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Dear Friend,
 I'm reaching out with an
update on trash and recycling collection. And I want
to be very clear up front: the city said service would be back on
schedule this week, and it's simply not for a lot of people. Patience
has run out, and frustration, mine included, has set in.
We're seeing continued breakdowns in collection Ward-wide, and
especially in Capitol Hill. Many, many neighbors have been in touch
with my office over the last two weeks, and we're still not seeing the
resolution and quality assurance we should all expect and receive from
DPW.
In the past 48 hours, I've been in direct contact with the
Mayor, the City Administrator, and DPW leadership to underscore how
unacceptable this situation is and how long it's persisted. I
spoke with the City Administrator this morning to make this clear.
Despite my office sending the Executive daily priority lists of the
missed collections reported to my office, resolution has been spotty,
and communication back to our team has been inconsistent.
As I shared in a video today, here’s what the City
Administrator told me would be their next steps:
- There are a handful of missed trash and recycling collection
hotspots citywide, and Capitol Hill is one of them. They are aware of
the scope of the problem now.
- To increase DPW's capacity, approximately 80 seasonal
leaf-collection workers are being reassigned to trash and recycling
collection. Because of this, residents may see DPW workers in non-dump
trucks servicing trash and recycling in the coming days to make a dent
in the number of outstanding pickups.
- The city is also looking at bringing in private haulers to help
clear the backlog and stabilize service.
DPW is also experiencing a serious staffing challenge - even more
severe than during the Ward's recent trash pickup disruptions this
past fall. While we acknowledge those challenges and are grateful for
the many workers on our streets around the clock, trash still needs to
be picked up. Many residents have now gone weeks without any or
consistent collection, and that is simply not okay. This has become
the top issue my office is hearing about day after day, and my team
and I are continuing to push daily for speedy resolutions.
I know trust is shaken when timelines are missed and the government
doesn't deliver on core services. I’ll keep pressing for action and
sharing updates as we get them. Please continue to reach out to 311
and my office: your calls, emails, and messages matter, and they're
being heard. Below, you can find direct contact information for my
team (shout-out to my very hardworking
constituent services staff!):
It's beyond time we get this back on track.
Charles Allen
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