French Quarter Management District votes to keep IV Waste amid trash contract controversy

The French Quarter Management District held a special meeting Monday to discuss the French Quarter trash dispute. All members of the board voted to keep IV Waste as the trash collector, resulting in two companies handling sanitation services in the area.Many residents and workers in the French Quarter have expressed their desire for IV Waste to continue providing sanitation services. The management district granted their wishes, at least through December of this year, when the contract ends. However, with the city’s collection services transitioning to Henry Consulting as of August 1 for the French Quarter and parts of downtown, taxpayers will ultimately be paying for two separate trash collection companies doing similar work.French Quarter management officials were able to grant IV Waste a new emergency contract due to state law that gives them the authority.”We have a couple of payment strategies. Ultimately, the state who authorized the legislation is partnering with us on that, and at the end of the day, these are city services; they should be paid for by the city of New Orleans,” said Board Member Jane Cooper. Leaders at IV Waste claimed they have had problems receiving payment from the city in the past.