Macomb Township board issues formal notice of default to Priority Waste after weeks of missed pickups

Macomb Township supervisors voted Wednesday to issue a formal notice of default to Priority Waste after residents described repeated late or missed trash pickups and township staff reported escalating complaint volumes.

The vote instructs the township attorney to send Priority Waste a contract default notice and sets a public hearing for Aug. 13, 2025, at 6:30 p.m. to determine whether the company has cured the breaches. If the company does not cure the default, the township may pursue liquidated damages or other remedies in the contract.

Why it matters: Residents told the board the missed pickups have become routine — sometimes delayed several days — producing odors and attracting wildlife. Township staff said they have received more than 50 Priority-related messages per day in the worst weeks and that internal staff have been diverted from regular duties to respond to resident complaints.

At public comment, residents described multiple missed collections and late-night pickups. Mike Koltoonyak of Morning Glory Drive said Priority often runs one-person crews and that service windows have shifted to late evenings. Marlene Olson of Vintage Lane said company representatives often promised callbacks that did not occur. Multiple other residents described similar, repeated failures and provided photographs to township staff.

Supervisor Viviano told the board the township originally selected GFL after an open bidding process, but Priority later acquired GFL’s local contracts. He said Priority took on service for many communities at once and that performance degraded again in late spring and early summer. Viviano said township staff and the Priority CEO have exchanged promises about new trucks and improved service that have not produced consistent results.

Legal and contractual remedies discussed: The township attorney explained the contract’s enforcement steps. The board must first issue a notice of default and give Priority 30 days to cure. If uncorrected, the township may hold a public hearing and then apply liquidated damages. Two liquidated-damages provisions were described: a $500 assessment tied to an uncured notice of default and a $35 assessment per missed collection at a service address if the pickup is not completed by noon the day after the scheduled collection. The contract also includes a $750,000 performance bond intended to cover a supplier walkaway or total service failure, though attorneys said the bond would cover only a limited interval of replacement costs.

Board members said they had communicated with neighboring municipalities that have experienced similar issues with Priority and that many communities were coordinating to seek answers. Supervisor Viviano said a group meeting with Priority management is scheduled for the coming week; the board also discussed the possibility of emergency temporary providers or Waste Management bidding to take over service if necessary, noting such options would likely cost more and might use a cart-only service model.

Motion and next steps: Trustee motioned and the board approved issuing formal notice of default to Priority Waste, beginning the 30-day cure period, and scheduling a public hearing for Aug. 13, 2025 at 6:30 p.m. The board directed staff and legal counsel to proceed; members said they would return to the matter at the August meeting to report status.

The board emphasized the notice is a contractual enforcement step and not a lawsuit. Officials said their preference is to reach a cooperative resolution but that they will use contractual remedies if service does not improve.

Community impact and operational burden: Officials said tracking missed pickups and enforcing liquidated damages is labor intensive and would require staff time or DPW resources to check hauler portal data and confirm each missed stop. One trustee said Clinton Township currently uses eight DPW staff to track missed pickups. The township attorney noted that while the contract does not provide an explicit reimbursement for township staff time spent handling resident complaints, documented staff costs could be included in a damages claim if a lawsuit were later filed.

The board asked staff to provide an update on Priority Waste at the next meeting and said residents should continue to report missed pickups so the township can document failures.

Ending: The board closed discussion after the vote and opened a separate general public-comment period. The full record of resident complaints and the notice of default will be part of the Aug. 13 hearing if service issues continue.