A story in The Commercial said Waste Management, now known as WM, had assured the city that the company would provide “vastly improved” customer service.
That story appeared in 2020, but it could have been written earlier this year when city officials were grumbling about the service the city’s residents and businesses get from the trash hauler — but then went ahead and approved a new contract with the company. As The Who would say: Meet the new boss. Same as the old boss.
One council member in that 2020 discussion, Joni Alexander-Robinson, said when she was working in the mayor’s office, complaints about WM were No. 1 with pot holes a close second.
This summer when the issue came up again, residents flooded the council chambers to voice their displeasure with WM’s service.
One gentleman said he was at his wits’ end.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
“I don’t feel like they are doing their job,” said the man, who added that it had been eight weeks since the dumpster at his business on Olive Street had been emptied by WM. Another man said he was having to haul trash out into the country and burn it.
Pine Bluff Mayor Shirley Washington said she was aware of the numerous complaints received about WM and assured residents the city was actively addressing the situation and working toward a resolution.
“I know that’s not good enough because this has gone on far too long,” she said. “They are telling us they don’t have trucks and they don’t have drivers.”
So it’s obvious the city and WM have been at this game for quite some time. Customers complain to elected officials. The elected officials complain to WM. WM promises to do better. But customers don’t see any improvements and complain to elected officials. Copy, paste.
The problem, according to Washington, who said other towns were as miffed as Pine Bluff is with WM, was that there aren’t options, meaning there isn’t another company competing with WM that could provide trash pickup service for the city.
But maybe there is.
Jefferson County Judge Gerald Robinson said he had heard enough complaints from residents in the county about WM’s service. In response, he declared an emergency and is ceasing to do business with WM and has signed on with LRS South, an Illinois-based company, which will start picking up garbage on Jan. 2. WM officials have questioned Robinson’s actions and have asked the Quorum Court to weigh in.
But the point is that there appears to be another option out there. And maybe Pine Bluff wouldn’t even need to cancel the service it has with WM in order to get better service from them. When WM was the only game in town, they more or less acted like it, at least based on what city officials said. But with competition out there, WM will likely indeed need to step up its game if it wants to keep the business it has. In short, this maybe changes everything.