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Resident says Waste Connections failed to deliver promised 96‑gallon carts; council hears multiple complaints
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Summary
A resident told the council that a postcard campaign and subsequent deliveries by Waste Connections produced inconsistent trash-cart sizes; residents and council members discussed communication breakdowns and the company’s responsibility to honor its promise.
Steve Kinzel, a Washington resident, told the City Council that Waste Connections did not fulfill a mailed promise to provide 96-gallon trash carts to households that did not respond by a May 9 deadline. Kinzel said many neighbors instead received 64-gallon carts and that attempts to reach the hauler produced inconsistent explanations, including a claim of U.S. Postal Service errors and subcontractor decisions about senior households.
Kinzel said he told Waste Connections he would pursue a class-action claim under the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act if the company did not correct the mistake; he asked the company to place a 96-gallon cart at every home with a note offering a simple exchange process. Multiple council members and residents described numerous public calls and emails to city staff about mixed deliveries and confirmed that staff had posted a contact number and were working with the hauler to sort exchanges.
Council members and staff described the city’s multi-year process to select a contracted hauler and the practical reasons haulers require standardized toters for automated collection. Staff said the vendor had two or more subcontractors delivering carts and that some neighborhoods received 96-gallon carts while others received 64s. City staff said they had obtained a contact number and that some exchanges had been completed; several council members urged the hauler to honor its mailed promise and expedite swaps.
Clarifying details: Kinzel said the town’s population is “14 to 16,000” and that the 96-gallon cart is roughly 50% larger than the 64; staff reported a count of roughly 102 devices citywide needing replacement for other items discussed separately. Kinzel gave the company a deadline of Friday 5 p.m. to resolve the matter and said he would pursue legal remedies if not corrected.
What the council did: the topic was heard during the citizen-comment portion; council discussed ongoing exchange reports and staff provided a phone number for residents to call. No formal action or vote was taken by the council on this matter at the meeting.
Quotes: “You told everybody if they didn't send the card back, you're gonna give them all 96-gallon carts,” Kinzel said. “That’s the promise I want honored.”
Background: the discussion followed the recent transition to toter-based automated pickup and resident outreach about cart-size selection. Council members noted the operational reasons for toterized service and said the city will continue to press the hauler for an orderly exchange process.
