PORTSMOUTH, Va. — Portsmouth residents are raising concerns about the city’s new bulk trash pickup process, with some saying their trash has been sitting for weeks despite requests for collection.
The changes took effect July 1 under a city ordinance. Under the new process, residents must schedule bulk trash pickups by phone or through the city’s online portal.
Waste Management told WTKR News 3 in August it would continue sending trucks out weekly through Sept. 30 as the city transitions to the new system.
Portsmouth resident David House said he has seen bulk trash sitting on sidewalks and curbs around his and other neighborhoods, including a pile that he said had been in front of a neighbor’s home for weeks.
“They need to trash the ordinance that they put in place and go back to where it was before,” House said.
House also posted about the issue on Facebook. He said other Portsmouth residents shared similar experiences.
“People are saying we put in tickets, we've called Waste Management, we've done everything that we need to do, we've actually put tickets in on the website and the trash is still sitting on the side of our properties for weeks,” House said.
See previous coverage: Confused about Portsmouth’s trash rules? Here’s what’s changed
Under the new rules, Oct. 1 is expected to mark the end of the grace period. After that, residents can begin receiving citations for violations.
WTKR News 3 reached out to the city Monday to speak with officials about the pickup concerns. The city directed WTKR to a Sept. 8 City Council meeting where members discussed the bulk trash process.
Portsmouth City Manager Steven Carter acknowledged concerns about the new system during that meeting.
“Right now, I agree with you, the process is not working the way we intended to work. So, we gotta figure out what the right modifications are for that,” Carter said.
Two council members, Vice Mayor William Moody, Jr. and Vernon Tillage, Jr., asked the city to extend the grace period beyond Oct. 1.
“We need more time to educate the community. And October first is fast approaching, and so many citizens still don't have their questions answered,” Councilman Vernon Tillage said. "I think we're doing our citizens a disservice by setting them up for tickets when a lot of education still needs to happen."
When WTKR News 3's Naomi Washington spoke with Waste Management in August, the company said moving to request-only bulk pickups would allow it to know how many stops it needs to make instead of sending out more trucks than necessary.
A “Bulk Waste Update” is on the Portsmouth City Council agenda Tuesday. The council’s regular meeting is scheduled for Sept. 22.
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