Kearney officials press Republic Services over missed pickups; company pledges 24-hour makeups and staffing actions

Kearney, Mo. — Residents and city officials pressed Republic Services on recurring missed trash and recycling pickups at the Kearney Board of Aldermen meeting on May 20, where the contractor pledged near-term operational fixes and closer supervision.

Tyler Reardon, municipal sales manager for Republic Services, said the company moved to a consolidated single-day weekly collection for the town and is currently running six trash routes and four recycle routes but is short on drivers. "We want to commit to a 24-hour turnaround time on any misses," Reardon said, adding the company will prioritize missed stops first thing the next morning and will provide the city with route-status updates and snapshots of affected addresses.

Board members and residents described widespread disruption. Alderman Lehman told Reardon the service has been "totally unacceptable" and said many residents have complained. One resident said recycling and trash have been left at curbside for days; another said whole streets were missed. Mayor (name not provided in the transcript) said he has "lost patience" and warned that the board could seek contract changes or cancel the contract if there is no improvement.

Reardon outlined steps Republic will take: drill into driver efficiency and hold drivers accountable, hire replacements for recently released or absent drivers, and add an extra truck to provide coverage into northern Kearney and nearby Excelsior Springs on adjacent service days to limit carryover delays. He also said operations supervisors and a general manager will track Kearney drivers more closely and said his team will escalate staffing issues to area leadership if necessary.

City officials raised possible contractual remedies. Reardon said the city could pursue a credit arrangement or add a liquidated-damages clause as an addendum to the contract, but that would require formal amendment. The mayor asked for a written statement of Republic’s proposed changes and indicated a desire for a follow-up report within a short timeframe so the board can assess whether more drastic steps, including looking for an alternative contractor, are needed.

What happens next: Republic committed to provide the city with more detailed operational plans and to escalate staffing solutions; the board requested a subsequent report and additional testimony from Republic operations managers at a future meeting.

Clarifying details from the meeting: Republic said Kearney has roughly 3,600 homes and operates six trash and four recycle routes (figures from Reardon’s presentation). Reardon characterized current per-driver stops as about 600 per day and said properly staffed drivers could reach 700–800 stops before landfill runs. Several officials stressed that spending by residents for an unreliable service is unacceptable and asked for credits or contractual remedies.

Sources: Statements and direct quotes from city meeting transcript of the Kearney Board of Aldermen, May 20, 2024.