pro

  37. Anthony Manousakis says

    November 8, 2017 at 3:17 am

    Most of these guys bust their asses

  38. Dan Priotti says

    November 8, 2017 at 3:38 am

    I’ve never had a problem I live in the C se room where former mayor lives. Roads gets paved 2 times before my other house in B section does. Hurricane pick up as well. All depends where you live . It’s like favoritism with the City. Go figure it’s a bully ram city. Only fair they get bullied back.

  39. Dan Priotti says

    November 8, 2017 at 3:39 am

    All workers are paid hourly. It’s a law.

  40. Ralph Coward says

    November 8, 2017 at 3:52 am

    Dan Priotti yes but they are paid a base rate per day regardless of they hours they work whether it is five or ten hours so the fewer hours they work the more per hour they make

  41. Dan Priotti says

    November 8, 2017 at 4:14 am

    Ralph Coward anything over 40 hours is time and a half it’s the law. Regardless if the are on salery.

  42. anon says

    November 8, 2017 at 12:06 am

    Once again, WHY was Wastepro given a raise a few years back?

  43. Deborah Intagliato says

    November 8, 2017 at 6:21 am

    Chris, you’re so Right you Always care about the Under Dog ! Your A Good Guy ❤️xoxo

  44. Anonymous says

    November 8, 2017 at 2:07 am

    they suck,storm related or not—they would take our cans and throw them everywhere when done dumping them,damage them-trash falls out of the truck into the roadways and they don’t bother picking it up-showing up whenever they feel like it,locking brakes up on trucks and driving horribly most of the time…

    so glad we moved

  45. Helen Haensgen says

    November 8, 2017 at 8:54 am

    I moved here aug ’16. my backyard was over grown with palms, weeds, and such. I worked for weeks cleaning it up. I live in the R section. I put out close to 100 bags of yard waste during that time. and it was picked up every week. One week I put out 28 bags…and they took it all. After Irma, I had a small pile of downed branches and 1 bag full of leaves at the curb…they took that. I did not have to wait for whomever to pick it up. So far, I’m satisfied with their service.

  46. Glass bottle to my face..yes says

    November 8, 2017 at 6:00 am

    My worst waste pro experience:

    A middle-older age white male pulls up in the recycles truck with music, classic rock, blaring 6-7am. He’s been servicing our route for about a month now. I don’t mind the music, whatever. I’m outside, he’s picking up our bin and I hear a glass bottle fall and break in the street – he did not notice this over the music. I get a broom and dust pan from my garage, walk down the driveway… The guy picks up the broken wine bottle, holding it by the neck and points the broken end at me, jabbing it forwards towards my face and chest until it’s about 1 foot away from me while yelling at me (music blaring in the background while I’m holding a broom and dust pan) about how I did this to him on purpose and how I put the broken bottle in the recycle bin on purpose and how dare I do that (jab, jab, jab, jab – broken bottle jousting towards my face and chest). I was actually frozen in what the heck is going on fear while AC/DC plays in the background without missing a note. Good thing this was all caught on 1080p HD home surveillance.

    I never reported this, but looking back I probably should have called the cops, the city, or at a minimum waste pro. I never saw the guy again on my route though. This happened about 2-3 years ago.

  47. mark101 says

    November 8, 2017 at 7:02 am

    I think the way Waste Pro conducts its business it sometimes appears its run by the Gambino, Genovese and Luchese crime families. You talkin to me.

  48. Alphonso Zeimers says

    November 8, 2017 at 7:08 am

    But the dumb citizens keep voting these crooks back into office. Very short memories.

  49. palmcoaster says

    November 8, 2017 at 7:13 am

    High Wishfull thank you for responding to my findings here. Obviously most of us residents are totally unaware that Greed is taking over like cancer our country and we all need to take a stand for our dedicated workers abused by these corporations under false motives like they are lazy, non productive or else.
    It broke my heart last weekend the real life drama of an American young grandma that after over three years of a well paid job was laid off (as she suspects to be replaced with a young less paid worker) because in FL a Right to Works state they can fire anyone for no reason, promoting Greed. She had tears in her eyes because she will have to vacate her rental home, were she even was lovely caring its gardens.
    All reminds me once more, that without unions to protect them, workers go back to be slaves.

  50. Charles says

    November 8, 2017 at 7:41 am

    They threw my lid away! They must be in the garbage can business LOL. There should be a way to opt out or they should provide the containers.,

  51. Elle Dub says

    November 8, 2017 at 12:46 pm

    They missed my section in the ps yesterday rat bastards

  52. Layla says

    November 8, 2017 at 7:55 am

    My guys used to be friendly and wave. These guys throw the containers, leaving trash in the road, and barrel off down the road. The friendliness, the courtesies, are gone. Who knew these things could make such a big difference.

  53. Crystal Powell says

    November 8, 2017 at 1:16 pm

    Yeah I saw this I miss our guys from the B section they were awesome. We’ve had numerous issues since moving

  54. Robjr says

    November 8, 2017 at 8:47 am

    Do you see who is riding on those trucks? A few whites, mostly blacks and Spanish. So you can conclude that the pay is low and benefits nil. Those conditions lead to high turnover. Which is not my or any other citizens problem.

