Garbage is always an issue during the hot summer months, but this year there seems to be a plethora of complaints about the irregular service being received.
A recent June fire at the Waste Management site on Carp Road took eight trucks out of service and has caused an impact on garbage pick-up. Also, the spring flooding that took place in the West Carleton area accumulated extensive piles of items that the waste collection teams had to clear – even with extra man hours and trucks deployed to the situation.
The fast growth of Ottawa over the past few years could also be a cause with city services and contractors not increasing and the number of new neighbourhoods being developed ever-increasing.
Waste Management is aware of the problem and has apologized. They are redeploying their equipment and men to address the situation, but are asking for patience from the public. They have indicated that pick-ups may not return to the regular schedule for a couple of weeks.
In the interim, Councillor Glen Gower has been fielding the numerous complaints from Stittsville constituents while working with city staff to work out a solution. “This is not the level of service that the City or residents expect. Thank you to residents for your patience while these issues get resolved. I am as frustrated as you are about this situation”. Councillor Gower also thanked the waste collection teams for the work they are doing in extremely hot conditions and for their long hours.
Some actions shared by Councillor Gower and being taken by city staff are — ensuring that service standards are being met by the contractor; the city is enforcing the terms of the contract and any contractual penalty provisions; and, using the performance management measures of the contract administration policy.
If your garbage has not been picked up on the day scheduled, please leave it at the curb for next day pick-up. If it has been in place for over one day, please call 311 to lodge your complaint. You can also find updates regarding the status of problems with local neighbourhood pick-ups through Councillor Gower’s Facebook and twitter pages.
Thanks for at least helping to help explain how we got into this situation.