Council hears widespread complaints about trash pickup; administration vows tougher enforcement

Council members used the Sept. 23 meeting to air prolonged complaints about parish trash service performance, describing missed bulk pickups, trash left on streets for months and widespread dissatisfaction with a new collection plan.

Councilman Daniel Lorraine said his district has multiple documented cases where trash was not collected for three months and urged the administration to convene another meeting with the contractor and the department of public works. Councilman Pierce and others described bulk pickup backlogs, broken or missing cans and a plan that did not work in practice.

Parish President Mitch said staff have been pressing the contractor in recent weeks and that the time for dialogue has passed: "I think we need to take a good, longer hard look at the agreement," he said, adding administration would meet with higher management, seek remedies and hold the contractor accountable before considering a change in direction. The president also asked staff to pursue enforcement in line with contractual remedies.

Council members also raised related service concerns including streetlight outages and the need for a parish‑wide assessment. The administration reported that a design firm found roughly 10,000 parish lights and that about 20% (approximately 1,800) were not functioning; officials said they plan routine audits every 3–5 years and will seek compensation or remedial action from the utility provider.