Councilmen discuss customer complaints, air concerns

By JOHN RECH

news@theeveningtimes.com

West Memphis sanitation customers piled up service complaints. A number of calls went to the sanitation department at the city shop, and the public works department at city hall. City Council members said complaint volume was up about on time service. Mayor Marco McClendon assured the gathering including almost the entire city council, public works staff and all three sanitation supervisors that no one received more sanitation complaints than he did.

Councilman Wayne Croom said a constituent claimed their garbage was skipped two weeks in a row and had asked if was OK to pay only half of the sanitation bill because she was only getting half the service.

Delayed garbage service created more than just litter being scattered. Complaints about varmints tearing up bags for food scraps were aired on a Trash Talk Tuesday thread on the city Facebook page.

“This is an issue because there are squirrels around that like to dig in the garbage,” posted Zalphia Davis.

“Well garbage hasn’t been picked up in two weeks so what was the issue this time,” wrote Kandis Rodgers.

“’Well it comes out of my light bill so whatever is in my garbage needs to be (picked up) out of my yard,” posted Dede Wilson.

Some people asked when the new 90 gallon city trash cans would become available to residential customers. The city announced after the meeting, bin delivery would begin in mid-July.

Sanitation supervisors reported on the status of their fleet. Robby Amos said only two of the three front end trucks for Dumpsters were operating. Picking up trash at businesses ran

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“Businesses aren’t being pick up as they should, it creates an odor,” said Croom.

The same with equipment issues were noted in residential garbage residential garbage. One truck was hit so hard in a head on collision the front axle was knocked loose. On older truck recently retired. Customers have seen a claw truck picking up household garbage.

Garbage service supervisor Charles Clark needed more equipment and holiday weeks compressing _ve days work into four had presented insurmountable challenges. The garbage truck eet had been seven but dropped to four trucks due to various maintenance issues. Garbage collectors had to lean on the trash division for a claw truck to pick up bagged household garbage.

“Supervisor Robbie Amos and I agree,” said Clark. “We need more equipment. If we get the side loader (for the new city garbage cans) that would sure help us. We have gone from seven trucks to four plus the grafe (claw) truck. Using the grafe truck keeps them from doing what they have to do.”

The city won a grant for a new energy ef_cient garbage truck. Mayor Marco McClendon reminded city council that it had not appropriated the matching funds to purchase the truck. Once a truck is ordered, delivery takes months.

“We’d have to pay $75,000,” said McClendon. “The truck cost $280,000. We’d save $200,000 using this grant.”

Councilman Tracy Catt said restructuring the budget was the option with the expected COVID-19 crunch on revenue.

“They do not have the cash to buy; they’ll need to _nance,” said Catt.”We need to look at the total package and have it brought back to us. Do we need another front end loader, one more rear end loader? Come back with the total package and then look at how to restructure the entire department to fund it.”

The sanitation department not only experienced equipment challenges, but also staf_ng. City Engineer Amanda Hicks said sick time was up since the onslaught of the coronavirus. The department reported publicly its _rst case and moved to stagger start times of crews to minimize contact with other workers.

Councilman James Holt said it was time to act.

“Stuff sits out on the street for almost a week,” said Holt. We’re always gonna have trash.”

The city had been plagued by deferred maintenance, equipment woes and major storms blowing down limbs for the last few years.

“It didn’t start today, but we have an opportunity to make it better,” said Croom.