Following the Virginia Peninsulas Public Service Authority’s decision to terminate its contract with the recycling provider for the Historic Triangle area, the provider is offering a subscription service for James City County residents.
The service will be offered to county residents who wish to continue curbside recycling, TFC Recycling said in a statement. Meanwhile, the company said Wednesday it had signed a deal with the city of Poquoson, one of the four localities affected by the contract termination, to maintain curbside recycling.
The service authority voted Sept. 23 to terminate the nearly seven-year contract with Chesapeake-based TFC Recycling, citing “significant performance deficiencies” by the provider and unwillingness to remedy compliance issues. Issues noted by the authority included missing records, inaccurate reports resulting in inaccurate billing and failure to meet customer service standards.
TFC Recycling said Tuesday — the day the contract ended — it was surprised by the decision, and that the authority had made “demands well above the required contractual terms and conditions.”
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The company also said the authority had withheld payments dating back to January and required the provider to modify its contract, which included lower payments to TFC.
Michael Benedetto, TFC Recycling’s president and owner, said the company has built a solid reputation for service and sustainability. TFC has provided services to the cities of Williamsburg and Poquoson and both James City and York counties for over 20 years, the company said Wednesday.
“All of us at TFC Recycling, from management to drivers to maintenance technicians and machine operators, share the goal of offering exemplary services and real recycling solutions,” Benedetto said.
Jennifer Wheeler, the authority’s executive director, said the authority had notified TFC numerous times since February about contract deficiencies. She said the agreement allowed the authority the right to request and view documentation related to the agreement. The authority’s report documenting TFC’s noncompliance was validated by a private audit firm, said Wheeler.
Wheeler also said the contract required invoices sent to them be complete with correct accompanying documentation to issue payment. The authority would deduct fees and fines assessed to TFC when not meeting monthly performance standards, she said.
“When errors were noticed in material weights in TFC records, VPPSA requested corrections be made to invoices and for further documentation to be supplied to substantiate their presented weights,” Wheeler said. “TFC did not provide documentation that could show accurate weights by route and by community.”
She said the authority had withheld payment to TFC since January until the provider submitted appropriate documentation.
TFC maintained Tuesday that it was willing to modify the contract, but not under the terms the authority wanted. The company said it offered the authority a follow-up action plan in early September that was not accepted. “TFC was willing to continue to provide services in the spirit of a true partnership and was working diligently to resolve all outstanding issues,” its statement said.
While Williamsburg quickly contracted with Republic Services for curbside recycling services, James City County is still considering its options. The county said last week it was working to contract with a new provider and is encouraging residents to use their three convenience centers.
Each of the centers is free for residents to drop off recyclables. The county is asking residents to hold on to their carts until it receives more information. Refunds will be issued for the Oct.1 to Dec. 31 payment.
York County said it is working with the authority to find alternative recycling solutions and asked residents to hold on to recycling containers until further notice.
James City County residents looking for more information on TFC Recycling’s subscription service can visit tfcrecycling.com or call 757-543-5766. For more information on recycling in James City County, Williamsburg, York County or Poquoson, visit jamescitycountyva.gov, williamsburgva.gov, yorkcounty.gov or ci.poquoson.va.us.
James W. Robinson, 757-799-0621, james.robinson@virginiamedia.com