    @Chris A Pickett I have been stating the same for some time. When do the surplus payments go?

    Our area had a real good driver, M**k. He got hit by a car while working, when he came back to work Waste Pro fired him. Florida is a right to fire state.

  55. Concerned Observer says

    November 8, 2017 at 8:56 am

    I’ve experienced about a 30 to 40 percent missed pick up of our trash in the “F” Section” over the past six to eight months. Our trash, yard waste (I bag my grass clippings) and recycle bin too often remain at the curb for days past the scheduled day, waiting to be picked up. This is a marked decline in performance from our relocation to Palm Coast two years ago. I read the companies explanation that “Our goal is 100 percent perfect service but the reality is mistakes can be made.” I liken that response to the almost universal automatic answering recording that “Due to unusually high volume of calls, your wait time may be longer than expected…” BS! The real issue is that the company has reduced their staff to increase their profit margin.

    I would expect any contract the city has with Waste Pro would have some measureable standard of compliance of Waste Pro and ramifications should that contractual requirement not be met. Therefore, I feel that is incumbent upon city residents to inform the city of missed pickup dates and it is up to the city to enforce the stipulations of the contract. I believe that the guys on the trucks are doing the best they can, but the level of reliable service has reached the tipping point where more personal and equipment must be added. If Waste Pro underestimated the scope of the job, it’s their bad. If the city accepts subpar contractor performance, it’s their bad. You cannot expect improved service from Waste Pro if contractual standards are not being met and there are no consequences.

  56. georgia says

    November 8, 2017 at 9:14 am

    A few months ago we had the greatest garbage men. they always said Hello and if you needed something removed but you could not move it they would move it for you. I even sent Waste pro a comment about these men. They were great. Past 2 or 3 months we have a new crew they are not as nice as the other guys. Waste pro should pay their employees more not just $10.00 an hour. They would do their job much better. It’s the company not the employee’s. They work hard for nothing. SAD

  57. Trailer Bob says

    November 8, 2017 at 9:24 am

    It is one thing to believe they should be picking up storm debris and household garbage, but I see many illustrations of people who think this is a way to get rid of garbage for free, rather then taking it to the dump…I am talking about all the remodeling debris I see out here in the Mondex that has nothing to do with the storm. I am not paying taxes so a lazy and cheap neighbor can use waste pro as their personal hauling service to clean out their garages or remodel projects debris. So yes, there are two sides to this story. Compared to the many other places I have lives, I am amazed they take away so many types of debris from folks who should be paying someone like myself to do it.

  58. Anonymous Says: says

    November 8, 2017 at 9:47 am

    From my understanding, Waste Pro has been hiring temporary help from labor companies to help clean up debris and to ride on the back of their trucks. Maybe that’s the problem, because what kind of training is being done, and plus is there any back ground checks being done on the temporary help?

  59. Joe Adonis says

    November 8, 2017 at 9:50 am

    Waste Pro came by at 7AM speeding as usual. Came to a screeching halt to pick-up my Wednesday’s debris which they passed on 5 previous occasions.
    Never went down the Cul-de-sac to check if any one had debris out. There is know where they would know unless driving down. Same with the next cul-de-sac up the road.

  60. Ralph Coward says

    November 8, 2017 at 2:56 pm

    Dan Priotti not really. The pay scale they use only pays half time after forty hours not time and a half

  61. mark101 says

    November 8, 2017 at 9:59 am

    From the WastePro site : The average Waste Pro USA salary ranges from approximately $32,731 per year for Truck Driver to $36,348 per year for Driver. The average Waste Pro USA daily wage ranges from approximately $123 per day for Truck Driver to $137 per day for Route Driver. and it appears that these employees can get these benefits
    401K Plan
    Dental Insurance
    Health Insurance
    Life Insurance
    Vision Insurance

  62. Staci Hammons says

    November 8, 2017 at 10:07 am

    I have a suggestion what if people started actually bagging their trash and putting it in trash bins rather than leave 50 things loose on the curb. Why don’t People put out their bulk on the 2nd pick up rather than the 1st? why don’t people pack up and crush their boxes for recycling rather than leave them whole? I have lived in Palm Coast since 1998 and I have never had a problem with Collection.

  63. john dolan says

    November 8, 2017 at 10:15 am

    Waste Pro is no different than any other local business nowadays. Incompetent and greedy. Be it the Doctor, Lawyer, Mechanic whatever everyone just wants a paycheck and the customer is never right.Buyer Beware whatever your endeavor. People don’t get rich being honest.

