West Bloomfield Township Wants to Reimburse Residents for Poor Trash Service
Things have gone stinky in West Bloomfield Township, with a trash crisis sparking a mission to refund around 20,000 households for disappointing garbage service.
It all started when one trash company took over another earlier this summer, and residents noticed their trash stopped getting collected. Some say it was the primary source of neighborhood chatters at the time.
“The first week came and they didn’t pick it up, we didn’t think much about it, then it happened the second week, and that’s when we started to question,” says a local resident.
Some folks reckon the problem got worse during summer when the hot weather accentuated the growing trash heap. “More than a month passed without any garbage pick-up. It was not a pleasant sight during those hot days,” quipped another resident.
In response, the township’s supervisor wants to reimburse residents using a $1.5 million performance bond with the trash company, GFL.
They’ve accused GFL of providing ‘abysmal’ service, wherein the company allegedly left garbage behind, threw cans in the ditch, and did not pick up recycling or yard waste.
Their lawyers are trying to get at least $20 per customer – approximately the cost of a month’s service.
“This is a first-time approach, and we believe we have a strong case. Our residents suffered due to their poor service or non-service. That’s the purpose of a performance bond, to ensure good service,” the supervisor explained.
Though still pending resolution, residents appreciate the efforts but aren’t building high hopes.
“It’s really not much money. If it doesn’t happen, it doesn’t happen, but we understand why… we were paying for a service that failed to deliver,” a local mentioned.
Ultimately, if the funds are recovered, the money will likely be credited to future bills under the new collector, Priority Waste.
