Bad weather, mechanical breakdowns, and the holiday weekend caused disruption in the daily schedule of the City of Selma General Services Department, angering some residents and leaving workers to do everything they can to get back on track.

John Smith, superintendent of General Services, said the July 5 vacation day given to all city employees changed the trash pick-up dates for this week, but the schedule should be back to normal by Monday. The only problem, Smith said, is that some residents will not have their trash picked up at the usual time.

“Breakdowns on some of our trucks are causing us to run behind for awhile,” Smith said. “I only have three trucks running right now.”

Smith predicts it will take at least another one to two weeks to have all the garbage trucks back on the streets, and is asking citizens to be patient while the problems are being worked out.

“If everyone will just bear with us, we will get back on schedule,” he said.

Another problem that has kept the General Services Department’s phones ringing is the overgrown grass along city streets.

Smith said the past few weeks of rainy weather, combined with high temperatures, is causing the grass to grow much faster than his workers can handle.

Smith said employees of the General Services Department are doing all they can to keep grass from getting too high, but lately the weather has not been working in their favor.

Once the daily storms subside and the tucks are back in working order, Smith says, the General Services Department will have the city in top shape.

Until then, it’s likely the phones at General Services will keep ringing with more complaints from customers.