  64. Terri Bachman Ayres says

    November 8, 2017 at 4:16 pm

    Never had an issue …. Im in Quail Hollow…been there almost 18 yrs..Guess we got a good crew

  65. Kevin Swanson says

    November 8, 2017 at 4:34 pm

    Same her and I’m on the other end of Palm coast, 23 years no problems

  66. Outsider says

    November 8, 2017 at 1:02 pm

    At James Fiske: Go tell that to the biker that went down in front of my house because the trash men leave the cans so close to the road. I’ve complained several times about the cans being left too close, or IN the road on the County roads. A can got sucked into his path by a preceding bike and he hit it and slid 150 feet. Fortunately he was uninjured but his bike and protective gear were trashed. I had to send them a picture of my can in the street and not even fully emptied. They suck and that’s it. Someone is going to get killed.

  67. Anonymous says

    November 8, 2017 at 1:18 pm

    never had a problem with Waste Pro in Seminole woods, our guys are great, friendly , courteous and prompt

  68. palmcoaster says

    November 8, 2017 at 2:02 pm

    Today is our yard debris pick up day in our C section and they been showing up very early am lately in Clubhouse Drive area…but today yet at this time no show.Hope is not one of those forgotten pick up days.

  69. Tracy T. says

    November 8, 2017 at 5:02 pm

    Here on Seathorn Path, I have to say, I’m pretty happy with our crew. They always wave “hi” and are usually on time. Our garbage wasn’t picked up on the right day 2 weeks in a row, but came the next day ( not sure if it was before noon tho ). I can see garbage cans all over the streets, so I can see where people would get pretty mad. Now our Recycle guy…he’s awesome!

  70. Trashy says

    November 8, 2017 at 5:23 pm

    Our neighborhood had a good crew; had. They worked hard and were conscientious. They earned cash bonuses from the neighbors who appreciated their diligence. Recently, that crew was replaced. HUGE difference; no pride in their work. And that is the key my friends; pride in your work. MLK is quoted as having said, “If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as a Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, ‘Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.”

  71. Anonymous says

    November 8, 2017 at 10:43 pm

    I love my trash guys! When I am outside I always thank them. I had a big load this week due to remodeling and they picked it all up. Keep up the good work guys. Don’t let a few complaints get to you. The good out weigh the bad.

  72. Dan Potter says

    November 9, 2017 at 5:25 am

    As I was taking my dogs for a walk a WP truck passed me going extremely fast then slammed on brakes for pickup. Not Safe,

  73. Anonymous says

    November 9, 2017 at 7:16 am

    Probably because they were hauling ass around a curve….these Waste Pro people are wreckless and drive like maniacs. They have a time limit to get things done and not enough trucks out there to do the job without running from house to house to pick up trash. We are being over charged and out trash collection should not be on our tax bill! We do not work for Waste Pro—they should do their own collecting and pay for that service. We the tax payer should NOT be paying for the Tax Collector and staff to be the book keeper for waste pro. The tax collector needs to wake up and serve us, not waste pro. The former tax collector didn’t have waste pro collections on our tax bill and for good reason.

  74. Can't believe it says

    November 9, 2017 at 9:33 am

    I don’t know if this will get read, since there are so many comments. However, I have made many complaints to WastePro and County Commissioner Hansen, from driving reckless, threatening expletives, failing to pick up on their schedule, to not returning calls, the list goes on a and on. With such poor performance, I have to wonder why The County renews their contract. Why are they paid for a full service that they do not perform? There needs to be some penalty (reduction in payment) to them to get their attention. If they don’t perform the agreed service, they don’t get paid that week, period. That’s the only way anything will change. Who is it at the County that pays the bill? Maybe they need to be audited. It seems WastePro isn’t the only ones not doing their job.

  75. Anonymous says

    November 10, 2017 at 6:28 am

    I can’t tell you how many times Waste Pro has not picked up my trash and how many times they have passed my house and dangerously backed up on a busy street to pick up my trash. Seems like they are the only gig in town and they dictate to the city and county what is to be. I also have been driving when they have been picking up trash in other areas and they have no regard for other vehicles on the roadways and often have demonstrated dangerous situations.

  76. Roll on 2 says

    November 10, 2017 at 4:28 pm

    Have missed us on Old Dixie many times! Maybe it’s time to do what Bunnell and Flagler Beach do and have an in-house sanitation department.

  77. palmcoaster says

    November 12, 2017 at 9:13 am

    If what Mark above says us true then Waste pro employees needs to be monitored and maybe retrained.

  78. Diane Hartnett says

    November 26, 2017 at 12:58 pm

    We have had nothing but perfect service from Waste-Pro. I live on Burnley, and those guys work hard. They always have the courtesy to place our recycle buckets upside down after emptying And often It is one man that drives AND empties the garbage.

  79. Laura Shaver says

    March 6, 2018 at 11:59 am

    We moved here in February of 14 and thought the trash and recycle program was fine. Not anymore. Every week it gets worse! They seem to have gotten rid of the guys that were doing a good job, or maybe they are on a different route now.
    The recycle guy just put my neighbors trash in with the recycling, and left one of my recycle containers in the road. At least get it on the grass! We are lucky our trash is picked up at all, so maybe I shouldn’t complain.
    Last week the trash wasn’t picked up until the next day. The week before, the truck to pick up large household objects didn’t get here until 8:00 p.m. It has taken me six months of making excuses for them, now I’m complaining!

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