Council trashes Waste Management for poor service

Council once again refuses to approve small rate hike; calls on company to forego any increase in 2021

Woodland may be in violation of its contract with Waste Management over the pickup and disposal of trash and recyclables, but the City Council feels the nationwide multi- billion dollar corporation is in violation of its contract as well.

That staring match reached a semi- climax Tuesday night when the council voted unanimously to hold off on approving a 56- cent per month rate hike for 2021 as it’s obligated to do each year, instead telling a representative for the firm to go back to his corporate officials and ask to delay the fees in view of the financial hardship being caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

In December, the council held off on approving the otherwise routine rate increase due to the company’s poor service. The pandemic has sickened workers or forced them to quarantine by 50%. That reduction in staff forced a corresponding 50% cut in service starting last June without any immediate public explanation.

Rather, the council told Waste Management representative Kayla Rodriguez to bring in someone higherup who could offer a better explanation.

The actual proposal before the council has been to approve a rate hike based on the consumer price index, which is capped at 5%. For 2021, the rate would be about 56 cents a month for the average residence, which would cause the average household rate to climb from $ 33.90 to $ 34.46. There would also be a 1.6% increase for commercial customers, with the fees depending on the container size and frequency of service.

Other rates would also be affected include so- called “tipping fees” at the Yolo County Landfill, which increased its rates for trash and green waste disposal along with other hikes that cover the disposal of construction and demolition materials. The council has accepted that increase because it’s outside the control of Waste Management.

On Tuesday night, the council told Bret Cea, area sales and public sector director for the company, via a Zoom meeting, that he should back to his bosses and tell them to hold off on any increase in view of the economic hardships taking place due to the pandemic.

Cea said he wasn’t prepared to negotiate directly with the council, but would go back to his management leadership with the proposal.

Cea told the council that he and others heard the council’s initial complaints made in December and took them seriously and was now working to provide better communication with the community as well as improve its service in terms of trash and recyclable pickup along with street sweeping.

He also said the company would be providing vouchers that could be used by customers for additional service over the coming year and that it would start picking up street piles of tree trimmings and other green waste starting in October this year compared to its normal November start time.

Those promises, however, meant little to the council which has been besieged by community members over the service cuts. New Mayor Tom Stallard said the primary issues were the failure of Waste Management to maintain its contract and Councilman Rich Lansburgh, who was mayor in 2020, telling Cea to “think about foregoing the CPI increase due to COVID.”

Lansburgh said the CPI increase wouldn’t mean much to the company and maybe not much to the average consumer, but it would be a welcome gesture.

Cea countered that the company was absorbing increased costs already, paying $ 60,000 locally for personal protective equipment, $ 10,000 for sanitizing, and more.

That meant little to the council with Lansburgh noting the national firm was expecting billions in profits nationwide this year.

“Your ( the company) has boasted about taking care of its investment,” he said. “How about taking care of your customers. I’m not asking about costs that are out of your control, but I’m asking you to care for your customers in woodland.”

“On behalf of the residents of Woodland,” added new Councilwoman Victoria Fernandez, “I would ask your company to show some good faith … I’m sure your intentions are good, but I will repeat what I said at the last meeting that I will continue to advocate for the residents of Woodland.”

Fernandez went on to say that if the company wasn’t providing service as it is obligated to do, then it has not fulfilled its contract with residents.

“So, if you would take that back to your administrators, the residents of Woodland would appreciate it,” she said about waiving any fee increase. “If COVID19 is not the time to show some compassion to the residents of Woodland then you never will.”

New Councilwoman Mayra Vega endorsed that idea, saying Waste Management was in a position to show some goodwill. “I would like to think that your company considers itself part of the community and would be willing to come forward and assist the community. It would be symbolic but it would gain some trust that your company has not earned with the community.”

Stallard echoed that statement, saying during his 11 years on the council he has seen the company move “further and further away from Woodland” and has no “comprehensive management touch in place anymore … We don’t know who you are anymore … I do not know how we can have a better outcome in the future if we don’t know where you are.”

“I’m not hearing about a modest increase from residents,” Stallard continued, agreeing that the 56- centamonth increase was minimal. “What I am hearing about is the loss of service.”

Stallard concluded that if the company was going to continue reducing its service and treating Woodland poorly it may be time to look elsewhere for a company that could.

Cea replied that he hoped the council “will keep an open mind and move ahead.”

The council is expected to resume discussions at its Jan. 19 meeting after consulting with the city attorney about its legal obligations.