Update from the City of Fort Wayne as continued delays with the collection of garbage and recycling materials continues.
City of Fort Wayne news release:
Update from City of Fort Wayne on garbage and recycling collection
Fort Wayne, Indiana (January 11, 2022) – The City of Fort Wayne continues to experience delays with the collection of garbage and recycling materials.
There have been a number of positive COVID-19 cases with Red River drivers and City of Fort Wayne Street Department employees who assist with after-hours collections. This is resulting in slower collections and residents not getting materials collected on their scheduled day. Residents should continue to set out materials on the normal collection day. We’re working diligently to get as many materials collected as soon as possible. Currently, collections are a day and a half to two days behind. We anticipate those delays could last for the next few weeks. We continue to ask for patience from the public.
Mayor Tom Henry and the City of Fort Wayne Solid Waste Department understand and share the frustrations that residents and neighborhoods have over the collection process. Plans are being worked on to try to get the current challenges corrected in light of the ongoing bankruptcy proceedings involving Red River and the ongoing labor shortage. Efforts are also being made to get Indiana law changed that would enable the City to not have to take the lowest bid on future garbage and recycling contracts.
Data points:
- 32% of Red River drivers are out sick
- Public Works and City Utilities staffing levels are down 20% due to illnesses, so we are having trouble supplementing with City staff to help on routes
- Other waste haulers are experiencing similar challenges with labor shortage and illnesses
- The City continues to help supplement Red River by having City staff make collections. We currently have two Solid Waste Department trucks running daily. One to two Street Department crews are running routes each night depending on worker availability. One to two Parks Department crews are running their garbage truck on select evenings depending on staff availability.
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