Harlan Kirgan
A town hall meeting is scheduled at 5:15 p.m. Tuesday in the Council Chambers at the Eunice Municipal Complex on changing from twice-a-week residential garbage collection to a once-a-week schedule.
Richard LeBouef, executive director of the St. Landry Parish Solid Waste Commission, said the current system, which has been in operation for more than 30 years, is not working.
Residents in incorporated areas of St. Landry Parish have twice-weekly garbage pickup service. Rural residents get once-a-week pickup service.
LeBouef said, “We are not taking something away without trying to do something better.”
There are about 16,000 twice-week trash pickups in incorporated areas and 19,000 once-a-week pickups in rural areas.
The St. Landry Parish Solid Waste Commission also operates a landfill at Beggs that has often been cited as a model operation. Methane gas is captured at the landfill and used to fuel vehicles.
LeBouef said the 0.8% sales tax is not growing.
The tax was passed in April 1983 with 3,953 votes for it and 3,537 votes against it.
The tax was not popular in Eunice. The tax failed by a four-to-one margin in Eunice — 2,053 votes against it and 509 votes for it.
In 2018, the tax generated $9,560,607, according to the St. Landry Parish School Board’s tax office. That was a 2.5% increase over 2017 collections, which were 1.9% greater than the $9,146,889 collected in 2016.
LeBouef first presented to proposal at a September meeting of the St. Landry Parish Council Public Works Committee meeting.
LeBouef said he has all but Melville, Krotz Springs and Palmetto mayors and city boards agreeing with the plan for once-a-week collections in incorporated areas.
The trade-off in Eunice is that the city will get additional grabber trucks to haul off the larger items left by the road and a smaller truck to work some streets. The smaller truck will be a rear-loader with a driver and garbage collector.
LeBouef said the new schedule would save on street wear and reduce traffic.
The main collections would still use the vehicle staffed with one person.
The plan in Eunice would allow the city to free up five city workers used to clean up trash and large items for other duties, he said.
LeBouef said studies have found only 50% to 60% of residents use the second collection day and when they do the can is only 5% to 10% full.
In addition, LeBouef said residents can receive a second garbage can on request.
Also, two more litter abatement teams will be proposed for Eunice, he said.
LeBouef, who suggested the town hall at the October Eunice Boarf of Aldermen’s meeting, said the Solid Waste Commission wants to make the change within six months and expects to save money.