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Cameron Parish jurors and RV-park owners clash over proposed trash-pickup fee policy
Summary
RV-park owners urged the Cameron Parish Police Jury to reconsider a proposal that would require commercial RV parks to either pay for residential-style curbside pickup (pass-through of ~$18–$20 per permitted spot per month) or opt out; jurors said the policy is intended to limit growing parishwide garbage costs but acknowledged enforcement and fairness concerns.
Speaker 1 convened extended public comment and debate on a proposed ordinance to allow commercial RV parks to participate in residential curbside garbage pickup at full cost to park owners. An RV-park owner identified as Speaker 6 said the parks started in 2005 to shelter transient workers after Hurricane Rita and warned the proposed charge would make small operators unviable, saying, "If you do this, it's going to kill me" and that some lots have only one or two campers.
Speaker 8, representing parish staff, described the policy as a carve-out intended to recover the cost of service from for‑profit RV-park owners and said the plan is to send an application and participation letter explaining charges "per permitted spot, it's gonna end up being between 18 and $20 a month." Staff stressed participation would be voluntary and that the jury would lease cans to parks and seek a way to verify commercial versus residential use.
Jurors pressed on fairness and enforceability. Speaker 5 and others said similar commercial rentals and multiunit landlords appear to receive pickup without per‑spot charges and urged a consistent policy across property types. Speaker 4 explained Cameron Parish lacks planning and zoning to uniformly define commercial versus residential use, so staff proposed using a permit/resolution process and assessor records to identify taxable, for‑profit properties.
Speakers also asked about exemptions for people who live full time in an RV: staff and jurors said a resident who files homestead paperwork would qualify for residential pickup, but a rented spot would not. Several jurors and the owner pressed staff for more detailed cost breakdowns and for clearer rules to avoid singling out small operators.
Speaker 1 said the policy was a proactive attempt to contain future trash-volume growth tied to proposed new projects. Jurors agreed the issue requires further refinement and more consistent rules before moving forward; Speaker 1 said the subject would continue to be studied and that staff would return with clearer options.
Ending: The jury did not take a final vote on the ordinance during this meeting and asked staff to provide more granular cost figures, a proposed application and verification approach, and options that address small operators and homestead exemptions.
