CHESAPEAKE, Va. - Trash pickup problems in Chesapeake persist.
The city announced Monday that due to continued staffing shortages, the Waste Management Division is at least one week behind on bulk waste and bagged yard waste collection.
Due to continued staffing shortages, the Waste Management Division is at least one week behind on bulk waste and bagged yard waste collection. Please leave your items at the curb and they will be collected as soon as possible. pic.twitter.com/VoymRAc95E
— City of Chesapeake (@AboutChesapeake) January 10, 2022
Residents are asked to leave their items at the curb, where they will be picked up as soon as possible.
If you've already requested a bulk pickup, the city says you don't need to put in another request.
If you've already requested a bulk pickup, you do not have to resubmit the request. The crews that we do have are working hard to make up for the staffing shortages so please continue to have patience as we work to get everything collected. We apologize for the inconvenience.
— City of Chesapeake (@AboutChesapeake) January 10, 2022
Issues with trash collection in the city have been going on since at least August 2020, when city officials said they were working to recruit additional staff and get them into the field as soon as possible.
News 3 hasspoken with frustrated residentswho told us they had been seeing problems for months before that. Some told usit took the city two months to pick up their bulk trash, which has attracted unwanted critters.
In September, the Department of Public Works told us the pandemic has contributed to residential waste by more than 20%, and the shortage in drivers nationwide has contributed to the staffing shortage.