Richard Hyatt: Trash talk takes aim at city officials

There was a lot of trash talking going on last week as we watched platoons of filthy garbage cans gather in our neighborhoods.

Pickup day was a mystery, so residents around us rolled out their cans last Monday morning gambling that was their day. At our house, we checked the public works website and watched a clever video that was mildly entertaining but certainly not informative.

We finally called the city and found out that the trucks wouldn't roll down our street until Thursday. Our cans were overflowing, so fat bags of garbage accumulated in our garage bringing back memories of those glorious years of twice-a-week pickup.

The phones and inboxes of city leaders were being bombarded with calls and emails from angry constituents, and the officials knew that in a few weeks it would be even worse as residents suffered through 10 days of Christmas without a pickup.

To answer mounting concerns, Columbus Council members were given a revised pickup schedule for the weeks of Christmas and New Years at Tuesday's meeting, and by Wednesday that agenda had been amended and re-amended.

What is hopefully the final schedule appeared on the front page of Thursday's newspaper. During both weeks, household garbage and recycling for Monday and Thursday routes will be picked up on Monday. Household garbage and recycling from Tuesday and Friday routes will be picked up on Tuesday. Yard waste won't be picked up either week.

Thanksgiving was the first serious holiday period the city had faced since it went to a once-a-week schedule in September, so confusion reigned. To spread the word, revised schedules were sent to a number of outlets, but fraternities, sororities, social media and email blasts don't get to that many folks. A more personal delivery system has to be found.

People are miffed, and the suggestion they could haul their garbage to the landfill themselves and pay a fee really upset them.

With the biggest trash season of the year on the horizon, you can assume taxpayers aren't sending Christmas cards to many public officials.

Wouldn't it have been wise to wait until January to start the weekly pickups?

At least there would have been 11 months until the holiday season came along. But the holidays are upon us and nothing says Merry Christmas like a smelly garbage can.

Richard Hyatt is an independent correspondent. Reach him at hyatt31906@knology.net

This story was originally published December 5, 2015 at 9:02 PM with the headline "Richard Hyatt: Trash talk takes aim at city officials."