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The office of the City Manager for Port Arthur offered an update on the current conditions of the garbage and trash collection services in the city citing lack of personnel and ageing equipment for the delays of collection.

The agenda item was requested by Councilmember Harold Doucet. The presentation was given by Assistant City Manager Pamela Langford at the April 8 city council meeting. 

The presentation talked about how the city has been experiencing issues with the scheduled trash and garbage collection in part due to various issues, including illegal dumping and vehicle failure that have caused schedule pick up to be delayed.

Locations most frequently reported and monitored for dumping violations include Lewis Foster Drive, Cecil Reynolds Park, Proctor Street extension, Westside Denbo Addition and Ferry Road, and some isolated areas within the Port Acres and El Vista area according to Langford. Cameras have been installed to monitor these locations but have been reportedly stolen and damaged according to the City Managers office. 

As part of the update the city’s solid waste website was updated to include garbage and trash pickup schedules and planned holiday schedule for waste services. Additionally, the city public information officer actively reports any changes or disruptions to the solid waste schedule via the city’s website and official social media platforms.

Langford also cited the city’s expanse and increased demand for collection services over the past years as reasons why the city has been having these issues.

“This increased demand has not kept pace with resource allocation, including investment in new equipment and hiring additional personnel,” said Langford.  “As a result, existing equipment and employees are subject to greater operational strain, leading to more frequent equipment breakdowns and higher levels of workforce fatigue.”

At the end of the presentation various members of city council voiced their continued concerns after receiving calls from citizens and businesses that the trash collection services that they paid for were not happening. 

“The last time I discussed this on council and I said, you know, just tell us what you need,” Doucet said. “I said, tell us if you need trucks, say tell us if you need mechanics. Tell us if you need personnel. Just fix the problem. No one came to this council and asked for more personnel. Nobody came to this council and asked for more vehicles and nobody came to this council and says, more mechanics.”

During the presentation, it was stated that the city owned 15 service vehicles, but only six were currently in service to perform pick-up routes. 

“I think we are in this fight together, but if we keep on this route not trying to address those, it’s gonna just keep snowballing,” Councilmember Thomas Kinlaw. “it’s gonna get bad, it’s gonna get worse and then we’re gonna be outta control trying to figure out what we gonna do.”

NewGen Strategies & Solutions was constructed in December 2024 to seek solutions for these issues and the contract period is set to end in December 2025. City Manager Ronald Burton stated representatives of NewGen will be in the city sometime next week and the City Manager’s office will provide another update in 90 days. 

As of April 5, the commercial collection is back on schedule and as of April 7, the city’s garbage collection, which is the residential container service, is also back on schedule.