[StBernard] St. Bernard President debates SDT audit with council members

[Westley Annis]

St. Bernard President debates SDT audit with council members

10:22 PM CST on Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Lee Zurik / Eyewitness News 

ST. BERNARD, La. - Four St. Bernard council members, who released a terse
statement over the weekend criticizing Parish President Craig Taffaro for
his interview with Eyewitness News last week, were friendly Tuesday night at
the council meeting.

A recent report raised questions by Taffaro about a settlement agreed to,
but not signed, with the trash company SDT Waste & Debris Services. 

The parish and SDT paid for a forensic accountant to determine if SDT over
billed the parish for trash. The accountant's report concluded the trash
company did not. 

But Taffaro questioned the findings after some numbers used in the report
were found to be inaccurate, and some important information was left out. 

"Are we going to move forward to adhere to that agreement?" asked St.
Bernard Councilman Wayne Landry. "Because in the article, it was suggested
the outcome could be different. That predicated on these variables being
different." 

Taffaro responded: "I guess it would be good to have an act of the council
tonight. 38,000 tons was not found to be part of the calculation. We should
roll that into the assumptions and kick it out." 

The council didn't vote on any resolution; instead, they urged Taffaro to
continue negotiating with SDT and did not ask him to include the missing
tonnage in any new calculations. 

The council also voted for the parish to make no public comments until the
situation with SDT is resolved.