A major trash company in the metro has to answer tough questions. The city wants to know why Deffenbaugh isn’t providing adequate service to residents.
The city told 41 Action News that in the last six months the company isn’t doing their job on time or has completely missed some pick ups.
On Monday night, Deffenbaugh is going to have to explain themselves on what’s causing the problem and how they plan to fix it.
Under their current contract the city is allowed to fine them for poor service. Prairie Village has been doing so since last month.
Residents who’ve been affected say it’s a step to fix this problem.
“A lot of times they don’t have one until the next day, so the trash can sit out overnight and I really don’t like that," resident Carol Turner said. "We’re supposed to have them up close to the house. This has been going on for a while; sometimes they’re completely missed. We’ve had pick ups as late as Saturday."
She isn’t alone; the company has had complaints from residents in Cass County, too.
Previous story: Cass County residents furious over piles of uncollected garbage in their Belton neighborhood
Deffenbaugh is the first item on the City Council agenda at 6 p.m. During the meeting, members will hear directly from Deffenbaugh about the increased service issues.
41 Action News contacted the company ahead of Monday's meeting. According to Lisa Disbrow, the regional spokeswoman, the issues are the result of the holidays and recent weather in the Kansas City area.
But Turner and other Prairie Village residents say they are not satisfied with that answer. Every household pays $14.50 a month to have Deffenbaugh Industries pick up trash, recycling and yard waste once a week.
"This has been going on for a while now," she said.
In an effort to limit service mishaps, the city of Prairie Village has started to sanction Deffenbaugh for missed pickups. The city's contract allows Prairie Village to charge Deffenbaugh $30 a household if a complaint is filed and the garbage company does not fix the mistake within 24 hours.
Disbrow released the following statement:
We acknowledge and apologize to the residents for the service delays. We are communicating with City officials to ensure our service improves as we have added new tools and equipment to provide timely and safe service. With the merger of Waste Management and Deffenbaugh Industries, the company has invested significantly in the local Kansas City operations. We are confident this investment, coupled with improve tools and procedures, will improve our customer service without sacrificing the safety of our drivers and the community.
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