Harlan Kirgan
Eunice Mayor Scott Fontenot made the city’s case at Tuesday’s Board of Aldermen meeting that its crews should not be picking garbage.
“We are not the trash collector in the parish,” he said.
“Solid Waste contracts with Waste Connections. They are the trash collector in the parish,” Fontenot said.
Richard LeBouef, executive director of the St. Landry Parish Solid Waste Commission, said, “I make no excuses and accept all criticism for the issues at hand, but surely you can see that the year 2020 has been hard on all entities.”
LeBouef cited COVID-19, hurricanes and mechanical issues that have plagued trash pickup service.
“There is a 15.5% positivity rate for our contractor — six guys out right now,” he said about the coronavirus impact.
“Corporate will not send replacement personnel to assist until lower percentages...” he said.
“These conditions are seriously limiting our efforts ...” he said.
The mayor’s complaint is that city crews are working to remove bulk waste from the sides of city streets and have been doing so for years.
“I just want to see the service that the city of Eunice expects especially from the waste collector. They’ve been expecting the city of Eunice to go around and pick it up. We get the calls. You all are not getting the calls,” he said to LeBouef.
“We might be the only city in the parish that’s picking it up because we don’t want our town to look like a trash dump,” Fontenot said.
LeBouef said since August 2003 the city has received about $1 million in services, equipment and funds from the parish Solid Waste Commission.
“I’m deeply sorry that the city of Eunice feels that it has not received its share of the services the tax pays for, but I assure you that myself and my staff have not and will not push any responsibility aside,” LeBouef said.
Fontenot countered, “We try to have a clean city. That’s the bottom line. And talk about the million dollars that was given to the city since 2003, we very much appreciate that. That is much needed, but the businesses in Eunice in those 17 years have collected over $20 million and remitted it to operations at Solid Waste.”
There is a 0.8% sales tax collected in St. Landry Parish to fund the trash pickup and landfill operations. In 2019, the tax raised $9.8 million. The tax collections through October this year totaled $8.8 million.
Fontenot said, “If we want to provide the necessary services to the citizens that they expect, we have to make sure that we are not doing somebody else’s job ...”
The issue with city crews removing bulk waste from the side of city streets goes back to at least 2012, he said. “This has been going on for as long I can remember, but it is time we set the record straight and get it done,” he said. “I know you are going to help us and we expect that.”
Fontenot said there have been issues about bulk trash pickup in other such as Opelousas and Acadia Parish.
The trash pickup by city crews takes them away from performing service such as grass-cutting, clearing drainage, road maintenance and building maintenance, Fontenot said.
Fontenot said the Solid Waste Commission is about to work on a new contract for collection services.
“I know there is a contract coming up and I encourage every municipality, every mayor, parish president including Mr. Jessie Bellard who is here — we need to get involved in that contract,” he said.
LeBouef said the current contract does not have enough enforcement measures in it. “I promise you you’ll have meat on this one,” he said of the next contract.
LeBouef said the Solid Waste contracts for once-a-week residential service in rural areas and twice-weekly in municipalities. There is once-a-week pick up of bulk items and debris on all routes.
Alderman Ernest Blanchard questioned whether once a week bulk pickup is sufficient.
LeBouef said if it takes two days a week, that will be done. He also said that within four to six weeks two dumpsters will be brought to the city.
In other business at the meeting:
— Property tax notices are to be mailed Friday. The due date for taxes will be Jan. 31.
— Aldermen voted to condemn four properties. They are: 331 Pierotti St., 600 E. Peach Ave., 610 E. Peach Ave., and 330 E. Ave.
— — There was a reminder about the Eunice Food Bank Food Drive from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday.