POLK COUNTY, Fla. — On Tuesday, Polk County commissioners voted to extend an emergency waste collection plan another two weeks. The county has had a state of emergency been in place since mid-February.
This week, the county also brought back its recycling program, which services roughly 55,000 residents. The program was paused for a month so that resources could be shifted toward trash pick-up services.
"It is likely there will be a one or two-week restart transition period," County Manager Bill Beasley said. "This transition period may generate some additional calls."
Beasley said the county is ready to receive calls and questions from residents as the recycling program transitions back into service.
The county manager shared a chart during the meeting, pictured below. It shows the decline in calls the county has received over recent weeks concerning trash-up.
When trash pick-up was at its worst, some residents reported having to wait 13 days for their garbage to be removed from the curb.
"There were maggots, smells, odor," said Graham Allen, a north Lakeland resident. "Yeah, it was bad."
County Commissioner Rick Wilson shared his concerns over the county putting itself in a position of conditions getting that bad once again.
"We need to have assets ready to pick up to help our citizens in our community instead of relying on someone 100 percent," Rick Wilson said.
FCC Environmental Services is one of the companies the county contracts with to haul the trash. Next week, Beasley will meet with the company to discuss taking over some of its routes.