Town hall meetings to gauge interest in recycling

St. Charles Parish Council members will hold two town hall meetings to seek input on whether or not residents want curbside recycling brought back to the parish.

The meetings will take place Dec. 7 on the second floor of the courthouse and Dec. 8 at the East Regional Library in Destrehan. Both meetings will begin at 7 p.m.

"We just want the public's input on recycling and whether or not it would be something they would want added to the garbage contract," Councilman Larry Cochran said. "We want to gauge their interest."

Along with a town hall discussion on the issue, residents will also learn about the benefits of recycling from people in the field.

The council has received several proposals for the garbage contract. SDT Waste and Debris Services turned in the lowest bid and would charge $9.74 a month for collection using existing garbage cans. Adding new cans would increase the cost to $10.29 a month.

The parish currently has a contract with IESI, which would have the lowest monthly fee if curbside recycling is added to the contract. IESI would charge residents $13.54 per month to pick up both garbage and recyclables. SDT would charge $13.71 for the same service.