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JAMESTOWN – Yet another Jamestown resident is speaking out against the city’s Board of Public Utilities (BPU) after they failed to pick up their trash, and several of her neighbors.
Melissa Jenkins, a Connecticut Avenue resident, spoke with WNY News Now about the BPU’s strict enforcement rules surrounding the newly rolled out garbage cans.
“This is the second week in a row that the BPU has not picked up our garbage. There was no reason for them not to pick it up,” says Jenkins.
She says at first there was no explanation for why her trash was not collected, so she called the BPU herself. They told Jenkins it was not collected because it was on a snowbank, which Jenkins denies, claiming the area was well shoveled by her son.
“We got a second can, and we paid extra to get that second can and we’ve had quite a few issues with them still not picking it up,” claims Jenkins. “We got the second can because our first can was open, the lid was open just a little bit because it wouldn’t all fit. They told us we had to pay for a second can, or they wouldn’t pick it up if it was overflowing.”
Jenkins says numerous cans around her neighborhood were not picked up either. She has paid extra attention to trash collection over the past weeks, after the company started to crack down on open lids last month.
The BPU issued a response to resident’s complaints, saying that trash removal in the winter is difficult for the Solid Waste Employees.
“Customers have been requested to shovel a space for their garbage containers in order that BPU employees do not have to climb onto snow and ice piles to bring down heavy containers; however, we understand and sympathize that this is very difficult sometimes,” the utility said in a statement. “Customers who have left containers on top of snow are confused as to where their containers must be placed to be serviced when a three-week buildup of ice and heavy snow prevents them from shoveling a level spot near the road.”
Officials understand that some customers can’t physically clear paths during the current situation of built-up ice and snow. Instead, they suggest that they place containers in cleared walkways, on or near driveways, or even on a shoveled sidewalk near a driveway or access point.
The BPU has previously stated that all of the rules are on the back of their 2022 recycling schedule and currently are part of the Solid Waste Schedule of Rates.
Since contacting the news, and hearing back from the BPU, Jenkins says her garbage has been picked up.
“I spoke to them and they were here like 15 minutes later and collected it, and they told me they were gonna come tomorrow so I didn’t have all the garbage back out here in the can because I didn’t think they were gonna pick it up until tomorrow. So now they picked up one bag, so I’m still kinda in the same situation with all the garbage,” says Jenkins.
Wouldn’t take our garbage and half the neighbors on arden parkway, yes our can was on snow it’s winter I’m almost 70 and it was 1-2 inches from the road. I’m curious what has to be done to use a private garbage pickup and drop BPU. Most are cheaper without the rules
Damn I just ran the snow blower up and down the driveway I accidentally blew some snow on top of the garbage can I wonder if the bpu will pick up the garbage or do I need to brush the can off before they get here wouldn’t want them to be inconvenienced