Councillor Serino Requests Meeting With Capitol Waste Representatives

Claiming through reports he obtained from the city’s 3-1-1 program that Capitol Waste has missed 463 trash pickups in the past 12 months, Ward 6 Councillor Richard Serino wants to meet with representatives of the waste management and disposal company.

“The COVID-19 pandemic restrictions are starting to ease up, life is starting to go back to normal, but ‘tis the season to be jolly, but not in Revere with regard to our trash and yard waste pickup,” said Serino in introducing his motion.

Serino said the taxpayers of the City of Revere pay Capitol Waste “to remove our solid municipal waste, our trash, our recycling, bulky items and yard waste.”

“And Capitol Waste continues to forget pickups and they continue to have missed pickups almost every week,” said Serino. “I think we have a problem with Capitol Waste. We’re paying them for a service that they are not living up to. And I’m even more frustrated because I filed this motion last year and they never came before us. This is a huge issue.”

Ward 4 Councillor Patrick Keefe also expressed concerns, noting that he, like Serino, has received numerous calls from constituents registering complaints about Capitol Waste’s service.

“I would like to see if we can establish an emergency hotline so that the residents can get that quick-fix on knowing that they’re going to get this issue resolved,” said Keefe. “Or maybe have Capitol establish an emergency hotline so they can get an instant response.”

Ward 1 Councillor Joanne McKenna said she experienced a problem in her ward during a street-sweeping day when “all the barrels were left in the street.”

“[Councillor Serino], I just want to say there’s a problem and I thank you for addressing it,” added McKenna.

Councillor-at-Large Steven Morabito said the city must take Capitol Waste’s work performance into consideration when city officials are negotiating a contract with Capitol Waste.

“Sure, there’s not many great competitors that come close to Capitol Waste, but we need to hold them accountable,” said Morabito. “In addition to that, there are calls I get from Ward 1 all the way to Ward 6. I had one resident whose trash barrel was missing. So in order for him to get a new one, he had to file a police report for a missing barrel. But the barrel was found across the street and the reason was that the trash workers do not place the trash barrels where they got them.”

Declaring that the matter would be heading to the Public Works Subcommittee, City Council President Anthony Zambuto said, “I’ve been on this Council 22 years. I’ve been here long enough to remember when we had terrible trash haulers. Capitol Waste happens to be one of the best in the state. They’re very responsive every time I call them. But the bottom line here is that it’s a big city. I know I’ve been guilty of putting my trash out after the trash company came. Yes, there are complaints, [but] 400 complaints over a year is probably not a lot. I would dare say that 40 percent of those complaints are people who, like me, put out their trash too late.

“Anything can be addressed,” continued Zambuto. “If we’re looking for a solution, we can get that, and that’s why this is going to Public Works [Subcommittee. And we probably wouldn’t get a better trash-hauling company than Capitol Waste.”