Baldwin accepts Pelican Waste proposal

Pelican Waste & Debris will begin garbage collection in Baldwin on Nov. 1.
The town is piggy-backed on a St. Mary Parish contract with the firm to serve nearly all of the parish.
Pickup will be two days a week on a schedule to be announced at a later date; Baldwin is currently collecting waste on its own, and due to budget constraints and the breakdown of a collection truck, is only collecting once a week.
Roddy Matherne, Pelican general manager, told the board Thursday during its regular monthly meeting that the household cost will be $15.77 a month. Baldwin currently charges $10 per household, and a change in fee will likely be necessary.
Baldwin-issued carts belong to residents and will not be picked up. However, residents can still put out those carts along with the Pelican-supplied containers.
The town will save on maintenance, and Pelican will be hiring employees who may be those previously employed by Baldwin.
In other business Thursday, Mayor Donna Lewis Lanceslin said a recent natural gas smell across town was not a leak and not from Baldwin’s gas plant. She said a neighboring gas utility had “odorized” their gas supply, causing the smell.
Lanceslin added that a notification system needs to be established to alert residents of similar situations and true emergencies.
She also urged homeowners, especially in mobile home parks, to install house numbers on their properties to aid emergency personnel in finding an address.
Lanceslin reminded residents that ATVs are not allowed on streets or posted private property and that police will be watching for infractions.
And she reported that the town’s vicious dog ordinance will be more strictly enforced after recent incidents regarding potentially dangerous dogs.
The board also:
—Learned from Alderwoman Margaret Coleman that the Beautification Committee will meet Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. at the town Community Center. Coleman added that litter laws will be enforced, with harsher fines now on the books under state law.
—Approved a resolution for a Louisiana Community Development Block Grant application.
—Approved partnering with NetPlea for collection of overdue utility bills and traffic tickets.
—Approved a contract with nCourt Online Government Payments that allows residents to pay their utility bills online if they wish.