ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – St. Johns County officials will discuss Monday the county’s new trash hauler amid growing concerns and complaints from residents over service disruptions.
Last year, St. Johns County commissioners voted to award a $28.2 million contract to FCC Environmental Services to take over trash pickup for the entire county, and it began servicing the county on Aug. 1.
Since then, neighbors have reported that trash cans have been left in the middle of the streets, trash was left on the ground, and incorrect pickups were made.
Some have said they’ve gone weeks without their yard waste being removed. Lewis said there was a horrible smell since her trash had been out for so long.
“I’m assuming other people’s did I wasn’t going to go around and look,” resident Natalie Lewis said.
She talked about what she wanted to see from officials to address the situation.
“What I’d like to see moving forward is the Board of County Commissioners listening to their constituents,” Lewis said. “We don’t expect them to be perfect by any means but they’ve got a long track record of not listening to their citizens and I would love to.”
News4JAX obtained a video that shows FCC workers riding on a company truck bypassing trash that needs to be picked up.
In a video posted on YouTube, Sarah Arnold, chair of the St Johns County Board of County Commissioners, addressed the service disruptions and said they anticipate bringing other solid waste collection companies to fill the service gaps.
“We are contractually obligated to allow FCC to fix the nonperformance, and on Monday, a serious discussion will be had with termination as a strong possibility,” Arnold said. “We have lost trust in FCC ability to provide accurate data and deliver services and good faith.”
Arnold added that they will act quickly to select the company to help them and apologized for the inconvenience.
“Our staff is taking this seriously and is working tirelessly through the breach of reliable Solid Waste Services. We feel your frustration, and we know that you deserve better,” Arnold said.
Residents can report solid waste collection issues through the Recycle Coach app or submit a service request through the SJC Connect app.
FCC is also set to take over Clay County services on Oct. 1.
On Friday, the county released a statement saying it’s “working closely with FCC to ensure the transition to the new garbage and yard waste service is done to the level they expect.”
An FCC staff member addressed the Clay County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday and explained what happened in St. Johns County.
The staff member said in part that their technology failed and they are researching how that happened, but added that it is now back up and running.
News4JAX reached out to the director of public affairs for the commissioner to ask if they had a count of how many people have made complaints about FCC and is awaiting a response.
The next St. Johns Board of County Commissioners meeting will be held Tuesday, Aug. 20.