Hello Neighbors:

I suspect you are just as frustrated at having to receive another one of these updates as I am to have to send it. I want to start by commending the people of Ward 1 for your immense patience and compassion following the major storm.  With temperatures on the rise I am optimistic that this will soon be behind us.  

I know many of you have experienced missed trash and recycling collections. I have been monitoring these issues via social media, email, phone and by traversing the Ward to observe first-hand. Each time we identify a concern, my team and I escalate it to DPW or the City Administrator. This is the role a ward Councilmember can play when it comes to constituent services.  

The other key role I play as Councilmember, however, is government oversight. And so, tomorrow I will hold a performance oversight hearing for the Department of Public Works in which the public will have the opportunity to testify about their experiences with the snow event, in addition to other day-to-day functions of DPW. The experiences of residents are essential in informing how we as councilmembers understand the performance of our District agencies and what we hear will directly inform the questions we’ll ask DPW officials at an upcoming oversight hearing with them. You can still submit written testimony. 

I wanted to share important updates from DPW today, in my effort to keep you fully informed with all the facts available to me. 

To address collection delays, DPW has activated seasonal leaf-collection employees to help with trash collection. This will allow DPW to operate seven days a week and get teams out faster to focus on missed pickups. 

DPW has advised that if your trash and recycling have not been collected on your regular collection day, to leave it out and submit a 311 request. They have also said (and this part is extra frustrating) that if a previous 311 request has not been resolved, you are to submit a new one to ensure it is captured in the updated routing system. 

Continue to check the DPW website for updates.  

Please reach out to us if your trash, recycling, or food waste are not collected, in addition to submitting a 311 request. I’ve observed that much of the backlogged trash has now been collected in Ward 1, but not all of it. And if you are one of the households that is still waiting, I understand that is infuriating.  

The DPW crews are working hard, and I thank them for their efforts. From the outset of this snow event I have asked for the Mayor to do a better job of communicating and delivering on these plans. 

Thanks to neighbors who have helped each other weather this storm. We can always count on the Ward 1 community to step up and pitch it. Just one of the many things I love about representing you.