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NEW ORLEANS - District “C” Councilmember Kristin Gisleson Palmer authored a resolution (R-21-351), that if approved by the Council, requests the City to declare Metro Service Group, Inc. in breach of its contract with the City of New Orleans following months of service failures.
The City granted a sanitation contract to Metro Service Group, Inc. on April 1, 2017, to provide a bi-weekly curbside solid waste collection in communities north of Interstate 10. However, according to the agreement, the City can terminate the contract “if there is a continued lack of performance” by Metro Service Group.
“Metro has not lived up to their contract, and we’re paying millions of dollars for a service that isn’t being provided," said Councilmember Palmer. "My office has been dealing with complaints from Metro for months now. We’ve had 9,318 residents complaints about waste collection, and a majority have come from the neighborhoods that Metro services.”
Metro Service Group has acknowledged a worker shortage and delayed waste collection that began before Hurricane Ida and has become substantially worse. The resolution requests that the City move forward with holding Metro Service Group accountable for the lack of sanitation services for New Orleans residents, which creates a public health risk amid the COVID-19 pandemic. It also requests that the City determine whether other sanitation collection contractors have the capacity to take on Metro’s service area.
“We've had numerous ongoing complaints from residents about their rotten trash sitting outside of their homes breeding maggots from food thrown out of their fridge weeks after Hurricane Ida," Councilmember Palmer continued. "It's gross, and it's a public health risk. And, the City is footing the bill to address Metro’s failures. We’ve given Metro months to address this issue and the company hasn’t figured out a way to provide critical services for our city.”
The resolution states that the lack of waste collection services led to the City reassigning City emergency personnel after Hurricane Ida to pick up trash during an active hurricane season. Councilmember Palmer strongly encourages the City to seek reimbursement for costs associated with having City workers assist with curbside trash pick-up, along with other damages caused by Metro.
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