FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WOWO): If you don’t do your job, it usually doesn’t take long for your boss to find a replacement.

So why is the City of Fort Wayne sticking with Red River Waste Solutions after 8 months of complaints from city residents about missed pickups and other issues? Mayor Tom Henry told Fort Wayne’s Morning News this morning he doesn’t consider the situation entirely their fault:

“Quite frankly, they hit the perfect storm. In the month of January, we had a tremendously difficult time with snow and ice, while they were learning new routes. Then they had truck problems, now they’re having drivers problems, which is a real concern for our community, not just Red River.”

The Fort Wayne City Council voted 7-2 last night to approve a nonbinding resolution declaring the city’s trash contractor, Red River Waste Solutions, in breach of its $5-million contract.

Adding that he wasn’t “making excuses” for Red River, which has been fined a total of nearly $172,000 since taking over on January 1st, Henry adds he has no immediate plans to declare them in breach of contract because this situation doesn’t meet his interpretation:

“A breach of contract happens when they literally walk off the entire job. If they’re not collecting for anybody, or if they’re not paying their employees… that’s a breach of contract,” Henry said.

The City will take steps to help Red River improve trash collection, including bringing in more drivers, hiring a full-time recruiter to attract and retain drivers, and partnering with area vendors to assist with collection efforts.