[StBernard] abandoned cars

[Westley Annis]

We all probably read a few weeks ago about the City of New Orleans awarded a
contract to CH2MHill of Denver, CO for the towing away and disposal of
abandoned cars in public streets and r-o-ws. This is being paid by FEMA.
This contract calls for the company (which is a national engineering firm)
to hire the tow trucks, catalog the VIN, attempt to notify the owners by
mail, store the vehicles at a storage site in N.O., and if the owner, or the
insurance co. that may own it by now, doesn't retrieve in so many days, then
it's to be declared abandoned, and then  it's sold for scrap after it's
crushed. They have to do all this by sometime in June 2006.

Now if FEMA has approved that contract, and all the other regulatory
agencies have done so as well, then this is a major step forward since the
State government and State Police decided they weren't going to handle this
on a statewide basis.

Would it be too logical for CH2MHill to be hired by other parishes (HEY ST.
BERNARD READ THIS), and have an identical contract such that as CH2MHill
finishes up Orleans they move into St. Bernard?  Since the prices are
acceptable to FEMA and they are meeting all the requirements of the police,
EPA, DEQ, and whomever else has to approve, why re-invent the wheel and run
into more roadblocks?

I understand that the parish and the sb sheriff's office are overwhelmed and
this is a huge task, but would someone reading this  from CH2MHill, EPA,
FEMA, Col. Dysart, Jr, Joey,  Craig, etc. please tell us if St. Bernard is
aware and pursuing this option, or if not, why not and what's the
alternative.  CH2MHill's local project manager for this contract is Harold
Underwood at 593-9421, ext. 39 so there's a lead if St. Bernard govt. needs
to contact them about this.

We are about to hit the 6 month mark and 6 months of disgusting, flooded
cars, with stolen tires, that are full of junk that people are stuffing in
them is as much an environmental issue to me as anything else, not to
mention that it's depressing and makes us feel like we are in downtown
Beirut.

Anybody in cyberspace that can update us on this issue, please do so!

Ddk