NEWSPAPERS n o i t i d E l a i c e Sp
JUNE 26, 2024 candgnews.com
Macomb County and Grosse Pointe papers
Carmella Sabaugh, who spent decades serving the public as the Macomb County clerk/ register of deeds, died June 8 at the age of 85. Photo provided
PRIORITY WASTE TO TAKE OVER RESIDENTIAL CONTRACTS FROM GFL BY NICK POWERS npowers@candgnews.com
‘PUBLIC SERVICE WAS HER TRUE CALLING’ COMMUNITY REMEMBERS CARMELLA SABAUGH BY MARIA ALLARD allard@candgnews.com
MACOMB COUNTY — When Matthew Sabaugh was first appointed to the 37th Judicial District Court in Warren in 2008, his mom, Carmella Sabaugh, offered him some sound advice. “The office is not yours. It belongs to the people,” she told him. “You are only a caretaker. Try your best to leave it better than you found it.” Matthew Sabaugh, who is currently a Macomb County Circuit Court judge, is remembering his mother for her love, encouragement, enthusiasm, spirited conversations, tireless work ethic and public service. Carmella Sabaugh, who spent 24 years as the Macomb County clerk/register of deeds from 1992 to 2016, died on June 8 at the age of 85.
She is survived by her former spouse, Richard Sabaugh, and their five children: Richard, Michael, Renee, Jeanine and Matthew. Sabaugh also is survived by 13 grandchildren, two great grandchildren, her sister Pauline Peterson, and many loving nieces and nephews. “The outpouring of support and condolences over these past few days has shown us how much Carmella was loved and supported by her community,” Matthew Sabaugh said via email. “We are forever grateful for that.”
A trailblazer in Macomb politics
Sabaugh was a presence in local politics for decades. After marrying Richard Sabaugh in 1960 and starting a family, she became a trailblazer for women in the workplace. The Democrat was first See SABAUGH on page 8A
METRO DETROIT — The lime green trucks picking up refuse in your neighborhood will soon be yellow. Green For Life Environmental, the waste management company that has contracts with many municipalities in metro Detroit, recently sold the residential trash collecting assets to Priority Waste. News of the sale hit social media before GFL was able to put out its official statement. “Social media got ahead of the process,” said Matt Allen, Priority Waste’s director of public relations and government affairs. Metro Detroit communities will change over on July 1. Residents of these communities will still be able to use their GFL bins. Garbage collection dates will remain the same. The July 4 holiday will still cause a one-day delay of service. Allen said those who are having issues with GFL should continue to contact them until July 1. GFL will retain its commercial contracts. “This sale encompasses assets and collection operations within Oakland, Washtenaw, Livingston, Macomb, Genesee, and Wayne Counties,” John Addison, GFL General Manager for Wayne, stated in a letter to employees. “It includes the transfer of contracts with 75 municipal customers as well as 70,000 homeowner’s associations and subscription residential customers.” Allen said talks for the acquisition began earlier in 2024. The Detroit transition to Priority Waste from GFL happened earlier in June. In Sterling Heights, the company is about a month into its changeover. According to Allen, the transition in both communities has gone well so far. Hundreds of GFL employees impacted by the switch will be terminated, though they will be able to reapply for their jobs with Priority Waste. “Our understanding is that Priority intends to extend offers to the majority of employees, as it will be imperative to maintain continuity of service,” Addison stated in the letter. Allen said the company is working to make the transition a seamless process so there are no interruptions in service. He said the company has bought approximately 500 pieces of equipment from GFL. This equipment will be assessed by Priority Waste in the coming months. “We’re going to do an overhaul of their fleet,” Allen said. “It’s a very deliberative process. We’re going to overhaul, rebuild, evaluate each one based on age and hours of running time.” GFL did not respond to requests for comment at press time.