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Lincoln Park residents say trash is piling up
Some residents told us it has been weeks since grass clippings and other compost have been collected. They say they've called Priority Waste and were told the company didn't have a driver.
FOX 2 - Seems each day we're reporting more complaints involving Priority Waste — garbage piling up, or in this case, yard waste. This time in Lincoln Park.
The backstory:
Residents say it has been an ongoing problem, and taxpayers are tired of it. Waste is an eyesore, it attracts rodents, and people are paying good money to have reliable service.
"Yard waste gets picked up whenever it gets picked up — 10 days, two weeks, three weeks. You never know," said Natan Abellan.
Abellan is one of many residents dealing with delays because of Priority Waste.
Some residents told us it has been weeks since grass clippings and other compost have been collected. They say they've called Priority Waste and were told the company didn't have a driver.
The company has promised to fix the problem, but it's gotten so bad in some communities, with garbage piling up, that they have either switched to another waste removal company or cities are withholding payment until Priority Waste picks up all the waste.
In Lincoln Park, some residents tell us their garbage and recycling are being picked up, but yard waste is another story.
"There's no discernible pattern," said Abellan. "(Garbage and recycling) get picked up every Friday morning, but (yard waste does not.) It was not picked up today, so do I put it back in my garage and wait until next Friday? Because if it rains, it's going to be destroyed.
"Do I leave it here, because I don't know if they're going to pick it up Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday? It's kind of difficult to manage."
Lincoln Park Mayor Maureen Tobin tells me the city met with Priority Waste yesterday and is giving the company the two weeks it requested to turn things around.
We were unable to reach anyone at Priority Waste. A recording said the wait time was more than two hours.
The Source: Information is from talking to Lincoln Park residents and Mayor Maureen Tobin.