Priority Waste is located on River Ridge Drive near Hall Road in Clinton Township. (PHOTO COURTESY OF PRIORITY WASTE)
This version of the article has been updated to reflect Priority Waste has yet to begin servicing Clinton Township residents and businesses, and any shortcomings in services can be attributed to GFL Environmental.
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Trash pickup being days if not weeks behind schedule. Garbage trucks leaking oils onto local roadways. Communication mix-ups.
Three weeks after many people learned of an abrupt sale of trash hauling services from a trusted solid waste company to a new firm through social media, Clinton Township officials say their phones have been buzzing with complaints about service from the new company.
Clinton Township-based Priority Waste plans to purchase GFL Environmental residential waste collection services in a move that is scheduled to be finalized June 30. Some 700,000 residents across southeast Michigan will be impacted by the move.
“The service has been very poor” since the sale was announced, according to township Supervisor Robert Cannon. “There is a list of reasons why.”
Priority Waste officials have since pointed out the garbage-collecting service in Clinton Township is still being provided by GFL and any shortcomings in service can be attributed to GFL. They note Priority Waste has yet to begin servicing township residents and businesses.
After nearly 80 minutes of discussion Monday night, the township Board of Trustees grudgingly approved transferring terms and conditions of their contract with GFL to Priority Waste. The agreement expires in 2026.
Dan Venet, vice president of municipal relations for Priority Waste, told board members the company is focused on hammering out assignment agreements with all of GFL’s customers before implementing an improvement plan.
In a May 29 letter to employees that was leaked online, GFL said the sale includes the transfer of contracts with 75 municipalities, as well as 70,000 homeowners’ associations and subscription residential customers in Oakland, Washtenaw, Livingston, Macomb, Genesee and Wayne counties.
Since GFL was servicing most of the tri-county communities, there aren’t many competitors in the marketplace, officials said.
Township Attorney John Dolan told the board they should “hold our nose” and accept the contract assignment.
Cannon urged Venet to approve a two-year contract extension with Clinton Township with GFL’s existing price as a good-faith gesture. In addition, he wanted the Priority Waste to buy a series of advertisements in The Macomb Daily to explain the move to township residents, similar to ads purchased when the company was awarded a hauling contract with the city of Sterling Heights.
Venet said the contract belongs to GFL and when it expires, Priority Waste representatives will negotiate a new deal with the township.
“I do not have authorization to extend it beyond 2026,” he said.
The newspaper ads were purchased by Sterling Heights city officials, Venet added.
Board members said they were particularly upset that neither GFL nor Priority Waste gave advance notice of the pending sale until it was almost consummated.
“I was extremely upset that I learned of this in a Facebook post,” said Trustee Julie Matuzak.
According to Priority Waste, it received 500 vehicles from GFL as part of the sale. It plans to hire many of GFL’s former employees, but is still in the process of doing so.
GFL submitted a list of 17 items Clinton Township would continue to see including providing doorside service for elderly and disabled people who provide a doctor’s note.
Priority Waste provides “technologically advanced” waste services including cameras affixed to its trucks so company officials can monitor in real time any potential problem with its routes. It has a bank of TV screens on the wall of its River Ridge offices to watch services and address complaints, officials said.
The company gained media exposure this past winter when it announced the Detroit Red Wings jerseys would carry Priority Waste logos. Also, as a part of a multi-year partnership, coordinated sustainability programs between Priority and Ilitch Sports + Entertainment will be established.
Read More: A frustrated Clinton Twp. board approves contract transfer with garbage hauler –