City staff and consultant NewGen Strategies updated the Port Arthur City Council Oct. 7 on the solid-waste master plan, saying consultants have completed route ride-alongs and are finalizing a collection assessment and baseline cost-of-service memo.

Public-works staff showed photos of recurring illegal and oversized debris piles and explained how large, scattered collections can tie up crews and delay routine pickups. “Sites like this will lead us to delays,” staff said, showing images of multi-truck cleanups that took two truckloads and several hours to clear, which then shift collection schedules for other neighborhoods.

NewGen’s work will include a communication strategy, a customer-service survey and suggested operational options. Staff said the consultant is developing a solid-waste advisory committee made up of seven members plus two non-voting city employees; the committee will meet three to five times during the contract and will be disbanded after the project is complete. The advisory committee will review consultant findings and advise on modification of the plan.

Council members and residents pressed for stronger enforcement to hold contractors and property owners accountable when debris is left at the curb. Councilmember Kinlaw, Councilmember McKinlaw and others described the need for code-enforcement referrals at the time a truck encounters oversized piles so property owners receive notices and, if required, are billed for city removal.

Councilmember Everfield and others urged better public communications. The manager and public-works staff said the city’s website has been updated with collection-status maps and that staff will add expected daily routes and schedule updates so residents know when crews are assigned to their areas.

Why it matters: Recurrent illegal dumping and large debris piles increase operational cost, slow service, and can exacerbate drainage and flood risks. The master plan aims to balance enforcement, public education and operational changes to limit costly ad hoc cleanups.