Trashy drama over French Quarter contract
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Officials are beefing about who gets the honor of picking up trash in the French Quarter.
Why it matters: New Orleans wants to put its best foot forward in the heavily visited neighborhood ahead of the Sugar Bowl, Super Bowl LIX and Mardi Gras.
The big picture: The dispute is over who should have the multimillion-dollar contract to pick up trash in the French Quarter and the Downtown Development District.
- The current contract expires Dec. 23. The new contract is in legal turmoil.
- The city is hiring an emergency trash contractor while that gets sorted. Bids are due by 5pm Friday.
Friction point: The mayor's office said the city executed a contract on Monday with Henry Consulting, but it needs council approval to be effective.
- The council held off on voting after questions came up about the deal.
- Now, Henry is suing the council for taking away the bid due to "unfounded allegations" about the subcontract work, according to WDSU.
Catch up quick: Troy Henry, a businessman who is also spearheading the redevelopment of the old Six Flags, won the multiyear contract in question through his firm, Henry Consulting. The deal is worth nearly $75 million.
- He plans to hire subcontractors to do the work, which Morrell criticized as a "weird Russian nesting doll scheme" after a committee meeting earlier this month.
- Henry is proposing to pay his subcontractor Clean Force $1.9 million a year to pick up garbage, writes Ben Myers with The Times-Picayune. Clean Force doesn't own trucks so they sub the work to R2 Rentals.
- Henry Consulting plans to handle the other parts of the contract (pressure washing, street cleaning, etc.) for $7.8 million a year, Myers writes.
Between the lines: Henry's initial bid subbed trash pickup to a different business, Richard's Disposal, but they parted ways over a payment dispute.
- Richard's is now suing Henry Consulting, The Times-Picayune reports.
What they're saying: The Cantrell administration appears to be backing Henry Consulting. "The City remains hopeful that the contract with Henry Consulting will ultimately be executed," the mayor's office said in a statement late Tuesday.
The bottom line: "You and I both know the trash will be picked up in the Quarter," Morrell told WWL radio host Newell Normand earlier this month.