PRIORITY WASTE

SAGINAW, MI — The new company collecting Saginaw’s curbside trash ramped up its efforts over the weekend to clean up garbage not collected last week, officials said. Priority Waste, a Clinton Township-based company that provides curbside garbage pickup at 34 Michigan municipalities including Flint, began its 5-year contract servicing Saginaw last week. On Monday through Wednesday, Jan. 2-4, Priority Waste did not pick up the trash at about 160 of the city’s 18,000 homes with curbside trash services, a company official said. In response, Priority Waste officials said they planned to re-run the missed routes to pick up the garbage left behind days earlier. Saginaw’s curbside garbage for decades was collected by Waste Management staff.

Priority Waste, a Clinton Township-based company that provides curbside garbage pickup at 34 Michigan municipalities including Flint, this week began its 5-year contract servicing Saginaw. On Monday through Wednesday, Jan. 2-4, Priority Waste did not pick up the trash at about 160 of the city’s 18,000 homes with curbside trash services, said Matt Allen, director of public relations at Priority Waste. Karwat said Mid Michigan Waste Authority chose Priority Waste as the new provider because its costs were significantly lower than the Waste Management proposal. In October, Saginaw City Hall officials estimated the savings with Priority Waste over a 10-year period would amount to $5.1 million. “People are frustrated, but we want to give (Priority Waste) an opportunity to work things out,” Boensch said.

A little over two months into their time with the city, Priority Waste has had numerous unhappy customers, and city officials have had enough.

FLINT, MI -- The City Council is dropping its year-long investigation into irregularities in Flint’s waste collection contract with Clinton Township-based Priority Waste, a probe that cost more than $25,000. But most council members said the city has spent enough to investigate and some said they don’t like the way witnesses have been questioned, particularly by Mays. Some council members have said the city could have saved millions had the GFL bid been chosen. City records obtained by MLive-The Flint Journal through the Freedom of Information Act show attorneys for the council have billed the city more than $25,000 to date for their work on the investigation. Mays told other council members Wednesday that they could wrap up the investigation without abandoning it by calling just two or three additional witnesses.

The Dearborn Heights community is ready to dump its new trash hauler just months into a new contract because of significant complaints. Neighbors say they’re frustrated and fed up as the city contemplates ditching its trash hauler, who’s only been on the job for three months.

FLINT, MI -- Taking out the garbage would cost about $35 more annually in the fiscal year that starts July 1 if a proposed special assessment increase is approved by the City Council. “I think I might have to amend it on the floor,” Mays said of the waste assessment. Burns said she’s heard concerns about Priority Waste’s service since it began picking up garbage and curbside recycling late last year. Flint’s street light assessment was first adopted as a part of former emergency manager Michael Brown’s 2013 budget for the city. The assessment amount is re-evaluated each year, but was originally projected to be less than $100 per parcel, according to Flint Journal files.

With the first week of its service contract under its belt, the city said they are impressed with the service from Priority Waste already.

The city of Dearborn Heights has finally announced a start date for its new trash, recycling, and yard waste hauler, Priority Waste.

FLINT, MI -- Offices at Flint City Hall will be closed in observance of New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day on Thursday, Dec. 30, and Friday, Dec. 31, 2021. A news release from the city announced the closings but said waste collection by Priority Waste, including recycling and yard waste collection, will not be affected by the holiday. City Hall is expected to reopen Monday, Jan. 3. Read more:Early Flint budget projection turns $17M deficit to $2M surplusGenesee County taking applications to replace departing commissionerFlint mayor won’t wait for council, turns down 600-plus tax foreclosed properties

After months of complaints by residents regarding the service received by GFL, the city council has decided on a new trash hauler.

FLINT, MI -- City residents will see something different on waste collection days starting Friday, Oct. 1 -- a new company making the stops with its signature bright yellow trucks. Pickups are performed from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. and can change within that window from week to week. If a waste collection service day falls on or after a holiday, services will move to the following business day. Holidays that affect the schedule are New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. Residents can learn more about the new waste, recycling, and yard waste services with Priority Waste in their newsletter , at www.prioritywaste.com/cities-we-serve/flint , or by calling Priority Waste at 586-228-1200.

