New Orleans Leaders Claim Ignorance of Emergency Trash Contract

Ongoing Debate Over Trash Pickup in the French Quarter

The issue of trash collection in the French Quarter has sparked a heated debate among city officials and residents. The controversy centers around whether Troy Henry Consulting is truly prepared to take over the responsibility of providing sanitation services in the area.

Councilman Freddie King expressed concerns about the lack of transparency surrounding the contract. “We’re just trying to get a little bit more transparent, a little bit more truth as to why. So much mystery and haziness and murkiness is going on with this contract,” he said. His comments reflect the growing unease among some members of the city council regarding the decision-making process behind the contract.

According to Deputy CAO Joe Threat, there was a last-minute effort to ensure that IV Waste would continue its services before the contract was signed on July 9. He explained that Troy Henry Consulting was not ready to take over, citing the need for utilities to be set up, office spaces to be established, and other logistical challenges. “You have to make sure you’ve got utilities set up. You’ve got office spaces. You might have to change, switch gears, bring power into it. We didn’t have a performance ban in place at that time,” Threat said.

An email from the administration showed that they had agreed to let IV Waste continue its services. However, the following day, the mayor awarded the contract to Troy Henry Consulting. Councilwoman Helena Moreno defended the decision, stating that the letter and continuation of IV Waste’s services were meant to prevent any potential crisis in sanitation services. “This letter and continuing on with IV Waste was to prevent any type of crisis from happening when it comes to sanitation services in the day and in the French Quarter,” she said.

Despite these claims, several council members are questioning the legality of the contract. They believe it was signed prematurely. Councilman JP Morrell raised red flags about the contract’s authenticity, noting that “on an original document where every other line is a continuous line, that is a red flag for a whiteout.” He also questioned the timing of the signing, asking if the mayor was still at City Hall during the late hours of July 9 or if someone had to go to her house to get the contract signed.

City Sanitation Director Matt Torri highlighted the financial implications of switching to Troy Henry Consulting. He warned that the move could result in a $2.1 million deficit, with the company actually doing less work than IV Waste. “This would come at great expense to the city. That’s a premium cost that we’d be paying an hourly rate for that service. It’s approximately $20,000 to $30,000 a month,” Torri said.

The situation has further complicated the upcoming elections, as four candidates were disqualified from races due to the ongoing disputes. Troy Henry Consulting is scheduled to begin its services on July 31, despite the objections from the city council and the French Quarter Management District.

Councilman Morrell criticized the mayor’s decision, saying, “She’s more concerned with Troy Henry getting the contract than whether your trash is picked up. She’s more concerned with Troy Henry getting 2.1 million more of your taxpayer dollars than Sidney Torres and does not care whether your trash gets picked up.”

Morrell has requested that the original contract be sent to his office by noon on Tuesday. If not, the council will continue discussions at the next meeting on Thursday. Under new regulations, the French Quarter Market District has the right to choose its own provider, which they plan to be IV Waste. However, the situation remains uncertain for who will handle the downtown area’s trash collection starting July 31.

Residents and officials alike are watching closely as the debate continues, with many hoping for clarity and resolution in the coming weeks.