- April 20, 2024
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On May 26, the city of Palm Coast submitted a letter to Waste Pro of Florida Inc. for its non compliance with the current contract for residential solid waste and disposal services. The contract allows Waste Pro seven business days to resolve the breach or the city can terminate the contract.
On June 2, three members of Waste Pro’s administration met with city staff and submitted a plan discussing the corrective measures that have been put into place and laid out steps on how it will meet the contractually agreed upon level of service going forward. Waste Pro Vice President of Municipal Marketing Tim Dolan, Regional Vice President Brian Wintjen, and Division Manager Heather Badger-Felmet spoke candidly with city staff about the difficulties they’ve been facing in recent months related to retaining employees and the drastic increase in garbage and recycling collection as a result of more residents staying home during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the plan, Waste Pro informed the city that it is current on all services as of June 1 and has hired a third-party waste collector to assist on routes. Additionally, Waste Pro purchased three new rear-loader trucks and hired additional drivers. They are also working with a temporary labor service provider to hire additional helpers. Waste Pro reiterated to city staff that they are committed to Palm Coast and have invested resources, equipment, and time into this community.
As an incentive to employees, Waste Pro has increased wages for all current drivers and helpers and has implemented higher starting pay for new employees. They are currently offering a sign-on bonus to new hires. Waste Pro has also built a partnership with Florida Technical Institute locally and is currently developing a recruitment program to hire local students and put them to work in the community.
Wintjen said, “Through the use of a corporate recruiter focused on the Palm Coast area, we have enhanced our recruiting efforts as well as increased our participation in local job fairs – we hosted three in the recent weeks. Retention and referral bonuses have also been implemented and a market rate adjustment was recently completed.”
Palm Coast Interim City Manager Denise Bevan said, “We want to be sensitive to the issues the Waste Pro and many organizations across the country have been experiencing over the past year or so. We’re committed to working together with Waste Pro to come up with a solution that best serves the residents of Palm Coast.”
As per the current contract, Waste Pro has until noon the following day to complete any missed routes from the scheduled collection day. As a result of Wednesday’s meeting, the city and Waste Pro have implemented a stronger communications platform to keep city staff better apprised of the status of daily routes. This daily status update will allow the city to better serve and inform residents. As always, residents are encouraged to report a missed collection by submitting a ticket through www.PalmCoastConnect.com or calling Customer Service at 386-986-2360.
To begin a career with Waste Pro, visit www.wasteprousa.com/careers
