CITY OF NEW ORLEANS DECLARES EMERGENCY FOR TRASH COLLECTION IN FRENCH QUARTER AND DOWNTOWN
NEW ORLEANS — The City of New Orleans issued the following statement:
Despite the fact that Henry Consulting and Richard’s Disposal appeared before the City Council in April to confirm they had resolved their differences and were prepared to proceed — the very issue the Council cited in December as the reason for withholding approval — the Council continues to refuse to sign the contract.
The City issued an emergency contract to ensure that trash collection continued.
Henry Consulting was selected through the same rigorous RFP process used to award sanitation contracts in the City’s other four zones. Of the six proposals received, Henry Consulting earned the highest score. IV Waste ranked third.
The Council’s ongoing refusal to honor the results of that process represents a blatant disregard for the City’s procurement rules. The contractor at issue, Henry Consulting, was not a “preferred” contractor of the Mayor, but the top-ranked respondent to a competitive selection process — the same process used to award all other sanitation contracts citywide. Among six proposals, Henry Consulting scored highest; IV Waste, ranked third.
The Council’s attempt to repeal the emergency declaration is a misapplication of the cited statute and the Mayor’s authority to act in the interest of public health, safety, and continuity of essential services remains intact under the law. The emergency declaration issued by Mayor Cantrell was a necessary step to prevent a disruption in sanitation services in the French Quarter and Downtown Development District.
The administration stands firmly by the legitimacy of the RFP process, the fairness of Henry Consulting’s selection, and the fundamental principle that all contractors — particularly Black-owned businesses with a proven track record — deserve equal treatment under the law. We remain committed to ensuring uninterrupted sanitation services for the French Quarter and Downtown Development District and will pursue all available options to make that happen.
To view the Mayoral Proclamation of Emergency, click here
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