AMY SZPARA

LAPLACE – Bids for solid waste collection were presented to the St. John the Baptist Parish Council. SWDI, Inc. of Houma, Waste Management of Louisiana, Inc. and B.F.I. Systems of North America New Orleans all placed bids for proposals for automated and manual collection services weekly and bi-weekly. The council is now taking the bids under advisement. The price for waste collection per unit is expected to run between $7.50 to $11.49. A bid for a street sweeper is also under advisement by the council. Covington Sales and Service in Denham Springs has bid $154,265 for street sweeping services for the area. Councilman Allen St. Pierre presented a resolution requesting the Louisiana Department of Transportation remove the elevated section of the median within the immediate business area along Airline Highway near the signal light by LA Machinery. This is to allow trucks going into Williams Scotsman, Inc. more safety. Robert Drake of Williams Scotsman, Inc. said trucks going to Williams Scotsman must either make a U-turn on Airline or turn before the driveway and go across traffic. He said this would be fine for normal-sized vehicles, but most traffic going into the company driveway is large trailers. Williams Scotsman is willing to pay for all the work but wants a permit to get the job done legally and safely, Drake said. The company would like to extend a turning lane to reach to the company’s driveway. Currently there are only turning lanes before the entrance and after. The council was in favor of the resolution. St. Pierre said he’d like for the “state to look at it real hard. It’s to help in the safety part of it.” Other discussion at the meeting included resolutions approving an application for grant funds to work on the “ring around the lake” project. A pedestrian walkway/bike path exists in other parishes in the area on the levee surrounding Lake Pontchartrain. For a few years St. John has been working on getting the pathway started in this parish. The project has three phases, and grant money has been received for the first phase, which is in the preliminary stages. The council members approved the resolution. A motion to extend Belle Terre Boulevard across Airline Highway to Railroad Avenue was passed by council members. A left turn light will also be added. St. John President Nickie Monica said it will be a great asset to the parish because the area is heavily congested. The meeting also allowed time to recognize Bertram Madere, director of public safety and civil defense, for all his years of service. “Did we do everything right?” Madere asked. “Probably not, but we learned.” Madere will retire Jan. 31, then Paul Oncale will take the position Feb. 1.