Residents press trustees on garbage pickup as village puts contract out to bid

Residents raised service concerns and practical frustrations about curbside pickup at the Village of Depew’s April 27 meeting as trustees authorized bids for a new solid‑waste contract.

A resident identified as Dave said he sees inconsistent results for bulky items and left curbside for extended periods in some locations. He also praised pickup on his own street, saying, "They picked that up no problem." Trustees and staff responded that the village seeks to be the point of contact for resident complaints rather than relying on a vendor's national customer‑service line, and that vendors will be held to the contract terms. Mayor Kevin J. Peterson described use of "oops" stickers to flag noncompliant items and noted that persistent violations can be referred to code enforcement.

Trustees noted there are three municipal haulers that serve the area — Casella, Modern and Waste Management — and said the board will factor rising costs and recycling economics into the upcoming procurement. A trustee observed that recycling's market return has declined and will be considered when evaluating bids.

The board set the bid opening for May 22, 2026, at noon and said it is seeking a longer contract term to stabilize service and pricing. No formal action on vendor selection took place at the meeting; the board authorized the administrator to publish the bid documents.