[StBernard] let's learn from the other parishes

[Westley Annis]

We can learn from the issues that parishes ahead of us in the recovery 
are going through rather painfully.
Here's the hot issue in Jefferson right now.

Suddenly in February, and without advance notice says a Jefferson 
sanitation official, FEMA told the Corps of Engineers (COE) that apartment
complexes with more than 4 units are not residential. Therefore, 11 
weeks the COE debris contractors stopped
picking up debris from the larger apartment complexes. The apartment 
owners and their contractors say they were
never told, so 11 weeks of debris have built up while the parish is 
thinking that the owners will pay to dispose and the
owners think the COE is coming. All the Jeff official could say is that 
they have been writing letters to FEMA and the
LRA to request an extension of time for picking up commercial debris 
that would include these large apartment
complexes. To make it worst the residential garbarge is getting thrown 
in the mix and now they have a haven
for rats. And if the COE resumes, they won't sort out the garbarge and 
neither will the parish's garbage contractor.
The FEMA person said they will never agree to pick up household garbage.
Can the plague be far away?

Craig, please have it publicized often  known that:

1) One day FEMA will suddenlty invoke this rule in St. Bernard
2) Owners of complexes with more than 4 units need to be aware that 
when suddenly that day comes,
they have to pay for disposal of the debris, and they can make it 
cheaper for themselves if they instruct
residents living in the apartments to place their household garbage 
away from any debris.
3)FEMA will probably dig in its heels on this and in the end Jefferson 
will pay dearly as it becomes
a major public health issue and not something that writing letters and 
waiting will resolve.

We should all be aware that anything with food or that had food should  
be bagged and put away from
debris and on the curb where Waste Management will pick it up or else 
we will all be caught in this problem,
  regardless of whether we are in a house or trailer or apartment.  I 
don't know if this is being stressed in the parish.
  I have to continually pick up and bag the lunch of workers in the 
neighborhood who toss the remnants on top of
debris piles.

Waste Management has been good about pick ups, at least in my hood.

ddk