St. Johns County gives update on missed trash pickups

ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. — St. Johns County homeowners told Action News Jax that they’re frustrated with more widespread missed trash pickups.

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County officials said they’re still getting complaints about the new pickup service, but they’re working to fix the problem.

However, the county is seeing a decline in complaints overall. FCC said it’s now meeting with the county daily to handle issues while the county said it’s reviewing all legal options to hold FCC accountable.

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FCC Environmental started working in St. Johns County as its trash hauler on Aug. 1. Then, reports piled on of missed trash, recycling and yard waste pickup.

The county commission approved a 7-year, $28 million contract with FCC Environmental to run its county-wide trash pickup.

The county told Action News Jax in a statement this week that, “FCC Environmental has a better understanding of the effort and resources necessary to meet the provisions of the contract. The county intends to hold FCC Environmental accountable for the interruptions to service with the expectation that service will improve.”

Read: New trash hauler has 7 days to fix service in St. Johns County or they will be dropped

Last night in a post online, the director for St. Johns County Public Works explained how FCC and the county plan to restore service moving forward.

“Please know that we are dedicated to restoring the high level of service you deserve. In the meantime, the county will utilize internal staff, including road and bridge crews to pick up trash, recycling and yard debris to help address these failures,” Director Greg Caldwell said in the post.

The director added that the extra costs to help restore service will be reimbursed by the FCC. The county is also actively monitoring all routes using GPS software to help catch up on missed pickups.

The county is expected to decide on next steps on Friday. Action News Jax will keep you updated as we learn any new developments.

Read: First Alert Weather Team tracking a few showers, a brief dip in temperature, humidity

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