Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Solid Waste topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
St. Martin Parish Council authorizes Pelican contract amendment, awards waste franchise to Waste Connections Bayou
Summary
At a July 20 special session, the St. Martin Parish Council unanimously authorized the parish president to amend the Pelican Waste & Debris contract to allow termination by Jan. 1, 2022, and awarded the parish's solid waste franchise to Waste Connections Bayou, Inc.; the new contractor plans side-load trucks and a resident mobile app.
St. Martin Parish, La. — The St. Martin Parish Council, meeting in special session July 20, unanimously authorized Parish President Chester R. Cedars to execute an amended contract with Pelican Waste & Debris, LLC that provides for a termination date no later than Jan. 1, 2022, and waives franchise fees after July 1, 2021.
The council adopted Resolution No. 21-059-RS on a unanimous vote (YEAS: Carla JeanBatiste; Tangie Narcisse; David Poirier; Chris Tauzin; Brook Champagne; Vincent Alexander; Dean LeBlanc; Daniel Richard, Jr.; absent Byron Fuselier). The resolution directs the parish president to incorporate any additional terms he deems necessary in the amended agreement.
The action followed an executive session called to discuss negotiations with Pelican Waste & Debris, LLC and correspondence from Pelican's counsel that the council said implicated potential litigation. Parish President Chester R. Cedars told the council during open session that members had been informed of specific demands by Pelican's counsel while in executive session.
In the same meeting the council moved to complete the procurement process for the parish's mandated solid waste franchise. After reviewing four sealed responses to a July 7, 2021 request for proposals and accepting the recommendation of Sellers & Associates, Inc., the council adopted Resolution No. 21-060-RS to award the franchise to Waste Connections Bayou, Inc. That resolution also passed unanimously.
The RFP evaluation considered references, staff qualifications and experience, equipment and resources, knowledge of St. Martin Parish, costs, conformity to technical specifications and other amenities. Parish President Cedars said Sellers & Associates and parish staff graded the proposals and that Waste Connections Bayou, Inc. was the highest scoring respondent.
Bruce Emley, division vice president of Waste Connections Bayou, Inc., introduced himself to the council prior to adjournment and described aspects of the company's local operations. Emley said the company currently services multiple Louisiana parishes, will deploy side-load trucks in St. Martin Parish and will make a mobile application available to residents to track trucks, pay bills and receive service alerts; he invited council members to tour the firm's facility in Rayne.
On a motion by David Poirier, seconded by Dean LeBlanc, the council unanimously adjourned the special meeting.
What happens next: The resolutions authorize the parish president to finalize contract documents; the council introduced Ordinance No. 1331-OR for publication, which formalizes awarding a franchise under terms of the RFP and moves the procurement toward execution.
