PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — A settlement has been reached between Port St. Lucie and its former trash hauler following years of contentiousness.
The city announced Friday they reached an agreement with Waste Pro that resolves the legal dispute related to its prior solid waste collection contract.
Judge tells Port St. Lucie, Waste Pro officials to ‘roll up your sleeves’
The agreement includes a cash settlement of $24 million to the city.
“This payment fully resolves the lawsuit and includes both sides agreeing to release each other from all outstanding claims and formally dismiss the case,” the city posted on its Facebook page.
Officials said they will now review options for the appropriate use of the settlement funds, which will be discussed at future council workshops or public meetings.
All of this comes after WPTV has tracked trash complaints from Port St. Lucie residents for years.
The problems came to a head during the COVID-19 pandemic when the city was inundated with complaints about trash being left outside homes for weeks.
The city claimed Waste Pro breached its contract for its standard of service, while the company blamed a pandemic labor shortage.
WPTV has reached out to Waste Pro for a statement regarding the settlement.