Residents and elected officials in Solon and Lisbon voiced growing frustration with continued garbage and recycling collection problems by LRS during recent city council meetings, with both communities demanding improved service and stronger communication from the waste hauler.
In Solon, several residents addressed the council during public comments, describing repeated missed collections and inconsistent service.
During public comments in Solon, residents described repeated missed garbage collections, inconsistent pickup schedules and the inconvenience of having to dispose of overflowing trash themselves after weeks of missed service. One resident told council members his household had experienced eight missed garbage collections since Jan. 1 and had been forced to transport trash to another residence because it was not being picked up.
Mayor Dan O’Neil noted LRS representatives were present at the meeting to respond to residents’ concerns.
LRS promises staffing, communication improvements
Representatives from LRS told council members the company recognizes the seriousness of the ongoing service issues and is working to rebuild staffing and improve operations.
One of the company’s new local managers said the company is actively working to correct the problems residents have experienced and acknowledged delays and missed pickups, adding that improvements are underway.
The manager said LRS had hired seven drivers and expected additional drivers and managers from other locations to assist with operations and training as the company worked to restore service.
He also emphasized the company’s commitment to resolving the issues.
LRS director of operations Rupert Jemmott said he traveled from Indianapolis after learning of the problems and plans to remain in the area until operations stabilize.
Jemmott said he intends to stay until the situation is resolved and is prepared to provide daily communication updates if requested.
He added that experienced managers are being brought in to help train employees and improve service, while additional crews are working to address staffing shortages.
Council members say patience has run out
Council members acknowledged the company’s staffing challenges but said residents have repeatedly been promised improvements while service problems continued. They said the city continues to receive complaints from residents who expect reliable trash collection for a service they pay for and urged LRS to restore consistent pickups as quickly as possible.
Communication also emerged as one of the largest concerns during the discussion.
Solon city administrator Cami Rasmussen said city staff spent much of the previous weekend responding to resident complaints while coordinating with LRS.
“Cities are required to offer five essential services,” Rasmussen said. “Emergency services, water, sewer, streets, garbage. When one of those five are not working as they should, it is a big deal.”
Rasmussen said city staff should not have to spend entire weekends handling trash complaints and stressed residents deserve consistent collection times, timely delivery of carts, prompt notification of delays, and reliable communication when trucks break down.
“You’ve used it all up,” Rasmussen said, referring to residents’ patience after repeated explanations involving staffing shortages, equipment failures, and weather delays. “You got to fix it. You got to reestablish the trust of this community.”
Managers acknowledged communication had not met expectations.
Lisbon begins formal contract action
Lisbon officials discussed similar concerns during the June 22 City Council meeting.
Lisbon city administrator Brandon Siggins said the city has documented complaints involving garbage, recycling, and yard waste collection for months, with problems escalating during the previous collection cycle.
“We do keep a log of every complaint that comes in for yard waste, recycling or trash issues,” Siggins said.
Siggins said city staff met with LRS crews on the morning of June 22 to ensure routes were completed after delays stretched through the weekend. During the final portion of the route, a truck experienced transmission problems before another vehicle was dispatched from Iowa City to complete collections.
Although LRS recently assigned two new operations managers to the area, Siggins said similar management changes have occurred several times over the past year.
“This is about the fourth group of new employees that they’ve had as supervisors,” he said.
Siggins also told council members the city dealt with a public urination incident involving an LRS employee during the latest collection cycle. According to Siggins, LRS informed the city the employee involved had been terminated.
Because of the ongoing service issues, Lisbon has formally begun documenting potential contract violations.
Siggins said that Lisbon’s city attorney reviewed the municipality’s contract with LRS, which runs through 2028, examined the city’s complaint logs, and prepared a formal notice of default identifying specific contract provisions the city believes had been breached.
Rather than immediately attempting to terminate the agreement, Siggins said the recommendation is to provide LRS an opportunity to correct the deficiencies to reduce potential legal risk.
LRS issues public statement
LRS released a public statement June 20 from director of operations Rupert Jemmott outlining the company’s plans to address continued service interruptions.
“LRS will be picking up recycling in the city tomorrow. Please have your carts at the curb for service,” Jemmott said in the statement. “LRS will also send trucks back through on Monday to pick up any customers that might have been missed.”
Jemmott apologized for the disruptions and said the company was working to restore normal service.
“We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. We appreciate your patience and we look forward to getting our valued customers back on their normal scheduled service days,” he said.
While both Solon and Lisbon officials acknowledged LRS’s recent staffing efforts and willingness to communicate, they said residents ultimately expect consistent, reliable trash, and
recycling collection. Officials in both communities indicated they will continue monitoring the company’s performance as it works to resolve the ongoing service issues.