Polk County declares state of emergency due to missed garbage pickups

BARTOW, Fla. - Polk County commissioners have declared a local state of emergency to address ongoing missed trash collections in unincorporated parts of the county.

Commissioners voted unanimously on Tuesday to declare the state of emergency, saying the persistent missed garbage pickups "endanger the public health, safety and welfare of Polk residents."

The move gives the county manager tools to be able to respond to the situation, county officials said, and removes certain procedures that could prolong immediate solutions.

As problems have mounted over the last several months, the county began letting unincorporated Polk residents drop off their own garbage at the landfill in early February.

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By declaring a state of emergency, the county manager is allowed to take the following actions:

• Utilize all available resources of the county government as reasonably necessary to cope with the emergency;
• Make provisions for the availability and use of temporary emergency housing and the emergency warehousing of materials;
• Acquire merchandise, equipment, vehicles, or property needed to alleviate the emergency

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Through this, the county also waives the procedures and formalities normally required by law to:

• Performance of public work and taking whatever prudent action is necessary to ensure the health, safety and welfare of the community;
• Entering into contracts;
• Incurring obligations;
• Employment of temporary or permanent workers;
• Rental equipment;
• Acquisition and distribution, with or without compensation, of supplies, materials and facilities;
• Appropriation and expenditure of public funds.