Neighbors are cleaning up, and stacking up trash on the curb, May 2020. Photo by Carol Toler.
Staff from the Dallas sanitation department briefed members of the Environmental and Sustainability Committee today about city-wide delays and frustrations related to trash and recycling pickup.
Director of Sanitation Services Jerome Council stated that extreme weather, unavailable equipment and new pickup routes lead to a perfect storm for confusion and delays in garbage collection over the last month.
On Dec. 5, trash and recycling pickup days changed for 56% of sanitation customers due to new routes rolled out by the sanitation department.
Data from the department showed that between Dec. 12 – 18, requests for garbage services peaked with 1,864 calls citywide. Calls for recycling pickup peaked from Dec. 26 – Jan. 1, with 2,177 calls.
In the briefing, District 1 City Council member Chad West asked for specific data to show how missed trash collection in Oak Cliff compared to other neighborhoods.
He said that while he was sure every neighborhood felt they were the most impacted by delayed pickups, he could not recall the last time so many constituents were upset with city services.
“This has been a particularly troubling rollout,” West said. “Trash pick up is one of the most basic functions of a city. If city staff can’t get it right with all of the resources at their disposal, it gives me a lot of concern for when you come back to me and ask me to support future proposals like this.”
Cliff Gillespie, assistant director of sanitation services, said that the Southwestern fleet of sanitation vehicles “took a hit” during the extreme weather that hit North Texas right before Christmas, and that the impacted availability was a driving factor for Oak Cliff complaints.
Gillespie did say there is 311 data to show the distribution of calls for service, but did not give further specifics.
West shared comments from Lee Ruiz, a Winnetka Heights resident who said “the system has collapsed” after going weeks between trash pickups. West also spoke on behalf of a District 1 resident who wished to remain anonymous, but says he has taken to driving his garbage to his workplace because he doesn’t trust sanitation to pick it up from his home.
In the briefing, Council repeatedly emphasized that while the sanitation department has enough staff to get back on track, equipment availability continues to be an issue.
With the new routes, the minimum number of trucks needed per day went from 127 to 148, Council said.
According to city data, the last time the sanitation department had more than the minimum number of trucks needed was in October 2022. The department has not had the minimum number of vehicles in operation since November 2022.
Council said that this is the first rollout the sanitation department has had in over 10 years, and that the department found themselves playing catch up after missing pickups across the city.
“We had to fix the airplane while it’s going down the runway,” Council said.
Now, however, Council says residents should no longer see delays in trash pickup, although delays in recycling pickup may persist.
West asked if refunds would be made to residents who pay a fee for trash pickup and were impacted by the delays.
Council said that while refunds would not be standard for the department, they would be considered if asked for by the committee.
