[StBernard] let's learn from the other parishes

[Westley Annis]

Hey Deborah,
 
FEMA has already invoked this rule in St. Bernard and included in the ruling
that Jefferson was able to sneak by because of the timing of their
rebuilding was the refusal to pick up construction debris.  FEMA will not
reimburse for new construction or repair debris as it is not considered to
be part of the storm related debris process.  This announcement was made
Monday and was sent back to FEMA for clarification.
 
Commercial establishments have been told that in individual case by case
basis there would be opportunity to have debris picked up and that is still
the case, but automatic commercial pick up is not happening.
 
Commercial establishments are being informed whent they come in for
permitting.
 
As far as household garbage there are trucks that are circulating to pick up
household garbage that is bagged.  If you have waste management doing it for
you, keep it quiet because they aren't supposed to be here- they
disconitinued their contract months ago.
 
As residential population increases, there will be a real problem with the
ability to pay for garbage collection- I think this is going to be one of
those changes that will place the responsbility directly to the homeowner as
is in almost every neighboring community- there just won't be enough money
to go around to handle all the sales tax related services with the sales tax
revenue being much less.
 
I'll put out a general statement about these things and I am starting to
forward minutes from our briefing on M-W-F.
 
Good luck and God Bless,
Craig 
 
-----Original Message-----

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