City leases nine garbage trucks to provide collection relief

PORT ST. LUCIE – In an effort to pursue every option available to supplement Waste Pro’s repeated and ongoing service failures, the City is leasing nine (9) rear-loader garbage trucks and is assembling a labor force to assist in collecting garbage.

Four trucks are now actively addressing pickups reported to the City through the 1PSL customer service system, in areas where verified collection is more than a week late. Five additional garbage trucks are expected to arrive next week staffed by the City’s Public Works employees and contracted employees. The goal is to reduce the average wait time between pickups.

Initially, the City’s solid waste team plans to continue to prioritize the most critical service needs as reported to 1PSL to dispatch the City’s supplemental trucks. This operational plan will be re-evaluated over time to ensure efficiency.

In addition, as Waste Pro’s service levels have deteriorated, the City has:

Taken Waste Pro to court to force them to comply with their contract.
Fined Waste Pro millions of dollars.
Hired two (2) supplemental contractors to collect yard waste and bulky waste.
Temporarily suspended recycling pickup to consolidate service.
Established a voluntary drop-off site for bulky waste, recyclables, and yard waste.
Ended its contract with Waste Pro and has engaged a new hauler (FCC Environmental Services) which will begin in early September. This modern company has a reliable track record, and its new technology should result in dramatically improved service.
Pursuing a lawsuit against Waste Pro, on behalf of its residents, seeking monetary damages for the hardship faced by residents of the City.

Residents can help with the City’s lawsuit against Waste Pro by emailing photos and their stories to WasteProLawsuit@CityofPSL.com. The City will continue to seek monetary damages for the hardship faced by the City’s residents in the hopes of recovering money damages against Waste Pro.

Residents are encouraged to continue to report service disruptions to 1PSL by calling 772-871-1775, using the 1PSL website or submitting their concerns via the 1PSL mobile app. For updated information and a detailed list of frequently asked questions about solid waste, visit www.CityofPSL.com/SolidWaste.