DENHAM SPRINGS, La. — Complaints about missed bulk-debris pickups prompted an extended discussion among residents, council members, and Waste Pro representatives during the Denham Springs City Council’s July 27 meeting.
Under the city’s contract with Waste Pro, trash carts are collected Mondays and Thursdays, recycling is picked up Wednesdays, and bulk items are collected by grapple trucks Mondays and Thursdays. Bulk items include “white goods,” such as large household appliances, construction materials, and large vegetation debris, including tree limbs and branches.
Regional Operations Manager Blaine Petite and Denham Springs Branch Operations Manager William Waters were present to answer questions from the council and residents.
“We have had some significant problems,” Councilman Jeff Wesley told the representatives. “We continuously get different stories about what we need to do as citizens to get this stuff picked up.”
“These piles have been getting higher and higher. The debris is drying out and becoming fire hazards, as well as falling into the roadway and being unsightly,” Wesley continued.
Wesley explained that he and several of his neighbors had called Waste Pro about problems getting their debris piles picked up. They were told residents had to call individually to have pickups made on scheduled collection days.
Petite and Waters said this was an internal error that would be corrected. They emphasized that residents do not have to call to have trash and debris picked up Mondays and Thursdays.
Petite and Waters then asked the council whether adding another large-debris collection day would help manage the overwhelming amount of vegetation debris piling up along local roads.
“We would be extremely grateful to get one day a week,” Councilwoman Lori Lamm-Williams told the representatives. “We don’t even get one day a week.”
Waters noted that as trucks travel their collection routes and pick up garbage and debris, crews often see new piles being created almost immediately after they have cleaned a street or subdivision. Other times, a single pile can be large enough to fill an entire truck, requiring it to be emptied at the dump before continuing its route.
Waters added that large-debris pickup can be further complicated when piles are placed directly beneath power lines or low-hanging trees. These obstacles create potential liabilities and can prevent drivers from safely maneuvering the trucks’ collection claws. Waters emphasized that placing large piles in areas with minimal overhead obstacles would greatly help with debris collection.
If drivers cannot pick up debris for any reason, Waters said they are instructed to photograph the pile, notify their dispatcher of its location, and explain why it could not be collected so it is not forgotten during the next pickup.
While Petite and Waters said they would address the problems, many residents said Waste Pro was not taking the necessary steps to ensure proper debris collection. Some said their piles had been left for several weeks. Others said that even after they placed their debris in an open area, collection was still delayed. Two residents also said their recycling bins were not collected Wednesday, and they later saw their recycling placed in the same truck as their regular waste during Thursday’s collection.
The ends of Aime Street and Burlingame Street off Petes Highway were cited by residents as major hazards because large piles of vegetation debris were blocking drivers’ views of the curve and oncoming traffic. Brandi Cedotal with the city’s garbage and recycling department said those piles were scheduled to be picked up Thursday, July 30.
“You bid the contract in good faith … to pick up everything,” Mayor Gerard Landry told the representatives as the discussion wound down. “I think you take a man for his word. If he says he’s gonna pick it up, then we expect you to pick it up.”
“We’re gonna go back to our office, make sure communication is correct, make sure everyone speaks the same language, and go forward with that … and continue to update,” Petite said after the meeting.
Following the discussion, the council turned to its regular agenda and unanimously approved introducing an ordinance to amend the city’s Code of Ordinances regarding sewer impact fees. The ordinance will return for consideration at a public meeting at 6 p.m. Aug. 24 in the courtroom of the Municipal Building, 116 N. Range Ave.
The council then voted unanimously to approve a $2,600 grant for a program that will bring a group of rural tourism representatives from Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama to the Denham Springs Antique District on Sept. 9. Grant Administrator and Main Street Coordinator Donna Jennings updated the council on plans for the event.
The event will begin at Old City Hall before transitioning to shopping at the district’s many stores. The Denham Springs Antique Merchants Association will provide snacks and gift certificates for the group throughout the village.
“We’re gonna really do it up,” Jennings said.
“The Denham Springs Antique District has a reputation in South Louisiana for being one of the finest places, and that’s why these folks are coming, because they appreciate the job that we have done,” Landry added.
