Morgan City garbage contract up for approval by city council

Tonight, the Morgan City Council will be able to select which company will pick up the city’s garbage for at least the next five years.
The council will meet at 6 p.m. today at the City Court Building.
At July’s council meeting, Progressive Waste Solutions and Pelican Waste & Debris presented their proposals to collect Morgan City residents’ garbage.
Progressive is currently collecting Morgan City’s garbage after signing a contract to pick up the city’s garbage beginning July 13 and continuing through Dec. 31.
Progressive began picking up the city’s garbage as part of a six-month, “emergency” contract because the city had been struggling to collect garbage effectively, Mayor Frank “Boo” Grizzaffi said. Prior to July, the city had been using city employees and garbage trucks to collect residents’ garbage.
Progressive’s proposal includes new trucks at the beginning of the contract and a monthly garbage pickup rate of $15.50 per customer. There are a combined 5,100 residential and commercial units in Morgan City, according to Progressive’s contract proposal. The contract lasts five years with an initial three-year extension followed by a two-year extension. Progressive’s service would operate out of its Houma office.
Pelican’s contract is for five years with options of three years, then two years and includes a $15.77 monthly garbage pickup rate. Pelican is based in Houma.
Pelican would also use new garbage trucks as part of its proposed contract. The company is owned by Corey Callais and Roddie Matherne, former operators of the defunct SweeDee garbage disposal company that provided service in St. Mary Parish until the company was bought out by Progressive Waste Solution, the Banner-Tribune reported.
Both Progressive and Pelican’s garbage pickup rates would be lower than the $18.20 monthly rate residents paid for city-run garbage collection.
After six years, under Progressive’s contract, the company would begin using new garbage trucks to pick up Morgan City’s garbage. Progressive plans to employ two former Morgan City garbage truck drivers to help collect residents’ garbage.
St. Mary Parish government and the Town of Berwick signed garbage collection contracts with Pelican to begin picking up garbage Nov. 1 in the unincorporated areas of the parish and Berwick. The City of Patterson introduced an ordinance at its Aug. 4 council meeting to enter into a contract with Pelican as well.
All three entities previously had garbage collection contracts with Progressive.
Also during tonight’s meeting, an amended solid waste ordinance will be up for adoption. The amendments change language within the ordinance and define curbside pickup as any approved items placed on the curbside outside of normal garbage can service. The council will hear the planning and zoning commission’s recommendations to approve dividing lots at 2700 Sixth St. and 509 Third St.
Resolutions on the agenda include ones to declare surplus equipment and to provide for a steel sheet piling bid tabulation.

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