By Monique Roth
L’Observateur

LAPLACE — Keeping neighborhoods and streets clean, and more importantly safe, is what St. John the Baptist Parish District VI Councilman Larry Snyder said he had in mind when he proposed an ordinance addressing the period of time garbage cans are allowed to remain by the roadway.

“Trash cans were left out all week and lying across the curbs in the streets for weeks,” Snyder said. “Some (cans) were actually in the streets and could cause an accident.”

He said over a year ago he started to receive complaints from his constituents about certain business owners and residents in his district who were leaving their garbage cans out, creating a safety hazard and “making the neighborhood look raggedy.”

Some cans were “just lying around and kids passing on their bicycles would have to get in the street to avoid them,” which created a safety issue for children and motorists, Snyder said. After residents started to call him to see what he could do about the situation, Snyder said he proposed to amend the garbage ordinance to include a time frame in which the cans should be roadside.

The ordinance was passed by the Council, who urged the parish Communications Department at a recent Council meeting to remind residents about the ordinance’s stipulations. Several council members said their constituents continue to complain about garbage cans being left out for days at a time.

According to Ordinance 12-32, “garbage cans or containers may not be placed at the street sooner than … noon on the day before the scheduled collection day, and must be removed from the street by … noon on the day following collection.”

For example, if a resident’s collection day is Tuesday, the can should not be placed at the street sooner than noon Monday, and should be removed from the street no later than noon Wednesday.

While a person convicted of a violating of the ordinance could face a fine of up to $500, Parish Communications Director Paige Falgoust said no residents have been fined in the last three months for breaking the ordinance.

Some residents insist the issues with cans left in the streets have nothing to do with residents and are due to garbage collection trucks.

LaPlace resident Allan Reynaud, who lives in Riverlands Subdivision, said he’s seen garbage services leave cans in the streets “very consistently.”

Reynaud said he called parish offices twice this week after witnessing cans thrown in the middle of the street and in driveways at collection times.

He said his wife routinely has to “weave around trash cans” when driving through their neighborhood, and he and other men on his street often pick up cans from the street after the garbage trucks pass through.

“We shouldn’t have to be doing this,” Reynaud said.

Reynaud said he’s talked to Snyder, who represents his district, and said Snyder said he would bring up the issue at a future Council meeting.

For more information regarding garbage collection times and routes, visit sjbparish.com/services_general.