Compost bags sit curbside uncollected for over a week in parts of Dearborn Heights
The city of Dearborn Heights demanded a $13,000 deduction from Priority Waste and is withholding a $250,000 payment after widespread delays in compost, recycling and bulk pickups, the city said.
Neighborhoods across the city have brown paper bags full of compost sitting curbside uncollected, Mayor Mo Baydoun said.
"Things were backed up, we had good weather, there was a lot of compost that was put out, you know, residents were cutting their grass, but that's not an excuse," Baydoun said.
According to a city Facebook post, equipment failures and the Memorial Day holiday contributed to the delays in compost, recycling and bulk collection. Baydoun said Priority Waste told him the company "may have lost track of being able to get to any of the other homes or being able to finish up on time, and I think it just became a slippery slope."
In some parts of the city, compost had not been picked up for more than a week, Baydoun said. The mayor said complaints include trucks breaking down and damaged trash bins.
Baydoun said the city has already demanded a $13,000 fine and is withholding a $250,000 payment until service improves. He said city attorneys are reviewing the contract with Priority Waste to explore legal options and that termination clauses exist that could be invoked if violations are confirmed.
"We're going to refer to our legal team to be able to go through our contract and see what we can do," Baydoun said.
He added he has not ruled out switching providers, but that the city is waiting for its legal review before taking further steps.
Priority Waste issued the following statement, saying in part:
"First and foremost, we want our customers and communities to know that we hear them, we understand their frustration, and we take full responsibility anytime we fail to deliver the level of service they expect. Addressing these issues is management's top priority.
"We are also actively investing in fleet upgrades, route reliability, and faster response times to improve day-to-day service and deliver solutions to impacted service areas."
