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Council approves Rumpky trash contract with 7% increase amid member complaints about pickups
Summary
Council approved a two-year contract (with a May 1 rate increase of 7%) with Rumpky Waste Disposal for residential trash and recyclables while several council members criticized missed pickups and customer service. Members asked staff to examine penalty provisions and enforcement options.
The Greenville City Council approved a contract with Rumpky Waste Disposal covering trash and recyclable collection after staff presented the terms and the company’s 7% rate increase effective May 1.
Council discussion focused less on the contract language than on persistent service problems reported by residents: early or late pickups, missed routes, and poor customer service. Multiple council members said the company’s responses to complaints have been inconsistent and described recurring early-morning pickups that frustrate residents. Council asked staff to review contract enforcement and penalty mechanisms; staff said the contract includes penalty options but that some performance metrics (for example, pick-up times) may not be straightforward to penalize without risking fewer bidders in future procurements.
Councilors recounted the firm's prior rate adjustments (a 4% change in earlier years and a 3% extension-year increase) and pressed administration for avenues to hold the contractor accountable, including escalating to local managers if the company’s 1‑800 customer line is unhelpful.
The resolution to approve the trash and recyclable materials removal contract passed on roll-call votes; one councilor voted no on the subsequent adoption vote earlier in the agenda discussion about a related resolution, and another abstained on a separate item, but the trash contract itself was adopted by the council.
