Residents paid for garbage service. We should receive it.

I do not believe this problem is limited to my neighborhood. Yesterday, while signing up for service with Selma's incoming garbage provider, Preferred Waste Solution, or PWS, I spoke with several other Selma residents. Naturally, the conversation turned to garbage collection, and it became apparent that concerns about missed pickups and what happening during this transition extend beyond one street or subdivision.

Martin Environmental Services remains Selma's current garbage provider through September. PWS is scheduled to begin service Oct. 1. That leaves nearly three weeks in September, and residents should not be expected to simply endure missed collections until the new company takes over.

I called Martin Environmental today to ask what was happening. I was told that the company had a problem last week finding coverage for its routes. I appreciate receiving an explanation, but residents still have a problem that needs to be solved. Our households continue producing garbage every day, regardless of whether Martin can find someone to cover a route. Most of us have also already paid for this service. Some residents prepaid, while others are on automatic billing. Either way, payment was made with the reasonable expectation that our garbage would be collected.

This is not the first time I have had to prepare for missed pickups. Almost two years ago, I went to Walmart and purchased an additional 64 gallon trash can with wheels and a lid for this very reason. When regular garbage service is missed, families still need somewhere to put their trash. During my call with Martin today, I asked if they would empty the can that didn't belong to them when they finally service our area, since they've missed two weeks of collection. I believe that is a reasonable request. Residents should not be penalized for having additional garbage when the additional garbage exists because scheduled pickups did not occur. Interestingly, while signing up with PWS yesterday, I paid for an additional garbage cart from the new company. At least one other resident I spoke with told me they did the same.

Think about what that says. Some residents are purchasing additional garbage capacity before the new company even begins service, partly because experiences like this have taught us to prepare for the possibility of missed collections. That should not be necessary.

Another issue came up during my conversations. I was told that residents need special permission or arrangements to take household garbage to the dump themselves. The City of Selma's published information states that its inert landfill does not accept household garbage or food waste.

So, what exactly are residents supposed to do?

We cannot stop producing household waste. We should not illegally dump it. We cannot take ordinary household garbage to a city facility that does not accept it. We should not have to purchase additional trash cans or stack bags around overflowing containers while waiting for October 1. This is where I believe the City of Selma must intervene.

If Martin Environmental is having difficulty staffing or covering its remaining routes, the city needs to determine how residents will receive the service they have already paid for. That could mean requiring Martin to catch up missed routes, arranging temporary assistance, establishing an authorized household garbage drop off location, or finding another short term solution.

What should not be an option is simply waiting for PWS to take over. Martin Environmental began serving Selma in 2022, and the company provided a needed service to this community. But a company's reputation is shaped not only by how it begins a relationship, but also by how it ends one. Martin had an opportunity to finish strong.

Instead, these final weeks risk highlighting the very faults residents will remember after the company's trucks are gone. Whatever circumstances exist between Martin Environmental and the City of Selma concerning the end of the contract should not affect residents who have paid for service.

PWS deserves an opportunity to prove what kind of service it will provide when it takes over Oct. 1. I have signed up, paid for my service and even purchased an additional cart. I am willing to give the new company that opportunity. But Oct. 1 is not Sept. 11. We still have nearly three weeks under the current system, and somebody remains responsible for collecting Selma's garbage during that time.

The City of Selma also needs to communicate clearly with residents. Who should we call about missed September pickups? When will missed routes be collected? Will Martin empty additional containers when residents have accumulated extra garbage because of missed service? If collection continues to be delayed, where can residents legally take household garbage?

Selma residents have done what has been asked of us. We paid our bills. We put our cans out. Some of us have purchased additional cans with our own money because previous missed collections taught us to be prepared. Now Martin Environmental and the City of Selma need to do their part.

We paid for the service. Please pick up the garbage.

Martin Environmental responded to this letter, saying service should be completed by end of the day Sept. 14. Read about that here.