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Sterling Heights presses Priority Waste on summer service failures; company pledges corrective actions and city seeks contingency plan
Summary
After summer pickup delays, Priority Waste told Sterling Heights council it has implemented corrective actions and equipment changes; city staff said the vendor funded a $70,000 public-education campaign and the council requested a contingency-plan update within 60 days and noted roughly $50,000 in assessed contract penalties to date.
City officials and the contractor Priority Waste faced sharp questions Tuesday after summer disruptions to curbside collection prompted a series of corrective actions and public complaints.
City Manager Mark Vanderpool and Public Works Director Mike Moore described the city's transition to an automated, cart-based refuse and recycling system and credited it with sharply increasing recycling participation from roughly 25% to near-universal access. Moore said the change also reduced refuse tonnage and improved neighborhood cleanliness but acknowledged service lapses over the summer that required immediate response.
Representing Priority Waste, Dan Venet, vice president of municipal sales, said the company took responsibility for operational shortfalls tied to leadership changes and equipment shortages. "We took on the contract and knew that was a significant responsibility…we did as best as we could," Venet said. Todd Stamper, the company leader who spoke directly to council, said: "I take personal responsibility for everything that happens within the company…We hit a bump in the road. I own it. It's been fixed and we will continue to move the ball forward." Stamper described yard and fleet adjustments and new technology triggers intended to detect problems before residents are affected.
Council members pressed both staff and the vendor on tracking missed pickups, contamination of recycling loads and public education. Vanderpool told the council Priority Waste funded about $70,000 of a joint city-contractor public-education campaign required by the contract. He also said the city has issued formal notices and has assessed approximately $50,000 in penalties to date for performance shortfalls. Vanderpool said the MRF (materials recovery facility) notifies Priority Waste when a load exceeds contamination thresholds; the vendor and DPW can backtrack contaminated loads to trucks and, if necessary, target education to neighborhoods or households.
Councilman Yanez requested a contingency plan and an update on that plan. Vanderpool said the city asked for a written contingency report within 60 days. Council discussion also recommended stepped-up resident education — including clearer instructions about acceptable containers, bulk-pickup rules and the city’s procedure for reporting missed pickups — and closer monitoring of route data and in-vehicle cameras.
The city and Priority Waste emphasized improvements in recent weeks: public metrics presented to the council showed on-time service percentages restored to high levels following the corrective action plan. City staff said they are continuing to meet with other vendors and neighboring jurisdictions to maintain contingency options.
What happens next: council members asked staff to return with the contingency-plan report and with any additional data showing improvements in on-time service and contamination rates.
