The City of Houston has appointed a new permanent leader to take charge of its Solid Waste Management Department. Larius Hassen was officially named director of the Solid Waste Department, after serving as interim director since March.
Mayor John Whitmire expressed confidence in Hassen鈥檚 ability to turn things around. 鈥淵ou only had one drop-off for recycling鈥攐ne for this entire city,鈥� Whitmire said. 鈥淚 know you鈥檙e rapidly moving to have eight, which will have an impact on your efficiency and the service you provide to the public.鈥�
Despite progress, challenges remain. Hassen said the department is still three days behind on recycling pickups and currently down 56 trucks. To help close the gap, he said there are plans to purchase 30 new trucks soon.