POLK COUNTY, Fla. — Polk County declared a local state of emergency on Tuesday due to trash pickup problems, and it's the second time it has been activated this year.
The county's waste management service handles the trash pickup for the east side of the area, while the FCC Environmental Services takes care of the duties on the west side.
Polk County Commissioner Neil Combee said they were originally having problems with the FCC.
“They have managed to really pick their game up and have done a pretty good job in the last six months, whereas waste management, who was doing great last summer, has really fallen apart," he said.
County officials said they are working to find and hire smaller companies to help with the pickup problems.
“We declared a state of emergency so we could bypass some of the long drawn out rules for getting contracts," County Commissioner Bill Braswell said.
County leaders also said this is a big concern for a lot of residents.
“Some people are going three weeks, four weeks before their household garbage is picked up," Braswell said.
A representative for the county's waste management said in a statement that they acknowledge their recent service in Polk County has fallen short of their standards. They said the issues they are facing are because of staffing and truck shortages due to supply chain issues.
The waste management spokesperson said they are expecting to return to full services within the next 60 to 90 days.
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