In a marathon Lakeland Board of Commissioners (BOC) meeting held on December 21, 2023, the focus turned to the service contract for trash collection in Lakeland. The issue took center stage as the reported number of missed pickups, which had consistently been below 30 per month for all of Lakeland up until December, suddenly spiked, surpassing 100 missed homes before the December 21st meeting.
During the session, a representative from Team Waste addressed the concerns and pledged to rectify the situation by the upcoming weekend, assuring residents that efforts would include the pickup of bags, including those filled with leaves. Recent changes in ownership and supervisors were acknowledged as contributing factors to the recent disruptions in trash collection services and those are expected to be solved soon.
The deliberations also delved into the decision of whether to continue with Team Waste’s services or explore alternative bids. However, Commissioners were told new trash collection bids could also pose a likely risk of increased costs with the updated bids. Lakeland City Engineer, Emily Harrell, pointed out the limited number of trash collection companies in the area and cited past issues with Republic. Republic previously provided waste services in Lakeland and faced frequent challenges, often linked to an aging fleet with mechanical problems.
Ultimately, the Board decided that continuing with Team Waste was not only a cost-effective choice but a prudent one concerning service quality.
