UPDATE: In a recent press release, Deffenbaugh Industries, Inc. announced that they have reached an agreement with the City of Omaha to extend the co-collection of trash and yard waste through October.
Allowing Deffenbaugh to pick up both trash and yard waste in the same vehicle will reduce the time needed to complete collections, as well as reducing diesel fuel usage by over 300 gallons per week.
"By the City of Omaha extending the co-collection of trash and yard waste through October, we will make significant progress with the goal of regaining the confidence of the residents and city officials with our service," said Deffenbaugh Public Sector Director Carl Niemann.
While multiple out-of-town drivers are working to help service the city, Deffenbaugh will push local and regional recruitment efforts to find permanent drivers.
Dive Brief:
- Deffenbaugh Industries, Inc., a Kansas City, KS-based trash hauler, could face fines, penalties, and a potential breach of contract with the city of Omaha if it doesn't fix problems with the service it provides to the city.
- After many residents across Omaha complained about delayed yard trash pick-up, Omaha city councilors passed a unanimous resolution encouraging city administrators to hold Deffenbaugh accountable for the issues.
- Representatives from Deffenbaugh neglected to attend the council meeting prior to the vote, which City Councilman Chris Jerram called "an admission that they are not delivering and they don't have an explanation."
Dive Insight:
“The delays are no longer OK. [They’re] 24, 48 hours; sometimes six days in my district," said Omaha District 1 Councilman Pete Festersen.
Deffenbaugh representatives and Omaha city administrators met yesterday in a closed-door session to discuss the problems. Prior to the meeting, Deffenbaugh spokesperson Lisa Disbrow said the meeting would help both Deffenbaugh and the city of Omaha "develop a long-term strategy to optimize collection services for the residents."
