• To that end, the city has charged Republic with a code violation based on one of those complaints.
• The citation carries a possible $2,500 fine and is on the municipal court’s docket for Thursday, Nov. 17.

What they’re saying: Joe Gilman, a resident of The Cedars neighborhood in Lenexa, said trash pickup at his house has been “horrible” recently.

• Gilman told the Post his trash didn’t get picked up for the better part of a month and that he was “drowning in trash and recyclables.”
• In a later phone call, he said he hadn’t had any significant problem with Republic’s service until about a month ago, but after weeks went by, he put a sign on his trash bin that said, “27 days since last trash pickup”, added a frowning face.
• He posted the picture on Republic’s Facebook and Yelp review pages, and the trash was subsequently collected, he said.

Bigger picture: Gilman said some of his neighbors also experienced problems around the same time.

• A check of Republic’s Yelp page shows several other Kansas City area Republic customers logging complaints from Lenexa, Mission, Overland Park and Kansas City, Kan.
• One Overland Park customer also posted pictures of heaps of trash.
• In Prairie Village, where Republic is the exclusive trash hauler, officials have said they are considering fining the company for consistently missing pickups due to staffing shortages.

Response: In an emailed response, Republic’s media relations department officials acknowledged the company has been experiencing “some service delays.”

Key quote: “Many industries are facing staffing challenges at this time, and the environmental services industry is no different. We are proud to serve our communities, and we thank them for their patience during this time,” Republic’s message read. “We are always recruiting and hiring great people to join our team, and offer a competitive salary, generous benefits, paid vacation, safety bonuses, and numerous career advancement opportunities.”

Another thing about Lenexa trash pickups

Trash service in Lenexa is contracted privately between residents, homeowners’ associations or companies and haulers.

• Republic is one of nine refuse haulers licensed to pick up in Lenexa, McCullough, the city’s community development director, said, and the city code allows for licenses to be revoked.
• Nevertheless, “our goal with Republic is to bring them into compliance with collection requirements through the court process, not prevent them from operating altogether,” he said. “We continue to talk with Republic Services to discuss the issues to better understand their challenges to operate according to city code.”

Roxie Hammill is a freelance journalist who reports frequently for the Post and other Kansas City area publications. You can reach her at roxieham@gmail.com.