By Richard Meek

Contributing Writer

LAPLACE – St. John the Baptist Parish residents have likely noticed another onslaught of debris from Hurricane Isaac piling up along roadways and in peoples’ yards.

Parish council members have, and they grilled Mark Stafford of DRC Emergency Services about the cause, especially after the Mobile, Ala.-based company was so impressive in the early post-Isaac cleanup.

“The parish is starting to look like it did two to three weeks after the storm,” Councilman Marvin Perrilloux said during the council meeting Tuesday. “The debris needs to be picked up. I’ve seen one truck in two weeks. Just one.

“What’s going on?”

Stafford agreed debris was once again becoming problematic but was something the company anticipated. He explained to council members that in any storm there exists a gap from when the majority of the debris is initially picked up and a secondary pickup once an increased number of residents return home, begin the gutting process and settle claims with insurance companies.

“I agree with you 100 percent,” Stafford said. “It has reappeared on the streets. We have taken steps.

“We have added five trucks, two doublebox trucks. You should see a difference in the next couple of days.”

He admitted the company was operating only one or two trucks since the initial surge, but the rate at which the new debris appeared caught officials off guard.

“It really came up quickly,” he said. “We have added trucks and will have a looksee after two days and see if we need to add more trucks.

“I have made a commitment to the administration we would have adequate trucks and adequate equipment to respond to everybody that has come out. My commitment is we would have this handled before Christmas and off the streets. I will personally see that will happen.”

However, Stafford’s promise appeared to do little to appease Perrilloux or other council members.

“You should have anticipated this type of trouble,” Perrilloux said. “You should have had trucks ready. You should have had experience to know you would need more than one. How did we drop the ball with that?”

Stafford said he was not there to make excuses and admitted the company “could have done a better job of anticipating it, but that is water under the bridge.”

“I’m back here to tell you we will handle the volume as it reappears, and I will monitor it personally.”

Parish President Natalie Robottom is encouraging residents to have all of the storm-related debris ready to be picked up by Dec. 21. She is hopeful FEMA will reimburse the parish for 75 percent of the cost of DRC’s services, with the parish picking up the remainder of the tab.

“After Dec. 21 (residents) will have to make arrangements,” she said. “We can’t ask (DRC) to stay around forever.”

There appears to be some confusion among council members, and even Stafford himself, as to what constitutes storm-related debris and new construction. DRC is only picking up old debris, which is eligible for FEMA reimbursement.

New construction is not FEMA eligible, officials said.

“New construction, I know that will be an issue,” Councilman Larry Snyder said. “We need to come up with some way to handle that. I don’t know how to handle it, but we must do something, or it’s not going to get picked up.”

Stafford said the firm of SAIC is monitoring those calls but quickly added “that’s a tough one.”

Council Chairman Lucien Gauff III said new construction is a contractor building a new building, and those contractors are responsible for debris removal.

“Not a lot of that is going on,” Gauff said. “If renovating, taking out all of the old, all that still falls under DRC.”

In response to councilwoman Cheryl Millet’s concern regarding what company is responsible for picking up what debris, Robottom said Progressive picks up white goods and garbage, DRC picks up old debris, and the parish picks up the remainder.

“As we move into the next phase, we will work with residents,” Robottom said. “We will make allowances. “

“Contractors, if they drop it on the side of the road or in vacant lots, that is unauthorized, and it is a violation,” she added. “They can be written up for that.”

Stafford said included in his company’s responsibility is the pickup of fence board, which has also caused some confusion among residents.

Parish Public Works Director Brian Nunes said the parish yard is open Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. but added it temporarily shuts down once it is filled. He said it takes about one to two hours before it opens again.