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Omaha City Council rejects proposed trash hauling contract Share Shares Copy Link Copy

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TONIGHT, SHE DEMANDS A PLAN TO GET BACK ON TRACK AND GET RID OF YOUR GARBAGE ON TIME. TRASH YARD WASTE AND RECYCLING LINE THE CURB IN THIS NORTHWEST OMAHA NEIGHBORHOOD. AFTER DAYS OF DELAYS, PEOPLE HERE WONDER WHEN IT WILL GET PICKED UP. >> WE’VE SEEN NOTHING. NOT A SINGLE TRASH TRUCK. ALEXANDRA: AFTER MEMORIAL DAY, WASTE COLLECTION WAS SCHEDULED ON A ONE-DAY DELAY, BUT FOR TENS OF THOUSANDS, THE TRUCKS NEVER CAME. MONDAY, OMAHA MAYOR JEAN STOTHERT DEMANDED A PLAN FROM WASTE MANAGEMENT. >> WE DO NOT FEEL LIKE THIS IS ACCEPTABLE SERVICE. WE PAY THEM FOR THE JOBS THEY DO. WE DO HAVE LIQUIDATED DAMAGES IN THE CONTRACT BASED ON COMPLAINTS. WE ALSO DO NOT PAY THEM FOR WORK THEY DO NOT DO. ALEXANDRA: WASTE MANAGEMENT SAYS RECENT STORMS MEAN MORE YARD WASTE BY THE CURB. MUCH OF IT, SATURATED, CAUSING COLLECTION TO SLOW DOWN. STOTHERT ALSO SAYS THE COMPANY REPORTS TRUCKS STRUGGLING AT THE LANDFILL BECAUSE OF CONTINUED RAIN. >> IT USUALLY TAKES ABOUT 20 MINUTES TO TURN AROUND. IT’S TAKING THEM ABOUT AN HOUR TO TURN AROUND. IN FACT, IN SOME CASES, THEY’VE BEEN TOWING GARBAGE TRUCKS TO GET THEM THROUGH THE AREA. ALEXANDRA: OMAHA’S CITY COUNCIL IS SET TO VOTE ON THE NEXT WASTE COLLECTION CONTRACT TUESDAY. WASTE MANAGEMENT IS NOT A CONTENDER DESPITE A BID TO KEEP THE JOB. >> POSSIBLY, THEY MIGHT HAVE THE ATTITUDE OF, WHO CARES? YOU KNOW, SINCE THEY’RE GOING TO LOSE THE ACCOUNT -- YOU KNOW, SINCE THEY’RE GOING TO LOSE THE ACCOUNT. ALEXANDRA: THEY’RE STILL UNDER CONTRACT WITH THE CITY OF OMAHA THROUGH DECEMBER OF 2020. >> IT’S A NATIONAL COMPANY, IT’S A HUGE COMPANY. THEIR REPUTATION IS AT STAKE. ALEXANDRA: A REPUTATION SOME SAY IS TARNISHED AFTER THESE TRASH DELAYS. >> I JUST WANT IT PICKED UP. ALEXANDRA: UNDER THE PLAN FROM WASTE MANAGEMENT, ALL THOSE HOMES SHOULD HAVE BEEN PICKED UP BY 7:00 P.M. TONIGHT. THE MAYOR ALSO SAYS WASTE MANAGEMENT AGREED TO BRING IN DRIVERS FROM OTHER CITIES AND TO HI