Cape Coral city leaders frustrated, want Waste Pro to do a better job

Reporter: Asha Patel Writer: Matthew Seaver
Published: Updated:
Trash along the side of the road in Cape Coral. (Credit: WINK News)

Frustration is growing over the trash problem in Cape Coral. City leaders are not happy about the job Waste Pro is doing as garbage piles up, and people are dropping off items themselves.

While the city looks for other options, they are tied up in a contract with Waste Pro until 2027.

If things don’t change and homeowners across Cape Coral don’t get better service soon, the mayor promised he’d come up with a new plan to get rid of the trash.

The trash problem has been going on for more than just days or weeks, but for months.

The people in Cape Coral are used to bulk waste on curbs waiting to be picked up. That doesn’t mean they like it.

“I live over here in the northwest section and it’s been two weeks there were still Christmas trees out there. My son had a Christmas tree, my neighbor had a Christmas tree at the pick-up truck, so I said, you know what, maybe I’ll come over and pick it up,” said Thomas Fournier, who has been living in Cape Coral since 1988. “I heard about this place here where you can drop it off so I took one load over. Taking another load, you know what I’m saying. Why aren’t these guys picking it up?”

Cape Coral’s mayor and city council members want to know the same thing.

During Wednesday night’s meeting, Councilmember Dan Sheppard said, “I see trucks daily in my own neighborhood in my district that I follow that will pick up a whole street get to the next street and just skip six houses.”

On Thursday, Cape Coral Mayor John Gunter said that Waste Pro must do a better job.

“They’re only concentrating on regular trash and recyclables they’re only fulfilling 50% of the contract but unfortunately at the end of the month when they send a bill they want 100% payment. To me, that’s unacceptable,” said Gunter.

WINK News tried to speak with someone from Waste Pro but didn’t have any luck, and we are not the only ones trying.

“We have tried to reach out to waste pro my understanding is the city manager did, and we haven’t gotten a response back from them,” said Mayor Gunter.

In the next few weeks, the mayor said he expects to figure out what the city’s plan b is.

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