Prairie Village city officials and residents are growing increasingly frustrated with delays in curbside trash and recycling pickups, as Arizona-based private waste hauler Republic Services struggles with staffing shortages.
- City officials say they hope Republic can resolve its issues soon, but the problem has become acute enough that the city is prepared to levy financial penalties against the company, which is about half way through a ten-year contract as the city’s exclusive waste hauler.
Driving the news: City staff told the city council at its meeting last week that Republic Service has consistently been missing pickups in Prairie Village for more than a month now, with the delays becoming especially prevalent more recently.
- City Clerk Adam Geffert told the city council that ongoing resident reports of missed pickups is largely the result of Republic’s staffing shortage.
- Geffert said he, Mayor Eric Mikkelson and city staff recently met with company representatives who say there are only nine drivers for the company’s 13 routes on the Kansas side of the metro.
- Additionally, Geffert said the representatives told the city the issue is compounded by the fact drivers are only allowed a certain amount of overtime hours.
What else: Compost Connection, a yard waste subcontractor for Republic, was also behind a day on pickups the week of Nov. 7, Geffert told the Post via email.
- Geffert told the Post, as he told the city council previously, that he believes Republic Services has a couple of new drivers in training.
- The city is hopeful the new drivers will alleviate issues residents have had related to delayed pickups, he said.
- Geffert told the city council that the city has the ability to fine Republic and is likely to do so in the coming weeks.
- The city’s current contract with Republic runs through 2027 and was approved in 2017.
What should I do? In the meantime, residents are encouraged to call the city — and not Republic — to report trash, recycling or yard waste pickup issues since the city contracts directly with Republic Services.
- The best number to call or report delayed wast pickup is the City Clerk’s line at 913-381-6464.
Key quote: “[Republic’s] call center is completely unreliable, a lot of time the information they give residents is detrimental because it’s wrong and they end up calling city hall and they’re already upset,” Geffert told the city council. “I would suggest any residents you speak to about this, please have them call us. We can call Republic right away, usually they’re pretty responsive when we do that. Again, I’m hopeful we’ll see some better service here in the next few weeks.”
Republic Services unresponsive so far
The Post reached out to Republic Services on Nov. 10 for comment for this story.
- No response was received as of Monday morning on Nov. 14.
- Any comments the Post receives will be added to this story when received.
