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Century Looks for Solutions To Address Yard Trash Can Frustrations
June 5, 2026
Residents and town officials are not happy with the services provided by Waste Pro, the town’s first new solid waste provider in over 30 years. However, officials say it’s not Waste Pro’s fault.
Specifically, town council members are expressing concern with the “black can.” It’s a green can with a black lid intended for yard waste, and they say it’s not practical to fit many tree limbs and other yard debris in the can.
“I’ve tried and tried,” Council member John Bass said at a council meeting earlier this year. “You just can’t.”
The single can for yard waste was negotiated by the town and is in their contract with Waste Pro, which costs town citizens $10.47 per month more than the rate charged by the previous provider. The town sought a new provider after determining that it was losing money on solid waste and a grapple truck used to collect yard waste was simply beyond repair.
During an open discussion this week, council members discussed revisiting the contract and trying to find solutions to return to collecting a higher volume of yard waste—without forcing citizens to fit everything into a single can.
“We just had two different understandings…so it’s really no one’s fault. Now we just need to try to get together to figure out a solution,” Bass said Tuesday night. “All I’m trying to say is let’s get into a discussion.”
“Our ultimate goal is to make sure that our citizens are being taken care of,” Council President Dynette Lewis said. “They’re speaking, and we’re hearing.”
Mayor Ben Boutwell agreed that improvement is needed, but the town must find a way that does not mean the town reverts to losing money.
“100%. I will take care of the citizens, but the Town of Century isn’t losing money, and that’s what it boils down to,” Boutwell said. “I’m not being ugly here, I promise you. I love my community, but we have to run it as a business.”
Pictured: A Waste Pro sanitation truck turns on a Century street. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Comments
10 Responses to “Century Looks for Solutions To Address Yard Trash Can Frustrations”
“Simple solution. Call ECUA. Change service.”
Not so simple.
If you mean the town should call ECUA — ECUA declined to bid on the proposal for the contract.
If you mean the residents should call ECUA — that also won’t work. The Town of Century holds and controls the franchise. Residents can’t use ECUA.
Simple solution. Call ECUA. Change service. Contract directly with the company… no in between person. Get two GARBAGE cans which are much more usable than one garbage and one yard debris for most people. Monthly rate is very near or less than the rate through the Town of Century contract
“it’s really no one’s fault”. The official city motto of Century.
They should have known from the amount of debris picked up in the past those cans would be useless. What is supposed to happen with the items sitting out by the road with no one to pick them up. Eventually there will be dumping in other areas, these are situations that should have been visited before this decision was made. So if the town saves money who will care of there is litter all over the place. But we will have money!
“…so it’s really no one’s fault”.
That is one of the statements that has made many have less trust and faith in government. With the amount of elected and appointed officials, including staff, how could the statement that “..we just had two different understandings…” be made? If the initial talking was inadequate or confusing,it seems unlikely that another one would provide a solution.
If there’s roughly 750 households being charged $10.47 per month for yard waste; then why not renegotiate the contract with Waste Pro to end the yard waste pickup, then use the money that’s paid each month by the citizens for yard waste to hire JD to maintain the town’s truck so that the town can resume pickup. The $10.47 paid by each household per month should cover his salary and also parts for the truck’s maintenance.
Why not make a request to the Florida Legislature for an annual state-funded appropriation to have all garbage services in Century paid for by all of Florida’s taxpayers? Everything else’s seems to be funded in that way.
They saying their old debris collection truck is too old and gone. I repair heavy cranes, pile driving equipment , heavy trucks, tugboats, marine equipment. I tried to hire on with century awhile ago because my job ended. No such thing as a debris truck to worn out. Repair and maintain properly it last forever. We had cranes and tugboats from 1930s and 40s that ran every day . Just had to maintain them.
Here’s a thought. Why doesn’t the city just let individuals pick whatever garbage/trash collector company they wish to do business with at whatever rate they can individually negotiate and get out of the garbage/trash business.
It just seems like everyone was forced into this. The cans are not used with half the population of Century. The other half that use the cans, have trouble actually using them for their intended purpose. Not losing money is a great thing for the town, but to do so at the expense of the citizens with a service that seems inferior to what we had before, is what upsets most people. Maybe something can be revised. It just seems that paying for the extra service of a garbage truck running a second time every week, for yard waste, is a waste of money for most residents of Century, as most either do not use the service or the can is simply not practical for its purpose.