Tampa Republic

The City of Tampa is set to honor its Solid Waste workers for their significant efforts in cleaning up after two hurricanes. The celebration will include meals provided by Pollo Tropical, under the leadership of Dirk Montgomery, a Tampa native. This event aims to acknowledge the hard work of more than 200 Solid Waste employees and their families.

The department faced an enormous task this fall when hurricanes Helene and Milton left over 1.3 million cubic yards of debris. This amount could fill the Rivergate building four times. Crews, along with over 300 contracted haulers, worked up to seven days a week, logging more than 118,000 hours to clean Tampa's streets before Christmas.

“This celebration is about recognizing the incredible dedication of our Solid Waste team,” said Solid Waste Director Larry Washington. “They worked around the clock, ensuring Tampa’s residents could enjoy a clean and safe environment for the holidays. We’re proud of their efforts, and we’re grateful to Pollo Tropical for helping us honor them in such a meaningful way.”

Dirk Montgomery, CEO of Pollo Tropical and a long-time resident of Tampa, expressed his admiration for the crews' resilience and commitment. “The resilience and commitment of these crews are inspiring. Their efforts not only cleaned up our city but also restored a sense of normalcy for all of us,” said Montgomery. “It’s an honor to give back to the people who’ve done so much for this community.”

The cleanup effort was historic with multiple passes through neighborhoods to ensure complete debris removal by December 20th.

The event will be held at the City of Tampa Solid Waste headquarters with remarks from city leaders and activities for employees and their families.