As Montgomery’s Sanitation Department continues to grapple with delays in debris and waste pickup, many neighborhoods are reported to have not received services in more than two weeks.
Montgomery Public Works Director Chris Conway told WSFA on Friday that a lack of equipment and manpower have caused the trash pickup schedules to fall behind.
“We also do have more routes than manpower would allow if we even had those trucks,” Conway said.
“The sanitation department has promised that they would pick it up, and they have yet to perform,” Don Harris, an east Montgomery resident told WFSA.
A candidate for Montgomery mayor is asking for feedback from residents as he announces a plan to solve the city’s “trash crisis” in a clever campaign move.
Barrett Gilbreath released an online “complaint portal” alongside a strategic plan of how he intends to deal with the ongoing sanitation crisis.
“I would hire quality mechanics to ensure trash trucks and related equipment are always ready and regularly maintained, and we would utilize a leasing schedule so we would never be stuck with obsolete or inoperable equipment,” Gilbreath said.
“I would offer incentives to retired mechanics and other qualified individuals to stay ahead of the issue. As mayor, I would be vigilant in protecting city services because failure is not an option.”
Nationwide supply chain and post-pandemic disposal habits are outpacing some cities more than others as public sanitation departments work to catch up. Montgomery is also being criticized in how it communicates that to customers.
Montgomery residents are taking to NextDoor to share their complaints. “Yesterday, I received my bill for water and trash removal,” Kimberly King wrote. “I finally got through today on 311 at 7:00 a.m. after trying all week. I was honestly surprised that someone answered the phone instead of the busy signal greeting that I’ve heard all week.”
Barrett encourages those impacted to vote in the upcoming election on Aug. 22. He said he’ll leverage experience in real estate, business and the community he’s called home since 1996 to solve the “trash crisis.”
Grayson Everett is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @Grayson270
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