Berwick OKs new trash pickup contract; customers save $4 per month

BERWICK — Beginning Nov. 1, a new company will be picking up trash at the homes of Berwick residents.
And residents will save nearly $4 a month on their trash pickup bills.
At Tuesday’s Town Council meeting, the council agreed to enter a contract with Pelican Waste & Debris of Houma to collect residents’ garbage, joining St. Mary Parish government as the second parish entity to approve a contract with the company. Progressive Waste Solutions had previously collected garbage in Berwick and the unincorporated areas of the parish.
Under the five-year contract, Berwick residents’ monthly garbage rates will decrease from $19.50 per month to $15.77 per month. Pelican will use new garbage trucks as part of the contract, Mayor Louis Ratcliff said.
Following the five-year term, the contract includes an option to renew the agreement for three more years and receive new equipment and another two-year option to renew after that, Ratcliff said.
On Aug. 4, the Patterson City Council introduced an ordinance to sign a contract with Pelican. Progressive currently picks up garbage in Patterson.
Also during Berwick’s council meeting, Regan Carpenter, a Boy Scout with Troop 104 in Bayou Vista, presented his proposed Eagle Scout project to build “little, free libraries” along the Berwick Walking Trail, one near the post office and one near a rest stop on the trail.
The purpose of the “libraries” is to promote reading in the community, Carpenter said. The design Carpenter showed to the council resembled a bird house and will be mounted on a post placed in the ground.
Carpenter plans to pre-stock the libraries with books. Visitors can then take one of the books and replace it with one of their own books for someone else to read, he said.
The mayor and council gave their approval for Carpenter to proceed with his project.
During the meeting, Reid Miller of Miller Engineers said officials are close to being ready to advertise bids for construction of the town’s sewer improvement project.
Town officials announced that Berwick received almost $20,000 as part of the BP oil spill settlement. Officials intend to use that money to pay for new playground equipment at Willie Steward Sr. Memorial Park, Ratcliff said.
Also during the meeting, the council introduced ordinances to amend its 2014-15 budget and to adopt Berwick’s 2015-16 proposed budget.

This story was written by Zachary Fitzgerald of The Daily Review staff. Reach him at zfitzgerald@daily-review.com.