West Bloomfield Township Seeks $1.5 Million Forfeiture from GFL
The West Bloomfield Township is reportedly seeking a staggering $1.5 million forfeiture of a performance bond from waste management company, GFL Environmental Inc. Following recent hitches after Priority Waste took over GFL’s residential contracts this July, the transition hasn’t been entirely smooth sailing.
According to the Township Supervisor Steven Kaplan, the first couple of weeks under Priority’s leadership have seen complaints from more than a thousand residents. The main issues reported centre around yard waste removal, which is almost non-existent according to Kaplan. In addition, garbage and recycling services have also not lived up to expectations.
A significant part of this unsatisfactory service has been attributed to the lack of serviceable trucks. When Priority took over GFL, they expected around 380 working trucks, but more than half of these were not road-ready or serviceable.
Despite these setbacks, the company’s management was ready for a challenging transition period. They anticipated around three weeks to clear the backlog left by GFL and another 60-90 days to fully integrate Priority’s technology into the fleet.
However, the local government is not letting GFL off the hook so easily. At a recent Township Board of Trustees meeting, the board unanimously approved seeking a forfeiture of a $1.5 million performance bond with the company. This decision was in response to GFL’s inadequate service during the weeks leading up to their handover to Priority Waste.
The township plans to use the forfeiture, should they be successful, to credit the residents affected by GFL’s poor service, reimburse salaries of township employees who had to manage the numerous resident complaints, and also cover attorney fees.
Following a rough transition, the situation appears to be improving under Priority Waste’s leadership. Residents have reported better services and the company seems to be effectively managing the inherited challenges. They are confident that within a few months, they would have cleared any backlogs and be running regular service without interruptions.
For more information and regular updates, residents can contact Priority Waste or the local township office directly.
