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Lafayette City-Parish Council address Republic Services

LCG concerned about Republic Services
Republic Services truck
Posted at 11:12 PM, Aug 06, 2019
and last updated 2019-08-07 12:42:23-04

Tuesday, Republic Services acknowledged it has not lived up to the standard when it comes to trash pickup in Lafayette.

Representatives with the company were called before the council after LCG received more than 13,000 complaints against Republic in the past three years.

As for now, Republic Services still has a contract with LCG. There was an option to re-examine the contract on the agenda tonight, but after hearing from representatives, council members are holding off on taking any action.

Steve Systsma, General Manager of Republic Services declined to speak to the media after Tuesday night's meeting, but he did take time to speak with a concerned customer.

Tricia Landry says her trash pickup is not consistent and Republic isn't responsive.

"The fact of the matter is, we're paying for a service that we're not receiving," Landry said.

Among the thousands of complaints, trash cans getting knocked over and not picked up, missed pickups, trucks leaking fluid and a lack of customer service.

A Republic Services employee said during the council meeting, "I apologize if there's been any miscommunication or lack of communication."

Councilwoman Liz Hebert initially wanted to look at ending Republic's contract with LCG, but tabled that decision.

In an emailed statement, Republic Services said, "We strive to be a reliable operator for our customers, and we have recently not lived up to the standard set by the City or our team. We have discussed with the City areas where we can improve, and we are already taking action to provide a higher level of service. We will continue working closely with the City as we implement our improvement plans and remain committed to being a good neighbor and reliable partner to this community."