West Melbourne council presses Waste Management on missed yard-waste pickups; city and contractor consider hybrid pickup option

West Melbourne city leaders pressed representatives of Waste Management about repeated resident complaints that yard-waste piles are not being collected reliably, and asked the company and city staff to pursue a mix of education, operations changes and a possible hybrid pickup model.

Council members described multiple reports — including posts on Nextdoor and direct resident calls — of yard debris left at curbs for weeks. Deputy Mayor Bentley and Public Works staff said many residents do not know that small yard waste must fit in the brown-lid cart and that larger “clam-truck” pickups must be called in to Waste Management’s call center.

"We have started some conversations with Waste Management that maybe looking at a little bit of a hybrid option of keeping the brown carts, but then having more of a routed clamp truck," Bentley said. "Either way, we gotta continue to get the word out." (Deputy Mayor Bentley, public comment during agenda item)

Jordan Chandler, government…