SIDNEY — People in Sidney said they’ve gone weeks without anyone picking up their trash.
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They say the provider’s contract with the city will be up soon, but right now it’s not doing its job.
People in Sidney told the I-Team they had a problem that stunk.
“There’s been a real problem with the trash,” Chuck Thompson said.
Tim Beck and Rob Skelley both called News Center 7 asking for help with what they said were long delays in their trash service.
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“This is the town that I grew up in, and I don’t want it to be smelly and just nasty,” Beck said.
We spent all day in their neighborhoods Monday.
We saw trash cans so full they were not able to close and bags of trash piled next to cans at the street.
“That’s my only question is for you guys to do your part. We do our part by paying the bill and bringing our trash out like we’re supposed to,” Beck said.
For a few more weeks, Republic is picking up the trash in Sidney.
The city is switching to Rumpke at the end of the month after approving a new contract following what it calls a regularly scheduled competitive bid process.
But in the waning weeks of Republic’s work, the city said it’s received a significant increase in complaints about collection issues.
In a statement to the I-team, Republic said it remains committed to maintaining dependable service for Sidney through the end of its contract.
“Over the past month, driver availability has contributed to short-term service delays for Republic Services customers, typically ranging from one to two days. Our team is working to complete all scheduled service as quickly as possible, and we have no record of prolonged service interruptions. We recognize these delays can be disruptive and apologize for the inconvenience to customers. Republic Services has been a trusted service provider in Sidney for more than 27 years, and our team remains committed to maintaining dependable service for the community through the end of our contract.”
But the I-Team has received several accounts from residents definitely describing long-term delays.
“Your trash ain’t getting picked up for weeks,” Skelley said.
During News Center 7’s interviews Monday, Republic crews came through and cleaned up.
The City of Sidney told us it shares residents’ concerns and understands their frustration about missed collections.
Adding in a statement, in part:
“City staff have been in ongoing communication with the provider regarding missed routes and resident complaints, and we continue to press for improved service during the remainder of the current contract term.”
Rumpke takes over trash collection here in Sidney on June 29.
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