Both Waste Management and the City of Key West are in damage control mode after a tough-talking Waste Management collection agent and a Code Enforcement officer threatened to close down a local business over a trash collection bill that was in error.
"When Waste Management took over the trash collection franchise in the City last January, they screwed up our company's billing," said Bill Harmon, co-owner of the two Mail Spot stores here. "Not only have they been overbilling us, they've also been crediting our payments to other accounts.
"Waste Management managers know about the problem and they admit that it's their problem. And they have been reassuring us for a year that they would resolve it. But that hasn't happened.
"Then, last Friday, a loud, threatening Waste Management collection agent came in and demanded immediate payment or he would call Code Enforcement and have our City occupational license revoked," Harmon said. "I have never been talked to the way he talked to me— and in front of a store full of customers. My lady manager was in tears.
"I tried to tell him that the billing was in error and that his managers knew all about it, but he didn't want to listen. He stormed out— and five minutes later, Code Enforcement Officer Ron Clark showed up and threatened to snatch our occupational license off the wall."
City Commissioner Jeremy Anthony wants an explanation.
"First of all, our citizens must always be treated fairly and with respect," he said. "Secondly, I'm curious as to how Code Enforcement could and would react so quickly to a call from a private company.
"When I ask Code Enforcement to look into some matter, it often takes days or weeks for anything to happen."
"Waste Management has to be aggressive in their collection efforts," said David Fernandez, who oversees waste management for the City. "They have to pay the City for every account whether they collect it or not.
"But," he admitted, "we have received complaints from other companies about that particular collection agent."
Waste Management General Manager Greg Sullivan did not return phone calls for comment.
"Waste Management officials need to get their act together before they send out their bully boys to collect incorrect bills," Harmon said. "And the City Commission should be asking some questions about the apparent willingness of Code Enforcement to close down a business without some kind of hearing."