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Jurors agree to draft resolution on annual RV-park trash permits after public plea
Summary
An RV park operator asked Cameron Parish to allow parks to buy their own compatible trash cans and be billed annually; staff said Waste Management's contract automatically renews in March and that new automated trucks preclude bulk pickup. Jurors voted to add a resolution to create an annual permit option for RV parks.
During public comments at the Cameron Parish Police Jury meeting, an RV park operator identified as Mister Thomas asked jurors to allow RV park owners to purchase trash cans and pay disposal fees directly rather than use parish-provided dumpsters that take up space and can smell.
Mister Thomas said he would be willing to buy cans and pay for monthly pickup, noting the difficulty of policing dozens of individual cans if the parish retained responsibility. He told jurors, “Well, I'll pay the $65.70 dollars a can, whatever they are. But I own the can.”
Parish staff and Miss Beverly (the Waste Management contact present) described the company’s contract and equipment changes. Miss Beverly said the current contract automatically renews on March 29 unless the parish provides notice and that Waste Management is replacing trucks with automated units that cannot collect bulk waste or service noncompatible personal cans. She explained the trucks’ arms take the parish-issued cans and would not be able to get out and empty boxes or handle bulk items once automation is fully implemented.
Staff estimated that an annual billing arrangement for a 15-can permit at an RV park would amount to about $3,200 and said the parish would need to bill in January and manage collections; if customers did not pay, the parish road crew would be responsible for removing cans. Jurors discussed fairness concerns about singling out RV parks versus applying similar rules to other businesses and noted the administrative burden of non-annual billing.
After discussion, Mister Sonny moved to add a resolution to provide an annual option for RV-park trash permits so parks can buy compatible parish-issued cans and be billed annually; the motion was seconded and carried on a vote of jurors present. Staff noted the county has a 90-day notice window to decline renewal of the existing Waste Management contract and that officials could either add the resolution now or take it up at next month’s meeting.
Next steps: staff will draft the resolution and coordinate the billing and compatibility requirements with Waste Management and park owners. If the jury chooses not to accept Waste Management’s automatic renewal, formal written notice must be provided before the contract renewal date.
