New Orleans City Council overrides Mayor Cantrell’s veto on French Quarter trash contract, Charity Hospital

NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — The New Orleans City Council voted five to one to override Mayor LaToya Cantrell’s emergency declaration, allowing Henry Consulting to take over trash collection in the French Quarter.

“The emergency before us is an emergency that was created by the mayor herself,” said Council President JP Morrell.

Council members say that they don’t understand the mayor’s reasoning behind the declaration, which is the second one this year.

In April, the mayor sent IV Waste a letter saying its emergency contract that was set to end in December was now going to end in July.

Morrell says the mayor overstepped her boundaries and is not allowed to just hand over the contract to Henry Consulting.

“When it comes to executive power, setting the precedent that if a mayor does not like a contractor, they can fire the contractor, then use the firing as an excuse to create a new contract. That is an expansion of executive power,” said Morrell.

Councilman Freddie King and President of French Quarter Citizens Glade Bilby emphasized how much those in the French Quarter want IV Waste to remain.

“Over the years, the residents and the businesses have not been on the same page. We have been on the same page 100% in this situation. The best thing to do on your end is to put the bid out again,” said Bilby.

King also questioned why the administration wants to change contractors so quickly.

“It seems as if there are only a few people in this city who believe that the sanitation provider should change. I don’t want to speculate as to why that is, but being human, you can’t help but wonder,” said King.

Council member Joe Giarrusso recused himself from the vote, as the law firm he works for represents Henry Consulting.

Oliver Thomas was the only council member to vote against overruling the mayor’s emergency contract.

“At some point, you have to stand on principle as well as encroachment on executive authority. Some folks will try to make this nefarious. Some folks will try to make this more than it is. But the one thing about me, I don’t mind being the only vote,” said Thomas.

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.

Henry Consulting has said they still expect to take over trash collection on July 31.

WGNO reached out to IV Waste owner Sidney Torres but has not heard back.

The council overrode Cantrell’s veto of a deal to redevelop the long-abandoned Charity Hospital.

Earlier this year, the council agreed to give $20 million to Tulane University to turn the hospital into a research center. Cantrell vetoed the deal on Monday, saying it takes away funds from other projects.

Councilmembers disagreed, citing the administration’s previous support of the deal.

“Charity Hospital has been empty and neglected since Hurricane Katrina nearly 20 years ago. Staff members and members of the public, I would argue it is one of the last visible signs of the lack of recovery we have had since Hurricane Katrina. We have a problem. Do we allow it to continue to rot, or can we try and find a solution that up until July 7, everyone agreed to,” said Giarrusso.

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