'Trash nightmare' continues as many New Orleans residents haven't had trash pickup in week

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NEW ORLEANS — New Orleans residents describe it as a trash nightmare.

Many residents say they haven't had their trash picked up in weeks.

Councilman Jarred Brossett is proposing a plan to waive one month of city trash fees in response to the delays.

Metro Service Group said they are bringing in other companies and increasing wages to get this problem solved by the end of the month.

Mayor Cantrell issued WDSU the following statement:

"Like many cities throughout the nation, New Orleans is facing a labor shortage associated with the pandemic recovery, leading to inconsistent trash collection. While residents continue to get sanitation services, some residents are receiving delayed service. In response, the City's contractors have increased worker pay, brought in equipment from other geographic regions, and have engaged staffing companies.

While acknowledging this national crisis, the City will continue to expect that the City’s sanitation contractors deliver more consistent sanitation services to Orleans Parish residents. Councilmember Brossett is currently proposing to reduce the amount of money the city will receive for sanitation collection--which could cost the City more than $3 million—while simultaneously advocating to pay higher wages to the City's contracted labor force. This could potentially serve to exacerbate the existing problem. That said, we look forward to Metro's continued efforts to be back on schedule by July 31."

District "D" Councilmember Jared Brossett released the following statement in response to the Mayor:

"My office receives several calls daily with complaints regarding trash pick-up, and I know we are not the only ones. Usually collected twice weekly; many of my constituents haven't had their trash picked up in over a week, with some reporting almost two weeks since their last trash pick-up. This is entirely unacceptable, and as the problem grows, it is getting harder and harder to get back on schedule.

Approximately $15 million has been collected for the City of New Orleans by the Sewerage and Water Board from residents via a sanitation fee. Despite receiving subpar service for six months, the payment has still been collected. Sanitation is a basic need of our people, and it is our responsibility to ensure this need is met. This is our issue to address. It is not only an inconvenience but now has escalated to a public health issue, which is why I'm bringing forward a common-sense ordinance that mandates a one-time suspension of monthly sanitation charges for August 2021.

A one-month credit for services that were not rendered is only fair to constituents. It's unfair to create a false narrative that giving a one-month sanitation credit and increasing the living wage will exacerbate the existing problem. Doing both is the right thing to do, which is why I'm also introducing legislation to raise the minimum wage for all City employees to $15/hr.

I remain strongly committed to waiving the sanitation fee for the month of August, and I hope my colleagues will join me in supporting these ordinances and the residents of New Orleans. This is not an either-or situation. It's an obligation. And for the Cantrell Administration to claim otherwise speaks volumes regarding their priorities.

We need to be focused on the more prevalent issues affecting our city, like crime and infrastructure, not trash. New Orleans deserves better, its people deserve better, and it's our responsibility to get the ball rolling."

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