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Warrensburg officials review troubled rollout of new curbside carts after public comment
Summary
City staff reported that more than 10,000 carts have been delivered but acknowledged service issues during the rollout; a resident urged a targeted waiver for trash service as staff described missed pickups, hardship requests and next steps.
A Warrensburg resident urged the city to allow employees of local trash haulers to receive service waivers while city staff described operational problems and recovery steps after a new curbside cart rollout.
Stephanie Evans, who identified herself as a Warrensburg resident and employee of Republic Services, told the City Council she and at least a dozen other local employees receive trash service as an employer benefit and asked the council to permit documentation-based waivers for workers. "I am here as a citizen of and a resident of Warrensburg," Evans said, adding that employer-provided trash service can add about $372 a year to household costs.
City staff and the community development department outlined how the cart rollout progressed and where problems occurred. The department reported that just over 10,000 carts have gone out and that staff have logged more than 360 customer calls related to delivery problems. Of those calls, approximately 43 addresses — about 1 percent — did not receive a cart before their scheduled service day. Staff also reported roughly 71 missed trash pickups during the initial week of service, also near 1 percent of routes.
"We have over 10,000 carts out there," a city staff member said during the staff update, and stressed that staff and several departments worked extended hours to answer phones and handle requests. The city reported about 23,600 pounds of recycled material were collected and taken to the transfer station during the first phase. Staff said they have approved 80 hardship service requests (with nine to ten pending) and recorded 28 vacation holds for properties while delivery and pickup corrections continue.
City staff described the two main causes of missed pickups: residences that had not yet moved carts to the curb after the change in service and a pattern of missed alley collections concentrated on a few blocks. The city said some delivery delays stemmed from the cart manufacturer and the delivery vendor, and staff credited cross-departmental support — including public works, community development and the city manager’s office — for keeping response lines open and resolving many customer issues.
Evans also raised a separate issue about landfill revenue flows, telling the council she believed material handled at the local landfill generates payments to the county and questioned whether the community or school district is receiving the expected share. She asked whether the city was pursuing ways to recoup revenue for local schools; city officials did not commit to a specific action during the meeting and classified her remarks as public comment.
City staff said they are continuing to collect and reconcile delivery and pickup data, to process hardship and vacation requests, and to work with the vendor on individual missed deliveries. They asked residents to continue reporting missed pickups so staff can correct individual routes and addresses.
The council did not vote on policy changes or on the waiver suggestion during the meeting. The council and staff said they will continue to monitor service levels and make operational fixes; staff encouraged residents to use the city’s reporting lines for ongoing problems.
