St. Augustine Beach, Florida. – The City of St. Augustine Beach took over management of yard waste collection in various sections of Anastasia Island in St. Johns County after the contract with FCC Environmental Services catastrophically expired and has since been terminated.

“FCC, the solid waste company responsible for picking up yard waste, household waste and recycling materials, has failed to meet its obligations to St. Johns County,” said Mayor Dylan Rumbrell. “This decisive action underscores our commitment to working together effectively and ensuring our community receives the essential services it deserves during emergencies.”

St. Johns County Commissioners voted last year to award FCC Environmental Services a contract worth $28.2 million – several million less than the next highest bidder – to handle garbage collection for the entire county. On August 1, the company began serving 112,000 county residents.

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Less than a month after garbage collection began in the county, FCC was put on hold on August 20 after thousands of residents complained about service disruptions.

After a lengthy discussion with the company’s CEO, county officials and angry residents, commissioners voted unanimously to terminate the contract with FCC.

“It seems to me that there was a breach of contract from day one. And you abandoned us during a hurricane. You created a public safety and health crisis in our community,” said Commissioner Sarah Arnold, who was among the customers whose garbage was not picked up on Monday. “Personally, I can say that I have lost all faith in the FCC. I believe the majority of our residents would feel the same way.”

The county also said it had received over 7,000 calls about service issues and 3,000 complaints about its app.

These complaints came from neighbors who reported that garbage cans had been left in the middle of the street, garbage had been left on the ground, and that waste had not been collected properly. Some said their garden waste had not been collected for weeks.

In addition, county employees performed more than 13,000 service inspections, costing 2,200 hours. The county said it logs all hours to be reimbursed by the FCC.

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St. Augustine Beach officials said the Public Works Department worked to remove yard waste in various areas of Anastasia Island on Saturday and Sunday.

“We would like to thank our city building department staff and the St. Johns County Building Department for their coordinated efforts to ensure residents received services in a timely manner,” said Russell Adams, director of the City of St. Augustine Beach Building Department.