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Port St. Lucie residents describe trash troubles as 'absolutely horrific'

In October, city will raise collection rates $13.77 per year contractual obligations with FCC Environmental Services

Concerns are once again being raised about garbage collection in Port St. Lucie.

By: Tyler Hatfield

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PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Concerns are once again being raised about garbage collection in Port St. Lucie.

WPTV spoke with residents and city officials about how they can put the lid on this problem.

Port St. Lucie residents are finding creative ways to manage all their trash. Julie, who did not want to give her last name, is a city resident who built an area by her home to keep her trash away from the house.

The reason?

With waste collection only once a week in the city, Julie said her trash piles up in her garbage cans and so does the stench and bugs.

"It's horrific. It is absolutely horrific," Julie said. "It looks like a dead body is in here based on the number of flies that are collecting around here."

Julie, a Port St. Lucie resident, talks to WPTV reporter Tyler Hatfield about the trash problems she and others are experiencing.

Once a week garbage collection is one of the rising complaints from residents in Port St. Lucie.

In October, the city will raise solid waste fees by $13.77 per year after a contractual obligation agreement with their waste vendor, FCC Environmental Services.

City officials said this covers the increased costs for labor, equipment, vehicle maintenance, fuel and disposal costs.

WPTV reporter Tyler Hatfield took these concerns to Scott Samples, the strategic communications manager with the city, who said trash pick-up once a week is normal in Florida.

Scott Samples discusses why Port St. Lucie only picks up trash once a week.

"It's that way in Stuart. It's that way in Orlando, Jacksonville and Gainesville," Samples said. "This is pretty common to only see it happen, to have pickup be once a week."

Samples told WPTV that a second pick-up day would increase rates even more.

That's something 86% of residents in a recent survey said they didn’t want.

"We really are trying to find that gap where we're providing the services necessary at a cost that is beneficial to residents and to the city as a whole," Samples said.

Read more of WPTV's coverage of Port St. Lucie's trash troubles: