Did Republic Services, Elk Grove City Council
Screw The Pooch on Garbage Collection Services?



September 15, 2017 |  

Following all the happy talk about Republic Services from the Elk Grove City Council over the last few months, service to Elk Grove customers is stinking much like the often maggot infested garbage it collects.

The happy talk coming from the City Council regarding Republic Services (stock symbol RSG) has been the privatization of billing services that were previously competently handled by the City of Elk Grove. While the City and ratepayers were promised the star and the moon, the roll-out has been less than stellar.

Many of the problems stem from billing errors, lack of customer service support when garbage customers call Republic, customers being prebilled for services not yet rendered, and resulting erroneous suspension of trash pickups in Elk Grove neighborhoods.

Below is a video Elk Grove City Manager Laura Gill explaining the problems, and Republic Services representative Tony Cincotta offering a mea culpa of sorts.

Of course, none of this privatization happens in a vacuum. While the Elk Grove City Council was praising the civic participation of Cincotta and his staff, Republic, which incidentally was awarded a no-bid renewal, lavished them with frequent and generous campaign contributions.

So while ratepayers were promised better service at a lower cost as the result of the privatization, when the trash cans met the garbage truck, suffice it to say Republic dumped the rubbish on the street. But hey, Mayor Steve Ly and his city council members will continue to get their receive contributions, and Republic will increase their revenues.

As Meatloaf sang, two out of three ain't bad!          







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3 comments

D.J. Blutarsky said...

This whole billing issue has been a fiasco, and the Council placing of Republic Services on their no-bid pedestal says it all.

A few days ago I got another bill--this makes two bills in two months and neither one lists the billing period I am being charged for. I thought we pay every other month? On Monday I will talk to their call center, who knows where they are based, but it sure ain't in Elk Grove city hall. In fact, I am willing to bet it's not even in California.

As Gomer Pyle said, "shame, shame, shame". This trash is getting smelly fast!

Connie said...

I am with you D.J. This is what I emailed Tony Cincotta, copying the Elk Grove City Council, "In making it right, however, making amends solely belongs to the residents of Elk Grove and your customers. I would hope, in the near future, that we do not see large contributions from Republic Services to any of the Elk Grove City Council members’ campaign accounts."

D.J. Blutarsky said...

Doan lost another one!

In February 2016, Republic Services said that it would be opening a customer service center in Fishers, Indiana and creating hundreds of jobs over the next 10 years. They are investing $13.6 million to renovate and equip office space along the I-69 corporate corridor in Fishers. The customer service office is expected to be operational by September 1, 2016, and will create up to 469 new jobs by 2025.[32]

In February 2016 it was announced by North Carolina Governor Pay McCrory and N.C. Commerce Secretary John E. Skvareta, III, that Republic Services was planning to open a full-service Customer Resource Center in Charlotte. It is expected that the facility will create over 350 new jobs, while Republic’s investment in the Center is projected to be over $6.8 million over the next three years.[33]

In January 2016, the company said it will invest $20 million during 2016 to design and implement its Customer Resource Centers in addition to other customer focused initiatives. The company expects the changes to result in a yearly savings of about $10 million

source: Wikipedia

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