Shreveport Has a Rubbish Pick-up Problem

Time for a little local trash ordinance complaint.

This summer, the trash pick-up policy changed in Shreveport in July.  It was pretty well publicized and even I, who never read the local "newspaper" or turns on the local news more than once a week, knew about the ordinance.

This is the ordinance from the city's website:

Bulky Item CollectionBeginning Monday, July 14, 2014 residents can begin to schedule appointments for our new program which will assist us in keeping our beautiful city clean.   If you have furniture, tree limbs, applicances, [sic] and / or tires that you need to dispose of you can do so by setting up an appointment.  Items for our Bulk Collection Program will be picked up by appointment only and each resident will be responsible for setting that appintment[sic] up by calling our Public Worrks [sic] Department @ 318-673-6300 and press 2 for a Customer Service Agent. These items will be collected separately from the regular garbage / recycling services but will be scheduled on one of your future trash days.  All items will need to follow the guidelines below
 1 pile per appointment and the pile must not be larger than (L) 15ft x (W) 6ft x (H) 6ft
Bulky items must be 5ft away from garbage carts, mailboxes, fences, telephone poles, parked cars or away from low hanging tree limbs or power lines.
Furniture, appliances, and tires may be placed curbside 24 hours before your scheduled appointment.
Tires - only 4 tires per appointment
Limbs / Brush may be placed curbside 7 days before your scheduled appointment.
Limbs / Brush must not be larger than 8 inches diameter or 6ft in length.
Items not collected are as follows:
No Building materials, i.e., flooring, tile, countertops, cabinets, concrete, rocks, stones, etc.
No Gasoline powered tools, auto parts
No Pianos, organs, swing or gym sets, trampolines, swimming pools and covers.
No Stumps / roots

Yet somehow, people seem to have missed the word.

The picture above left was taken this afternoon right across the street from me.  Not that it should matter, but I don't live in the ghetto nor do I live in the most upscale neighborhood.  Wherever you live this should not be a problem.  And that little pile is nothing compared to this one right next door to it:

Both piles of junk have been sitting there for at least three weeks.

On Youree Drive extension, headed north, a green couch has been sitting on the curb in front of the car museum place for two weeks.

We are starting to look like a third world country.

Obviously people should follow the guidelines and these two piles clearly do not.  Although at least in this one, there are some bagged items which have been ignored for the entire three weeks.

My neighbors and I have called to notify the city about this eyesore and we've filed complaints on the city website to no avail.

I understand the city's need to restrict bulky item pickup and reorganize how that is done.  And without a doubt our sanitation workers have had a rough haul -- no AC in many trucks and no pay raise in nine years.  I don't blame them for this.

But there has got to be a better plan.

I am assuming what happens here is that the property owner will "get a notice" and maybe "a fine" but in the meantime, this is a rat trap and brings down property values.

I'd hate for us to have to go to the kind of system Europe has...

...but right now it's starting to make a lot of sense.