Trash pickup has been a problem in Lehigh Acres since a new automated system took over on October 5th. Months later, and some people say the trash is still not being picked up properly, while others say it is getting better.
Some people who live in Lehigh Acres say trash collection is still a problem even after Lee County fined the new company, Progressive Waste Solutions, who is responsible for picking it up. In November, after several complaints about overflowing trash bins, Lee County Commissioners fined the company more than $375,000 for a list of violations.
Now, some say the trash is still being collected late.
Others in Lehigh Acres, however, say things have started looking up.
Betsy Clayton, the spokeswoman for Lee County, released a statement saying in part, “Based on Request for Actions and calls to the Lee County Solid Waste Customer Service phone line, staff believes that the hauler, Progressive, is getting closer to the service level that was experienced prior to the change to automated trash pickup.”
The statement also said that the call volume at their customer service center is light and calls are being addressed in a timely manner and closed out accordingly.
Some neighbors say they wish they just better understood the new system.
The county states another part of the problem is that residents are putting out their trash bins too late.