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Council presses administration after city trash routes missed by new contractor; double pickup planned
Summary
Council members raised complaints March 3 after a new contractor missed Thursday trash routes on the South Side; Public Works said Borden’s canceled Thursday service for safety, could not add make‑up days because of staffing limits, and plans a double pickup this coming Thursday.
Council members on March 3 raised concerns after neighborhoods on Elkhart’s South Side reported missed trash collection following icy conditions earlier in the week. Residents and councilmembers said some routes were not completed and that the result has been overflowing containers and bags placed at curbside.
Tory Owen of Public Works told the council the contractor, Borden’s (under new ownership/management), called off Thursday service because of icy roads and safety concerns. “We expected them to come out on Friday and finish the route on Thursday and then pick up Friday and Saturday. That is not what happened,” Owen said. He said Borden’s explained it lacked staffing to add an extra day and that the company committed to picking up the missed material on the coming Thursday. Owen said the administration will post a map showing which streets were missed and where a double pickup will occur.
Council members asked whether trucks would collect extra bags placed beside carts and Owen said yes: crews will collect extra bags left next to containers on the double pickup. Several councilmembers also urged the administration and the contractor to treat the service failure as a contractual issue to be addressed during the city’s planned re‑bid of collection services later this year.
Council members and neighborhood representatives described the immediate impact. Council members asked the administration to ensure collection does not remain delinquent in specific neighborhoods and to communicate proactively with residents rather than requiring them to contact state agencies or make individual complaints.
Ending Public Works said the missed Thursday route will be collected the coming Thursday and that the city will publish maps showing affected streets; the council said it will expect the contractor to meet service expectations and that the missed pickups will inform contract negotiations going forward.
