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Advanced Disposal Representative Talks about Delays, Service Issues at Elmore County Commission Meeting

BY SARAH STEPHENS

ELMORE/AUTAUGA NEWS

With ongoing issues concerning service from Advanced Disposal across Elmore County, Commissioners spoke with a representative at the recent Commission meeting, asking for help in remedying problems.

Darryl Rutland spoke on behalf of Advanced Disposal, saying that like so many other businesses, COVID-19 has taken a toll on their service. In October, Rutland visited with Commissioners saying the company was looking to expand services by adding a seventh route for Elmore County.

However, on Monday he said that due to COVID-19, that has only been partially successful. He said that expansion has occurred, but only by about half of what they were hoping to accomplish by this time.

With schools closing during the COVID-10 Pandemic, many businesses as well and more people working from home, there has been a dramatic increase in the amount of household garbage, Rutland said.

Garbage trucks on routes are filling up faster and have to break to unload more often. This has pushed back service times and delays, he said.

However, the Commissioners each told individual issues their constituents have had with Advanced Disposal, and they go back way before the Pandemic began. In fact, they said there have been so many complaints coming to Commissioners about service issues, the Commission established an email simply for those Advanced Disposal complaints. It is Trash@elmoreco.org.

“I live about mile and a half from my office. When I go through my neighborhood (on trash day) I can tell you what I am going to do Tuesday night based on the trash pickup,” Commissioner Bart Mercer said. “Y’all don’t have to deal with that. I know you respond to emails and you say you are going to deal with it. But this has been going on a long time. If I managed my business like this, I would lose my business. I really need y’all to let us know how you are going to fix this. I am tired of hearing excuses. I truly believe you are trying to do the right thing. I am not sure if you are being limited by your upper management. I know you probably cannot comment on that. But something is wrong. When there is a problem, they (Advanced Disposal customers) call us. We had two Friday. We have them all the time.”

Mercer said that at some point in time, he believes it is time to stop making excuses and find solutions.

“It is not only just the route,” Mercer continued, speaking of the additional route that has not come about completely. “The problem we had last week was a customer service issue. The workers dumped the can in the trash truck and they wouldn’t bring her (the customer) another can and she called me. I got in touch with you and you immediately went out there that afternoon. What concerns me is citizens can’t get that same reaction, and we have to get involved with it. I would just encourage you to please try and work with that.”

Commissioner Mack Daugherty said the Commission gets complaint calls every week concerning the trash service through Advanced Disposal.

“I can give you an example real quick,” Daugherty said. “I got a call from a senior citizen in my district a few days ago. She said she had been without a can for 15 days. The can was damaged and she was told they would bring another can out. She called the office four times. The first three times she was told the can would be brought the next day. Finally on the fourth time she was told you were out of cans and you had some on order. She called me and told me the story and said ‘You are my last resort.’ I said OK, that is fine. I called Richie (Beyer)…and within two hours a can was brought to the house. That doesn’t look good to that customer to be told one thing, and then within two hours you have a can there. And that is the main argument. These customers are paying their bill all month long regardless of pickup. And when they don’t have it, that is what they are concerned about. This lady particularly called me a couple of days ago and said she had not had garbage pickup in 15 days and it was piling up behind her house. She asked me, ‘Do I still have to pay my bill?’ I can’t answer that but we hear that all the time. All we are asking is that y’all do better in communicating primarily with the citizens. Because most of the time when they call us they have already talked to the office. They just want their garbage picked up on time.”

Commissioner Troy Stubbs said that the Commission is willing to work with Advanced Disposal to find a reasonable solution that works for everyone. “I think you have heard from Commissioners in terms of the concerns that they have. I hope we can move to a better outcome in the near future. We will make sure we have you scheduled to come back with an update on this information and see if you have updates on anything else in a couple of months.”