Waste Management district operations staff told the Germantown Public Works and Highway Committee on Nov. 5 that missed residential pickups are recorded, dispatched and typically resolved within a day.

"When a miss gets called in...a ticket is made for that miss. That ticket is then dispatched immediately, and we pull drivers from their current route that are in this area and come right to that location to get that missed pickup," said Tim, identified at the meeting as the district operations manager for Waste Management. "We do our best to try to resolve any missed pickup or complaint within 24 hours."

Tim described in-cab cameras and tablet-based ticketing that document stops and help crews identify whether a can was set out. He said many reported misses reflect cans not placed at the curb or residents not knowing their collection day. He also described a door-to-door outreach on Hilltop Drive earlier this year to address recurring misses.

Tony Knecht, the other company representative at the meeting, said the company will compile a report of call-ins and that residents can now request bulk item pickups, report missed pickups and view estimated truck arrival times online.

Committee members asked whether residents should report misses to the village or directly to Waste Management. Tim advised that reporting to Waste Management is quickest because an online report automatically creates a ticket, though the village also tracks calls it receives.

On staffing, Tim said Waste Management currently has no open driver positions for residential service and maintains extra and swing drivers to cover absences. He also addressed a recent local misunderstanding about storm debris collection after flooding, saying crews and donated roll-off boxes were used to help but that full-scale, village-wide collection expectations had exceeded what the contractor could provide without diverting crews from regular routes.

The presentation concluded with committee members asking about recycling costs and large-item pickup. Tim said trash collection is more expensive than recycling and outlined the companyulk-pickup and customer-notification processes.

The committee did not take a formal vote on the presentation; the item served as an update and question-and-answer session.