CLINTON —
There’s not usually much that local citizens and city government agree on, but I think I’ve found a topic that creates an equal amount of grumbling on both sides — solid waste service.
I can’t blame residents for being upset. The system is a mess. And I can’t blame city staff, either, because it’s generally not their fault since the person in charge of implementing the system is no longer at City Hall.
Ultimately, the decision rested with the City Council, and they should have pressed further regarding some of these issues, which were brought up by many residents, but they were going on information that they believed to be reliable.
Unfortunately for the city, this new and improved system that was supposed to alleviate headaches, has only created a massive tidal wave that doesn’t appear to be stopping anytime soon.
I know it’s a favorite pasttime for many, including myself on occasion, to bash the city’s handling of certain items, but I would plead against complaining on this occasion.
City Hall is working hard to fix the major problems. Bills haven’t been sent out and the city doesn’t have a grip on what canisters belong to which house.
Finding a way to charge for solid waste pickup and providing quality service for most of the residents (there’s no way to make everyone happy) should be the priority, and city officials are working toward this goal.
Recent staff cuts have made it difficult to catch up with all mistakes that happened in the past, but at least a few individuals are trying to make things better.
So before turning blue in the face from complaining about trash pickup, take a step back and realize that progress is happening, albeit slower than anticipated.
Scott Levine is the Associate Editor of the Clinton Herald.
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