City of Fernandina Beach puts trash hauler on notice: improvement needed ASAP

Submitted by Suanne Z. Thamm
Reporter – News Analyst
July 11, 2021

City staff and City Commissioners have been fielding complaints on a regular basis from citizens who are either not getting their trash removed, or experiencing significant delays in service.  Advanced Disposal/Waste Management, the City’s trash hauler,  has indicated that they have been dealing with staffing issues.  But that explanation does not solve the problem.  City Manager Dale Martin sent the following notice to the company this  past week:

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Dave Austin
Dave Austin (@guest_61585)
2 years ago

We live downtown and scheduled pick ups are often missed. We’ve notified the City on numerous occasions with no results or action. The City should consider refunding residents for the gap in coverage.

Mike McClane
Mike McClane(@concerned-citizen)
2 years ago

This comes as no surprise. I researched the current procurement during the yard waste controversy. This company held the contract through two previous bids. Recall their performance was not much different before this award. Information obtained from the city shows that Advanced Disposal lowballed their bid, which they have publicly admitted. There were four evaluation criteria – Experience (20%), Staff Qualifications (20%), References (25%), and Cost (35%). It is very telling as 35% of the evaluation criteria was on cost. Advanced Disposal’s price for once a week trash pickup was $7.25 and $8.02 for twice a week. The three competitors were all over $10 for both once and twice a week. Curbside yard waste was $4.01 for Advanced Disposal. Two of the three competitors were lower at $3.48 and $2.79. There is one other bidder with similar evaluation scores in all the first three areas as Advanced Disposal that lost due on rates.  The ordinance awarding the contract contained contradictory language on yard waste collection.

Perry Laspina
Perry Laspina (@guest_61589)
2 years ago
Reply to  Mike McClane

If what you say is true Mike, that means both the city manager and the city attorney failed to do their job properly and discover the contradictory language while reviewing this contract, which brings us to the present day issues with trash collection all over again. The city has NO ACCOUNTABILITY for city employees that fail to do their job properly and they continually make mistakes over & over with no reprimand!!!

Marlene Chapman
Marlene Chapman(@crew2120)
2 years ago

This is a joke! Why would they improve when we had at least one Commissioner vote to give them a raise?!? This has been going on for months, if not years and our CM sits by and watches. Poor management all around.

Perry Laspina
Perry Laspina (@guest_61595)
2 years ago

Marlene, this has been going on for roughly 5 long years, as I’ve indicated in my post here and from my “Being green can give you the blues” front-page article in the News Leader dated 4/5/17. The city manager, who had just recently been hired and should have wanted to get right to the “ROOT” of this issue ASAP, before it got to where we’re at today, choose to simply “blew me off” and forced me to “take matters into my own hands”!!! LIKE I HAD THE TIME ON MY HANDS TO DO HIS JOB!!! Especially, since he knew my living situation, that I had been singlehandedly caring for my 93-yr old DAV of WWII (Marine) father, who has Alzheimer’s Disease, Dementia, and is blind, who I’ve cared for in my home since 2012. All this information can be verified with the city managers email records and is public information. The city manager has made the same MESS with the MARINA and his dealing with FEMA in regards to the damage from the hurricane, what else does he have to screw-up before the commission finally holds him ACCOUNTABLE FOR HIS ACTIONS??? Semper Fidelis, God bless dad, and GOD BLESS AMERICA.

Marlene Chapman
Marlene Chapman(@crew2120)
2 years ago

Penny, there so many who agree and many more as time goes on but it takes voices, ethics complaints and recalls to get the CM and Commissioners who are ruining our city out! I gave bern working diligently and will not give up, as have others. It’s way past time to take our city back!

Sherry Harrell
Sherry Harrell(@sherry-harrell)
2 years ago

Perry, I’d like to add that May God bless you!! It is a very difficult thing to care for someone with Alzheimer’s. I’ve asked God to give you strength, guidance and patience. Don’t be ashamed or embarrassed to ask for some help. Maybe you could hire someone to come in once weekly to help with your father’s care and that would give you some time to care for yourself.

Perry Laspina
Perry Laspina (@guest_61600)
2 years ago
Reply to  Sherry Harrell

Thank you for your understanding Sherry, but fortunately, I was able to get dad into Family Extended Care of Amelia Island just after the pandemic began last year and thank God he has protected EVERYONE at the facility from Covid-19 to date. Unfortunately, after not being able to see dad or talk to him (he is also hard of hearing) for 6-months, as per CDC guidelines, he has totally forgotten me after not seeing and talking to me everyday. But that was the trade off I was willing to try, to keep dad out of general population and myself, to insure he passes with dignity from natural causes and not Covid-19. I did have a bit of help from numerous CNA’s provided by the V/A twice a week for a couple hours for awhile, but truthfully, it was more grief than it was worth, dealing with the low-level/low-paid CNA’s that they provided!!! Thanks for your kindness and sympathy. Sincerely, Perry 15-yr homeowner in FB.