BROOKHAVEN — Arrow Disposal Service Incorporated CEO Richard Urrutia promised Lincoln County Supervisors measures to ensure better service in December 2023. The measures are being implemented to fix service issues.

ADSI area manager Charles Lungrin told the Lincoln County Board of Supervisors that having cameras and tablets on the trucks is becoming a reality during a regularly scheduled meeting Monday. Last December, Urrutia described the tablets as a way to ensure routes were being followed stop by stop with service verification. Cameras on the trucks would show if the trash was out by the road at time of pickup. 

Lungrin said the cameras are installed on the garbage trucks and tablets will be ready to be used in two weeks. His report comes after some complaints about missed pickups at the county docket meeting last week. 

“A couple of weeks ago we did have issues in some of the districts. I have a full workforce now,” Lungrin said. “We are moving forward. We hired 10 drivers and 15 to 20 helpers.” 

Missed trash

District 2 Supervisor Keith Lewis said one report he has had is people calling the number on the can aren’t able to get service. Supervisors said local ADSI employee Joe Honea III has worked hard to take care of missed pickups when they call him directly. District 4 Supervisor Eli Ferguson called Honea III “Johnny on the Spot.” 

Lungrin explained they have a new work order system. Missed pickups are keyed into a company wide que. Each morning, he has to go in and get his work orders in a spreadsheet from he call que. He showed each supervisor what the spreadsheet looks like of missed pickups that they work from each day.

Supervisors asked how the company could get away from missed pickups being the norm. District 3 Supervisor John David Hart said he has one house in his district where trash is not picked up consistently. 

“I have people telling me they call the number and nothing gets done,” Hart said. “Somewhere between the call center and here it is missing. There is a communication gap somewhere.” 

Lincoln County Tax Collector Blake Pickering said he knows from experience that it depends on who a person gets at the call center. He said some people tell him the call center told them to call the county which is not how the system is supposed to work. 

ADSI has two call centers currently, one in Abbeville and one in Noble Hill. District 5 Supervisor Doug Falvey said they have a goal in mind for trash service. 

“Our ultimate goal is to not get the phone call about missed trash,” Falvey said. “Honea getting it picked up should not be the solution. I get complaints about where the cans are left too.”  

Lungrin told Falvey the drivers are not supposed to leave cans in the road before they leave a location. He said the issue will be addressed. 

ADSI’s contract with Lincoln County expires on September 30, 2024.