Short notice on hauling contract leaves parish scrambling over transfer station operations

The Natchitoches Parish work session on the transfer station centered on a sudden notice from the station operator that the hauling contract may not be renewed and that hauling could stop in June, even though the lease runs through Aug. 31. Bruce Emily, who identified himself as representing Waste Connections, told the council the company was not planning to renew hauling and said the short notice left the operator and customers scrambling for alternatives. "The garbage is gonna go back into the garbage business," Emily said, adding, "If you shut it down in 2 weeks ... it's gonna cause, a lot of problems for your constituents."

Council members and Waste Connections debated who owns the compactors and trailers at the transfer station, and whether past scrap‑sales and a $2,500 monthly rent meaningfully offset the contractor's capital investments. A council member said the compactors had originally belonged to the parish and had been cut up for scrap during an earlier administration; the tax or accounting treatment of those scrap proceeds and whether the vendor or the parish benefitted remained unresolved. Waste Connections said it invested in site improvements including a $45,000 employee building and bought trailers, loaders and compactors, and emphasized the cost of replacing major equipment: "A new front loader is $450,000," the representative said.

Council members asked for more time and options rather than a sudden shutdown: some urged a month‑to‑month extension to allow the parish time to negotiate and to keep trash collection flowing. The parish indicated it would consider putting the lease renewal and possible extension on the Monday meeting agenda for a formal vote. No final decision was recorded at the work session; council members asked staff to return with wording for possible extensions and to clarify the parish's legal and operational options.