© 2024 MICHIGAN PUBLIC
91.7 Ann Arbor/Detroit 104.1 Grand Rapids 91.3 Port Huron 89.7 Lansing 91.1 Flint
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Trash pickup in Flint to resume after one-day interruption

Tracy Samilton/Michigan Radio

Flint Mayor Karen Weaver and City Council members have called a truce in the city's trash war.

The two sides are fighting over which company gets a contract to pick up residents' trash. Weaver favors Rizzo Environmental Services; City Council favors the current contractor, Republic Services.

Weaver and the council agreed to a stipulated order allowing Republic to temporarily resume trash pickup until a court hearing on August 11.

Angry residents laid into both Weaver and the City Council during the public comment period of the special council meeting called to approve the order. 

One speaker said living in Flint was like living in a third world country.

Protesters briefly demonstrated inside city hall at the beginning of the meeting. They were more angry about the continuing water crisis than the trash situation.

"What do we want? Clean water!" they chanted, before allowing the meeting to begin. "What doesn't matter? Trash!"

Another disruption was caused by City Councilman Eric Mays, who refused repeated requests by Council President Kerry Nelson to stop talking past his time and interrupting other city council members. 

He was eventually handcuffed and escorted out. 

Tracy Samilton covers energy and transportation, including the auto industry and the business response to climate change for Michigan Public. She began her career at Michigan Public as an intern, where she was promptly “bitten by the radio bug,” and never recovered.
Related Content