This summer FEMA scaled back the amount they’d pay the Army Corps of Engineers for debris removal, meaning the City of New Orleans would have to pick up more of the tab. The City said they couldn’t afford it, so it would fall on the private citizen. Predictably, however, most people didn’t get the memo. And we’ve all gotten used to piling debris on the curb.
Case in point: 3319 Iberville. Around September 20, the flooded contents of this house were finally removed and piled on the sidewalk, spilling into the street.
The pile was quite impressive, taller than me.
Over a month later, it’s still there. It’s settled a little, so it’s not quite as tall, but it does encroach on the street a little more.
I’m sick of looking at it every damn day. So I called the City of New Orleans hotline and reported it as a case of illegal dumping. (It took two calls. On the first try I got an operator who just wanted to read me a fact sheet of facts I already know like some kind of robot.) I was given a reference number: #2020403.
I don’t really expect the city to do anything about it, but hope springs eternal.
Call Veronica White. Ask when they are going to start giving out tickets for trashing.
In fact e mail her
I tried the 311 number for my neighbor who had let his lot turn into a third world jungle [complete with wildlife] and then when I called him, proceded to solve the problem by asking me if I wanted to buy it from him and then when I said I didn’t, he stuck a for sale sign on it. After about 8 calls to 311 I got someone who told me to call the dept. of community services. left 4 messages there. I had no luck there either, so I tried the local Lakeview civic association. Three days later he came out, cut the grass and that was the end of it. Now he is keeping it cut and it may even be sold soon. I don’t know if Mid-City has one, but if they do try them beause that might help you.
We knew there were people who didn’t get to their houses… And so when they stopped debris pick up everyone knew that there would be piles on the street when they did. The city is going to need to keep one or two serious debris crews on into the foreseeable future. We have a choice to make. I think everyone would rather see a house gutted than mouldering for another 2 years. And if the folks weren’t smart enough to get to it before now they certainly aren’t smart enough to call someone to haul it all away. Only half of the stupidity is with the goverment. The other half is with the people.
Wasn’t one of the touted purposes of our new, exorbitantly more expensive garbage contracts that they’d pick up debris as well as basic trash? Or did that only apply to white goods (since we all throw out refrigerators and washing machines on a regular basis.)