Cape’s Public Works and county Sheriff’s Office pull together to get yard waste picked up in the city
If you saw an awful lot of people in Cape Coral picking up yard debris placed curbside along residential roadways on Monday, there was a reason for that.
And you can thank the city of Cape Coral’s Public Works Department and the Lee County Sheriff’s Office.
Day workers who are in need of community service hours assisted deputies Monday morning with collecting yard debris in Cape Coral as a way to help Waste Pro catch up on its trash collection duties, said Caitlin Mumma, LCSO spokesperson. Those in need of community service hours also accompanied Public Works crews with Waste Pro to reimburse costs.
Cape Coral Councilmember Jennifer Nelson said it’s a great way to get the city cleaned up until they get through this challenging time with Waste Pro, and that any short-term solution is appreciated.
“I was grateful the sheriff and that LCSO partnered with us and saw this as an opportunity for the city and these individuals who need community service,” Nelson said. “This is an emergent solution and we hope it’s not long sustaining. We hope Waste Pro will manage their commitments and they can continue to service our city.”
Waste Pro informed the city that the biggest collection delays are in horticulture debris removal and Public Works is using three crews of city staff (seven full-time equivalents) and a crew of individuals performing court-appointed community service work to pick up yard waste, with Waste Pro coordinating the route and pickup areas, Buice said.
The goal of the supplemental collection is to get the backlog out of the system so Waste Pro can return to normalized pickup volumes, Buice said.
“My concern has always been once they’re caught up are they going to be able to sustain it. That remains to be seen,” Nelson said. “I would hope we could keep utilizing those people who need community service.”
No solid waste, hazmat, recyclables, or white goods will be picked up by staff. Only the yard waste material that can be burned in the burn box will be collected. All other services will remain the responsibility of Waste Pro, the city’s trash and garbage vendor.
Last week, during its regular meeting, Cape Coral City Council unanimously passed a motion to start fining Waste Pro $250 per complaint, retroactive to March 26.
On April 26, that fine will increase to $500 per complaint and so on after that until the max of $1,500 in their contract is reached, which would be in August should collection issues continue.
To reach CHUCK BALLARO, please email news@breezenewspapers.com