Photograph: Richard LeBouef, executive director of the St. Landry Parish Solid Waste Commission, speaks about roadside collection issues Wednesday night during a Parish Council meeting. (Photograph by Bobby Ardoin.)
BOBBY ARDOIN
Editor/Consulting Writer
The St. Landry Parish Waste Commission plans to examine methods of reducing the amount of uncollected garbage left along roadsides, according to Commission executive director Richard LeBouef.
LeBouef told the Parish Council during a Wednesday night meeting, that he is aware that there are currently issues with handling the volume of unwanted items that are not being placed in household collection bins.
A discussion on the matter has been included this Monday during the 4 p.m. Commission meeting scheduled at the Solid Waste Commission in Beggs.
As part of separate household garbage collection contracts signed by the Commission last year, the Commission is paying Morgan & Morgan to pick up bulky waste items that have been placed alongside the household bins, while another contract is being paid for picking up appliances.
Bayou State Waste is being paid to collect the household bins that are also brought to the solid waste landfill.
LeBouef agreed with council member Wayne Ardoin that the collection process can be improved.
“We are asking for people to be patient. We are having problems. We are obligated to pick up everything that is put out. There is one 30-yard grappler truck, that if loaded with limbs, might have to go to Krotz Springs with one load, bring it to the landfill and then go to Eunice and pick up something else. That is a time span of about two hours,” said LeBouef.
LeBouef said the Commission has also been working with code enforcement officials in Opelousas and Eunice to help with the situation, said parish code enforcement director Cynthia Fontenot.
LeBouef admitted that the current system of collecting roadside items probably needs adjustment.
Ardoin reminded LeBouef that there is a system in place that requires Bayou State Waste operators to notify landfill officials if there are roadside items remaining once the household bids are emptied.
There might be a need, LeBouef said, to amend the parish waste collection contract in order to improve customer service.
Council member Nancy Carriere told LeBouef that there is an excess of items placed in front of vacant homes apparently by landlords who are cleaning out houses and preparing them for the next tenants.
Carriere said she’s also noticed that parish residents are indiscriminate about the types of items that are being thrown out.
“People are just throwing anything out. Sometimes bags are being torn open and what’s inside is scattered around because people are rummaging through (bags),” Carrirere said.
LeBouef didn’t disagree with Carriere.
“We need to take this parish back. (The Commission) wants to make a difference. The proper way to handle this is to call the landfill if things need to be picked up,” LeBouef said.