FLINT, MI -- The city won’t hold up its pending contract for Priority Waste to begin garbage collection in the city starting Oct. 1 despite the objections of a company that wasn’t chosen for the job. That decision then could have been appealed to Mayor Sheldon Neeley and then to the City Council -- a process that would have taken weeks to unfold, City Attorney Angela Wheeler said. Council members Maurice Davis (Ward 2), Jerri Winfrey-Carter (Ward 5), and Monica Galloway (Ward 7) were not present for the vote. Officials in the Neeley administration have said city purchasing employees botched the initial bid opening by mistakenly not carrying out the procedure in public, requiring a new round of bidding. Read more:GFL files protest over ‘tragically wasteful’ Flint garbage contract awardFlint gets new garbage contractor but council will continue investigative hearing ThursdayFlint council closer to digging into botched garbage contract bids

“The reason this meeting is being called is because there was a bid protest ...,” City Attorney Angela Wheeler told council members during a committee meeting Wednesday, Sept. 22. “GFL submitted the lowest bid by $9,378,266,” the bid protest filed by attorney Melvin Butch Howell says. A claim that this competitor cannot make, even as recently as June 2021.”Both companies have said they are prepared to begin waste collection in the city starting Oct. 1. Flint’s current waste collection contract with Republic Services expires at the end of this month. The company has already extended the contract once earlier this year and did not bid to continue working in the city.

Council voted 5-4 to approve the $19.7-million deal in a special meeting Tuesday, Sept. 7, two days before the first witnesses in the investigative hearing were expected to testify. Council members Santino Guerra (Ward 3), Kate Fields (Ward 4), Herbert Winfrey (Ward 6), Allan Griggs (Ward 8), and Eva Worthing (Ward 9) voted for the Priority Waste contract. Council members Eric Mays (Ward 1), Maurice Davis (Ward 2), Jerri Winfrey-Carter (Ward 5), and Monica Galloway (Ward 7) voted against the deal. You lied to this community” by voting for the Priority Waste contract now. Read more:Priority Waste recommended as Flint’s next garbage haulerFlint council closer to digging into botched garbage contract bidsFlint’s garbage contract subject of council investigative hearing

The city has recommended that Clinton Township-based Priority Waste be chosen as Flint’s next waste hauler, calling its $19.7-million proposal the lowest responsive bid received. But Lou Berardicurti, area vice president for GFL, told council members in a letter Thursday, Aug. 5, that the information from Brown was “erroneous” and said its proposal would save city taxpayers $8.1 million over the next three years. The council voted last month to extend its existing contract with Republic Services through Sept. 30 at a cost of $1.4 million. Read more:Priority Waste recommended as Flint’s next garbage haulerBids for Flint’s garbage collection are in. Here’s what happens nextFlint City Council approves 90-day contract extension with Republic Services

FLINT, MI -- Clinton Township-based Priority Waste is being recommended as Flint’s next waste hauler, and the City Council is expected to hear more about the reasons why at a committee meeting Wednesday, Aug. 4. Republic did not bid to keep the waste collection contract but two other companies -- Green For Life Environmental and Waste Management -- did. The City Council voted earlier this month to extend its contract with Republic through Sept. 30, 2021, at a cost of $1.4 million. Before the extension was approved, Republic kept its trucks on the Flint streets despite its contract with the city having expired on June 30. Read more on MLive:Flint City Council approves 90-day contract extension with Republic ServicesCouncil rejects 50% increase for garbage pickups as Flint puts contract back out for bidsRepublic Services pulls garbage trucks off Flint routes after driver threatened with assault rifle

A large pile of flood debris is now perched in the parking lot at the former Hawthorne Valley Golf Course in Westland.