The City of Kirkland鈥檚 decision to extend their contract with Waste Management (WM) last month has left two long-time local garbage truck drivers relieved. Richard Salts and Steve Wegener have been serving the Kirkland community as WM garbage truck drivers for more than two decades. They鈥檝e built deep connections with the community over the years and were anxious about the contract. 鈥淚 would鈥檝e taken it personally,鈥� Salts said.
The contract was set to expire on June 30, 2018 before the city extended the contract by two years. Additionally, Kirkland could exercise another two-year extension before the new expiration date, June 30, 2020. Had the contract expired, another company could鈥檝e taken it and the two drivers would鈥檝e no longer operated in Kirkland. 鈥淲e both love this city and this is where we want to stay,鈥� Wegener said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 us.鈥�
WM鈥檚 Pacific Northwest regional office is in downtown Kirkland and has been operating in the city for more than 35 years.
According to Mary Evans, area director of WM鈥檚 Public Sector Solutions, they were pleased that Kirkland extended the contract.
鈥淎ll of us at Waste Management are thrilled to continue our partnership with the City of Kirkland. It is a privilege to serve Kirkland鈥檚 residents and businesses,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e enjoy working with city staff and the community to make Kirkland among the top cities for waste diversion 鈥� It鈥檚 a pleasure to work, live and play in Kirkland.鈥�
Salts began working for WM in 1991 as a yard waste driver. He moved up the ladder and now works as a residential and commercial trash driver.
According to Salts, it鈥檚 easy to build close relationships with customers after seeing them every week for so many years. 聽鈥淵ou see the same people after so long, you start talking, you start exchanging stories and you hear what鈥檚 going on in their life,鈥� he said.
One of Salts鈥� customers, who lives on Rose Hill, lost her spouse recently and developed a close friendship with Salts.
鈥淗er husband鈥檚 passed away now so she don鈥檛 really have anybody,鈥� he said. 鈥淲hen the grass gets too long for her electric mower, she鈥檒l come out and tell me on Friday, 鈥榟ey, can you come by?鈥� 鈥楽ure, not this Friday but next Friday,鈥� and I鈥檒l go do it.鈥�
Salts also brings her a fuchsia plant every Mother鈥檚 Day and helps other customers with small things.
鈥淲e have customers that ask us to come in and do the weirdest things,鈥� he said. 鈥溾�楥an you change my Kirby vacuum cleaner bag? I can鈥檛 figure it out and my arthritis is bothering me.鈥欌��
Wegener has also built friendships within the community throughout the 29 years he鈥檚 worked for WM. He鈥檚 known a few kids, Maddie and BJ, since they were babies and one day, the family flagged him down so Maddie could say goodbye before leaving for college.
鈥淭hat kind of hit me,鈥� Wegener said. 鈥淥ut of all the people, she wanted to come say bye to me. They鈥檙e not just customers, they鈥檙e those too, but they鈥檙e family.鈥�
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