PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (CBS12) — The CBS12 News I-Team is on Waste Watch.

Questions are mounting in Port St. Lucie after a massive $24 million settlement with trash collector Waste Pro.

Residents want to know, what will happen to that money? The answer is unclear. And many residents say the problems that led to the pay-out haven’t gone away.

In a word, for years, the trash collection in the city stunk.

It turned into a legal battle between the city and Waste Pro.

In 2021, amid missed pickups, inconsistent service, and a tidal wave of complaints from residents, the city sued the company. The company counter-sued.

Then, last month, the city announced they would accept a $24 million settlement from Waste Pro tied to the service failures: An out-of-court agreement right before the trial was about to start.

But what happened next is raising new concerns.

City leaders say the money will be returned to residents in some form. The problem? No one in a decision-making role is willing to explain how. The I-Team contacted the mayor and the everyone on the city council. Nobody would sit down for an interview.

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City spokesman Scott Samples told the I-Team, “We’re a very data driven organization and part of what we’re doing right now is information gathering, so that we can help the city council make the best possible decision, so it’s a little premature at this point to make the determination of exactly what we’re going to do with it.”

The city could use the settlement money for civic projects or return the money to residents in the form of refund checks or credits. After all, residents were paying for trash pickup and not getting it.

Samples says future city council meetings will give residents a chance to talk about what they want to happen with the $24 million during public comment.

In the meantime, some residents tell the I-Team the trash company the city landed on after Waste Pro has some issues of their own.

The company is named FCC Environmental Services. When the city chose them to be the new trash collection company, folks in Port St. Lucie began paying 50 percent more annually, while getting service only half as frequently as they did under the old contract.

And with FCC, the city imposed new rules about how early the trash bins may go to the curb and how long they can stay out after pickup.

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City spokesman Samples defended the new company, “I think the number of complaints that we are receiving, as compared to the time when we had Waste Pro, that’s gone down significantly. I’d say we found a good partner and we’re working with them to deliver the best possible service to our residents.”

The $24 million was paid to the city on May 10th. So, when will the discussion start about what to do with it?

Samples says there’s no timetable yet.