High summer in Detroit — that time of year when it's grossest to let trash sit — has coincided with staffing and resource shortages at Detroit's garbage pick-up contractors, leading trash to, well, sit.
City officials said they learned of two-day delays in pick up across portions of the city last week. Things had improved some by Friday, they said, after contractors Waste Management and GFL were given a talking to. Waste Management added more trucks and drivers to their city of Detroit routes and got back on schedule. GFL, however, remained a day behind.
“Our trash collection contractors have a contractual responsibility to meet all collection day schedules," said public works director Ron Brundidge. "We are informing both contractors that the City will not tolerate such repeated violations and that the consequences for doing so may include termination.”
In a well-kept west-side neighborhood, one resident complained to WXYZ that bins left sitting for days were attracting critters.
"Luckily, we live in a neighborhood where people care about their property and they're not letting animals turn the garbage over you know," Pryor said. "There were a couple of animals down there and another one over there earlier this week."
The resident said trucks came by on Monday but collected trash on only one side of the street.
The last bout of delays was in November, DPW said.
